I need veterans (5/10+ years out) opinions!

I'm just about 4 months shy of 9 years out ...

I still eat protein forward, and low carb because I am diabetic.   I don't drink with or for at least 30 mins after meals (usually an hour) but then I didn't before surgery either.  In terms of food I don't think of myself as much different to someone of a normal weight, who has not had surgery - I eat about the same amount at a meal and think I probably look like more of a health nut than anything else ...   I do not do protein shakes or bars because I try to eat cleanly.

I lost 120lbs and regained 20 of those but I was a lightweight so am still at a normal BMI.  I could diet (starve) to lose the 20lbs but at my age (50) - I look pretty good - I'm 6ft, size 12 and still wear shorts and bikinis.

I walk/run at least 5 days a week and lift weights a couple of times a week.   I'm not competitive but consider what I do as necessary for my health - my bone density, cholesterol etc are all excellent.  My diabetes is well controlled on 1500mg of Metformin a day.   I had pernicious anaemia and a couple of auto immunes before surgery and they are all under control.   I take all my vitamins and get labs done every six months.

I believe I am successful because I work at it and because I stick around on here ...   The statistics are not great long term in terms of regain and health because people "move on" and think they can be just like everyone else and I don't believe we truly can ever do that!  It's a choice that maybe gets more difficult as time goes on ...

 

Thank you for sharing!! I so happy to hear someone so far out is still doing so well! I definitely need to keep the support up on here because I have absolutely no support, at all, from my family and never will. Food-wise either because our house is always filled with crap, crap, crap because the reality that crap is way cheaper than eating healthy and we're all low-income/below low-income. It's really frustrating! I'm definitely worried about moving on like you said as well because it's really the last thing I want to or CAN focus on in my psychotic household (we live with my dramatic/bipolar family members so unless we're not here, I'm never allowed to just focus on me and my family)  so I just try and make better choices in my portions and hope it works (which it has at least for now). 

I had my 8th anniversary just a couple of weeks ago. I have a 5 lb limit that I watch and when I hit it focus more on choices. I could eat cleaner but this works for me.

Protein is always my first focus on meals and usually snacks. I'm not perfect for sure. Never drink with my meals and wait 30 minutes or more before drinking. Oops not entirely true I have occasionally drank when eating boiled crawfish that are spicy, but just a few sips.

I also contribute staying at goal with remaining active in the WLS world.

Post op life was hard for me at first because I had the mindset that once I lost the weight, I could finally quit "dieting" and go back to the way I was eating before I honestly was looking forward to it.

In 2008 when I had my RNY  surgery my life fell apart. I lost a cousin that was a sister to me to chronic illness she had suffered since birth, another close family member was brutally murdered, my 22 year old brother committed suicide, and my Grandpa was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer and moved in with us so we could take care of him, and then died later that summer.

I was a mess, I can't even tell you how I came out of 2008 alive. I hated myself, the world, and everything in it and I did not give a crap about my weight loss. I guess thankfully due to the depression and being completely occupied by my existence crumbling down around me, I didn't really eat I also didn't drink my protein, water, or take my vitamins. So that helped nothing, because I was falling apart emotionally and physically.

My hair fell out, I had cavities in my teeth, and for some reason I didn't care at that point I had lost about 100 pounds. In early 2010, something changed for me, I was finally in a place where I wanted to take care of me! I started taking my vitamins, I drank my protein shakes, and I went to the dentist and had my teeth fixed, and I followed up with my surgeon and my doctor.

The Doctors praised me for the weight loss and how well I had done (Oh God if they had only known what I was really doing!) I started exercising, logging my food intake, I joined Weigh****chers and became really interested in nutrition. I stopped eating red meat, and my life completely changed. I was happy again and functioning. I quit a job that I hated and took a new one.

So from that point on I have lost a total of about 130 pounds. My weight fluctuates 5-7 pounds depending on God knows what! One day its 147 the next day its 156.2 so who knows!

Every day I eat pretty much the same thing, Eggs for breakfast, Salad with chicken for lunch, dinner is something like a turkey burger and green beans and for snacks I eat fruit, salad, cottage cheese, yogurt, and I eat about 6 times a day.

On special occasions like Christmas, or my Birthday I eat whatever I want. I have a treat every day like a little snickers, fun size M&M or something like that.

I give all the credit to God to seeing me through those difficult times and helping me to come out on top, despite my best efforts to ruin myself.

Things are good now, I live a happy Post OP life and although food does still control me, I have learned to manage it and most importantly live with it.

sending best wishes to you on your journey!!

Post op life was hard for me at first because I had the mindset that once I lost the weight, I could finally quit "dieting" and go back to the way I was eating before I honestly was looking forward to it.

In 2008 when I had my RNY  surgery my life fell apart. I lost a cousin that was a sister to me to chronic illness she had suffered since birth, another close family member was brutally murdered, my 22 year old brother committed suicide, and my Grandpa was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer and moved in with us so we could take care of him, and then died later that summer.

I was a mess, I can't even tell you how I came out of 2008 alive. I hated myself, the world, and everything in it and I did not give a crap about my weight loss. I guess thankfully due to the depression and being completely occupied by my existence crumbling down around me, I didn't really eat I also didn't drink my protein, water, or take my vitamins. So that helped nothing, because I was falling apart emotionally and physically.

My hair fell out, I had cavities in my teeth, and for some reason I didn't care at that point I had lost about 100 pounds. In early 2010, something changed for me, I was finally in a place where I wanted to take care of me! I started taking my vitamins, I drank my protein shakes, and I went to the dentist and had my teeth fixed, and I followed up with my surgeon and my doctor.

The Doctors praised me for the weight loss and how well I had done (Oh God if they had only known what I was really doing!) I started exercising, logging my food intake, I joined Weigh****chers and became really interested in nutrition. I stopped eating red meat, and my life completely changed. I was happy again and functioning. I quit a job that I hated and took a new one.

So from that point on I have lost a total of about 130 pounds. My weight fluctuates 5-7 pounds depending on God knows what! One day its 147 the next day its 156.2 so who knows!

Every day I eat pretty much the same thing, Eggs for breakfast, Salad with chicken for lunch, dinner is something like a turkey burger and green beans and for snacks I eat fruit, salad, cottage cheese, yogurt, and I eat about 6 times a day.

On special occasions like Christmas, or my Birthday I eat whatever I want. I have a treat every day like a little snickers, fun size M&M or something like that.

I give all the credit to God to seeing me through those difficult times and helping me to come out on top, despite my best efforts to ruin myself.

Things are good now, I live a happy Post OP life and although food does still control me, I have learned to manage it and most importantly live with it.

sending best wishes to you on your journey!!

 

 

I am nearly 8 yrs out, weigh less then 140 @ 5'5 and have been at this weight for years.  I post on this site so I never forget where I started and stay mindful of my goals.  I will never be normal, nor will you, you need to accept that part.  I walk for exercise, never set foot in a gym, but I paid a plastic surgeon to give my a perfectly flat rock hard stomach.  My body isn't perfect but I can rock a bikini in my backyard and not die of embarassment if the neighbors see me.  I do not eat during the day on work days I drink water or iced tea with lemons, typically 80 ounces worth before I put one bite in my mouth.  I try to pick a protein rich dinner, tonight was a chicken and black bean, cheese, pico and chipolte sauce burrito.  Yummy!  Afterwards I have two snacks, like nuts or greek yogurt with fresh fruit and then I have a treat, I have a big easter basket filled with individual russell stover eggs.  I take the basket down and pick an egg like a little kid.  I have enough candy to last until Easter after which the candy treats will stop and my snacks will probably go back to a chocolate protein bar.  I eat more normally on the weekends when I am home with my boyfriend but I still eat pretty small servings if I eat two meals a day.

HI Heidi,

 

I too want to pay a plastic surgeon to give me a rock hard tummy! But how do you have enough energy to get through the day without eating much? I am 10 months out and I get hungry and low energy if I don't eat.

I agree that we will never be normal and I hope I will always remember that.