My 2 year surgaversary today!
It’s so crazy…I’m 2 years out from surgery! It still can be un-real to me at times. Although I am comfortable in my shoes-I still have moments I forget I’m “skinny.” Life has been absolutely wonderful lately and it’s so nice to feel like I’m finally “living.”
Surgery was the best thing I ever did for myself…should I have done it years ago…sure...but I wasn’t ready back then…I did it when it was the right time for me.
I was scared to get the surgery-and the road once it was done…but maintenance has been the scariest part for me. The further you get out- your hunger slowly comes back and you can eat a bit more than I used to. I get scared at times I will not be able to maintain and return to old habits- no matter how much you think you have overcome them the little *******s come out of the closet sometimes…but I have been at the same weight for almost a year now…so I’m good so far. I take it day by day and remind myself I HAVE THE POWER and the TOOL to stay on track. I have a fortune cookie fortune at my desk at work and it say’s
“Failure is only opportunity to begin more intelligently.”
My best advice….
Therapy- before, during and after. The Dr fixed my stomach- but not my head.
Exercise…even if it’s just a walk- get and keep you body moving. My latest favorite thing is Hula Hooping!
Dense Protein..protein...protein!!!
Don’t compare yourself to others- everyone is on there own journey.
Losing the weight does not fix your problems- depression-your marriage/relationship,your self- worth/self-esteem… whatever it may be.
You can’t truly take care of others until you have the power to take care of YOU.
Good luck everyone!
Wow, thanks so much for sharing! You're doing so great and seem to have really embraced the entire process!
Jenn Highest weight: 278. Starting weight: 275. Surgery weight: 253. Month 1: 25 lbs. Month 2: 8.8 lbs. Month 3: 12.6 lbs. Month 4: 7 lbs. Onederland 7/29/2013. Month 5: 7 lbs. Month 6: 5 lbs. Months 7-9: self-induced maintenance, then 5 lb gain.
Thank you for that great post. I am 2 years post surgery as well... I can identify with every word you wrote. The body is fixed, (not perfect of course), but its the brain that needs fixing! After all, the brain is what got us into this mess in the first place, it only seems logical that we have to fix it or we will just end up back where we started. I know 2 people (that are very close to me), that had the surgery and one of them gained back her weight and more and the other is almost back to where she started! This scares me to death so I monitor myself very carefully. Eating healthy,good for you foods is the best way to go... stay away from Fast Foods and if you are a "chocoholic" - eat dark chocolate - its not the same -- but its good for you and you can get used to it. I always have a protein bar or two in my bag - the healthy ones without any chemicals or preservatives - smartest thing, that way you won't grab something that is bad for you just because you have to have your protein! We all have to learn to make better choices and find the ones that work for us.
Start by doing what's necessary;
then do what's possible;
and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
- Francis of Assisi
I like your advise. I am in therapy for sure and also have a VSG Coach and go to 3 bariatric Support Group meetings a month. I know I need mental help with food issues, there is no doubt.
Now, about your dense protein advise - if only I were not vomiting everything up, I hope one day I can get there! I pray to just be able to eat like a regular VSG person without the throwing up.
Congrats!
- Geneen Roth
on 3/22/13 3:23 pm, edited 3/22/13 3:25 pm - Greater Austin Area
I am so happy for you!! CONGRATULATIONS and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!! We are all so blessed to have this surgery aren't we?
I agree, maintenance IS scary for most of us. If we could lose weight and keep it off, we wouldn't have needed surgery, right? We all hope that our new small tummy and perhaps a bit less hunger will help us out enough to keep the weight off. We have to make the best choices we can every day, each meal, to do our best!! I think one BIG thing that I've seen people *****gain a lot make is they start consuming 300-600 calories a day in LIQUIDS!! Like full sugar soda, or sugary and carb filled frappuccinos or cappuccinos or what have you, or even sweetened tea with full sugar, or something like that. I was jus****ching a youtube video where a VSG'er had started going to McDonald's and getting a LARGE soda every day for 1$ because it was cheap and convenient. She was lucky she did not regain quite a bit of weight! She realized what a mistake she was making and she STOPPED so she didn't start on the road to regain. ALSO, sadly, I've just seen 2 VIDEO UPDATES from two VSG youtubers I follow who have both regained 25 lbs at less than 2 years out!!. I firmly believe ungodly amounts of Dr. Pepper and my family genes contributed fully to my diabetes diagnosis!! At my worst, I was drinking about 8-12 dr. pepper cans a day!! It was awful! Of course, I had problems with carb laden food too of course! Sometimes I think the diabetes diagnosis is a blessing for me. Although it's in remission right now and my blood sugars are normal, it makes it MUCH easier for me to choose to eat dense proteins or eat things that are low carb, because it could be life or death for me. If I allow bad foods back into my diet, I could have the diabetes come back easily and lose my sight, limbs, LIFE.
We can ALL do this but it requires mindful eating. We have to CHOOSE to eat the right thing, over and over and over and over again. We can't mindlessly eat day in and day out without it coming back to bite us in the booty! Good luck to you and keep checking in now and again!
