Julie norton

I could not have KEPT my weight off without WLS . I could lose it , but it always found me again. I tried for My adult life to succeed.... Felt like a failure. Now going on 9+ years and I would do it again hands down. Everyone needs to make their own decisions, but it would appear you have a golden opportunity to change your size and life.

Wow James. What a difference Hope some other 60s post some pictures!!! Please

Wow. Great job! Enjoy your new life.

We are still here JWMe. This forum is one constant in my life. Let us know how it is going. I care! My band has a mind of its own and has decided it is too tight.... Tried liquids, yogurt, resetting. No go Although I love being in my smallest size pants, it appears an unfill is due and that means more pounds. However it also means not being fearful food won't agree with me.. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY. To each of us. Kids ,dogs ,cats whatever depends on you... It is a special day. Hope you enjoy it. For me. All I want is an unfill weds.

Everyone has their own goal imho .... It could be high school weight... Or just that " I feel normal now" weight. I believe it is whatever you want your image to be in this world. Hopefully it is healthy for your body size. It seems to me to also be dependent on where you started... 200+ start is different from 300+ start and also there are those that start at 400+ all those factors mean to me that we each have a goal to be comfortable in this world in our own skin!

For me personally, I am in maintenance for many years and eat around 1000-1300 calories per day. Some days are a bit lighter. I'm just not really hungry some days, but I do still drink protein drinks. And I do have all sorts of high protein energy bars as an added way to get to my 67 grams of protein. It is water I fall short on sometimes. Every day I try! Some days my band is fussy and I need to let it settle down .... If I eat slowly and small, I'm usually good for the day.

Congrats! What a great feeling. I currently fit in my very smallest pair of pants and it is exciting! When I look at them off of me, I'm still surprised that they actually would fit me. This is from a many moon veteran, Some months( or years) are leaner than others. So thankful for my band. Changed the trajectory of my life.

Thank you for passing along an informative article. I am always curious about long term weight loss. I will be celebrating 10 years post op with my lap band later this year. I find it takes regular dr visits with my bariatric dr, Compliance with my high protein diet and regular work outs to stay the course . I'm wondering about rmr Also. It would appear that 1000-1300 calories a day is my zone to maintain. I don't believe I could adhere to this without my band. I would love to hear from others experiencing years post op.

Thanks for the info! I have been wondering for years why there are so few " where are they now" stories from TBL. (I wondered if they signed privacy contracts) I'm grateful to have WLS as I would be slowly regaining using any other weight loss program.... And probably blaming my willpower. ... WRONG...now I understand in a better way how come diet programs truly do not work long term for about 95% of people. Thanks again... Information is power in my world. FYI. My doctor reported my brm at 1300 calories/ day.

Funny thread! Truly though, with my TT , the dr did a bit of Lipo on my hips and on my mons... That is the fat pad in front . It only bothered me when I was in form fitting work out pants and it was so prominent. I was thankful it was part of his TT procedure....don't know if that is standard. Did not hurt down there , but the plication and TT did hurt like hell the first week. Worth it!

Hope you can come back and visit stevehud. I enjoy all kinds of viewpoints[emoji177]... Even the ones I don't share. It is nice we don't have to be the same person here. I'm thinking we all want health and smaller bodies.

Seems totally normal. Your body has bee through a lot and it needs to catch up Personally I'm in favor of putting away the scale except once a week perhaps. Have faith and work the program your dr gave you In a couple of months this will be but a distant memory! Just keep going and keep posting. We care!

Love[emoji171] (more so some days than others . ) thrilled the weight stayed off!

Thanks for the tip! I have used spanx, but would like something else. I just ordered this item to try. Things like this is why I like bariatric pal!

From observing these forums for years, and with my support group chats, it seems regaining a % of your total loss is most likely. I note several successful people who reach goal and stay, but a large number of people seem to go low, then bounce to a more long term set point. It seems such a personal choice to accept the total overall weight loss, or seek to lower it back to the lower weight . Personally, I go back and forth with about ten pounds, and I appreciate the lower end, and always try to work towards it....I just don't give it too much "fight" ... I Just plan a healthy day and go on. In the overall scheme of life, I'm healthy and aware of choices everyday. Nothing is perfect!

I love the help and support available on this site. I personally know of no where else people truly understand the process. We all tackle the road differently, yet there is unity in WLS . I am thankful !

Often it takes awhile for our head to catch up with our bodies, I think. I found actual pictures helped me believe that I was a "normal" size. Sometimes I couldn't believe it. Even now, years later , I can still be surprised that I actually look lean-ish. The TT helped resolve the image I had stuck in my head. But still, I find myself surprised sometimes.

Congratulations on a great healthy year. [emoji322]The first of many if all goes right. Isn't life easier when you are at a lower weight? I found a lot of things much better in my life when my head and body were where I liked them!!

Great post. You look very healthy!Seems like you have all the info you need to be who you are. You may not like those 20 lbs, but it certainly is not as noticeable as you might feel it is, imho . Especially compared to the old you people knew at 100 lbs more! People do go up a bit and down a bit in different phases of life ( and WLS) You might have to learn to adjust to you with 20 lbs. don't know if that is acceptable to you. I'm saying this as another banded veteran who has fooled with 15 lbs up and down. Yes I like the down part, and I'm disappointed sometimes with the up part, but it is ALL better than where I started at 250+. I sometimes forget years later how uncomfortable I was pre WLS. I'm thankful for something that got me off the yoyo of dieting and always gaining before changing my life. Just my perspective [emoji171] And yes there are weeks I struggle and there are easy ones.

I also agree that many posters are in categories: awaiting surgery, Recently operated and on cloud nine weight loss ride, Some posters who are dissatisfied with their procedure and then, Some of us are just going along, Asking a few questions, Working our program the best we can and gathering and giving support to others. Years in , many people leave. Have they regained? Gotten complacent? Given up on procedures? I don't think we know. I do learn a lot from veterans here so I hope the core group years out of any procedure continue to post. Please know it helps.... Even after 9+ years, I read forums here several times a week for answers and support.

I also have a difficult time with spicy foods , salsa and such. It just seems to irritate my band and stomach, so I avoid them. Thank goodness I was never much for spicy before the band! Hope your stomach has settled down and you don't suffer consequences on the other end.

My doctor did a bit of Lipo there and the front area ( which seemed large in my work out pants)was pulled up during my TT. Ask your surgeon if that is included. I'm thinking it is common to have droopiness after weight loss. I was pleased with the results . Good luck! Ps. It hurt a bit ( ok a lot)the first week. Just know it gets better quickly as time goes on! Ok I guess we can say mons as in mons pubis.... That for me was kinda a fat pad that was changed during my TT .

I second the prunes and raise it to a couple of cups of "smooth move" tea. Suppositories come next as a try. Then perhaps an enema. Lots of us have gone through this rather private yet painful experience and try to change a bit of eating and drinking so our bodies are working correctly. Don't freak out when you do go! Someone posted ( and I laughed out loud) it was like passing a pineapple. Best of luck getting things moving.

Sigh... It may be that the old folks just aren't gonna change. However I would try to not give them any ammunition, like exact numbers. Just Know they think they may be joking or making small talk.... And it hurts like a knife! I agree with the others to back away a bit and smile and change the subject. It probably is NOT bothering these individuals.... Just their unknowing targets. Parents and in laws and family are perceived to be kinda safe.... But they are not... As we see. We take it in deep and therein lies the rub.

Seems like we all have our bumps in the road. But keep driving!! The magic bus is moving if you just stop hindering it. This seems to be where our head tries to remind us that this is what we have always done....gone so far and sabotage ourselves. Hopefully your new tool (band or sleeve ) helps you to see you can keep going. This time can be different if you get right back on your program and do the protein, water and perhaps a walk. This can be the "oops I made a quick error and now I'm back " moment. That can literally be the difference between all the yo- yo, stop and start, and I'll begin again later pattern that got me personally over 250 lbs. think of it in the past and keep going. String together good days. And good weeks... Are there off moments? Yes I believe there are. No one can be perfect ( or rather mostly) But this surgery can work in the LONG RUN. Which is why you tried a new way, yeah? The old ways don't work! I'm encouraging you to readjust yourself and keep going. Please keep posting. There is a caring community here to help. Best to you.