Baconville

I was much older and heavier than you when I had my surgery and I do have loose skin and had to kind of reign in my weight loss at the end because I just kept loosing and I didn't want to go any lower (now I WISH I had that problem!). The skin issue is real - but I weighed over 300 pounds, and was 48 years old. For vanity reasons I hate it, but when I look in the mirror it also is a constant reminder of how far I have come. As far as loosing too much weight, I lost until my BMI was in the 'normal' range and then worked to increase my calorie intake until I stopped loosing. Your body changes over time. What you can eat and how much you can eat also changes - even with surgery. This surgery SAVED MY LIFE and I would do it again in a heartbeat - it is by far the best decision I ever made for myself. The journey however does not end when you reach your goal. Maintenance is still a lifelong commitment and daily struggle. Best of luck with your surgery! Happy loosing!! Carol

I am two and a half years post RNY surgery and am still working on making sure that my Vitamin levels are correct. Very rare in bariatric patients, but I developed HIGH Iron. I was instructed by my bariatric doctor to take gummy Vitamins because they NEVER contain iron (they are not able to put iron in a gummy). I had my blood work done again earlier this month and it showed that my iron levels are now great. The other problems that I have been low zinc levels and low thiamine (vitamin B1) levels. I take additional supplements of both with my multi every day. Even with the additional supplement, my zinc level is still low, but is trending up. My thiamine level has been fine as long as I take the extra supplement. Foods naturally high in thiamine are sunflower seeds, some fish, like salmon and trout, pork, and wheat bread. I am in search of a new multi that will better fit my needs. One that does not contain iron but has more zinc and B1 in it than what I am taking (Women's One A Day Gummies). Good luck! This is why it is so important to stay on top of your blood work. In order to achieve the health we want we need to make sure we are getting the nutrients that we need. Carol

Went back for more blood work, and Iron is great (finally!) but zinc is still low, but at least is improving. I am going to try to find a new multi that has more zinc. The multi needs to NOT have iron, so it makes it a bit more challenging to find! Hope everybody else is doing great and enjoying the holidays. Happy New Year! Carol

Kristi, sorry about the blood work. I have always had bad veins. WLS has improved that too! It's nice not to have to dread getting a blood draw! I feel for you!!

OOPS! Hate when that happens!! Anyway, I already had the results of the blood work, so I knew I was high on iron and low on zinc. We adjusted my vitamins to reflect these results. My doc wants a full blood panel again in 6 months just to be sure everything is still good, but I don't need to come in again until next year. Weight is GREAT! Found out that I can officially say that I have lost 100% of my excess weight. Hope all of you enjoyed a great holiday weekend! It is so nice to really live this life! This weekend we went canoeing, hiking, biking, took part in a 75 minute Turbo Kick class, and went for a 3 mile run! 2 years ago I would not have been able to do one of those things, if I had tried I would have been down for days. I LOVE this new life!

I never gave my update! My son graduated from High School this spring and we had his grad party followed by the 4th! The past two weeks have been a blur! My 2 year went fantastically well. I already knew about

No idea why my iron is high. Never was a problem prior to surgery. I feel fantastic so it can't be having too bad an effect. It will be interesting what I learn in the morning.

Great job to both of you! I have my 2 year on Wednesday. Ironically, I am too HIGH in iron, something the doc says she very rarely sees. No vitamins with iron for me. I am also low on vitamin B 1, so I have added that to my daily routine. Otherwise blood work looked great. We will see what she says on Wednesday and I will let you know!

Good job! My weight is good this week too, I am at 120 which is the bottom of my zone. Exercise is saving me. My food choices have not been the best. Too much stress right now with my Mom still very ill. My son graduates from High School next Saturday. I love the dress I found! Can't wait to wear it!

Beautiful area, I have always wanted to visit! Would have been nice if we were neighbors though.

Kristi, are you in Rochester, MN? I live in the Twin Cities.

I remember when you lost your Mom. I don't think we are ever ready to say goodbye to a parent. It's been two years since I lost my Dad, and I still miss him SO much.

Happy to see the familiar friends! I have had a very rough few weeks. My mom (86) has been very ill since Easter. I am primarily responsible for her care, and the stress is really taking a toll on my weight. I am still in my 'zone' but I am not making the best choices lately. This kind of stress is a killer!

Hi Kristi! I could have written your post! I am maintaining between 120 - 125 and am not in a Biggest Losers class, but everything you said about eating is totally me! I love the idea of checking in weekly and continuing to support each other! Great idea!!

Great to hear from both of you! Sorry to hear about the life challenges, but we all have them (we just brought my Mom home after six weeks in the hospital and transition care). It is how we deal with the challenges that matter, and I believe s an important part of this journey. I have reached my goal weight and am working hard to maintain my weight between 120 - 125. It's hard! But after working so hard to lose 210 pounds I am determined to keep it off! I have missed all of the support we gave each other and would welcome having both of you to help me through those tough times! I will do my best to support both of you as well!

Mom 2 6 - I would encourage you to get on MyFitnessPal.com or one of the other food tracking sites. This free App helps you track what you are eating, how much exercise you are doing, and how much water you are drinking. I have found this app to be by far the best weight loss tool I have ever found, and its free. Begin by making small changes, like just committing to tracking what you are eating everyday. Once you get that down work on something else. I try to add one new goal a week. The hardest part is starting! You are here! You can get it back under control, you just have to start.

Thank you! If you would like to friend me on MFP I my email is baconville@q.com.

I had RNY on 6/25/13 – so I am about 21 months out. I have never hit the point where I could no longer lose. After 12 months, it really slowed, but I still lost the last 10 pounds to my goal in my second year. I began my journey at 331 pounds (I am 5’2” and 50 years old) and this morning I weighed in at 120 pounds (that is 211 pounds lost!). My BMI is in the ‘normal’ range for the first time in my life! It is very possible to keep losing. To accomplish this I have drastically changed my lifestyle. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit. I totally avoid fast food and as much processed food as possible. I often times workout three time a day (I do a morning workout on a Nordic Track ski machine, I walk about 3 miles at lunch whenever possible, and I go to the YMCA for classes several evenings a week). I love living a more active lifestyle! I love how it makes me feel! I have found that your body gets used to a certain level of exercise – you need to up the workouts if you want to keep the weight loss going. I use MyFitnessPal.com to track everything that I eat. This tool has been critical in my maintenance journey. If I had continued to follow my surgeon’s plan, I would have continued to lose weight and I got to a point that I no longer wanted to lose any more. Using MFP has helped me find the calorie and Protein point that keeps my weight the same. Best of luck to you! You have to work harder to lose the pounds after the first six months, but it IS possible to keep it going. I am living proof!! Carol

I have used this app for over two years now. I would be lost without it! To get the numbers correct, I adjusted the percent of fat, Protein and carbs to match the grams of protein I needed to eat at the time. I really only pay a lot of attention to protein since that is the most important one for me to track (that and calories – I also keep a close eye on those). I have adjusted the percent depending on where I have been at in my journey. Currently I am at 50% Carbs, 30% Protein, and 20% Fat. But I am approaching two years out and have lost all of my excess weight (I have a normal BMI). I am working on weight maintenance now. 30% Protein gives me the range I need to maintain for my protein intake. MFP has helped me lose 210 pounds and I am maintaining that loss with its help. My husband, who did not have WLS has lost 50 pounds using the App. I believe that this is the best weight loss tool I have ever found – and its FREE! Best of luck to you! Carol

Hi! I am much older than you (50), but when I started my journey I was about the same size (5’2” and 330 pounds). I had RNY surgery on 6/25/13. I have lost 210 pounds and feel fantastic. My BMI is in the ‘normal’ range for the first time in my life and I am wearing a size 4 petite jeans! I pray that you will be able achieve the same. You have a lot more life to live and living it in a body that is morbidly obese is no fun! The truth of the matter is, it really is up to you to make the changes that will lead to success. It is really too bad that your parents will not support you in the way that you need them to, but they can’t do it for you – it has to come from in you. You said you are underage – but not how young. My guess is that your parents still buy the groceries for the household. This is a great opportunity for you to offer to help your family. Ask you parents if you can put a meal plan together for the week and then offer to make a grocery list based on what you need. Teach yourself how to cook meals that you CAN eat. Experiment in the kitchen. There are great resources to show you how to do anything from chopping an onion to zesting a lemon. You don’t need to spend any money on anything but the food. I would bet you have everything else you need right in your kitchen. Cooking from scratch in addictive! Once you start, you are going to want to do more of it. My best friend began cooking for her family when she was in middle school – you are NOT too young. Try new foods and research recipes to find ones high in Protein, low in sugar, fat and calories. I would bet that you parents will appreciate coming home to a wonderful home cooked meal! And if they don’t have to cook when they get home, maybe they will have time to exercise with you. Exercise is key to long term weight management. As the weight comes off, begin making more active choices in your activities. Go for a bike ride, take a walk, start jogging. Find something YOU like. Get together with some friends and dance to your favorite music. Exercise does not have to be the same everyday. Make it fun! And bring in your friends (or make new friends that already do this). My son is a senior in high school – he and his friends love to play football (outside – not the video game! LOL). Find some friends that are doing something that you think you would like to do. When you are in school there are often so many activities that you can participate in. Sign up! Expand your world. You have so much life in front of you! I wish you all the success. From somebody who has struggled with her weight my entire life, I really understand the place you are at. Find your own strength and you will find your success. YOU CAN DO THIS!! Carol

You will get there before you know it! Congrats on making the decision to have surgery. It has been the best decision I have ever made! If you are only two weeks out you still are probably experiencing quite a bit of abdominal swelling it normally takes 4 -6 weeks for that to completely resolve. Give it a month - by May 1st those jeans are going to be falling off! Carol

I am nearly two years out and am also experiencing dental issues. Mine resulted from all the extra chewing we need to do. It actually caused one of my molars to shift which led to a gap that had food getting stuck between my teeth every time I ate. I am in the process of having a crown put on the tooth to try to close the gap. I have the temp now, and will get the permanent one in a week. To answer your question, I think it is even more important for us to be meticulous about oral hygiene than the non WLS population. I don't think that there was anything I could have done though to prevent what happened. Happy flossing!! Carol