VSGAnn2014

Well damn... Aren't we just the epitome of self control and discipline?!? If u were so good at it then you yourself wouldn't have needed surgery to begin with, with that said. I'm not on here be criticized or to be pitied. I searched for a forum to be informed, to find out if I was the only one going through things and to educate myself on something that I am new to. So please spare me with the self righteous bullshit! You and evry1 else who feels The need to taller about me Or My situation like u knw me. Everything is learned, unless u are so damn special that u were born knowing already. Gastric Sleeve Surgery 6/15/16 Miami,Fl 33yrs/mother of 2boys /5'6" highest weight 300s in 2002-03 lowest weight 193 in 2014 I've lost 100 pounds. I've been below my goal weight for 14 months. I weigh 135 pounds. I am 70 years old. I got to this point in the last two years -- by which I mean I have accomplished my WLS goals -- by being compliant with my surgeon's instructions. Period. You can have your big fat hissy fit if you want to. And you can keep eating bacon if you want to. Or eat any damn thing you want to when "life gets too tough." See how far that gets you. Nobody has it easy after WLS. Not you. Not me. Not anyone. It's tough. So get tough. And you'll win, too.

I say if you want something, you should eat it. After all, WLS is tough. You deserve all the treats you can get.

A lot of people have had their lap bands removed and then been sleeved.

Yeah, WLS is tough. And compliance is tough. Guess what -- compliance is what's required for you to succeed long-term. If you can't hack compliance, you're going to wind up in the same place you started -- obese. I am totally serious about this. All this "Nobody's perfect, honey!" is a terrible response to someone who ate bacon five days post-op. And yes, I've read every post here. Shaking my damn head.

Kindle, I'll miss you for one single reason: I like you a lot. You and I have been sympatico since Day 1 here and on another WLS forum. Re the Stupid and Sensitive Brigade, f**k 'em. They'll wind up in the same place they started.

Recently, @@Kindle brought up a subject that I think deserves its own thread in the Vets Forum. A lot of us who've done pretty well in terms of losing our excess weight and learning how to maintain our weight will soon be heading into Year Three post-op or are already there. Some of us are wondering what new challenges we're likely to encounter in the coming twelve months. There's seems to be some common (if not universal) agreement that Year Three is the year that maintaining your weight can get harder and that regain starts to occur. How has your weight maintenance gone during Year Three? If you've regained, what behaviors or other phenomena do you think are implicated in your regain? If you've not regained, same question -- what do you think has helped you to withstand regain during Year Three? What other physical, psychological, emotional, social or other changes did you experience during Year Three? How have you responded to / dealt with these changes? What do you wish you'd done differently during YOUR Year Three? What other observations and advice do you have for those of us heading into Year Three? I'd sincerely appreciate any input you are able to offer. Thank you in advance.

Yes, WLS is no guarantee you will conquer your obesity. But not having WLS is pretty much a guarantee that you won't conquer your obesity. (All the research out there tells us that we have a 50% chance of long-term success with WLS and a 2% chance without WLS. You do the math.) If you fail to conquer your obesity, your life will not continue to be the difficult life you've had up to now. It will get worse. A lot worse. There's fear and anxiety in everyone's life. However, we do have the freedom to choose what we fear. We can choose to fear our past. Of course, that's pathetic, since the past is over and we can do nothing about it. Or we can fear a worsening future that will come true if we don't make changes to avoid that future. Or we can fear the discomforts and pain of making changes to ourselves that will cause our future to be much better. Fear is unavoidable. Which fear do you choose?

Fun-nee! And yes, being honest with ourselves is a very good thing.

I'm a very curious person who sees life as a nuanced, complex experience. But sometimes I think it just boils down to "People be crazy!" Also, I've never had much luck trying to convince others that they're wrong. Humans seem pretty committed to being right.

Congratulations. You're going to love your new life.

@@Kindle , thank you. I haven't seen the movie either. I'll put it on my list. Here's a link about the film (with information and a trailer) on HBO.com: http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/nothing-left-unsaid-gloria-vanderbilt-and-anderson-cooper/index.html

(1) Any new situations that you did not expect? * Weight-wise, not so far. But I have no doubt they're out there lurking. (2) What has worked well to maintain. * Tracking, tracking and tracking! (I use MFP.) If I guessed or assumed how much I'm actually eating, I'd be so wrong! (That's based on decades of personal experience.) * Still eat 100 grams of Protein most days * Taking all my Rxs and supplements daily (much better at this than I was for years pre-op) (3) What triggers have given you setbacks. * Dark chocolate (it's my kryptonite, even though I record every morsel of it that I eat) * Hot and rainy weather (my walking has declined) * My damned Fitbits keep breaking! (4) What keeps you motivated * Stepping on the scale (I weigh every single morning) and recording it in MFP * My size 4 jeans and all the other small-sized clothes in my closet (I gave away ALL my larger-sized clothes, meaning everything over an 8) * My knees no longer hurt (that went away after I lost the last 15 pounds) (5) Now that life is normal after goal..What is new ? * First, let me say that although I'm almost 2 years post-op and have been at or below goal for 14 months, I don't feel the least bit "normal." I think I'll always be on alert, even paranoid, about my weight. I feel like a recovering obese person -- not a "recovered" obese person. * Nonetheless, I can again work physically hard, an ability I'd lost the previous 5-10 years. * Miraculously, I've gained the ability to tell people "No" when I don't want to do something they think is a brilliant idea or would be great for me or great for them. If I don't want to do it, I don't. I care a lot less about being voted "Miss Congeniality" than I once did.

That's odd. I didn't have any trouble swallowing my Protonix (a proton pump inhibitor antacid Rx) post-op. It's not a big pill.

OK, I'll bite .... How will vodka two days pre-op kill her?

BAM!

I'm with @@Bufflehead . I think YOU are in charge of how much weight you lose. You gotta eat Protein. And lots of it. Add those healthy veggies and low-starch fruits and a little bit of whole grains. Gotta stay away from the slider foods -- you know what they are (you named some of them). Gotta drink all your Water. Gotta keep movin', movin', movin'. Gotta keep taking your Rxs and supplements. Nothing's changed at 11 months post-op if you're not at goal yet -- all the same rules still apply. Yes, the weight loss slows down toward the end. But until YOU are through, your weight loss doesn't have to be through. It took me 8 months to lose my last 15 pounds. Keep the faith.

Mico, glad to hear that your nausea problem resolved itself (unfortunately I didn't see your post asking for support on that until just now). Stress is so hard on our bodies and our souls. Are you doing any meditation or yoga or deep breathing / relaxation exercises? All those things really help me in times of stress.

@@anniebanana ... BIG HUGS!

I didn't manage the insomnia very well. I honestly think the insomnia contributed to my continuing weight gain through my 50s and 60s. There's all kinds of research that links insomnia and weight gain. Here's what I'm doing these days that's helping a lot: * Post-WLS I'm drinking less coffee than I did before -- no more than a cup a day. That is helping. * I'm exercising a lot more than I did 100 pounds ago -- and that physically "wears me out" and lets me rest better at night. * About 50% of the nights I take either a Melatonin or half an Ambien. It helps. Sometimes. * Since WLS I go to bed when my husband goes to bed, in other words -- at the same time every night. Following that sleep schedule rule really does help. * I manage my reflux a lot better since WLS -- meaning that I actually take my H2 blocker antacid (Ranitadine) every day and on time. * Since losing 100 pounds, I don't have stress incontinence and don't have to get up during the night to pee anymore. Not a single time. * Finally, I'm just a lot less stressed at 100 pounds less than I used to weigh than I used to be. I fall asleep easier and generally sleep better throughout the night. However, one thing I have NOT conquered that still messes with my sleep is to deal with the damned cat who always wants out when I'm sleeping soundly; I then have trouble getting back to sleep. I think the cat and I are going to have a serious discussion. I think he's going to have to spend the whole night outside from now on. Thanks for making me focus on this a little better. The cat won't appreciate it, but I do.

GREAT post!

That's exactly right -- all you can do is your best. And if you bring your best to the game, your best will keep you succeeding. Nearly two years ago when I was sitting where you are now and after reading a bazillion posts on WLS forums I could see that those who succeeded long-term seemed to have these critical resources: * Smarts * Incredibly positive attitude * Sense of humor * Self-awareness * Supportive family members * A sense of self-reliance * Curiosity to learn and identify patterns * Willingness to change * Eagerness to comply with post-op instructions * Ability to visualize a much better future * Self confidence (that grew as their successes grew) * Gratitude for the opportunity to have WLS And yes, a shrink and some good books will also help. Very best to you!

I'm not going through menopause *now* -- but I went through it almost 20 years ago. (I'm 70 years old.) What I know about menopause is this: What others experience during menopause may or may not bear any resemblance to what you will experience. There's a long list of symptoms that women may experience, but not everyone experiences all of them and, more importantly, the severity of those symptoms varies dramatically. For instance, I was bothered very little by hot flashes. They were infrequent, didn't last long, and didn't upset my routine. My biggest menopausal complaint was insomnia. Prior to menopause I slept like a rock every night. My sleep patterns never returned to those "slept like the dead" nights. But that could also just be an aging / maturational change. ??? My mother reported that she had also experienced few noticeable menopausal symptoms. Two of my four sisters sailed through menopause, but the other two struggled badly. Sorry I can't be more definitive.

I think the "final" (?) decision re vet status for the purposes of the veterans forum posting qualification was determined to be 18 months. However, I don't doubt at all that even more time post-op brings a fuller understanding of what lifelong maintenance involves. Folks who are three - four - five months post-op report new challenges at those mileposts. WHOOPS! I meant to say: "Folks who are three - four - five YEARS post-op report new challenges at those mileposts."

Hi, @@sondra2368 . I doubt it's a case of EITHER lack of energy OR depression. Sounds like it could be both. They're related, y'know. In any case, I know that being physically inactive and isolating yourself just exacerbate both problems. Will this continue? I don't know. I think you should see your surgeon / doc. I also think you should seriously consider finding a good therapist. Even when this post-op process goes well, it's still a lot to deal with mentally and emotionally. My therapist has been invaluable to me during all my post-op recovery. For many (most?) of us, obesity was not the cause of our problems -- but the result. I hope you can find some good help and feel better soon.

I think the "final" (?) decision re vet status for the purposes of the veterans forum posting qualification was determined to be 18 months. However, I don't doubt at all that even more time post-op brings a fuller understanding of what lifelong maintenance involves. Folks who are three - four - five months post-op report new challenges at those mileposts.