Tips from success stories

[shmily 424]

If one has surgery in Mexico and says "No followups needed unless it is a Tummy Tuck or something like that", then no wonder ....well you know. Read the profile. It isn't so as mentioned before. PM me if you are confused.

[AprilHansen 109]

I always wondered if the ppl who have surgery in Mexico have followups...or who they ask, if they have post op questions. Heaven forbid there's any problems.

[shmily 424]

amen

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Let's not bash anyone's decision to go to Mexico. I know many people who have done so successfully. I know Mexico was not MY personal choice, but I had insurance to cover my procedure. If I didn't, I would have considered it as well.

[gixxergirl 85]

I have a good friend that went to Mexico. She still talks to the liason but she had her follow up visit with her primary care physician. Before she left Mexico they checked again for leaks.

[AprilHansen 109]

Not bashing. Just wondering.

[shmily 424]

I am not bashing anyone who went to Mexico. I have a friend who did, she admits she does not get the follow up that people do who have surgeons here. But she had no insurance.

I think this site is for others to share ideas and to offer support, we should not give medical advice.....I always say "ck with YOUR doctor". One thing I have learned from this site and others is the vast difference of each doctor and their plan.

[PdxMan 4,292]

So ... what do you say we get back on topic ...

Secrets to success ...

First off, I would say, right sizing expectations. I would question why you are wanting to lose 100 pounds in 6 months? If you Google fast weight loss, you will find there are medical concerns with rapid weight loss, whether it is with the aid of surgery or not. Also, is that expectation realistic? Expectations are future resentments, thus setting ourselves up for disappointment. I went into this knowing that if I followed the guidelines as closely as possible, I would lose weight. I accepted that I am not going to lose at the same rate as everybody else and would only weigh once a month because I saw others on here driving themselves crazy when they would gain a pound.

Which brings me to my second tip, don't weigh daily. This loops in expectations because surely you cannot expect to lose weight every single day. The body just doesn't work that way. You are going to experience times where the scale doesn't move and may even go up at times. As long as you are burning more calories than you are consuming, you are going to lose weight. Just know this deep down in your gut. When some people don't see the scale move or see it go up, they say, "F-it. I knew I would fail at this, too!" and then grab a container of ice cream. Then, they are truly done. They have given up when the body is doing something it is supposed to be doing.

Make changes, not excuses. One of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. If I want change, then I have to be the one to make change. My personal saying is, "Nothing ever changes if nothing ever changes." If I am going to change my relationship with food, then that is what I need to do. Not just sometimes, all the time. If I want to be a person who exercises, then that is what I have to do. Talk to my Dr, ask friends to go for walks, join the local gym ...

Avoid the pissing matches on this forum. This was difficult for me to do early out and I still do get sucked in occasionally. But the old saying is true, opinions are like assh*!es. Everybody's got one and those with really big ones merely shout a bit louder.

And they also will never hit the Like This on any of your posts.

Take the information which resonates with you and leave the rest.

[AprilHansen 109]

I would say I want to lose as much as possible in the first 6 months because thats when its "easy" to lose. After that, your hormones change, pouch stretches, etc so its harder. Hopefully by then, I will have learned some great habits.

[PdxMan 4,292]

Hmmm ... I haven't heard about the hormones changing ... for either men or women ... for any WLS. I know there is a flood of hormones stored in fat released, which I believe is the major contributing factor to hair loss. But as you mention, the first 6 months the "honeymoon" period where you have little choice regarding compliance. It is the period to embrace the change I mentioned above. If you feel you are going to begin "cheating" as soon as you can, after 6 months, then may I suggest also counseling as it relates to the deeper reasons why food is an option for abuse?

I was surprised how often my mind turned to food for comfort. I knew I did this, but post surgery, I was forced to see it and examine it more closely. It wasn't comfortable at all. It was a tumultuous time for me, but I came out better for the experience. I basically question my motivation for putting anything in my mouth. Am I eating this beef Jerky because I am hungry or am I feeding something else?

From my reading here, I have found the most successful WLS folk are those who look at the long term. Changing the way they eat, prepare foods, exercise and the daily way they go about life. There is a reason I was morbidly obese. There was a reason I could never maintain the lifestyle after a successful diet. Food isn't my problem. I am and how I deal with life on life's terms. That is what I needed to address. Everything else just falls into line.

[dbsylvest 21]

Hmmm ... I haven't heard about the hormones changing ... for either men or women ... for any WLS. I know there is a flood of hormones stored in fat released, which I believe is the major contributing factor to Hair loss. But as you mention, the first 6 months the "honeymoon" period where you have little choice regarding compliance. It is the period to embrace the change I mentioned above. If you feel you are going to begin "cheating" as soon as you can, after 6 months, then may I suggest also counseling as it relates to the deeper reasons why food is an option for abuse? I was surprised how often my mind turned to food for comfort. I knew I did this, but post surgery, I was forced to see it and examine it more closely. It wasn't comfortable at all. It was a tumultuous time for me, but I came out better for the experience. I basically question my motivation for putting anything in my mouth. Am I eating this beef Jerky because I am hungry or am I feeding something else? From my reading here, I have found the most successful WLS folk are those who look at the long term. Changing the way they eat, prepare foods, exercise and the daily way they go about life. There is a reason I was morbidly obese. There was a reason I could never maintain the lifestyle after a successful diet. Food isn't my problem. I am and how I deal with life on life's terms. That is what I needed to address. Everything else just falls into line.

If I've heard it once I've heard it 100 times WLS is a tool what you do with it is really up to you! If we neglect what got us here we will not be successful long term. I'm in this for the long haul so addressing all that surrounds eating and the lack there of is a priority for me.

[DLCoggin 1,788]

For many (if not most) folks, I'm not sure that timelines are not more problematic than helpful. Rather than wanting to lose as much as possible in six months, consider changing your focus on practicing the all-important lifestyle changes for as long as it takes. I very purposefully never set a goal weight. From the first day post-op, I said that I was going to follow my plan until my body told me it was at the weight it wanted to be at. And that's exactly what happened. I had no idea how long that might take so putting any kind of timeline (deadline?) on it really wasn't an option. In hindsight I absolutely believe the lack of a timeline was a huge advantage.

In my case, I lost 130 pounds in just under 14 months. My weight stabilized at 155 and has not been lower than 151 or higher than 156 for the last year and a half. After reaching the 155, I very gradually increased my calorie intake until I identified the number that allows me to maintain my weight. In my case, about 1600 calories average per day.

Not having a preconceived idea of time or weight goal has several advantages. Wanting to lose as much as possible in six months when it's "easy" to lose implies (psychologically) that anything you lose after that is going to be "hard" or at least "harder". I can say with all sincerity that I did not notice any increase in difficulty losing weight in the second six months. Along the same line of thinking, if you've set a goal of reaching xxx pounds and you fall short of that, it's easy for that shortfall to become, in your mind, "just another failure". When in reality, it's likely an amazing, life-changing triumph.

The exact same principle applies to daily weigh-ins. A very bad idea. Frustrating, discouraging, stressful and often self-defeating. I love Pdxman's idea of weighing once a month. But many (including myself) will not be able to resist temptation for that long. Once every two weeks is a good compromise.

I'm not implying that all goals are to be avoided. Goals can be powerful. If they meet certain criteria. As Pdxman pointed out, they must be realistic. To that I would add that they must be sustainable. You will almost certainly make changes in your eating and your thinking as you progress. Some will be almost automatic, many others will be changes you choose to make. In every case ask yourself - "Is this change realistic and sustainable long term?" Any change that fails to pass that test should be eliminated in favor of alternatives that meet both criteria. Realistic and sustainable are the very definition of lifestyle changes.

You're gonna love the new you!!

Edited April 9, 2014 by DLCoggin

[Ginger Snaps 1,323]

It's interesting you talked about goals. I've been wondering what my goal weight will be (surgery in early June). According to BMI, my weight should be around 127. But I can't IMAGINE being that weight. So, if I set a higher goal am I shortchanging myself? Or if I set my goal at that, am I being unrealistic?

I like your idea of just losing until your body tells you you're there and then maintaining that. Of course, I'm too early in the journey to have to make that decision yet!

Ginger

[shmily 424]

I didn't set a goal, my doctor did. I thought it was too low as well but he said we will see

[Wallflower7522 328]

It's interesting you talked about goals. I've been wondering what my goal weight will be (surgery in early June). According to BMI, my weight should be around 127. But I can't IMAGINE being that weight. So, if I set a higher goal am I shortchanging myself? Or if I set my goal at that, am I being unrealistic? I like your idea of just losing until your body tells you you're there and then maintaining that. Of course, I'm too early in the journey to have to make that decision yet! Ginger

Apparently my surgeon sets your goal weight at a BMI of under 30 but I really hope to be in the normal 20-25 range.