My story, WLS 2014

[bellabloom 2,467]

Hey everyone. I haven’t posted for awhile but i just want to share my story as there are lots of new people flowing through surgery and I’d love to help anyone with my experience.
I had wls dec 2014. It was quite an ordeal for me, very painful and I had complications. I weight 243 lbs at my surgery and I’m 5’6.
I ended up having five or six surgeries on my stomach over the next 6 months.
Gallbladder went, exploratory, revision surgery, a endoscopy for a super bad stricture, a granuloma removed from my belly button ...
After my wls I was unable to eat solid food for 10 months due to a severe stricture. I could only eat broth and sometimes cheese. So in a way this helped me reach my weight loss goal and surpass it. At my lowest I weighed 114 lbs.
Going through the surgery I realized I had a major eating disorder. I had to come to terms with a lot of emotional turmoil and self hatred, guilt and shame and fear of food and regain. I’m still going through some of it. I was very reluctant to return to normal eating post op even once I could. Losing weight became an unhealthy addiction. I ended up having to seek eating disorder therapy.
What I discovered as I clawed my way to better health was that dieting had no place in my life and would never work for me. It made me miserable and there was no future for me if I didn’t stop. I had to fully accept the possibility of regaining weight in order to embrace a non diet approach to weight maintenance.
4 years later I no longer diet or weigh myself on a regular basis. I eat through a method called “intuitive eating” and it has changed my life. I have worked very hard to try and embrace my body even as my weight fluctuates. Some days are easy, some are harder.
Many people regain weight after wls. Many people struggle to lose enough. I personally believe this is due to dieting being the reason many of us gain weight in the first place. Most people who are obese are suffering from an eating disorder. I wish I had know that before surgery.
I don’t regret surgery in fact I am a huge proponent to weight loss surgery. But I feel a combination approach is necessary long term to keep weight off and also have quality of life. Wls combined with I Intuitive eating has really worked for me.
Today I think I weigh around 130 lbs. I’m very thin, I struggle to keep weight on especially as food becomes more and more neutral to me. I forget to eat a lot and I have trouble getting regular meals in because I get busy. But I’m not underweight any more so that’s a big improvement.

My health is good but I suffer from dumping syndrome which can be stressful and exhausting. If I eat tom much sugar and fat together I will get it, or if I eat too much food, or put Fluid with my food it can happen. I also throw up occasionally especially if I drink while I eat. But if I follow the “rules” I’m mostly okay. But eating slowly and eating the right things becomes very hard and impractical at times so there are still plenty of times I break the rules and suffer for it. For one thing with dumping- I can eat very little Protein before I get full. If I wanted to not dump I would have to be low carb- but even eating tons of carbs, sweets and fats I can scarcely maintain my weight, I lose very easily. So a low carb diet is not an option for me even if I wanted to do it.

Wls is not something that is an easy fix. It’s a very hard surgery with a lot of longer term consequences. I still feel it was worth it however.
Here’s some pics and I’m happy to chat which whoever needs advice.
   

[trailtramper 107]

Hey everyone. [emoji4] I haven’t posted for awhile but i just want to share my story as there are lots of new people flowing through surgery and I’d love to help anyone with my experience.
I had wls dec 2014. It was quite an ordeal for me, very painful and I had complications. I weight 243 lbs at my surgery and I’m 5’6.
I ended up having five or six surgeries on my stomach over the next 6 months.
Gallbladder went, exploratory, revision surgery, a endoscopy for a super bad stricture, a granuloma removed from my belly button ...
After my wls I was unable to eat solid food for 10 months due to a severe stricture. I could only eat broth and sometimes cheese. So in a way this helped me reach my weight loss goal and surpass it. At my lowest I weighed 114 lbs.
Going through the surgery I realized I had a major eating disorder. I had to come to terms with a lot of emotional turmoil and self hatred, guilt and shame and fear of food and regain. I’m still going through some of it. I was very reluctant to return to normal eating post op even once I could. Losing weight became an unhealthy addiction. I ended up having to seek eating disorder therapy.
What I discovered as I clawed my way to better health was that dieting had no place in my life and would never work for me. It made me miserable and there was no future for me if I didn’t stop. I had to fully accept the possibility of regaining weight in order to embrace a non diet approach to weight maintenance.
4 years later I no longer diet or weigh myself on a regular basis. I eat through a method called “intuitive eating” and it has changed my life. I have worked very hard to try and embrace my body even as my weight fluctuates. Some days are easy, some are harder.
Many people regain weight after wls. Many people struggle to lose enough. I personally believe this is due to dieting being the reason many of us gain weight in the first place. Most people who are obese are suffering from an eating disorder. I wish I had know that before surgery.
I don’t regret surgery in fact I am a huge proponent to weight loss surgery. But I feel a combination approach is necessary long term to keep weight off and also have quality of life. Wls combined with I Intuitive eating has really worked for me.
Today I think I weigh around 130 lbs. I’m very thin, I struggle to keep weight on especially as food becomes more and more neutral to me. I forget to eat a lot and I have trouble getting regular meals in because I get busy. But I’m not underweight any more so that’s a big improvement.

My health is good but I suffer from dumping syndrome which can be stressful and exhausting. If I eat tom much sugar and fat together I will get it, or if I eat too much food, or put Fluid with my food it can happen. I also throw up occasionally especially if I drink while I eat. But if I follow the “rules” I’m mostly okay. But eating slowly and eating the right things becomes very hard and impractical at times so there are still plenty of times I break the rules and suffer for it. For one thing with dumping- I can eat very little Protein before I get full. If I wanted to not dump I would have to be low carb- but even eating tons of carbs, sweets and fats I can scarcely maintain my weight, I lose very easily. So a low carb diet is not an option for me even if I wanted to do it.

Wls is not something that is an easy fix. It’s a very hard surgery with a lot of longer term consequences. I still feel it was worth it however.
Here’s some pics and I’m happy to chat which whoever needs advice.
   

You look amazing. I am sorry that you have had such a rough go of it, but I am happy that you have learned how to use your tool. I am having surgery on Friday, 11/17. I too get very busy and don’t eat sometimes. I have noticed that on my clear liquid preop diet I am still letting that happen. This is definitely making me weaker. If I am in a meeting for hours, it is tough to get something in, especially liquids. Have you developed any strategies for combatting this tendency? I bring food to work, but I still do it. I would love any advice you can offer for the long haul.

[MarinaGirl 609]

Why do you keep repeating this over and over? Are you looking for affirmation and sympathy from new people who haven’t heard your “story” ad nauseum?

[bellabloom 2,467]

Why do you keep repeating this over and over? Are you looking for affirmation and sympathy from new people who haven’t heard your “story” ad nauseum?

Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Lol. hang in there. I know dieting sucks.

[bellabloom 2,467]

You look amazing. I am sorry that you have had such a rough go of it, but I am happy that you have learned how to use your tool. I am having surgery on Friday, 11/17. I too get very busy and don’t eat sometimes. I have noticed that on my clear liquid preop diet I am still letting that happen. This is definitely making me weaker. If I am in a meeting for hours, it is tough to get something in, especially liquids. Have you developed any strategies for combatting this tendency? I bring food to work, but I still do it. I would love any advice you can offer for the long haul.

Skipping meals is something I REALLY struggle with when I get busy. I have to start the day off right with Breakfast. That helps. If I wait to long to eat my hunger signals don’t ever really get rolling. Staying up with meals requires preparation by having Snacks on hand and making a point of trying to eat at least 5-6 small meals a day. It can be really tough. If it’s a problem for you before surgery it may be a real challenge later. But you can do it!

[trailtramper 107]

Skipping meals is something I REALLY struggle with when I get busy. I have to start the day off right with Breakfast. That helps. If I wait to long to eat my hunger signals don’t ever really get rolling. Staying up with meals requires preparation by having Snacks on hand and making a point of trying to eat at least 5-6 small meals a day. It can be really tough. If it’s a problem for you before surgery it may be a real challenge later. But you can do it!

Thanks for the tips!