BearRed1

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It's been 11 years since I had my surgery. I lost a lot of weight quickly, hovered around 220 lbs for awhile, then dropped down to 175 lbs range. Couldn't gain weight for the longest time but now being trapped at home with this Covid-19 sh*t going on, I have gained 10 lbs. Weighting in at 185-186 now. I hike and play basketball for my exercise, and since I can't play ball, my exercise time is down dramatically. Plus I have PLENTY of time to cook, eat, eat and eat. Since I am at home almost 24/7 I can have a small snack/meal then 20 mins later have another. This gets around the normal "I'm full" feeling that would stop me from eating. A bit disconcerting to have gained 10 lbs after years of staying within 2-3 lbs of 175, I guess this is just another sad part of the curse we call Covid-19.

Stay safe and stay sane, my friends!

 

Yesterday was my 4 year anniversary, and I am still down 110 lbs and doing great!

Had a funny experience yesterday. I went to a welcome home party for two friends just back from a year in Italy. As I mingled I met a new friend who'd had WLS 6 months earlier. We started talking and exchanging stories and that was amazing....talking about how he's doing early on vs. how I am 4 years out, coping skills, what we could/couldn't eat. As we chatted people started to listen, join in and ask questions. It became almost educational to the people who joined our discussion, I felt like a WLS ambassador!

I am now 195 lbs, 110 lbs lighter than I was before surgery. I feel like I am not the average bypass patient for a few reasons.

I still get a full feeling very quickly. At breakfast especially I can eat two bites of scrambled egg and suddenly feel like I can't eat another bite. I am not a great person to go out to eat with....I'll order a regular meal and eat maybe half the protein and take the rest home. Wait staff always ask "is anything wrong with the food?" I am still learning how to cook less food for myself. One thing I do is eat what I can, then leave the rest of the food and come back an hour or two later and have another bite or two. Grazing one meal all day long is how I manage to finish a "regular" portioned meal.

The second difference is that I still vomit up food when I eat too fast or eat something like chicken which tends to wedge in my throat unless chewed thoroughly. I will eat, then I get this message from my stomach that I should get to the bathroom quickly. I throw up, feel better, and I can even continue eating sometimes.

I feel I have never stretched my stomach back out. Everyone says that after 2 years your stomach will begin to stretch back out, and weight loss can become weight gain. I feel almost as restricted as I was in the first year. I have continued to lose weight in year 3. I went from a plateau weight of 220 lbs down to my current steady weight of 195 lbs by adding more exercise. I am careful to take my supplements and eat as much protein as I can. But my relationship with food has been forever changed. It is a good thing, as now my weight is under control (though by the B.M.I. index I am still "overweight"  at 26.4) but I am almost scared of possible reactions to eating. I've had episodes when I've been out eating in a fine steak house and after ordering the smallest filet mignon, I got the feeling after a few bites that I had to vomit. I sat nervously, unsure of where the bathroom was and decided to try to wait it out. Luckily, it did pass....but what a scene it would have been to toss my cookies in that upscale, kind of snotty steak house! BTW, the steak came with a baked potato with everything on it! I ate one bite of it! Food has gone from being a source of comfort to a source of occasional anxiety and nausea. I eat to survive now. I am glad of my new healthier body but sad about the loss of the easy relationship I had with food

 

 It has now been a little over three years since my gastric bypass surgery.
I have managed to keep my weight down with exercise and healthy eating habits. I am actually a little bit lighter than I was a year ago, now hovering around 205 lbs vs 220. I attribute that to the fact that I still can't eat anywhere near what I used to eat in terms of quantity. I still get a little naseous when I eat too fast or too much. Sometimes I throw up when I eat chicken of all things, the texture seems to make it catch in my throat. But would I change anything? NO WAY!

I can play sports again, and have taken up yoga to increase flexiblity and core strength. I feel more comfortable in my body now
My check-ups are always great....all the blood work, etc shows I am keeping my body nourished and healthy. I take my vitamins regularly and eat home-cooked meals from scratch almost every night.
I am grateful for the chance to live a healthier life!

I post this for all who might be considering the huge step of gastric bypass surgery.
I want people to know that it can make a huge difference with the rest of your life

I would also like to mention that after losing my extra weight, I was able to stop my medication for high cholestrol and my sleep apnea vanished. Two more huge reasons why this surgery was a great decision to have made!!

It has been exactly 2 years since my surgery!
Research and anecdotal evidence suggests that I am at risk now for possibly beginning to regain some of the weight I've lost.

Of that, I will remain most vigilant!

I have been relatively steady in my weight since my last entry on 5/5/10, bouncing around 5lbs on either side of 220 lbs. I have increased my exercise recently by adding 3-4 nights of basketball and I am hoping still to drop below 200 lbs.

It has been a life changing experience, changing my relationship with food in good and bad ways. I no longer eat huge portions which is good, but when I eat even small portions, I can often feel a certain level of nausea that has taken some level of joy from the experience of eating. I do feel that it was worth the price though....having a body that feels more able and less limiting. Being able to be active and feel stronger. Better self image. Better health in general.
It's been quite a ride so far....
I am intrigued at what the future holds

WOW!!!  I never thought I would see such changes
this is the message when I looked up my BMI today (under the tools section)

6'  220LBS
"You have a BMI of 29.8.
This shows that you are moderately overweight.
Your BMI is not high enough to qualify you for bariatric surgery."

This was my original BMI when I was ready for surgery:

6'  305lbs
"You have a BMI of 41.3.
This indicates that you are Extremely Obese.
Your BMI is high enough to qualify you for bariatric surgery."

Still looking to go below 200lbs......need to exercise more!! That's what will help me break through my current plateau.

I went into surgery Monday 10/5 @ 12:40 or so, and was out in of surgery in 2.5 hrs. Dr Sandor felt the surgery went extremely well, and I am already home on Wednesday 10/7 by 4pm.
Walked the first night for an hour and a half (got bored in hospital bed)
Rest of time in hospital was either me walking or me lying down napping....nothing else to do  :)  Felt comfortable pretty much from the start, some discomfort from incisions but not more than I expected.....so just pushed myself so I could leave hospital.
I couldn't heal or even sleep in the hospital it was so damn busy, so the best thing to do was get out ASAP!
Home and beginning phase III eating..........Hope all the other Oct 5th folks are doing well~~
see y'all on the loser's bench
Greg

My surgery's scheduled for tomorrow Oct 5th
I am READY!!!
I am EXCITED!!!

The real work starts the minute I wake from the operation!!!!!
I am ready for that challenge!

Started my liquid diet part of the prep for surgery, have lost 10 lbs in a week. So ready for the surgery to happen and what I feel is the real challenge to begin. To me, the real challenge isn't surgery, I'm not  performing it and I'll be unconscious!
The challenge is what I do with that gift, that chance to start being thinner once again
So I try not to focus on the surgical procedure or the fears it might bring up. I am letting the momentum of my decision made months ago carry me through that part, to the world of new beginnings, unshackled from the weight I now carry.