Brian66

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

I still consider myself a success story. I had my surgery two years ago (7/13/2010) and I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds. I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I am writing today because I want to keep it a success story while I still can.
Here's the thing. I went to my surgeon for a check up yesterday and his first words were, "OK, now it's your be careful time." I gained 2 pounds since my check-up last year. His concern is that once the weight loss stops, your body re-sets itself to a new equilibrium and it is easy to re-gain weight.
Am I surprised that I gained weight? Hell no. I am surprised that I didn't gain more. For a long time time, I've been cheating like hell in what I have been eating - Cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. -- all the stuff I have always loved. Why did I do it? Because I could, that's why. I have been able to eat those things, albeit in smaller portions than I used to, and I have felt some joy and excitement because I have felt like I was getting away with something. I wasn't eating because I was hungry, I was eating because I felt like it was a challenge to see what I could eat. How messed up is that? I either kept losing weight or didn't gain anything, so it really did feel like I getting something over on someone (Who? Beats me.) My first thought when I saw the gain of 2 lbs was, "No big deal, what's 2 lbs when I have lost 118?" But then I started to think, every bit of weight I ever put on came in 1 or 2 pound increments and it really started to scar the cr*p out of me. I will not go down that road again. I have come too far and gone through too much to allow myself to do that to myself again. One of the main reasons I had this surgery is that I felt that even if I could lose weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I just could not go through all that hard work just to have it come back. Even knowing that, I have continued to sabotage myself. Man, the power that food has in my life is really amazing.
Anyway. I am writing probably more for myself than for others. I needed to admit these things and to make myself accountable so that I don't screw up one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Just wanted to put this out there and to remind everyone -- "Let's be careful out there."
Thanks for listening.
Brian

Two years out and I have no regrets at all. There are days when I miss eating what I used to eat, but that is how I got into trouble in the first place. It truly has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I had my VSG just a little over two years ago (7/13/2010) and I consider myself a success story -- I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds.
I do find that I am still struggling with some head hunger issues. Last night, I took my kids to dinner at a restaurant that specializes in thin crust coal oven baked pizza. It was deliciious. I had one slice and I was absolutely full and knew that if I ate more, I would have trouble and could perhaps get sick. Even though I enjoyed it and was full, I really wanted that second slice and felt cheated because I couldn't have it. Fortunately, I got up from the table to use the restroom which gave me a little time to think of things. If I was full from the first slice and not hungry, why did I want that second slice so badly? The whole experience gave me a little insight into my relationship with food and how things got out of control in terms of my weight.
I also need to realize that I should order only what I can eat comfortably, not what I want to eat. Just the other night, I ordered two tacos for dinner on the way home from work. The first one was great and would have been just enough. Fortunately, as I started to eat the second one, I realized that it would make me feel too full and could possibly make me sick. I promptly spit out what was in my mouth and threw it all out. I felt pretty powerful at that moment.
This has not been an easy journey, but it sure has been interesting.
Brian

I had my VSG just a little over two years ago (7/13/2010) and I consider myself a success story -- I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds.
I do find that I am still struggling with some head hunger issues. Last night, I took my kids to dinner at a restaurant that specializes in thin crust coal oven baked pizza. It was deliciious. I had one slice and I was absolutely full and knew that if I ate more, I would have trouble and could perhaps get sick. Even though I enjoyed it and was full, I really wanted that second slice and felt cheated because I couldn't have it. Fortunately, I got up from the table to use the restroom which gave me a little time to think of things. If I was full from the first slice and not hungry, why did I want that second slice so badly? The whole experience gave me a little insight into my relationship with food and how things got out of control in terms of my weight.
I also need to realize that I should order only what I can eat comfortably, not what I want to eat. Just the other night, I ordered two tacos for dinner on the way home from work. The first one was great and would have been just enough. Fortunately, as I started to eat the second one, I realized that it would make me feel too full and could possibly make me sick. I promptly spit out what was in my mouth and threw it all out. I felt pretty powerful at that moment.
This has not been an easy journey, but it sure has been interesting.
Brian

I had my VSG just a little over two years ago (7/13/2010) and I consider myself a success story -- I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds.
I do find that I am still struggling with some head hunger issues. Last night, I took my kids to dinner at a restaurant that specializes in thin crust coal oven baked pizza. It was deliciious. I had one slice and I was absolutely full and knew that if I ate more, I would have trouble and could perhaps get sick. Even though I enjoyed it and was full, I really wanted that second slice and felt cheated because I couldn't have it. Fortunately, I got up from the table to use the restroom which gave me a little time to think of things. If I was full from the first slice and not hungry, why did I want that second slice so badly? The whole experience gave me a little insight into my relationship with food and how things got out of control in terms of my weight.
I also need to realize that I should order only what I can eat comfortably, not what I want to eat. Just the other night, I ordered two tacos for dinner on the way home from work. The first one was great and would have been just enough. Fortunately, as I started to eat the second one, I realized that it would make me feel too full and could possibly make me sick. I promptly spit out what was in my mouth and threw it all out. I felt pretty powerful at that moment.
This has not been an easy journey, but it sure has been interesting.
Brian

I had my VSG just a little over two years ago (7/13/2010) and I consider myself a success story -- I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds.
I do find that I am still struggling with some head hunger issues. Last night, I took my kids to dinner at a restaurant that specializes in thin crust coal oven baked pizza. It was deliciious. I had one slice and I was absolutely full and knew that if I ate more, I would have trouble and could perhaps get sick. Even though I enjoyed it and was full, I really wanted that second slice and felt cheated because I couldn't have it. Fortunately, I got up from the table to use the restroom which gave me a little time to think of things. If I was full from the first slice and not hungry, why did I want that second slice so badly? The whole experience gave me a little insight into my relationship with food and how things got out of control in terms of my weight.
I also need to realize that I should order only what I can eat comfortably, not what I want to eat. Just the other night, I ordered two tacos for dinner on the way home from work. The first one was great and would have been just enough. Fortunately, as I started to eat the second one, I realized that it would make me feel too full and could possibly make me sick. I promptly spit out what was in my mouth and threw it all out. I felt pretty powerful at that moment.
This has not been an easy journey, but it sure has been interesting.
Brian

I had my VSG just a little over two years ago (7/13/2010) and I consider myself a success story -- I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds.
I do find that I am still struggling with some head hunger issues. Last night, I took my kids to dinner at a restaurant that specializes in thin crust coal oven baked pizza. It was deliciious. I had one slice and I was absolutely full and knew that if I ate more, I would have trouble and could perhaps get sick. Even though I enjoyed it and was full, I really wanted that second slice and felt cheated because I couldn't have it. Fortunately, I got up from the table to use the restroom which gave me a little time to think of things. If I was full from the first slice and not hungry, why did I want that second slice so badly? The whole experience gave me a little insight into my relationship with food and how things got out of control in terms of my weight.
I also need to realize that I should order only what I can eat comfortably, not what I want to eat. Just the other night, I ordered two tacos for dinner on the way home from work. The first one was great and would have been just enough. Fortunately, as I started to eat the second one, I realized that it would make me feel too full and could possibly make me sick. I promptly spit out what was in my mouth and threw it all out. I felt pretty powerful at that moment.
This has not been an easy journey, but it sure has been interesting.
Brian

I had my VSG just a little over two years ago (7/13/2010) and I consider myself a success story -- I have maintained a weight loss of about 120 pounds.
I do find that I am still struggling with some head hunger issues. Last night, I took my kids to dinner at a restaurant that specializes in thin crust coal oven baked pizza. It was deliciious. I had one slice and I was absolutely full and knew that if I ate more, I would have trouble and could perhaps get sick. Even though I enjoyed it and was full, I really wanted that second slice and felt cheated because I couldn't have it. Fortunately, I got up from the table to use the restroom which gave me a little time to think of things. If I was full from the first slice and not hungry, why did I want that second slice so badly? The whole experience gave me a little insight into my relationship with food and how things got out of control in terms of my weight.
I also need to realize that I should order only what I can eat comfortably, not what I want to eat. Just the other night, I ordered two tacos for dinner on the way home from work. The first one was great and would have been just enough. Fortunately, as I started to eat the second one, I realized that it would make me feel too full and could possibly make me sick. I promptly spit out what was in my mouth and threw it all out. I felt pretty powerful at that moment.
This has not been an easy journey, but it sure has been interesting.
Brian

I had my surgery on July 13, 2010 and it truly was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was not an easy one for me to make. I was a widowed dad of three young kids - ages 15, 10 and 9 at the time - and I was really worried about the risks of having the surgery. Ultimately, I came to realize that the staying fat was a far greater risk to my health and put my kids at a much greater risk of being orphaned. IN the end, I did it for them as much as I did it for myself.
Today, two years later, I have lost 120 pounds and have maintained that weight loss pretty consistently (I fluctuate within a 2-3 pound range).
In the past two years, I have gone from:
a size 54 suit to a 44 regular
18 1/2 or 19 inch neck to a 16
XXL Shirt to a M
Size 44 pants to a 34.
I no longer need mediciation for high blood pressure or high cholesterol and I no longer need my c-pap machine for sleep apnea. My back and knee pain have also all but vanished.
Most importantly, I am engaged to a wonderful woman and we plan to get married next summer. I met her just a few months after my surgery and she has been very supportive.
So, I am here to tell all of you who are considering this surgery to do your homework, find a practice where you feel supported and comfortable, but do not be afraid to go for it. If your experience is anything like mine, you will never regret it.
All the best to you,
Brian

I had my surgery on July 13, 2010 and it truly was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was not an easy one for me to make. I was a widowed dad of three young kids - ages 15, 10 and 9 at the time - and I was really worried about the risks of having the surgery. Ultimately, I came to realize that the staying fat was a far greater risk to my health and put my kids at a much greater risk of being orphaned. IN the end, I did it for them as much as I did it for myself.
Today, two years later, I have lost 120 pounds and have maintained that weight loss pretty consistently (I fluctuate within a 2-3 pound range).
In the past two years, I have gone from:
a size 54 suit to a 44 regular
18 1/2 or 19 inch neck to a 16
XXL Shirt to a M
Size 44 pants to a 34.
I no longer need mediciation for high blood pressure or high cholesterol and I no longer need my c-pap machine for sleep apnea. My back and knee pain have also all but vanished.
Most importantly, I am engaged to a wonderful woman and we plan to get married next summer. I met her just a few months after my surgery and she has been very supportive.
So, I am here to tell all of you who are considering this surgery to do your homework, find a practice where you feel supported and comfortable, but do not be afraid to go for it. If your experience is anything like mine, you will never regret it.
All the best to you,
Brian

I had my surgery on July 13, 2010 and it truly was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was not an easy one for me to make. I was a widowed dad of three young kids - ages 15, 10 and 9 at the time - and I was really worried about the risks of having the surgery. Ultimately, I came to realize that the staying fat was a far greater risk to my health and put my kids at a much greater risk of being orphaned. IN the end, I did it for them as much as I did it for myself.
Today, two years later, I have lost 120 pounds and have maintained that weight loss pretty consistently (I fluctuate within a 2-3 pound range).
In the past two years, I have gone from:
a size 54 suit to a 44 regular
18 1/2 or 19 inch neck to a 16
XXL Shirt to a M
Size 44 pants to a 34.
I no longer need mediciation for high blood pressure or high cholesterol and I no longer need my c-pap machine for sleep apnea. My back and knee pain have also all but vanished.
Most importantly, I am engaged to a wonderful woman and we plan to get married next summer. I met her just a few months after my surgery and she has been very supportive.
So, I am here to tell all of you who are considering this surgery to do your homework, find a practice where you feel supported and comfortable, but do not be afraid to go for it. If your experience is anything like mine, you will never regret it.
All the best to you,
Brian