McButterpants

How many people read the original post and said, "That sounds like me?" I did...
Weight loss surgery is a huge decision. I got to the point in my life where I started to not care…about anything. It was horrible. I didn't like my life, I didn't like myself, I was starting to check out. What a horrible thing when you have an awesome husband and teenage son. One day I walked into the living room and said to my husband, "I want to have weight loss surgery." He looked at me like I had grown a second head. He didn't understand. The following week I went in for my surgery consult and decided that day to have surgery. Next to marrying my husband and having my son, this was the best decision I have every made.
My life today is awesome - I'm active and I try to move my body every day. I actually don't feel good when I don't move. I feel awesome - I'm more confident, I smile a lot, I am happier. I no longer have to take a nap every day. I am finally living the life I was meant to live. I walked down one of the Teton Mountains last summer - a 4 mile hike downhill. I wandered around San Francisco last year - 17 miles in one day. Last summer I went zip-lining and white Water rafting - something I wouldn't have thought to do 70 pounds ago. I can do 90 minutes of hot yoga at 5:30 am and feel great the rest of the day. food no longer rules my universe - I use food to fuel my body for the day.
All of the above is really great, but the biggest change and improvement in my life…my relationship with my husband and son. One day after running with my son, we got in the car and I said, "Wow, I couldn't have done that a few years ago, huh?" My son asked me some questions about the surgery - some really thoughtful questions about why I decided to do it and what exactly they did. He eventually said, "I'm really happy you had the surgery, mom." That was a great day.
My only regret? That I didn't do it sooner...

My family goes thru stages where we eat out a lot…My husband has gotten in the habit of asking me what I want and we'll split an entrée. If we don't want the same thing or he is especially hungry, I'll look at the appetizer menu. If that doesn't look good, I will order my own entree, eat about 1/3 of it and take the rest home.
Early on, it was more difficult because I was trying to learn how to do things - you will get the hang of it. You get more comfortable telling the waiter that you're splitting an entree. Right after surgery, I would have a shake prior to going out and it didn't bother me that everyone around me was eating and I was sipping a coffee (approved by my doc).

When I decided to have surgery, I realized and admitted to myself that I wasn't going to be able to do it on my own - it takes a lot of soul searching, research, discussions with loved ones, etc. This is a huge decision!
I'm a little over 2 years out - I have had difficulty recently with some regain, 17 pounds. It's horrifying. Luckily, my 2 year follow up was due and my doc reminded me of some tools I had in my tool box - reintroducing shakes, pointing out the fact I was grazing, and prescribed some appetites suppressants to get me back on track.
I wish I could say that because of the surgery, it's all sunshine and lollipops and that I never ever have to worry about my weight. I do. But it is easier to re-gain control than it was prior to surgery. Two years out, I still have to work hard. I still have to exercise every day and I still have to monitor my intake of calories - I work at controlling my weight every day.
The difference between today and 5 years ago, I have learned to love myself and take care of myself. My negative self talk is gone for the most part. I don't hate my body any more. I don't wake up in the morning and put a lot of pressure on myself to "behave" or "do it right today" or "lose 10 pounds by the end of the month". I don't feel compelled to do that. Now, I know that exercising or doing hot yoga makes me feel good. I know that eating large amounts of bread or processed foods, makes me feel bad, so I try to stay away. If I have a yummy yeast roll, it's a conscience decision and I enjoy every delicious bite - but I allow myself one and move on.

When I decided to have surgery, I realized and admitted to myself that I wasn't going to be able to do it on my own - it takes a lot of soul searching, research, discussions with loved ones, etc. This is a huge decision!
I'm a little over 2 years out - I have had difficulty recently with some regain, 17 pounds. It's horrifying. Luckily, my 2 year follow up was due and my doc reminded me of some tools I had in my tool box - reintroducing shakes, pointing out the fact I was grazing, and prescribed some appetites suppressants to get me back on track.
I wish I could say that because of the surgery, it's all sunshine and lollipops and that I never ever have to worry about my weight. I do. But it is easier to re-gain control than it was prior to surgery. Two years out, I still have to work hard. I still have to exercise every day and I still have to monitor my intake of calories - I work at controlling my weight every day.
The difference between today and 5 years ago, I have learned to love myself and take care of myself. My negative self talk is gone for the most part. I don't hate my body any more. I don't wake up in the morning and put a lot of pressure on myself to "behave" or "do it right today" or "lose 10 pounds by the end of the month". I don't feel compelled to do that. Now, I know that exercising or doing hot yoga makes me feel good. I know that eating large amounts of bread or processed foods, makes me feel bad, so I try to stay away. If I have a yummy yeast roll, it's a conscience decision and I enjoy every delicious bite - but I allow myself one and move on.

Go to your doc - I am experiencing similar problems (just over 2 years out). Going in on Monday for ultra sound and upper GI.
Best of luck!!!!!

When I decided to have surgery, I realized and admitted to myself that I wasn't going to be able to do it on my own - it takes a lot of soul searching, research, discussions with loved ones, etc. This is a huge decision!
I'm a little over 2 years out - I have had difficulty recently with some regain, 17 pounds. It's horrifying. Luckily, my 2 year follow up was due and my doc reminded me of some tools I had in my tool box - reintroducing shakes, pointing out the fact I was grazing, and prescribed some appetites suppressants to get me back on track.
I wish I could say that because of the surgery, it's all sunshine and lollipops and that I never ever have to worry about my weight. I do. But it is easier to re-gain control than it was prior to surgery. Two years out, I still have to work hard. I still have to exercise every day and I still have to monitor my intake of calories - I work at controlling my weight every day.
The difference between today and 5 years ago, I have learned to love myself and take care of myself. My negative self talk is gone for the most part. I don't hate my body any more. I don't wake up in the morning and put a lot of pressure on myself to "behave" or "do it right today" or "lose 10 pounds by the end of the month". I don't feel compelled to do that. Now, I know that exercising or doing hot yoga makes me feel good. I know that eating large amounts of bread or processed foods, makes me feel bad, so I try to stay away. If I have a yummy yeast roll, it's a conscience decision and I enjoy every delicious bite - but I allow myself one and move on.

I lost a lot of hair - my stylist and I suspect it was about 30% loss. It was horrifying.
My doc said there isn't much you can do about the loss, but what you lose due to surgery will grow back. I found that to be true. My doc OK'd Biotin and folic acid, but that's for regrowth, not prevention.
I have gone thru 3 bouts of hairless - the first one, about 4 months post-op was the worst. My stylist was surprised when it grew back - she actually said, "It seems like it's growing in thicker!"
I went to a shorter cut to mask the hairloss. I also used a product called Toppik - it works exactly like the videos on their website show. I took my Vitamins, drank my Water and ate my Protein.

@@bayougirlmrsc,
Thanks for the post! You are correct on a couple of points - I allowed snacking, grazing, bad foods and sitting on my butt back into my life. They came in slowly, but they came back. Taking the appetite suppressants has helped - it helped me realize how much snacking and unintentional eating I was doing. I was making excuses for not exercising - again, an old habit.
So enough with the "I should have"s…Here's what I've been doing since my original post...
I am taking the suppressants and they have helped. I'm hopeful this is a short-term solution and will talk to the dock at the end of January when I go back for my follow up.
I'm back on the exercise wagon - I joined a new yoga studio and I'm having a great time. My old studio did the same hot yoga routine every practice. While it was good at the beginning, it was time for a change. My new studio offers 5 different classes - I've taken three "shape" classes that incorporate yoga and strength in a 102 degree room. It kicks my butt every class and I love it. I can now do the entire routine with a 1 pound weight in each arm - something I couldn't do 3 practices ago. I'm also doing a challenge with my best friend and we've promised to hold each other accountable - we're doing the Run The Year challenge - we will do 2016 miles (combined), so I have to do 1008 miles in 2016. I did almost 900 this year. I also have a goal of 130 yoga practices in 2016 and 210 days of 10K steps or more. This should keep me on track. (I'm very goal oriented, so having a long-term goal that I can break up, keeps me motivated.)
I also had a really long talk with my best friend - we've been friends out whole life. She could sense something was wrong with me and she helped me talk thru what was going on. She said she doesn't want me to go back to those dark days where I didn't leave the house. She showed me a picture I sent her of my old drivers license and my new one - it's like they aren't the same person. I cried and it really hit home how well I've done. It's awesome to have support and a little attitude adjustment.
So, I'm feeling much better than I was a couple of weeks ago. I can see a change in my body with starting back at yoga. I'm down about 4 pounds, but I'm trying to stay off the scale for the next week while my body adjusts to the new exercise routine.
Thanks again for all the support - you guys are amazing!

I miss champagne - I'm not much of a drinker, but I would have a couple of glasses periodically. Sometimes I miss the ability to sit down to a big plate of food and going to town.
Things I don't miss - so many…the pain, emotional and physical. The embarrassment of a life gone out of control. Feeling tired all the time. Depression. Shopping in the big girls' section.

I miss champagne - I'm not much of a drinker, but I would have a couple of glasses periodically. Sometimes I miss the ability to sit down to a big plate of food and going to town.
Things I don't miss - so many…the pain, emotional and physical. The embarrassment of a life gone out of control. Feeling tired all the time. Depression. Shopping in the big girls' section.

I miss champagne - I'm not much of a drinker, but I would have a couple of glasses periodically. Sometimes I miss the ability to sit down to a big plate of food and going to town.
Things I don't miss - so many…the pain, emotional and physical. The embarrassment of a life gone out of control. Feeling tired all the time. Depression. Shopping in the big girls' section.

@bayougirlmrsc,
Many yoga studios have a "community day" one day a week - in my town, almost all of them do a $5 drop in. It's a great way to try a class and it's cheap. I love hot yoga - it's funny how I hate the heat, but doing yoga in a 102 degree room doesn't bother me. I just got back from a practice with a teacher I've never had before - WOW, I feel amazing. For me, yoga is good for my brain. It's a full hour where no one is trying to get a hold of me, my phone isn't ringing and there aren't multiple people asking me for something. It's an hour all for me. Top that off with some amazing stretching and toning exercises and it's a great way to start the day.
I'm going into 2016 motivated and feeling good again - exercise is the best medicine for me, I know that, but sometimes forget it.
Have an awesome 2016!

After surgery, I became a food pusher. There is an episode of the King of Queens where Kirstey Alley has Carrie eat a donut and tell her how it tastes - yeah, that was me! I kept asking my husband and son if they were hungry. I wasn't hungry. It was weird.
Once I realized what I was doing, I forced myself to stop. One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday morning was watch the food Network - I stopped that. I even stopped cooking for a while. I had to end my unhealthy relationship with food. I guess much like an addict - stop everything cold turkey.
Now, nearing two years post-op, I eat food to fuel my body - I have a healtheir relationship with food. I enjoy it. I try different kinds of foods. It just doesn't rule my world.

@bayougirlmrsc,
Many yoga studios have a "community day" one day a week - in my town, almost all of them do a $5 drop in. It's a great way to try a class and it's cheap. I love hot yoga - it's funny how I hate the heat, but doing yoga in a 102 degree room doesn't bother me. I just got back from a practice with a teacher I've never had before - WOW, I feel amazing. For me, yoga is good for my brain. It's a full hour where no one is trying to get a hold of me, my phone isn't ringing and there aren't multiple people asking me for something. It's an hour all for me. Top that off with some amazing stretching and toning exercises and it's a great way to start the day.
I'm going into 2016 motivated and feeling good again - exercise is the best medicine for me, I know that, but sometimes forget it.
Have an awesome 2016!

The scale is only one measure of how you're doing - be patient. Taking pictures is an awesome way to see your body change as well - I took a picture every week for the first few months…you can see yourself shrinking.
You're going to do great - be patient and don't give the scale power over you.

Atta girl! You rock that tank top!

@@bayougirlmrsc,
Thanks for the post! You are correct on a couple of points - I allowed snacking, grazing, bad foods and sitting on my butt back into my life. They came in slowly, but they came back. Taking the appetite suppressants has helped - it helped me realize how much snacking and unintentional eating I was doing. I was making excuses for not exercising - again, an old habit.
So enough with the "I should have"s…Here's what I've been doing since my original post...
I am taking the suppressants and they have helped. I'm hopeful this is a short-term solution and will talk to the dock at the end of January when I go back for my follow up.
I'm back on the exercise wagon - I joined a new yoga studio and I'm having a great time. My old studio did the same hot yoga routine every practice. While it was good at the beginning, it was time for a change. My new studio offers 5 different classes - I've taken three "shape" classes that incorporate yoga and strength in a 102 degree room. It kicks my butt every class and I love it. I can now do the entire routine with a 1 pound weight in each arm - something I couldn't do 3 practices ago. I'm also doing a challenge with my best friend and we've promised to hold each other accountable - we're doing the Run The Year challenge - we will do 2016 miles (combined), so I have to do 1008 miles in 2016. I did almost 900 this year. I also have a goal of 130 yoga practices in 2016 and 210 days of 10K steps or more. This should keep me on track. (I'm very goal oriented, so having a long-term goal that I can break up, keeps me motivated.)
I also had a really long talk with my best friend - we've been friends out whole life. She could sense something was wrong with me and she helped me talk thru what was going on. She said she doesn't want me to go back to those dark days where I didn't leave the house. She showed me a picture I sent her of my old drivers license and my new one - it's like they aren't the same person. I cried and it really hit home how well I've done. It's awesome to have support and a little attitude adjustment.
So, I'm feeling much better than I was a couple of weeks ago. I can see a change in my body with starting back at yoga. I'm down about 4 pounds, but I'm trying to stay off the scale for the next week while my body adjusts to the new exercise routine.
Thanks again for all the support - you guys are amazing!

Congrats!
Keep walking - it will help with the gas and helps with recovery. I walked as much as I could.
Best of luck for a speedy recovery!

At 10 days out, you may not be able to feel full - you need to follow your doc/nut instructions.
Agree with Miss Mac - just because you can eat, doesn't mean you should. You went thru a lot to have this surgery - honor that by taking care of yourself.
Take care of your new tiny tummy. Get back on track with what you're nutritionist says.

I remember buying my first pair of shorts in the Misses section - I stood in the dressing room and cried. I took them to register and purchased them without even checking the tag. Reality sunk in when I realized about three hours later, but I didn't care. I will keep those shorts for the rest of my life.
Wishing you continued success and many trips to the Misses section!

When I decided to have surgery in August, 2013, I was at my heaviest weight, I was disconnected from my life and family, and I was completely miserable. I, too, was able to lose weight, but gained it all back, plus a few pounds for good measure. My doc was starting to talk about diabetes and my blood pressure was going up and up with each visit. I hated myself, I hated my body and I hated my life.
I finally went to my husband and said, "I want to explore having weight loss surgery." He asked me "Why?" Seriously, can't you see me? He couldn't believe I had gotten to 256 pounds - he didn't see that. I was still the same 25 year old girl he met 20 years before. I went to the surgeon's office, cried on the scale as they weighed me and walked out determined to have the gastric sleeve. I knew that no amount of dieting was going to get me where I need to be - what I would need to do lose 75+ pounds is not sustainable.
This is not a decision not to be made on a whim - it's scary. Do your research, know the risks.
For me, short of marrying my husband and having my son, this was the best decision I have ever made. My life is the polar opposite of what it was 2.5 years ago. I never, in my wildest dreams, could have imagined how awesome my life would be. There are ups and downs in this journey - I have recently been thru a down period - but I am back and I'm fighting again. This is not a magic bullet - it's hard work and you will live with this for the rest of your life. YOu have to be committed - you will never be able to eat like you did pre-surgery. Sometimes that is frustrating. All you can eat buffet? Nope. Soda? Not any more. But I have realized that a lot of those things that I thought I was going to miss, I don't.
So, research, research and research. Do some soul searching. Network with people on this forum. Decide if it's the right thing to do. If you decide you want to, you have to commit to it and the lifestyle you'll need to live.
Best of luck to you!

Agree with the above - Biotin is for regrowth.
I'll be honest, I lost a lot of hair at about 3 months. My stylist and I guesstimate I lost about 30% of my hair. I got my Protein in, I was taking a Multivitamin, Biotin, Folic acid - I was doing the right things. The doc said, "It's probably going to happen, there isn't anything to prevent it, but whatever you lose due to the surgery, you will re-grow." So, I continued to take my Vitamins and supplements, I got a short cut to try to hide the loss and I used a product called Toppik to cover up (it really works just like the videos on their website).
While it's horrifying and scary, I will tell you - in the end, it's totally worth it. My hair has grown back - my stylist said she thinks my hair is thicker than before surgery. I still go thru cycles where I lose some or it breaks (like my bangs), but it grows back quickly and it's not noticeable. I've been able to grown my hair out again, so it's getting longer.

When I decided to have surgery in August, 2013, I was at my heaviest weight, I was disconnected from my life and family, and I was completely miserable. I, too, was able to lose weight, but gained it all back, plus a few pounds for good measure. My doc was starting to talk about diabetes and my blood pressure was going up and up with each visit. I hated myself, I hated my body and I hated my life.
I finally went to my husband and said, "I want to explore having weight loss surgery." He asked me "Why?" Seriously, can't you see me? He couldn't believe I had gotten to 256 pounds - he didn't see that. I was still the same 25 year old girl he met 20 years before. I went to the surgeon's office, cried on the scale as they weighed me and walked out determined to have the gastric sleeve. I knew that no amount of dieting was going to get me where I need to be - what I would need to do lose 75+ pounds is not sustainable.
This is not a decision not to be made on a whim - it's scary. Do your research, know the risks.
For me, short of marrying my husband and having my son, this was the best decision I have ever made. My life is the polar opposite of what it was 2.5 years ago. I never, in my wildest dreams, could have imagined how awesome my life would be. There are ups and downs in this journey - I have recently been thru a down period - but I am back and I'm fighting again. This is not a magic bullet - it's hard work and you will live with this for the rest of your life. YOu have to be committed - you will never be able to eat like you did pre-surgery. Sometimes that is frustrating. All you can eat buffet? Nope. Soda? Not any more. But I have realized that a lot of those things that I thought I was going to miss, I don't.
So, research, research and research. Do some soul searching. Network with people on this forum. Decide if it's the right thing to do. If you decide you want to, you have to commit to it and the lifestyle you'll need to live.
Best of luck to you!

When I decided to have surgery in August, 2013, I was at my heaviest weight, I was disconnected from my life and family, and I was completely miserable. I, too, was able to lose weight, but gained it all back, plus a few pounds for good measure. My doc was starting to talk about diabetes and my blood pressure was going up and up with each visit. I hated myself, I hated my body and I hated my life.
I finally went to my husband and said, "I want to explore having weight loss surgery." He asked me "Why?" Seriously, can't you see me? He couldn't believe I had gotten to 256 pounds - he didn't see that. I was still the same 25 year old girl he met 20 years before. I went to the surgeon's office, cried on the scale as they weighed me and walked out determined to have the gastric sleeve. I knew that no amount of dieting was going to get me where I need to be - what I would need to do lose 75+ pounds is not sustainable.
This is not a decision not to be made on a whim - it's scary. Do your research, know the risks.
For me, short of marrying my husband and having my son, this was the best decision I have ever made. My life is the polar opposite of what it was 2.5 years ago. I never, in my wildest dreams, could have imagined how awesome my life would be. There are ups and downs in this journey - I have recently been thru a down period - but I am back and I'm fighting again. This is not a magic bullet - it's hard work and you will live with this for the rest of your life. YOu have to be committed - you will never be able to eat like you did pre-surgery. Sometimes that is frustrating. All you can eat buffet? Nope. Soda? Not any more. But I have realized that a lot of those things that I thought I was going to miss, I don't.
So, research, research and research. Do some soul searching. Network with people on this forum. Decide if it's the right thing to do. If you decide you want to, you have to commit to it and the lifestyle you'll need to live.
Best of luck to you!

@@bayougirlmrsc,
Thanks for the post! You are correct on a couple of points - I allowed snacking, grazing, bad foods and sitting on my butt back into my life. They came in slowly, but they came back. Taking the appetite suppressants has helped - it helped me realize how much snacking and unintentional eating I was doing. I was making excuses for not exercising - again, an old habit.
So enough with the "I should have"s…Here's what I've been doing since my original post...
I am taking the suppressants and they have helped. I'm hopeful this is a short-term solution and will talk to the dock at the end of January when I go back for my follow up.
I'm back on the exercise wagon - I joined a new yoga studio and I'm having a great time. My old studio did the same hot yoga routine every practice. While it was good at the beginning, it was time for a change. My new studio offers 5 different classes - I've taken three "shape" classes that incorporate yoga and strength in a 102 degree room. It kicks my butt every class and I love it. I can now do the entire routine with a 1 pound weight in each arm - something I couldn't do 3 practices ago. I'm also doing a challenge with my best friend and we've promised to hold each other accountable - we're doing the Run The Year challenge - we will do 2016 miles (combined), so I have to do 1008 miles in 2016. I did almost 900 this year. I also have a goal of 130 yoga practices in 2016 and 210 days of 10K steps or more. This should keep me on track. (I'm very goal oriented, so having a long-term goal that I can break up, keeps me motivated.)
I also had a really long talk with my best friend - we've been friends out whole life. She could sense something was wrong with me and she helped me talk thru what was going on. She said she doesn't want me to go back to those dark days where I didn't leave the house. She showed me a picture I sent her of my old drivers license and my new one - it's like they aren't the same person. I cried and it really hit home how well I've done. It's awesome to have support and a little attitude adjustment.
So, I'm feeling much better than I was a couple of weeks ago. I can see a change in my body with starting back at yoga. I'm down about 4 pounds, but I'm trying to stay off the scale for the next week while my body adjusts to the new exercise routine.
Thanks again for all the support - you guys are amazing!