Danny Paul

As usual great advice from Fluffy. At four weeks my doctor had me start soft foods which consisted of things like scrambled eggs, yogurts, cottage cheese, etc. No where were peanuts ( a good snack later on) or crackers (a useless carb) on the eating plan.
Congratulations on the 50lb weight loss. You should always be "concerned" about what you eat today. Why? We are given a very good jump start to a healthy life with our rapid weight loss. This will not go on forever, it will stop. The habits we acquired during this honeymoon period will stay with us as try to maintain the weight loss for the rest of our lives. As my nutritionist told me, I have a clean slate as far as what foods I will let back into my life. She said choose the foods wisely today because they will be with me for the rest of my life. Be concerned about the carbs today as they will affect your success tomorrow. Good luck and good health.

Just be careful that the sugar substitute doesn't affect your stomach. Some substitutes like erythritol can cause gas and loose stools. Especially if eating too many products with it.

It's normal at 4 weeks to have food apathy or aversion. You do not need extra crap food that lights up your pleasure (munchie) center. You got this surgery to lose weight, to lose weight quickly, to lose weight with the least amount of pain/inconvenience of your life. Lose weight the easiest it will ever be in your life. Don't screw it up with crap slider foods that offer no nutritional payout except to make you hungrier.
Embrace the nothing sounds or tastes good. Go without. We can all stand to skip a meal or two. I assure you, when you're hungry enough, that Protein Drink or yogurt will do you just fine.

Was going to write Unfortunately I still struggle. I didn't finish the thought. Sorry about that.

I had weight loss surgery for one reason, my health. The amount of medications that I was taking to control all of my various health issues were going to affect my kidneys and liver to the point of dialysis or transplants. Today, my health has greatly improved and I appreciate the second chance in life to live it as healthy as I can. No matter the motive, if you can benefit from WLS I suggest you do so.

It worked wonders for me. The day I left the hospital I stopped taking the three diabetes medications that I was prescribed. My A1c at the time was over 8 (with meds) . Today it is 5.9 (without meds). One reason for my insurance approval was due to my diabetes. Good luck. I was also a type 2 diabetic.

Weight regain after two years is not uncommon since we can eat more than we did right after surgery. There are a few factors that can lead to weight gain, two most prevalent are nutrition and medications. You state that you are on anti anxiety medication. Check to see if this medication can cause weight gain. As for nutrition, you stated that cooking is a burden especially the foods that you should be eating. When we take short cuts on the quality of food we need to eat this tends to lead us to processed foods. Processed foods have a in the past caused many here ( me included) to gain weight and suffer poor health. Try looking at your foods and eliminate the processed foods that you are eating. Get back to the quality foods that give you nutrition. The main thing is, you realize that you have a problem. Don't despair, work on a sensible plan of action and you will see positive results that you can build on. Good luck and good health.

Weight regain after two years is not uncommon since we can eat more than we did right after surgery. There are a few factors that can lead to weight gain, two most prevalent are nutrition and medications. You state that you are on anti anxiety medication. Check to see if this medication can cause weight gain. As for nutrition, you stated that cooking is a burden especially the foods that you should be eating. When we take short cuts on the quality of food we need to eat this tends to lead us to processed foods. Processed foods have a in the past caused many here ( me included) to gain weight and suffer poor health. Try looking at your foods and eliminate the processed foods that you are eating. Get back to the quality foods that give you nutrition. The main thing is, you realize that you have a problem. Don't despair, work on a sensible plan of action and you will see positive results that you can build on. Good luck and good health.

"Man who eat too many sweets, take up too many seats"

"Man who eat too many sweets, take up too many seats"

Two and a half years ago I embarked on my weight loss surgery journey. The six months that I needed to complete all of my pre requistes went by pretty fast. A test for this, a test for that, conferring with this person, etc etc. ( You guys know what I mean) It all culminated with my gastric sleeve surgery in August 2017. Fast forward two years and I lost 63 lbs and gained better health.
Long gone are the multiple medications I had to take in order to survive. The Meds helped with my heart condition, diabetes, high blood pressure , gout , and other assorted chronic conditions. Unfortunately, the same medications that helped me with those chronic conditions were wrecking havoc on my liver and kidneys. The panacea to help with my chronic conditions and save my vital organs was to lose weight, adopt a healthier lifestyle and maintain the weight loss. . When I say lose weight I meant a good amount of it, 20 lbs was not going to cut it this time. I have been on maintenance for 17 months. For me, it's a struggle everyday. I attend Over Eaters Anonymous meetings and meet with a therapist once a week. I am trying my best to maintain my new found health as I know the insurance company will not give me a do over.
My wife who has monitored my journey and has a few chronic conditions herself has recently had her gastric sleeve surgery. As we do with so many other things in life we are doing this together. A friend of mine who is quite over weight and suffers from chronic conditions also had gastric sleeve surgery and he is experiencing a rapid weight loss. Hey looks very different. A very close friend and his wife also seeing my result with WLS both recently has gastric sleeve surgery. The wife is experiencing a rapid weight loss the husband is losing slow and sure.
Prior to their surgeries I counseled them on the pitfalls of relying on surgery alone for long term success. I know three people that had WLS in the past and all three told me that they gained all the weight back and then some. Surprisingly all three work in my various doctors offices. These people are close to medical advice and two are medical professionals. I told my family and friends about these three ( I got permission to tell their stories but I left out the names) and warned them against having the surgery if they couldn't commit to a new lifestyle. They only had one shot at it as insurance would probably not pay again. It was better to wait to get WLS than to rush into it unprepared.
So far all four are doing well. I speak to my friends at least twice a week to lend support and guidance. This also helps me to keep on track as I find that these conversations help reinforce my good habits as well. My couple friends suggested that we should get together as we have talked on the phone but haven't seen each other in person for a few months. They recommended we meet at a restaurant we frequented in the past and indulge in appetizers. I asked them why are we planning to meet in a restaurant? That would be like asking recovering alcoholics to meet in a bar for sodas. We need to stop the cycle of using food as a social event. We need to think of food as fuel for the body not as a diversion to socialize. They both are only out six months from WLS and they should rethink their relationship with food. In the end we met at the Botanical Gardens for a leisurely stroll among the flora.
I'm so glad that I had the experience of WLS and that I am able help others achieve better health with theirs. For me, I still have a long road of recovery ahead of me and I take it one day at a time. I stopped eating processed foods, eat mindfully and now instead of living to eat, I eat to live. Good health to everyone.

Two and a half years ago I embarked on my weight loss surgery journey. The six months that I needed to complete all of my pre requistes went by pretty fast. A test for this, a test for that, conferring with this person, etc etc. ( You guys know what I mean) It all culminated with my gastric sleeve surgery in August 2017. Fast forward two years and I lost 63 lbs and gained better health.
Long gone are the multiple medications I had to take in order to survive. The Meds helped with my heart condition, diabetes, high blood pressure , gout , and other assorted chronic conditions. Unfortunately, the same medications that helped me with those chronic conditions were wrecking havoc on my liver and kidneys. The panacea to help with my chronic conditions and save my vital organs was to lose weight, adopt a healthier lifestyle and maintain the weight loss. . When I say lose weight I meant a good amount of it, 20 lbs was not going to cut it this time. I have been on maintenance for 17 months. For me, it's a struggle everyday. I attend Over Eaters Anonymous meetings and meet with a therapist once a week. I am trying my best to maintain my new found health as I know the insurance company will not give me a do over.
My wife who has monitored my journey and has a few chronic conditions herself has recently had her gastric sleeve surgery. As we do with so many other things in life we are doing this together. A friend of mine who is quite over weight and suffers from chronic conditions also had gastric sleeve surgery and he is experiencing a rapid weight loss. Hey looks very different. A very close friend and his wife also seeing my result with WLS both recently has gastric sleeve surgery. The wife is experiencing a rapid weight loss the husband is losing slow and sure.
Prior to their surgeries I counseled them on the pitfalls of relying on surgery alone for long term success. I know three people that had WLS in the past and all three told me that they gained all the weight back and then some. Surprisingly all three work in my various doctors offices. These people are close to medical advice and two are medical professionals. I told my family and friends about these three ( I got permission to tell their stories but I left out the names) and warned them against having the surgery if they couldn't commit to a new lifestyle. They only had one shot at it as insurance would probably not pay again. It was better to wait to get WLS than to rush into it unprepared.
So far all four are doing well. I speak to my friends at least twice a week to lend support and guidance. This also helps me to keep on track as I find that these conversations help reinforce my good habits as well. My couple friends suggested that we should get together as we have talked on the phone but haven't seen each other in person for a few months. They recommended we meet at a restaurant we frequented in the past and indulge in appetizers. I asked them why are we planning to meet in a restaurant? That would be like asking recovering alcoholics to meet in a bar for sodas. We need to stop the cycle of using food as a social event. We need to think of food as fuel for the body not as a diversion to socialize. They both are only out six months from WLS and they should rethink their relationship with food. In the end we met at the Botanical Gardens for a leisurely stroll among the flora.
I'm so glad that I had the experience of WLS and that I am able help others achieve better health with theirs. For me, I still have a long road of recovery ahead of me and I take it one day at a time. I stopped eating processed foods, eat mindfully and now instead of living to eat, I eat to live. Good health to everyone.

Two and a half years ago I embarked on my weight loss surgery journey. The six months that I needed to complete all of my pre requistes went by pretty fast. A test for this, a test for that, conferring with this person, etc etc. ( You guys know what I mean) It all culminated with my gastric sleeve surgery in August 2017. Fast forward two years and I lost 63 lbs and gained better health.
Long gone are the multiple medications I had to take in order to survive. The Meds helped with my heart condition, diabetes, high blood pressure , gout , and other assorted chronic conditions. Unfortunately, the same medications that helped me with those chronic conditions were wrecking havoc on my liver and kidneys. The panacea to help with my chronic conditions and save my vital organs was to lose weight, adopt a healthier lifestyle and maintain the weight loss. . When I say lose weight I meant a good amount of it, 20 lbs was not going to cut it this time. I have been on maintenance for 17 months. For me, it's a struggle everyday. I attend Over Eaters Anonymous meetings and meet with a therapist once a week. I am trying my best to maintain my new found health as I know the insurance company will not give me a do over.
My wife who has monitored my journey and has a few chronic conditions herself has recently had her gastric sleeve surgery. As we do with so many other things in life we are doing this together. A friend of mine who is quite over weight and suffers from chronic conditions also had gastric sleeve surgery and he is experiencing a rapid weight loss. Hey looks very different. A very close friend and his wife also seeing my result with WLS both recently has gastric sleeve surgery. The wife is experiencing a rapid weight loss the husband is losing slow and sure.
Prior to their surgeries I counseled them on the pitfalls of relying on surgery alone for long term success. I know three people that had WLS in the past and all three told me that they gained all the weight back and then some. Surprisingly all three work in my various doctors offices. These people are close to medical advice and two are medical professionals. I told my family and friends about these three ( I got permission to tell their stories but I left out the names) and warned them against having the surgery if they couldn't commit to a new lifestyle. They only had one shot at it as insurance would probably not pay again. It was better to wait to get WLS than to rush into it unprepared.
So far all four are doing well. I speak to my friends at least twice a week to lend support and guidance. This also helps me to keep on track as I find that these conversations help reinforce my good habits as well. My couple friends suggested that we should get together as we have talked on the phone but haven't seen each other in person for a few months. They recommended we meet at a restaurant we frequented in the past and indulge in appetizers. I asked them why are we planning to meet in a restaurant? That would be like asking recovering alcoholics to meet in a bar for sodas. We need to stop the cycle of using food as a social event. We need to think of food as fuel for the body not as a diversion to socialize. They both are only out six months from WLS and they should rethink their relationship with food. In the end we met at the Botanical Gardens for a leisurely stroll among the flora.
I'm so glad that I had the experience of WLS and that I am able help others achieve better health with theirs. For me, I still have a long road of recovery ahead of me and I take it one day at a time. I stopped eating processed foods, eat mindfully and now instead of living to eat, I eat to live. Good health to everyone.

@Danny Paul
hey dude, nice to see you☺️
i kept trying and trying to lose weight since high school. Reason being i wanted
to look attractive. i realized soon, it was all about my declining health.
my health has improved beyond belief. Looking cute as a button too is a bonus!!🤣
Your medications/ health issues, gone/disappeared. seeing a therapist, OA too,
Moderation is key regarding ie food/restaurants, clothe shopping - too bad
your improvements have caused them almost foreclosure!! LOL
You realize/must always be mindful of proper eating, moderation etc. - You've got that down. you will continue to be a success!! You are totally ACES!!
keep up the good work for the rest of your healthier, happier, life - (SS can
wait a few more years to reap its full benefits!!!!!
kathy
happy surgiversary

It will be two years since my Gastric Sleeve Surgery and it has been one remarkable journey. First off for myself, on the day of my surgery I weighed in at 221lbs. I took a combined 11 pills a day for a heart condition, diabetes, gout, GERD, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other assorted ailments. Today I take one pill for cholesterol everything else is under control without medication. In a little over seven months I acheived my goal weight (lost 63lbs). Since then, I have maintained my weight loss flucuating 3lbs up or down. I set a "red line" weight where if I hit it I will go into overdrive so as not to pass it. I have never done that in the past. Subsequently, I always regained the weight I lost.
I also found out that I am a compulsive eater. The surgery fixed my stomach but not my brain. I needed to work through this so, I go to a therapist and I attend Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meetings. It's a struggle for me everyday and I need to practice mindful eating. Throughout this journey I have inspired three friends and a family member to get WLS. I have a support group there that helps me and them immensely. I attend the monthly support group meetings offered by my surgeon as well as attending OA meetings.
Clothing wise, I went from an XL to a medium. One other thing that I learned about myself from this process is that I am was a compulsive shopper. When I started donating my larger clothes to the church I found out that I had scores of pants, shirts and other clothing items. I didn't realize the extent of my compulsive shopping. Today, I have a few shirts, pants and other clothing items. My closets and drawers are so much more manageable.
I used to frequent restaurants as much as 3 x 4 times a week. I rarely eat out anymore as I feel very uncomfortable in restaurants even at two years post surgery. I also stopped eating processed foods which is a staple in restaurants. At a group meeting someone asked how many calories each of us were taking in and for the most part the reply was, I don't count calories, I just try to get my 80 grams of Protein in each day. That pretty much sums up my eating process as well. I find that eating dense Proteins help to give me feeling of fullness and I don't eat too much.
As for the restriction, it has lessened somewhat over the two years but it is still there. I need to eat slowly, be mindful of what I eat and never ever try to eat around the restriction. I eat the same thing every day since I make poor food choices. I don't find this to be a bad thing as I look at food as fuel for the body and not as a source of pleasure. I used to live to eat now I eat to live. My friends who have had WLS can't eat the same thing every day and they crave variety. Unlike me, they can make better food choices. It's been two years and in the world of bariatric surgery I'm still in the infant stage. As I go into year three I'm hoping that I can maintain the weight loss as my health really depends on it.
In closing, I feel so much better than before my WLS. My health which was my main concern has gotten so much better. It's so much better that I decided to forgo collecting social security and wait until later as I feel that I will live much much longer. To all of you, good luck with your weight loss journey and most of all good health.

Huge congrats!! Thanks for all the inspiration!! What a great post!

Congratulations on your success and for learning more about what challenges you need to constantly manage. Wishing you the best as you continue your journey.

Money well spent

It will be two years since my Gastric Sleeve Surgery and it has been one remarkable journey. First off for myself, on the day of my surgery I weighed in at 221lbs. I took a combined 11 pills a day for a heart condition, diabetes, gout, GERD, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other assorted ailments. Today I take one pill for cholesterol everything else is under control without medication. In a little over seven months I acheived my goal weight (lost 63lbs). Since then, I have maintained my weight loss flucuating 3lbs up or down. I set a "red line" weight where if I hit it I will go into overdrive so as not to pass it. I have never done that in the past. Subsequently, I always regained the weight I lost.
I also found out that I am a compulsive eater. The surgery fixed my stomach but not my brain. I needed to work through this so, I go to a therapist and I attend Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meetings. It's a struggle for me everyday and I need to practice mindful eating. Throughout this journey I have inspired three friends and a family member to get WLS. I have a support group there that helps me and them immensely. I attend the monthly support group meetings offered by my surgeon as well as attending OA meetings.
Clothing wise, I went from an XL to a medium. One other thing that I learned about myself from this process is that I am was a compulsive shopper. When I started donating my larger clothes to the church I found out that I had scores of pants, shirts and other clothing items. I didn't realize the extent of my compulsive shopping. Today, I have a few shirts, pants and other clothing items. My closets and drawers are so much more manageable.
I used to frequent restaurants as much as 3 x 4 times a week. I rarely eat out anymore as I feel very uncomfortable in restaurants even at two years post surgery. I also stopped eating processed foods which is a staple in restaurants. At a group meeting someone asked how many calories each of us were taking in and for the most part the reply was, I don't count calories, I just try to get my 80 grams of Protein in each day. That pretty much sums up my eating process as well. I find that eating dense Proteins help to give me feeling of fullness and I don't eat too much.
As for the restriction, it has lessened somewhat over the two years but it is still there. I need to eat slowly, be mindful of what I eat and never ever try to eat around the restriction. I eat the same thing every day since I make poor food choices. I don't find this to be a bad thing as I look at food as fuel for the body and not as a source of pleasure. I used to live to eat now I eat to live. My friends who have had WLS can't eat the same thing every day and they crave variety. Unlike me, they can make better food choices. It's been two years and in the world of bariatric surgery I'm still in the infant stage. As I go into year three I'm hoping that I can maintain the weight loss as my health really depends on it.
In closing, I feel so much better than before my WLS. My health which was my main concern has gotten so much better. It's so much better that I decided to forgo collecting social security and wait until later as I feel that I will live much much longer. To all of you, good luck with your weight loss journey and most of all good health.

It will be two years since my Gastric Sleeve Surgery and it has been one remarkable journey. First off for myself, on the day of my surgery I weighed in at 221lbs. I took a combined 11 pills a day for a heart condition, diabetes, gout, GERD, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other assorted ailments. Today I take one pill for cholesterol everything else is under control without medication. In a little over seven months I acheived my goal weight (lost 63lbs). Since then, I have maintained my weight loss flucuating 3lbs up or down. I set a "red line" weight where if I hit it I will go into overdrive so as not to pass it. I have never done that in the past. Subsequently, I always regained the weight I lost.
I also found out that I am a compulsive eater. The surgery fixed my stomach but not my brain. I needed to work through this so, I go to a therapist and I attend Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meetings. It's a struggle for me everyday and I need to practice mindful eating. Throughout this journey I have inspired three friends and a family member to get WLS. I have a support group there that helps me and them immensely. I attend the monthly support group meetings offered by my surgeon as well as attending OA meetings.
Clothing wise, I went from an XL to a medium. One other thing that I learned about myself from this process is that I am was a compulsive shopper. When I started donating my larger clothes to the church I found out that I had scores of pants, shirts and other clothing items. I didn't realize the extent of my compulsive shopping. Today, I have a few shirts, pants and other clothing items. My closets and drawers are so much more manageable.
I used to frequent restaurants as much as 3 x 4 times a week. I rarely eat out anymore as I feel very uncomfortable in restaurants even at two years post surgery. I also stopped eating processed foods which is a staple in restaurants. At a group meeting someone asked how many calories each of us were taking in and for the most part the reply was, I don't count calories, I just try to get my 80 grams of Protein in each day. That pretty much sums up my eating process as well. I find that eating dense Proteins help to give me feeling of fullness and I don't eat too much.
As for the restriction, it has lessened somewhat over the two years but it is still there. I need to eat slowly, be mindful of what I eat and never ever try to eat around the restriction. I eat the same thing every day since I make poor food choices. I don't find this to be a bad thing as I look at food as fuel for the body and not as a source of pleasure. I used to live to eat now I eat to live. My friends who have had WLS can't eat the same thing every day and they crave variety. Unlike me, they can make better food choices. It's been two years and in the world of bariatric surgery I'm still in the infant stage. As I go into year three I'm hoping that I can maintain the weight loss as my health really depends on it.
In closing, I feel so much better than before my WLS. My health which was my main concern has gotten so much better. It's so much better that I decided to forgo collecting social security and wait until later as I feel that I will live much much longer. To all of you, good luck with your weight loss journey and most of all good health.

It will be two years since my Gastric Sleeve Surgery and it has been one remarkable journey. First off for myself, on the day of my surgery I weighed in at 221lbs. I took a combined 11 pills a day for a heart condition, diabetes, gout, GERD, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other assorted ailments. Today I take one pill for cholesterol everything else is under control without medication. In a little over seven months I acheived my goal weight (lost 63lbs). Since then, I have maintained my weight loss flucuating 3lbs up or down. I set a "red line" weight where if I hit it I will go into overdrive so as not to pass it. I have never done that in the past. Subsequently, I always regained the weight I lost.
I also found out that I am a compulsive eater. The surgery fixed my stomach but not my brain. I needed to work through this so, I go to a therapist and I attend Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meetings. It's a struggle for me everyday and I need to practice mindful eating. Throughout this journey I have inspired three friends and a family member to get WLS. I have a support group there that helps me and them immensely. I attend the monthly support group meetings offered by my surgeon as well as attending OA meetings.
Clothing wise, I went from an XL to a medium. One other thing that I learned about myself from this process is that I am was a compulsive shopper. When I started donating my larger clothes to the church I found out that I had scores of pants, shirts and other clothing items. I didn't realize the extent of my compulsive shopping. Today, I have a few shirts, pants and other clothing items. My closets and drawers are so much more manageable.
I used to frequent restaurants as much as 3 x 4 times a week. I rarely eat out anymore as I feel very uncomfortable in restaurants even at two years post surgery. I also stopped eating processed foods which is a staple in restaurants. At a group meeting someone asked how many calories each of us were taking in and for the most part the reply was, I don't count calories, I just try to get my 80 grams of Protein in each day. That pretty much sums up my eating process as well. I find that eating dense Proteins help to give me feeling of fullness and I don't eat too much.
As for the restriction, it has lessened somewhat over the two years but it is still there. I need to eat slowly, be mindful of what I eat and never ever try to eat around the restriction. I eat the same thing every day since I make poor food choices. I don't find this to be a bad thing as I look at food as fuel for the body and not as a source of pleasure. I used to live to eat now I eat to live. My friends who have had WLS can't eat the same thing every day and they crave variety. Unlike me, they can make better food choices. It's been two years and in the world of bariatric surgery I'm still in the infant stage. As I go into year three I'm hoping that I can maintain the weight loss as my health really depends on it.
In closing, I feel so much better than before my WLS. My health which was my main concern has gotten so much better. It's so much better that I decided to forgo collecting social security and wait until later as I feel that I will live much much longer. To all of you, good luck with your weight loss journey and most of all good health.

It will be two years since my Gastric Sleeve Surgery and it has been one remarkable journey. First off for myself, on the day of my surgery I weighed in at 221lbs. I took a combined 11 pills a day for a heart condition, diabetes, gout, GERD, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other assorted ailments. Today I take one pill for cholesterol everything else is under control without medication. In a little over seven months I acheived my goal weight (lost 63lbs). Since then, I have maintained my weight loss flucuating 3lbs up or down. I set a "red line" weight where if I hit it I will go into overdrive so as not to pass it. I have never done that in the past. Subsequently, I always regained the weight I lost.
I also found out that I am a compulsive eater. The surgery fixed my stomach but not my brain. I needed to work through this so, I go to a therapist and I attend Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meetings. It's a struggle for me everyday and I need to practice mindful eating. Throughout this journey I have inspired three friends and a family member to get WLS. I have a support group there that helps me and them immensely. I attend the monthly support group meetings offered by my surgeon as well as attending OA meetings.
Clothing wise, I went from an XL to a medium. One other thing that I learned about myself from this process is that I am was a compulsive shopper. When I started donating my larger clothes to the church I found out that I had scores of pants, shirts and other clothing items. I didn't realize the extent of my compulsive shopping. Today, I have a few shirts, pants and other clothing items. My closets and drawers are so much more manageable.
I used to frequent restaurants as much as 3 x 4 times a week. I rarely eat out anymore as I feel very uncomfortable in restaurants even at two years post surgery. I also stopped eating processed foods which is a staple in restaurants. At a group meeting someone asked how many calories each of us were taking in and for the most part the reply was, I don't count calories, I just try to get my 80 grams of Protein in each day. That pretty much sums up my eating process as well. I find that eating dense Proteins help to give me feeling of fullness and I don't eat too much.
As for the restriction, it has lessened somewhat over the two years but it is still there. I need to eat slowly, be mindful of what I eat and never ever try to eat around the restriction. I eat the same thing every day since I make poor food choices. I don't find this to be a bad thing as I look at food as fuel for the body and not as a source of pleasure. I used to live to eat now I eat to live. My friends who have had WLS can't eat the same thing every day and they crave variety. Unlike me, they can make better food choices. It's been two years and in the world of bariatric surgery I'm still in the infant stage. As I go into year three I'm hoping that I can maintain the weight loss as my health really depends on it.
In closing, I feel so much better than before my WLS. My health which was my main concern has gotten so much better. It's so much better that I decided to forgo collecting social security and wait until later as I feel that I will live much much longer. To all of you, good luck with your weight loss journey and most of all good health.

I'm nearly 19 months out and I need support EVERY day. There isn't a day that I don't call someone just to talk and help me work through my maintenance. I go to support groups a therapist and Over Eaters Anonymous. For so many years I Failed at weight loss and I Failed at maintaining what weight I did lose. Today, I ask for and I receive the help I need. It isn't easy, I attend meetings, I call people, I meet with healthcare professionals and I ask for help. You will get support here but you will also probably need to surround yourself with others who can help you on a daily basis. Don't be afraid to seek help or ask for it, you'd be surprised at the amount of help there is to be had.

Being 18 months out I constantly think about weight regain. I'm glad to see that even when there is a weight gain with determination and mindfulness there is a solution. Thank you all for sharing your stories and I wish you success and luck in your journey to lose the weight.