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I had RNY in April 2003 after doing a massive amount of reading and research. My program was fairly straightforward where I effectively started out in what most folks call "maintenance mode." I reached and passed the goal of which I dreamed and the goal of which I never dreamed. Eventually I was able to get back to a normal weight.
My RNY has been a terrific teaching tool. I had some challenges relearning how to eat. I've had challenges with dumping. Such things have been the "stick" where being a normal weight has been the "carrot."
I've internalized my program to such an extent that I rarely think about it anymore. Likewise I don't think about my weight anymore, only weighing myself at my annual physicals.
Life is good.

Yes, I had a simple gastroplasty (stomach stapling) in 1980. I lost 75 lbs by 6 months and then stopped losing. Over the next ten years I gained it all back. I had NO nutritional or psych guidance at all. In 1990 I had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and the same thing happened. I lost about 75 lbs by six months and stopped losing. Again, I had NO nutritional guidance or follow up. I returned to my original set point of over 300 lbs, where I remained despite many attempts at weight loss.
Fast forward 30 years... Just before COVID hit, I met a man who told me he had RNY revision as a prerequisite for knee replacement surgery. I had no idea that a revision was possible. I was certainly interested, but then the pandemic arrived.
Six months ago, I started thinking about it again and contacted a bariatric center 90 miles from my home. A barium swallow and an endoscopy revealed that the staples from the prior surgery had given way allowing a fistula (opening) between pouch and stomach, which back then was not cut away, just separated from the pouch by staples.
It was obvious that there was a physical cause for the failure of the earlier surgeries. The surgeon assured me that the staple failure was not my fault due to up-chucking or pouch stretching, but was actually caused by the peristalsis of the stomach. He said that about 75% of the earlier WLS failed for this reason. Today, different kinds of staples and closure protocol are in place to prevent this kind of failure.
I was put in the bariatric program to have a revision. I've lost 44 lbs to date and still have a couple of requirements to complete before revision surgery is scheduled. I'm hoping to have it in October.
I'm excited but wary. Deep down I am afraid that the same thing will happen. My age (73) and prior surgeries are hurdles so I don't expect miraculous results. My hopeful goal is to get under 200 lbs. My dream goal is to reach 175 lbs. or lower.
In the past six months, I've read over a dozen books about bariatric surgery and food addiction and collected a slew of bariatric cookbooks. I'm much better prepared than I was for the earlier surgeries. I now realize that I am a sugar/food addict, that "maintenance" doesn't work for me. I have to be continually vigilant about avoiding sugar, flour, wheat, rice, and processed foods. The only successful way to conquer addiction is abstinence.
How Weight Loss Surgery Really Works, by Matthew Weiner **
Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies, By Marina Kurian, Barbara Thompson, Brian Davidson **
Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction, by Vera Tarman ***
Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Treat Food Addiction, by Connie Stapleton ***
Why Diets Fail (because youʼre addicted to sugar), by Nicole Avena & John Talbott ***
Bariatric Surgery & Food Addiction, by Philip Werdell *** (written for the clinician, but I found it valuable}
The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, by Colleen Cook***
A Pound of Cure, by Matthew Weiner (Focus on plant-based eating, not as restrictive as Bright Line Eating)
Bright Line Eating, by Susan Peirce Thompson (similar to Kay Shepardʼs food plan without the 12-step program)
Food Addiction: The Body Knows, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging)
From The First Bite: A Complete Guide to Recovery, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging)
Never Binge Again, by Glenn Livingston
Lick the Sugar Habit, by Nancy Appleton (A bit outdated)

I had low standards lol. For me I was excited to fit into non plus sized clothing (I used to be a 34 in US womens jeans. I'm now a 12), when I had my blood pressure taken at the doctors office I wanted them to be able to take it on my upper arm like a normal person instead of having it on my wrist because it didn't fit my upper arm, when I had to do tests at the doctor's I was looking forward to not having to ask for a plus sized gown anymore, to being able to fit into the back seat of a car again (the seat belt in the back seats used to never fit me. it made family road trips difficult), to being able to sit in a booth at a restaurant again, to not get out of breath walking for more than 5 minutes, etc. Those were all the things I looked forward to most. And I've met all of those goals.

Congratulations on making it to your goal!
It’s not uncommon for people to be able to lose at 18+ months out. I cannot speak for every experience but it sure seems like most people do not stay at their lowest post WLS weight at 3+ yrs out (without working on it)
I wouldn’t suggest forcing premature maintenance when you may eventually gain a little back anyway.
Since you like your routine, have good habits, active , have indulged periodically, don’t want to focus heavily on tracking perhaps try just going with the flow and letting your body workout where it wants to be weight wise.
You still have wiggle room especially since you in the healthy not underweight rage. If you start to effortlessly drop into that area without any signs of weigh loss slowing down then definitely consult your team.

Ok ready to post my final before and after photos. Before is around 350lbs, 3 or 4xl shirt. My highest ever confirmed weight was 356 and this was very close to that date in 2014. The other is today, wearing a size medium shirt. Surgery was June 12, 2020, weight 334lbs, 6’4” BMI 40. I hit this weight (193) about 10 months post op and have been maintaining fairly evenly since (up a couple down a couple etc). For anyone on the fence about surgery, do your research but don’t let the scary stories you read here overwhelm you or give you a false sense of their frequency. Yes, bad things can and do happen in any endeavor. No one has a crystal ball, but the statistics of health issues from being obese and the statistics of coming through gastric surgery safely and enjoying positive results speak for themselves. I never dreamed I would feel this good again. I didn’t even think I was that fat…. Just a “big guy.” Looking back at old photos I’m mortified. Looking forward I’m so optimistic and full of life and joy. I feel like this is the “me” that has always been in there, hiding, hoping, waiting to come out. What “you” do you have inside longing to come out and face the world?

Love that! Can’t wait for my chart to reflect that, too.

I got my surgery 8 months ago I was 22 at the time and got it the day before thanksgiving lol🤦‍♀️ at first I regretted it but after a while I realized it was the best decision I could of made! My highest weight was 255 and my current weight is 155. I can talk to you more about it if you’ll like, my Instagram is @shambrae__

I would 100% recommend the surgery to young people. I wish I had gotten it a few years ago when I was 23 and not waited until I was in my late 20s. I would have had the chance to enjoy my 20s a whole lot more. You have probably already tried dieting several times and it didn't work, that's why you're considering surgery in the first place. Doing the pre-op diet can trick some people into thinking they can lose the weight on their own. They Can't. If they could, they would have done it by now.
I don't know your situation, but for me, being very fat prevented me from truly enjoying my life the way that I wanted. I wanted to be that girl on the beach in a bikini. I wanted to go hiking with friends. I wanted to run a marathon. I wanted to date more and be confident about it. Being fat held me back from that.
If I had had a full time job with health insurance at 23, I would have run to get this surgery.

Yes, something similar (almost exact) happened to me. I contacted my insurance company, not the hospital, and was able to hash it out. (Insurance failed to check a box or something and denied.)

I just started this. I started at 8xl shirts now I’m buying 5xl. It really does something great for your motivation and self esteem to buy those smaller sizes

Been a while since I’ve posted a before and after pic. Surgery weight was 271, current weight is 144lbs. I think I’m done losing now (bypass was 3/2/2020). My weight fluctuates between 142 and 145

Haven’t hit my goal weight yet I’m currently 9 months post op will be 10 on July 2nd. But happy and appreciate how far I have gotten. Don’t regret it one bit.
SW:226lbs Sept 2nd 2020
CW: 145lbs June 2020
GW:130lbs

Yesterday was my one year anniversary.

HW: 482
SW: 393
CW: 214

Please think twice about surgery. You look great now, and your surgery is yet so recent, so when you are a bit further ahead you will save some more fat, and your skin doesn't look so saggy anymore. It really doesn't look saggy noe either.
I'm afraid you will regret it, and only end up will ugly scars.

I have lost half my bodyweight, but my skin has slowly gone back. Not all, I am 50 years old. But good enough for me.

As the title says!

Joy and Confidence! You wear it well 😍

Get Well Soon ❤️

I'm nearly two years out and sometimes experience "hunger days" when I have urges throughout the day to satisfy my hunger.
When I'm having one of those days, I use MyFitnessPal to log everything I eat throughout the day, and I concentrate on low calorie Snacks (e.g., a grape is 3 calories) to quell the hunger pangs. I make sure I don't exceed my recommended daily caloric intake this way.
One of my best "cheats," however, is to drink a cup of coffee because for some reason it usually stops my hunger cravings for several hours.

As you lose weight a lot of oestrogen is released into your blood stream which had been stored in your fat & it can affect your menstrual cycle. What you may be experiencing now is the effects of your normal hormonal cycle not one I luenced by carrying weight. My cycles were always heavier & more erratic when I carried weight compared to when I was slimmer.
Have a chat with your doctor & ask for a blood test to check your hormone levels. Remember 28 days is the average. Some cycles are longer. Some shorter.
Congrats on your weight loss.

After is on top
12 years out. Before pic is AFTER my WLS when I gained most of my weight back But I have done Keto for 3 years now.

I wanna play! I have a long way to go but I’m more than halfway there.
Beginning photo was me at my highest weight of 255 a week before surgery. Second photo is me last week at 187. My goal weight is 130lbs. I’ll be 5 months postop on Saturday.

4 yrs later, I feel great. My start weight was *243, went down to 137 which fluctuates about 5 to 10lbs at most.

Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

334lbs to 180lbs

395lbs now 185lbs

Some progress pics 335 this morning 496 HW 10/22/18 VSG  

Sent from my SM-G986U using BariatricPal mobile app