Maintaining your weight loss

I had the opportunity to meet and have some tea on Thursday with the most delightful lady. She felt very lucky that she had me living close to her and that I could answer all her question. I always love being able to do that. She has done an excellent job educating herself and she is going to be very successful after she has her “sleeve” surgery in November. I know for many new people on these boards, they sometimes question if we are “real people” and if we are being paid for this. I am a real person and I am not being paid to say the things I say and answer the questions I answer. I do it because it is my way of paying it forward.

This lady is having surgery through her insurance in our city—she was denied and first, and then she appealed it and won—YEAH for her. I just want to cheer her on and let her know that she is going to do grand. I wasn’t that lucky to have my insurance pay for mine and I am a self-pay patient. I was so blessed as to have Dr. Aceves do my sleeve surgery and I feel very fortunate to have had him. I have never regretted having it done or my choice of a Doctor.

I want to talk about maintaining your weight loss. One of the things this delightful lady said was some of her family seems to think that with diet and exercise she should be able to lose the weight and KEEP it OFF and NOT have to have WLS. I just heard a static and they said 4 in 5 people who lose the weight put it right back on along with more weight—so that means that ONLY 1 person is successful. So for me those odds do NOT appeal to me. I had sleeve surgery 3 years ago and I have maintained my 105 pound weight loss. I never consider myself being on a diet and I only consider my lifestyle changes I have made. It is something that is easy and I can and will do for the rest of my life. I never feel deprived when it comes to food and what I am eating. Yes, I have a desert now and then but only a tiny amount not the entire things. I try not to eat a lot of carbs. Sometimes you will find that just the taste of it, is all you really do need and want.

I have to admit I have NOT opened the bag of Halloween candy. Those tiny candy bars just call me and when I pass the candy bowl and force my hand in the bowl to get a candy bar and they make me eat it. So the candy is staying in the bag unopened until Halloween. So that is how I manage that issue. You will find your own way of managing things that temp you.

It is possible to maintain your weight loss. If diet and exercise worked for everyone then the diet industry would NOT be making billions of dollars every year. Ask yourself how many diets have you tried and failed at? For me too many to count. You may have lost the weight, but I bet you put it back on just like I did. For those of us who have had WLS, we know this was our answers.

I wish you nothing but happiness, success with your weight loss and great health.

Hugs, Suzanne

Sleeved 10/28/2008

Thank you for sharing your story. I appreciate it.

Hi,

Thanks, it still takes time and effort to maintain my weight loss. I plan my meals and still exercise about 5 days a week. I am so very lucky that my husband Bob is very supportive of all of this. He eats what I eat only more of it.

I wish you great success and if you have any questions just let me know OK.

Hugs,

Suzanne