I remember reading alot of other people's post when they had hit their 1 yr surgiversary and thinking to myself..."What will that be like for me?" Will I have been successful (finally) after so many failed attempts. I really did not have the emotional strength left anymore. I really had given up on weight loss by the time I discovered VSG. I have a rare liver disease called Primary Biliary Cirrhosis. The medicine I take to slow the disease progression down makes it challenging to lose weight. The disease also causes fatigue that resting does not alleviate. You just have to manage it. My hepatologist told me that if I continued to be obese that it would hurt my chances of a liver transplant if and when I ever needed one....yikes!

My journey has not always been smooth. Nothing ever is I suppose. I still deal with diahrrea issues between the sleeve and the medicine I have to take but I can manage it. I have lost 74lbs and gone from a size 20 to 8 in jeans! Size XL in tops to S/M. My feet no longer hurt when I walk!!!!! I do not feel like I am embarrasing my teenage kids infront of their friends by having an obese Mom. My horse is probably alot happier not having to carry my big fat butt around anymore either! LOL!

It so wonderful to no longer have the hunger Monkey screaming away on my back! That was sooo annoying! Too be able to calmly make food choices now is very liberating! I no longer have the cravings I used to. I WANT to eat good food! Really the sleeve life has been the best decision I have made for myself in a long,long time! So for all of you who are just starting out in a few months from now you too will get to post about how wonderful you feel a whole year later!

Congrats! You look great! What a wonderful success story!!

Congratulations!! You nailed my thoughts I have when I see the one year sleevaversaries. I wonder if I will ever get there. I am glad to see that you had the same thoughts and have made it there! I also have two teenagers and worry about embarrasing them by being so overweight. It's a busy time for us with a senior graduating this year and a sophomore, so I know that year is going to fly by. Hopefully I will be as skinny as you by my son's graduation!

Thank you for sharing!

Awesome! You put it all into words perfectly!!

Congratulation and Thank you for sharing this story.

For us who just started this roller coaster it is important understand that IT IS POSSIBLE and we will not have all that weight back. I think the second is the most bothering question I have. Would I be able to keep low weight after surgery

The thing I like best about the sleeve life is I am off the diet roller coaster! I eat pretty much what I want. It's just now since I do not have the cravings like I did before and the hunger monkey to contend with it is much easier to make the proper food choices. I get to use my head instead of my stomach when I choose what to eat. So I always try to do the Protein,Veggie,Fruit, Carb order when I eat. Plus it is wonderful to know that since I get full so fast I can just have a bite or two of a treat from time to time and not sabotage all my hard work! Now that it is has been a year I am much more confident that this is the right tool to rely on! It is always there for me!

Mamamckinzie,

You look amazing!

Congratulations!

I can't wait to get to my goal weight!

Thanks everyone! I could not have mentally made it thru this journey without the love and support from everyone here! You guys are the best!!!!!

You really look wonderful and have come so far. You are truly an inspiration =)

You look YEARS younger!!

You look fantastic, and it is wonderful to hear about your new outlook on food. Great view, I am looking forward To getting the head hunger monkey off my back!