To all those post- op 1 year: I was wondering how your lives have changed, in two ways. 1) is it a totally different life style? Do you go out to eat and just eat less, or totally avoid it? Do you eat differently from the rest of the family? Can you do everything physically that you did before? Has your life changed drastically in any way? 2) how has your life changed mentally? Of course, the obvious, looking and feeling better. Anything else? Has it been worth it? Just wondering. Thanks!

Thanks for asking this. I am also interested in hearing about it all too!

To all those post- op 1 year: I was wondering how your lives have changed, in two ways. 1) is it a totally different life style? Do you go out to eat and just eat less, or totally avoid it? Do you eat differently from the rest of the family? Can you do everything physically that you did before? Has your life changed drastically in any way? 2) how has your life changed mentally? Of course, the obvious, looking and feeling better. Anything else? Has it been worth it? Just wondering. Thanks!

Great Question! I love reading everyone's stories...

To all those post- op 1 year: I was wondering how your lives have changed' date=' in two ways. 1) is it a totally different life style? Do you go out to eat and just eat less, or totally avoid it? Do you eat differently from the rest of the family? Can you do everything physically that you did before? Has your life changed drastically in any way? 2) how has your life changed mentally? Of course, the obvious, looking and feeling better. Anything else? Has it been worth it? Just wondering. Thanks![/quote']

I m looking forward the answers!!

Still no answers?

Well I'm not a year out but I'm about 9 months. So 1 I still eat out, I make better choices, eat much less and don't eat out as often. I still log all my food, yeah it gets annoying, but it keeps me accountable. I haven't told any friends, just family. So when I go out to eat with friends I order light, like a soup, or 1 or taco or 2 tacos and just eat the inside. I say that I'm watching my carbs which is pretty true. Emotionally I'm on cloud nine, however I must admit I was not a miserable person to begin with. Getting my sleeve was the best decision ever. I'm down 90 lbs from my highest weight. In in a size 16 loose and going into a size 14 non plus size. It's weird because some people are actually really just starting to notice the weight loss. It took me about 50 lbs To loose a size, however now I go down a size ever 10-15 lbs.

Sorry I forgot to add, yes I do eat with my family, I can tolerate an food now. I just eat much smaller portions.

Also just nine months out, but I don't expect further significant changes to lifestyle.

I do still eat out, but of course I can't eat the entire meal like before. I always ask for a take home box first thing. I don't eat out as often as before simply because we both have adopted healthier eating patterns (he is not sleeved and doesn't need to be), and it doesn't take me very long to eat my small quantities, so it just doesn't seem worth the trouble, time and expense anymore!

Sometimes hubby and I eat the same thing for dinner, but more often than not, I do my thing, he does his. This has not adversely affected our relationship. Thank goodness he is self-sufficient in the kitchen!

When we have family dinners, I eat what they eat, just not as much. I still put on big family dinners and don't make anything special just for me. I just eat what I can and no one makes a fuss about it. My sons are great guys, and so are their wives. Grandchildren haven't even noticed my drastic change in size, as it doesn't seem to register with kids. They look into my eyes, not at my butt.

Certainly, I can do everything physically that I could do before, and waaaaay more! It was a struggle to walk to the office from my car! It was a struggle to clean house. Heck, it was a struggle to turn over in bed. All that has changed. I will admit that I have lost a good deal of muscle mass and with it some strength. I laugh it off, but I struggle sometimes to open a jug of milk or laundry detergent! It would help if I would exercise!

Emotionally and mentally I am clear and focused and happy as I can be. Like the previous poster, I was already in a good place, with a happy marriage, well-adjusted adult children responsible for themselves and their families, good job, satisfying creative hobbies. I was just fat and with that all the shame, embarrassment and disabilities that go along.

Now I am even happier and will knock others out of the way to get in front of a camera!

Truthfully, this has been a very easy journey for me. The hardest part was making the decision to proceed. Once decided, I admit I was fearful, but went forward. No regrets. I've lost weight steadily, never weighed the same for longer than three days. I can eat almost anything I want, just less of it. I look great with my clothes on, not so great with them off, but I'm old, who cares. I feel marvelous. I love all my new clothes, they fit and flatter and reveal more about who I am, rather than being used to hide who I am.

The second hardest part was learning to live with all the supplements in addition to my regular meds. Now that is just a part of my daily routine and I don't give it a second thought anymore. Most folks do get off most of their meds, but I have not. I have highly resistant hypertension, but at least now my meds keep it under better control, whereas before they did not. I do not expect to ever get off my bp meds or my arthritis meds, but I have seen improvement in both afflictions.

Life is just too dang good.

I am 16 months post-op.

1) is it a totally different life style? It isn't totally different, but I have made changes. I have a job that requires me to sit at a computer for big chunks of the day. I recently changed my desk to a stand-up desk in order to help myself move more. I work out (and make time for working out), which is something I didn't do in the past. The rest is pretty much the same.

Do you go out to eat and just eat less, or totally avoid it? ,

I do still go out to eat, and it is something we do pretty frequently both pre and post op. I just make good choice and don't feel compelled to eat everything.

Do you eat differently from the rest of the family?

Yes and no. I can eat the same things my family eats, but I eat much smaller portions. But just because I can doesn't mean I do. I tend to modify my meals. For instance, if my family has spaghetti, I just eat the meat sauce and only a few noodles. If they have pizza, I might eat the toppings off one piece and then have something with Protein in it.

I am still in the weight-loss stage, so I am still drinking Protein drinks for some of my meals. I usually do this when I am working or my family is gone. I sometimes just have a bite or two of something like potatoes.

My eating isn't strange enough that people comment on it when we go out to eat.

Can you do everything physically that you did before?

I can and actually I can do so much MORE than I did before. This summer, we went on a very physical vacation, and I was able to do all of it including a very steep, hilly four-mile hike that I wouldn't have been able to do before my surgery. I was also easily able to go up into a lighthouse, and I think I would have had trouble fitting in the tight spaces before my surgery.

Has your life changed drastically in any way?

No. I am still happily married, employed and mother of four kids.

2) how has your life changed mentally?

Before my surgery, I had this voice in my head that constantly brought me down mentally. It would be the voice that told me I was fat and couldn't do this or that or would notice my butt overflowing the chair I was sitting in and that my waist band was cutting into my belly and how big my thighs were and how hard it was to bend over to pick something up off the floor. I would hear myself breathing heavily when climbing stairs and dreaded seeing someone at that point that expected me to talk too.

After my surgery, the voice in my head shut up. I don't have the negative self talk constantly in my head, and I am happier because of it. I'm quicker to smile and laugh and am not afraid to try something because I'm worried I won't fit.

Of course, the obvious, looking and feeling better. Anything else? I'm more flexible, which can be handy in certain rooms of the house.

Has it been worth it?

Yes!

Also just nine months out, but I don't expect further significant changes to lifestyle.

I do still eat out, but of course I can't eat the entire meal like before. I always ask for a take home box first thing. I don't eat out as often as before simply because we both have adopted healthier eating patterns (he is not sleeved and doesn't need to be), and it doesn't take me very long to eat my small quantities, so it just doesn't seem worth the trouble, time and expense anymore!

Sometimes hubby and I eat the same thing for dinner, but more often than not, I do my thing, he does his. This has not adversely affected our relationship. Thank goodness he is self-sufficient in the kitchen!

When we have family dinners, I eat what they eat, just not as much. I still put on big family dinners and don't make anything special just for me. I just eat what I can and no one makes a fuss about it. My sons are great guys, and so are their wives. Grandchildren haven't even noticed my drastic change in size, as it doesn't seem to register with kids. They look into my eyes, not at my butt.

Certainly, I can do everything physically that I could do before, and waaaaay more! It was a struggle to walk to the office from my car! It was a struggle to clean house. Heck, it was a struggle to turn over in bed. All that has changed. I will admit that I have lost a good deal of muscle mass and with it some strength. I laugh it off, but I struggle sometimes to open a jug of milk or laundry detergent! It would help if I would exercise!

Emotionally and mentally I am clear and focused and happy as I can be. Like the previous poster, I was already in a good place, with a happy marriage, well-adjusted adult children responsible for themselves and their families, good job, satisfying creative hobbies. I was just fat and with that all the shame, embarrassment and disabilities that go along.

Now I am even happier and will knock others out of the way to get in front of a camera!

Truthfully, this has been a very easy journey for me. The hardest part was making the decision to proceed. Once decided, I admit I was fearful, but went forward. No regrets. I've lost weight steadily, never weighed the same for longer than three days. I can eat almost anything I want, just less of it. I look great with my clothes on, not so great with them off, but I'm old, who cares. I feel marvelous. I love all my new clothes, they fit and flatter and reveal more about who I am, rather than being used to hide who I am.

The second hardest part was learning to live with all the supplements in addition to my regular meds. Now that is just a part of my daily routine and I don't give it a second thought anymore. Most folks do get off most of their meds, but I have not. I have highly resistant hypertension, but at least now my meds keep it under better control, whereas before they did not. I do not expect to ever get off my bp meds or my arthritis meds, but I have seen improvement in both afflictions.

Life is just too dang good.

What a great post!! Thank you so much for sharing this. Your success sounds like exactly what I'm hoping for!

Thanks for all the great replies! Sounds like you all are doing great. I'm now about 6 weeks out, and it's been great.

I am 16 months post-op.

1) is it a totally different life style? It isn't totally different' date=' but I have made changes. I have a job that requires me to sit at a computer for big chunks of the day. I recently changed my desk to a stand-up desk in order to help myself move more. I work out (and make time for working out), which is something I didn't do in the past. The rest is pretty much the same.

Do you go out to eat and just eat less, or totally avoid it? ,

I do still go out to eat, and it is something we do pretty frequently both pre and post op. I just make good choice and don't feel compelled to eat everything.

Do you eat differently from the rest of the family?

Yes and no. I can eat the same things my family eats, but I eat much smaller portions. But just because I can doesn't mean I do. I tend to modify my meals. For instance, if my family has spaghetti, I just eat the meat sauce and only a few noodles. If they have pizza, I might eat the toppings off one piece and then have something with Protein in it.

I am still in the weight-loss stage, so I am still drinking Protein drinks for some of my meals. I usually do this when I am working or my family is gone. I sometimes just have a bite or two of something like potatoes.

My eating isn't strange enough that people comment on it when we go out to eat.

Can you do everything physically that you did before?

I can and actually I can do so much MORE than I did before. This summer, we went on a very physical vacation, and I was able to do all of it including a very steep, hilly four-mile hike that I wouldn't have been able to do before my surgery. I was also easily able to go up into a lighthouse, and I think I would have had trouble fitting in the tight spaces before my surgery.

Has your life changed drastically in any way?

No. I am still happily married, employed and mother of four kids.

2) how has your life changed mentally?

Before my surgery, I had this voice in my head that constantly brought me down mentally. It would be the voice that told me I was fat and couldn't do this or that or would notice my butt overflowing the chair I was sitting in and that my waist band was cutting into my belly and how big my thighs were and how hard it was to bend over to pick something up off the floor. I would hear myself breathing heavily when climbing stairs and dreaded seeing someone at that point that expected me to talk too.

After my surgery, the voice in my head shut up. I don't have the negative self talk constantly in my head, and I am happier because of it. I'm quicker to smile and laugh and am not afraid to try something because I'm worried I won't fit.

Of course, the obvious, looking and feeling better. Anything else? I'm more flexible, which can be handy in certain rooms of the house.

Has it been worth it?

Yes![/quote']

Amazing thx

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These were inspiring and wonderful replies. I'm 5 months out and lost 72 lbs. 35 from goal. Your answers motivate me further! Congratulations to everyone!

I can eat anything I want just smaller portions and I dont have to worry or gain weight. I'm 2 years and 3 months out. Best thing I've ever done. I feel like I'm finally safe inside somebody else's wonderful body.