Two Years out: LISTEN UP NOOBS AND SEEKERS! *warning-harsh*

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Oh, and you know what was a WAY easier way to lose weight than WLS?

Diet pills and speed.

Now, THAT was the easy way to lose weight.

[fosho1976 11]

I am only 42 days / 6 weeks post-op. So I'm a WLS newb.

But I see so many newly sleeved people -- on this and other forums -- who (as soon as they recover from surgery) start strutting around, pontificating how this surgery is the EASY way to deal with weight problems, proclaiming that they now have this baby licked, swearing they will never gain another pound ever like those weak people who don't keep their weight off.

Obviously, some of these folks are losing significant weight for the first time in their lives and think they've died and gone to heaven. Some of them are just young and stupid (sorry, kids). Some of them of them are on an emotional high from the no-ghrelin/no-appetite phenomenon, which they assume will continue forever.

Not me. I've been up and down the scales via serious diets 30-40 times in my life. Each time I've lost 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, nearly 70 pounds. I've done everything you've ever heard of. And now I've paid someone to cut out 85% of my stomach.

When you have that kind of lifelong dieting history, having dared to hope each time that it was the miracle cure, you develop a healthy skepticism and, of course, start to see patterns in what sent your weight right back up the scale:

* Personal, family and job stresses

* Physical disabilities (which increase as you age)

* The idiotic idea that you're doing this to "reach goal" -- when there actually is no finish line

* The idiotic idea that when you "reach goal" you now deserve a prize (usually one with calories)

* The sugar and carb and fat addictions that were non-existent while you abstained, but become roaring monsters after you eat the first Pasta dinner, ice cream, hamburger with fries, etc.

* The feelings that spur your compulsions to soothe those feelings with food (usually carbs)

* The shame and the disappointment that you've regained (so quickly!) 5 pounds, which sends you another 5 and then 10, then 20, then more.

Anyone who imagines that WLS will hold at bay the effects on us that future illness and death and bitchy people and rainy weather and financial problems and bad haircuts and the election of idiots and terrors on the evening news is due for disappointment.

So the only things I'm really counting on WLS to do for me is to give me (I'm guessing) close to one year to practice eating less than I used to eat; eating Protein first, veggies second, and (if there's room left) some more highly processed, but still healthy carbs; drinking at least 64 ounces of liquids every day; taking my vitamins/minerals; moving my ass significantly most days, and one more thing: learning to recognize what makes me reach compulsively for food to soothe myself and learn some new ways to soothe myself without food.

I wasn't this smart over 60 years ago. But I'm smarter now.

That what you said is the REAL deal!