Hello,

I am so happy to finally get to write my success story! I started my weight loss journey in 2010. I am 5’3” and weighed 220lbs when I made my decision to begin this process. At the initial visit with surgeon the weight on my card was 199. December of 2010, I had Lap-Band surgery and lost a total of 29 lbs. Due to complications I converted to Gastric By-Pass on November 10, 2014. My starting weight was 170. I met my weight loss goal of 125 in early September 2015.

Currently, I am 121 pounds and just over the moon with happiness! I’ve gone from a size 22W to a 2P. I’ve noticed although I’ve only lost an additional 4 pounds the shape of my body has changed. As a result my clothes needed to be altered again. Hopefully this is the last time as I do not want to lose more weight. I am scheduled to meet with my surgeon and others for my 1 year post-op visit, but I am curious to learn how others transitioned to a maintenance diet? Where you fearful of gaining weight? Did you gain weight? Do you see yourself as thin? Sometimes I “forget” that I am not 220 lbs.—I do not notice my weight loss until I see myself in profile. At times, I have shocked myself! What are your thoughts on plastic surgery? I am on the fence as the procedures would be purely cosmetic and more than likely an out-of-pocket expense.

Congrats to you!! What an accomplishment!! I'm scheduled for surgery on the 22nd, but thinking ahead I have some of the same questions as you do.

I've had 4 friends have the surgery...none of them have had plastic surgery yet. They have all maintained their weight at this point. My one friend says when she starts to put a few pounds on she starts focusing better on Protein and cuts back her wine for a week or so. She says its about balance. I recently read a great book by a woman who had the surgery and is a trainer and she talks about how to not regain the weight. It's an eBook and only 5$

'Piratical Advice for Lifetime Maintenance after Bariatric surgery' by Pamela Harrelson

Wishing you well!!

@@Jeneen B, congratulations on making your goal. I just recently meet a goal of my own, which is being the lightest weight I have ever been as an adult. So, how are you going about the maintenance phase, to stop losing?

I will be meeting with my surgeon and nutritionist in a few weeks to learn more. Although my weight is stabilizing my body shape is continuing to change. As a result I needed to take all of my new clothes down an entire size! Have you noticed this as well? My fear is looking sickly rather than healthy.

Wow congratulations, meeting your goal is quite the accomplishment! I have a ways to go, but I'll get there.

@@Jeneen B, my weight has not stabilized yet, I have another 25 to lose, but I can tell you that I bought a pair of new pants and it took my mother in law about two weeks to shorten them for me, well, by the time I got them back, I wore them twice and had to buy a smaller pair. It's a good problem to have, but gets expensive. I typically only keep two pair of pants on hand and rotate them, so I am not replacing five pair of pants every month to month in a half :-) I would be interested in the information your NUT gives you on maintenance, because hopefully I'll be there soon. Take care and keep up the good work, you look great!

I'm still in the losing stage, only 13 weeks out, so no advice to share. I just wanted to say congrats on reaching goal after revision surgery. You definitely have a lot to be proud of, and kudos for the hard work!