It's been a long time since I needed WLS support. I've needed all sorts of OTHER support in the last nearly two years, but this hasn't been the place for me.

How's everyone been?

I miss some voices here, I won't lie. After five years and after my last year and a half of tumultuous "real world" struggles the weight loss thing seems like easy stuff compared, which probably won't sit well with some people. But remember, the weight is a symptom of the head crap and I've been working on the head crap, right? So the more you work on you the less likely you are to struggle with the weight (IMO, anyway, for what that's worth) so it all kind of falls in line after a while.

Last time I was here I'd had my youngest daughter and was struggling to lose weight, my dad had just passed away and we'd gotten surprise custody of two teenage stepdaughters while one of my stepdaughters was missing out on a drug bender, I think. Life is INSANITY over here in my lane.

In the past while life has adjusted into something else much more do-able and peaceful for sure.

But here were care about the weight, right?

I'm doing well. Definitely a success. No plastic surgery - still just don't have the time or money put back for that. But still okay. I have far exceeded what I ever thought my sleeve would do for me. I will not lie - this surgery works no matter what - if I go back to doing what I'm supposed to do it never fails me. It's ME that does the wrong things, it's ME that doesn't work the things I need to do. It's my head that doesn't get in the game, my emotions that get out of whack, my spirit that gets me down, my life that spirals out of control, my habits that take over my life, my laziness that keeps me from being physical, my lack of motivation that keeps me from wanting to change my focus or meditate or read something that will help me progress - it's ME. It's not this sleeve. It's what I do to my body and my mind and how I choose to live each day that makes the difference. This was never about my weight, it was about the whole picture. I was a completely unhealthy lump of sadness and depression and misery seven years ago, no lie.

I lost so much more than weight, and it's so much more than being skinny that's freeing, that's for darn sure.

I'm currently between 124 and 128 pounds (I'm 5'1" tall) but I didn't even know that until I went to the doctor a week ago. Because I put the scale away. Screw that scale. I don't need it. Because my pants fit. And if they get a little snug and it's not my cycle, I already know that I need to adjust something. More Water, less sodium, more exercise, less junk - I'm in tune with my body and what I'm doing every day. I refuse to be in denial about my lifestyle and my body any more. I am not passively living in this body. I am present. I am here. Because this is a GIFT. I gave myself a second chance and I'll be damned if I'm wasting it. It's not about vanity or skinny jeans or a tight stomach. It's about living my life to the fullest and feeling like I want to feel. I eat what I want and enjoy every bit of it, but I will not allow that indulgence slide out of control.

I'm in XS, S - size 4 - size FOUR, sometimes TWO. It's insanity. I can share clothes with my teenagers. I turn 35 next week. I feel young and vibrant and peaceful and happy and it's more than my size it's my everything. I've put so much away that there just no reason to hide in food and anger and sadness anymore.

Life is good.

How are the rest of you? How is life treating you on your amazing, wonderful paths? Ups, downs, twists, turns, all of it - I don't regret a minute. I really don't. I've learned so much and I've had so much joy. It's a beautiful day.

~Cheri

Edited November 13, 201510 yr by clk

@@lsereno good to see you back! I wondered where you went:)

Don't feel too bad about the gain - I'm also up nearly 10 pounds, and it feels very stuck on! I'm with you - not planning to gain any more, and working hard to get this off, but it won't budge. I am also thinking about weight watchers. How do you like it?

So far I'm liking WW. I attend the in-person meetings and go to a WW center so there are more to chose from. I kept going to different ones till I found a leader I liked. The program is now more protein-centric. I really like WW, it just couldn't help me lose the entire amount I had to lose. I'm hoping since it's 20 lbs. this time, it will work for me. I'm down 5 lbs. Hoping to get to lifetime and have it as an in-person support group for free.

CJ,

Hope you are recovering well.

I know what you mean about the few pounds. I have quite a few things I can't wear and I just don't feel as good as I did at goal weight.

l

Great to see everyone! I wish you a speedy recovery jane!

I've been gaining and losing the same 10 lbs over and over again. I do feel like my cockiness has gotten me in trouble being too overconfident. Old habits are creeping back however I just can't do as much damage this time around and for that I am grateful. I don't feel that is a permanent situation though.

Id love to hear what your favorite way to take off regain is?

This is so me. I gain and lose the same 5-10 pounds every month.

But doesn't it feel good that you only have 5-10 pounds to lose? ????????

Lsereno, good to "see" you again, Old Friend! I think we are pretty close in WSL timeframe. I, too, have had to get on the losing bandwagon again. We can and are doing it! Amazing to me that most of us here are 4-10 years out and have been successful in keeping the majority of weight loss gone!!!! [emoji23]

Really like this forum. It is so real. Everyday life meets WLS life.

Yes, the 10 lb thing up and down sounds fairly regular to most of us. I am grateful it is 10 and not 100.

I just keep doing the best I can and the years just keep going by.

Hi all. Nice to see some "old" lovely faces. I'm back on the wagon here. It took me 3 years to get to goal, and about one to get back in the red.... but at 5+ years I still see myself as a work in progress with lots of success under my belt. I'm working at getting back to goal.... and if I could do it before, I can do it again... even if it takes three more years! I'll be checking back in here with updates.

Who's still around?

@@CLK

here i am!!! here i am!!!! here i am!!!

jumping up and down in the air!!

arm raised

rubbing my "little" tummy

and chewing gum all at the same time!!

i am now a whopping 4.3 years PO

("they" can't get rid of me - they keep trying though!!)

3.3 years GOAL!!

i have fluctuated as high as 9.7 lbs

now i am at 6.3 lbs OVER goal

not tooooo bad, but definitely not good!!

must get back to GOAL and a little under

summer coming

7 day cruise to alaska beginning of august

3 day land (walking, hiking) could never have done that pre-op!

wouldn't have wanted to

the root of sooooo many problems stemmed from my being overweight

ie numerous falls, contributing to many of my orthopedic issues

broke my femur X2 in 2006

had to take early retirement and disability in 2006 (ONLY 53 years old!)

being at a good normal weight now - is amazing

sooooo many things i'm now able to do, experiment, learn

still can't go skiing (never could before sleeve either!! )

wayyyy back when (pre & post op)

i never knew how hard maintenance will/can be

i realized when i reached goal

life does START/continue

with maintenance

periodically can be hard/harder than losing the weight

DOS

almost 58 years OLD

today 62 years YOUNG

"i'm still standing!!!" (Billy Joel!!")

nice to see you cheri

come back more often to say hi, ok??

keep up your good work

as many of us say - life is good!!!

kathy

Who's still around?

@@CLK

here i am!!! here i am!!!! here i am!!!

jumping up and down in the air!!

arm raised

rubbing my "little" tummy

and chewing gum all at the same time!!

i am now a whopping 4.3 years PO

("they" can't get rid of me - they keep trying though!!)

3.3 years GOAL!!

i have fluctuated as high as 9.7 lbs

now i am at 6.3 lbs OVER goal

not tooooo bad, but definitely not good!!

must get back to GOAL and a little under

summer coming

7 day cruise to alaska beginning of august

3 day land (walking, hiking) could never have done that pre-op!

wouldn't have wanted to

the root of sooooo many problems stemmed from my being overweight

ie numerous falls, contributing to many of my orthopedic issues

broke my femur X2 in 2006

had to take early retirement and disability in 2006 (ONLY 53 years old!)

being at a good normal weight now - is amazing

sooooo many things i'm now able to do, experiment, learn

still can't go skiing (never could before sleeve either!! )

wayyyy back when (pre & post op)

i never knew how hard maintenance will/can be

i realized when i reached goal

life does START/continue

with maintenance

periodically can be hard/harder than losing the weight

DOS

almost 58 years OLD

today 62 years YOUNG

"i'm still standing!!!" (Billy Joel!!")

nice to see you cheri

come back more often to say hi, ok??

keep up your good work

as many of us say - life is good!!!

kathy

Kathy, you make me LOL! I know how hard you're working on using less emoticons! Great job, too!

You're one of the few so close to goal, this far out. I wish I weighed 138!

know how hard you're working on using less emoticons! Great job, too!

You're one of the few so close to goal, this far out. I wish I weighed 138!

@@Oregondaisy

soooo nice to see you bud

rest of my fellow sleevers (other WL people too!)

138 lbs of me - i can't/WON'T reach the 140's numbers

eeeek - positive thoughts - that number is poison for me!!!!

mental thing

i never kept any of my bigger clothes

REFUSE to buy new clothes

you scared the "heeby jeebies" out of me when we/YOU talked about my "excess"emoticons LOL

i made the wise decision to enroll in "EA"

(emoticons anonymous!!)

much better now - still working on it!!!

one smile/frown at a time!!!! LOL

nice to have so many of the ol' gang here

lets meet and swap stories

i'm buying Water for all of us

let's splurge with slice of lemon too!!

raising my glass to all you wonderful VETS

if it weren't for you, i would be writing this to myself

group huggggs

kathy

Nice to see some familiar faces around. Seems we all need each other to read and reply about our latest loss... Or sigh.... Gain.

Most of us are familiar with both sides of that coin

No matter what WLS you had. Or when.

It is comforting to me to be around like minded people

So I'm saying thanks.