Hey folks! I'm part of a local lap band Facebook group based off our mutual surgeon and one of the ladies there posted this article:

food group from their diet, or replaces 1-2 daily meals with a weight loss shake?

Then this part made me take pause:

"The truth is there will come a point where you can't happily live any better — where you can't happily eat less and you can't happily exercise more — and your weight, living with that life, is your best weight. In every other area of our lives we readily accept our best efforts as great, and we need to do that with weight and healthful living too."

That seems kind of... grim. Especially because he thinks obese folks should aim for a 5-10% reduction as realistic and feasible for the long-term. He didn't make any mention of whether that 5-10% is in excess weight or if it's in total body weight. But even if it is total body weight, that number is not really even high enough to make a difference in how you feel. I started at 317. A 5% reduction in weight puts me at 301 pounds. That's not even a pant size down. Then a 10% total weight reduction is roughly 32 pounds, putting me at 285.

Now that's great, but that shouldn't be the end of my weight loss journey... right? Could I be happy at 285 and maintaining? I guess I feel a little better. Move a little easier. Clothes are looser but I'm not quite to a full pant-size down.

But if that was the end of the road with my lap band journey would I be satisfied? No way!!

On that note, I honestly haven't been paying close attention to my diet or health in general this past month due to some insane stress and busy times requiring 100% of my attention. I admit to drinking a little too much some nights which led to indulging in poor food choices but I knew the crazy period would end and I'd get my life back in May. I got a bad cold, my toddler got croup, and I've been sleeping poorly and generally feeling horrible. I looked at myself in the mirror this morning and mused over how terrible I look... bags under the eyes, pale skin, graying hairline, uncharacteristically thin neck and face... wait, thin? Stepped on the scale and I'd lost 4 more pounds.

Even when I "let go" the band still works. I guess my point is THIS is how weight loss should feel. And it's sad to think without WLS the best one could expect is to lose 5-10% of their weight long-term. More than anything, reading this article reaffirmed my choice to have WLS.

I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. From my perception, there are two parts to the weight loss journey. These are the weight loss phase and the maintenance phase. The goals and objectives of these two phases are different. I think you are right in that when you finally arrive at the maintenance phase, the important thing is to be happy because this is a life-long journey. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf