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I am one year out of an RNY bypass. My highest weight was 357lb, now I'm 178lb, Until this July, my answer to "was it worth it?" was "I don't regret it, but it was a hard decision and a difficult lifestyle change." Now I say, Yes, it was worth it. 100%. Why? Because I recently went on a vacation to a place I've been many times before, but this was the first time I've gone in a "normal" weight range. I was able to walk everywhere without being in pain or getting heat stroke. I was able to comfortably go everywhere I wanted to go. I was not able to eat everything I wanted, but I didn't go hungry.

I haven't had any complications, but it's not a magic bullet--be realistic in your expectations and patient with your body. Mine is changing constantly as I'm able to exercise and everything settles.

Be good to yourself. You are worth it.

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It was one of the best decision I have ever made in my life. It’s not the number on the scale that drives me anymore but more the NSV. I can play with my kids and be active with them, I can sit on an airplane without a seatbelt extender, I can sit in a restaurant booth, I have energy for days, and I am able to keep up in my kickboxing class. Shopping isn’t a chore anymore and I don’t alienate myself by staying home anymore. I go out and experience life!

This being said, I only had my gastric bypass on May 28th of this year and so far I have lost 54lbs since surgery and 85lbs since my highest weight in November. I had serious nerves leading up to the surgery and for a few weeks after but trust me, my life is so much better now.

Good luck!

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5 minutes ago, Pink nova said:

It was one of the best decision I have ever made in my life. It’s not the number on the scale that drives me anymore but more the NSV. I can play with my kids and be active with them, I can sit on an airplane without a seatbelt extender, I can sit in a restaurant booth, I have energy for days, and I am able to keep up in my kickboxing class. Shopping isn’t a chore anymore and I don’t alienate myself by staying home anymore. I go out and experience life!

This being said, I only had my gastric bypass on May 28th of this year and so far I have lost 54lbs since surgery and 85lbs since my highest weight in November. I had serious nerves leading up to the surgery and for a few weeks after but trust me, my life is so much better now.

Good luck!

Oh I see you are from Ontario, Ca. I am from Brea/Fullerton before I moved to Oregon.

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I struggled for the first several weeks, and I am still having some adjustment issues, but it was definitely worth it. This past weekend I went on a college visit with my son. We spent hours touring, walking up and down hills and stairs in hot, humid weather. There is no way I could have done this at my starting weight. I would have waited on the ground floor of the dorms and not climbed the stairs to see the rooms. I may have even sat out the entire tour after just listening to the information sessions. I stopped taking blood pressure medication after just a few weeks, and now I have a normal blood pressure and resting heart rate. My arthritis pain is much better. I started exercising a little more than a month post-op and I've already made a lot of gains. Yes, it was definitely worth it.

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5 hours ago, apositivelife4me said:

Oh I see you are from Ontario, Ca. I am from Brea/Fullerton before I moved to Oregon.

I grew up in Fullerton too!

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7 1/2 years out. No regrets. I was 56 when I got my sleeve after yo-yo dieting since I was a child. It is such a relief not to think about food anymore. I don't know what surgery on my stomach did to my brain, but now food is just food. Not happiness, not an anti-anxiety solution, not a reward. It's just food. I lost 100 lbs, gained 5, stayed at 137 for years, gained 7 over the last year, lost it Jan-April, 137 again today. I forgot that metabolism slows a bit as we get older.

I didn't have any qualms about surgery because I had tried all the other options--diet after diet after diet, pills, a month at a "diet boot camp." If surgery didn't work I was going to be a very unhappy fat lady, but it succeeded beyond my expectations. Good luck, and have courage!

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6 hours ago, Svdlux23 said:

I grew up in Fullerton too!

Lol! What a small world...I’m from Toronto, Ontario 😄

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11 hours ago, apositivelife4me said:

Oh I see you are from Ontario, Ca. I am from Brea/Fullerton before I moved to Oregon.

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario!

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

        Thank you so much for your well wishes. I am hoping that everything goes easy for me as well. We don't eat out much as it is, so it wont be too bad in that department. Thankfully. Also, I hear you regarding your back and feet!! I'd like to add knees to the list. Killing me as we speak! I'm only 5' so the weight has to go. Too short to carry all this weight. Menopause really did a doosey on me. (😶lol) My daughter also lives in Houston. with her Husband and my 5 grand-littles. I grew up in Beaumont, so I know Houston well, I will be sure to keep in touch and update you on my journey. I may need some advice in the future, or just motivation. Thank You so much for reaching out, I was hoping to connect with someone in the community. I really appreciate it. 💜

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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