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2 Year Anniversary



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It will be two years since my Gastric Sleeve Surgery and it has been one remarkable journey. First off for myself, on the day of my surgery I weighed in at 221lbs. I took a combined 11 pills a day for a heart condition, diabetes, gout, GERD, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other assorted ailments. Today I take one pill for cholesterol everything else is under control without medication. In a little over seven months I acheived my goal weight (lost 63lbs). Since then, I have maintained my weight loss flucuating 3lbs up or down. I set a "red line" weight where if I hit it I will go into overdrive so as not to pass it. I have never done that in the past. Subsequently, I always regained the weight I lost.

I also found out that I am a compulsive eater. The surgery fixed my stomach but not my brain. I needed to work through this so, I go to a therapist and I attend Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meetings. It's a struggle for me everyday and I need to practice mindful eating. Throughout this journey I have inspired three friends and a family member to get WLS. I have a support group there that helps me and them immensely. I attend the monthly support group meetings offered by my surgeon as well as attending OA meetings.

Clothing wise, I went from an XL to a medium. One other thing that I learned about myself from this process is that I am was a compulsive shopper. When I started donating my larger clothes to the church I found out that I had scores of pants, shirts and other clothing items. I didn't realize the extent of my compulsive shopping. Today, I have a few shirts, pants and other clothing items. My closets and drawers are so much more manageable.

I used to frequent restaurants as much as 3 x 4 times a week. I rarely eat out anymore as I feel very uncomfortable in restaurants even at two years post surgery. I also stopped eating processed foods which is a staple in restaurants. At a group meeting someone asked how many calories each of us were taking in and for the most part the reply was, I don't count calories, I just try to get my 80 grams of Protein in each day. That pretty much sums up my eating process as well. I find that eating dense Proteins help to give me feeling of fullness and I don't eat too much.

As for the restriction, it has lessened somewhat over the two years but it is still there. I need to eat slowly, be mindful of what I eat and never ever try to eat around the restriction. I eat the same thing every day since I make poor food choices. I don't find this to be a bad thing as I look at food as fuel for the body and not as a source of pleasure. I used to live to eat now I eat to live. My friends who have had WLS can't eat the same thing every day and they crave variety. Unlike me, they can make better food choices. It's been two years and in the world of bariatric surgery I'm still in the infant stage. As I go into year three I'm hoping that I can maintain the weight loss as my health really depends on it.

In closing, I feel so much better than before my WLS. My health which was my main concern has gotten so much better. It's so much better that I decided to forgo collecting social security and wait until later as I feel that I will live much much longer. To all of you, good luck with your weight loss journey and most of all good health.

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@Danny Paul Congratulations! I always enjoy your insightful posts and have benefited from the things you've shared!

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46 minutes ago, Danny Paul said:

In closing, I feel so much better than before my WLS. My health which was my main concern has gotten so much better.

Huge congrats!! Thanks for all the inspiration!! What a great post!

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Congratulations on your success and for learning more about what challenges you need to constantly manage. Wishing you the best as you continue your journey.

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On 8/27/2019 at 4:54 PM, Danny Paul said:

11 pills a day for a heart condition, diabetes, gout, GERD, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other assorted ailments.

@Danny Paul

hey dude, nice to see you☺️

i kept trying and trying to lose weight since high school. Reason being i wanted

to look attractive. i realized soon, it was all about my declining health.

my health has improved beyond belief. Looking cute as a button too is a bonus!!🤣

Your medications/ health issues, gone/disappeared. seeing a therapist, OA too,

Moderation is key regarding ie food/restaurants, clothe shopping - too bad

your improvements have caused them almost foreclosure!! LOL

You realize/must always be mindful of proper eating, moderation etc. - You've got that down. you will continue to be a success!! You are totally ACES!!

keep up the good work for the rest of your healthier, happier, life - (SS can

wait a few more years to reap its full benefits!!!!!

kathy

happy surgiversary

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Awesome. It is great to hear you are able to focus on the living Keep the successes coming!! Hats off toOA as well. Great program.

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

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      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

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      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
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      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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