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DesertGal

It's been A While.

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Hello! It's been a while since I have been on here. Life happens.
It was two years ago this month, December 2016, when my life changed. I began the pre-op diet and 3 months later I had the VSG surgery done.
I got to admit, I had some real struggles those first few months after... no food tasted good, I was in starvation mode, I couldn't drink enough water like I had pre-surgery. But, 6 months after surgery I had dropped 102 pounds.
I had been walking daily since a month after surgery, then added in my Zumba classes which I still attend a few days a week, I had begun jogging and celebrated my 60th birthday a year ago, November.

It's been 22 months now since surgery and I never felt or looked better. I have kept the weight off, and finally am eating better, but still struggle with getting enough calories a day. I did gain a few pounds over this past summer, but it came right off when I saw the few extra pounds on my scale.

My sister went on a diet at the same time that I underwent the pre-op diet and she dropped 80 pounds over a year (?) but has gained most of it back. She swore she would "never do something like you did to lose weight". But my weight is gone, and I changed my entire way of eating... and living.

Happy New Year to you all.
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  1. Ann2's Avatar
    Hi, Lori. You look wonderful. Congratulations on losing all your weight and maintaining your loss so well. Yes, it's a great life being healthy again, eh?

    I'm sorry your sister's efforts to get healthy didn't work out as well. That's truly a sad story. I hope she figures out something that will be a permanent fix for her. It's complicated. Everyone has to find their own way. We can't fix others. But we can fix ourselves. I'm so happy you've been able to fix yourself.

    Ann
  2. DesertGal's Avatar
    Thank you Ann. Fixing myself is something I never thought could happen. I always am the one doing for others. It was my turn.
  3. Sandra3's Avatar
    Welcome back on the forum!!! so great to see you back and in good health!!

    Obesity is never going to be cured with only diet, studies have shown that only bariatric surgery will help on the long run.

    Less than 5% of obese patients who diet will be able to keep half of their weight loss at one year.
    That's not much and with a mediocre result people gain most of it the following years. (look at the show biggest loser and its failure https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/h...ight-loss.html)

    For bariatric surgery, at five years most patients kept at least 50% of the weight off...numbers are much better for bariatric surgery. But of course surgery is not for everyone.
    I have a friend who really needs it, keeps on trying diets and at the end she is gaining more and more weight. It's her choice at that point of her life. She did ask me questions, I did reply, but I can see she is not ready for surgery, even if her obesity is making her really sick...

    Comparing diet by itself and weight loss surgery numbers, I understood at some point that even if I was consistent for one year, I couldn't be hungry all the time, and one year of work could be gone in a few months of eating to satisfy my hunger (without any fat food or junk food) but the quantities can be enough to make you gain the weight back especially with a bad metabolism, like many obese patients have, unfortunately.

    My best wishes for this new year, to you and your family!
  4. Ann2's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by DesertGal
    Thank you Ann. Fixing myself is something I never thought could happen. I always am the one doing for others. It was my turn.
    Your experience is such a common refrain here. It's certainly true for me. All my life, others' needs took precedence over mine -- until I finally put my needs first. As I've said many times, few people actually noticed that my priorities had changed. But it made all the difference.
  5. Christie13's Avatar
    LORI!!!! Happy New Year my friend. Glad to hear you are happily maintaining. I never doubted you would. You did such a phenomenal job on your pre op. I am sure your sister will eventually come around or she'll spend the rest of her life on a vicious yo-yo diet cycle. Oh well, her loss. You are living your best life and I say there is no shame in that!! Hugs!
  6. Leslieann's Avatar
    WTG!!!
    I knew there was a reason I posted today. I needed to reconnect with you guys and hopefully find out ho everyone was doing!

    What inspiration!!

    Hoping your 2019 is super!
  7. DesertGal's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Christie13
    LORI!!!! Happy New Year my friend. Glad to hear you are happily maintaining. I never doubted you would. You did such a phenomenal job on your pre op. I am sure your sister will eventually come around or she'll spend the rest of her life on a vicious yo-yo diet cycle. Oh well, her loss. You are living your best life and I say there is no shame in that!! Hugs!
    Hello Christie! It's been a while! Yes, I have amazed myself. I knew I could do this and succeed, and I have. I didn't come this far... just to come THIS far. I would like to drop another 5 pounds or so, but I am delighted with myself right now.
    I still think of the remarks I heard from my sister about going through the surgery, and how she is going to do it the 'right' way. She lost pounds but is right back up there. I made a choice and knew it was going to be life changing and it has been.
  8. Christie13's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by DesertGal
    Hello Christie! It's been a while! Yes, I have amazed myself. I knew I could do this and succeed, and I have. I didn't come this far... just to come THIS far. I would like to drop another 5 pounds or so, but I am delighted with myself right now.
    I still think of the remarks I heard from my sister about going through the surgery, and how she is going to do it the 'right' way. She lost pounds but is right back up there. I made a choice and knew it was going to be life changing and it has been.
    Yes. People are soooo negative about WLS. That is why to this date I keep it my business. Wonder if she will ever change her mind and decide to get off the roller coaster?
  9. DesertGal's Avatar
    No.... she is stubborn. She'd never do the surgery. She said she isn't motivated anymore and doesn't even go to her gym regularly. (I guess gaining back most of the weight would DO that to you.)