New member who has had weight loss surgery.

[Deanna798]

Hi Everyone. I'm new here. I'm not sure how I will fit in here, as I am a weight loss surgery patient. I started putting on weight in my early 20's and by the time I was in my mid 30's I weighed well over 250 pounds. I had my last son at the age of 40, and by that time my weight had sky rocketed to nearly 300 pounds. Back in 2014, when my youngest was just 6 months old I decided to do something about my weight. Diet and exercise had never worked for me, at least for very long, and my life was in a desperate place.

I jumped through all of the hoops and in August 2015, I had gastric bypass surgery. My high weight was 291, and the weight has come off of me. This last 15 months have been hard, but they have also been so worth it. I've lost over 130lbs and while I'm still considered overweight by my BMI, I'm coming in at a healthy 157lbs. I'm 5'3" and 43 years old, and I feel like I have my life back.

I know that weight loss surgery isn't for everyone, and that is is considered a drastic measure, but for me, I was in a situation that called for drastic measures.

I'm happy to be here, because even though I had surgery and have lost the weight, mentally and emotionally I am still the same person I was 130+ pounds ago. I'm working hard to change my mentality so I can maintain my weight loss for the next 40+ years.

[DartmoorDumpling]

Congratulations on your successful loss of your excess weight!

I have always been curious; when you lose so much weight with a gastric bypass, how do you manage to maintain a steady weight when you reach your desired size? Do they undo the bypass or has your stomach expanded enough to allow you to eat sufficient to maintain your weight?

[BonnieSue in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

I don't know why Deanna hasn't answered you. I'll respond in the meantime. I had weight loss surgery but mine was the gastric sleeve, which is less dramatic and leaves me with my small intestine which is where almost all medicines and nutrition is absorbed. Many Drs. are now refusing to do gastric bypasses and doing gastric sleeves because of this critical difference. The expected weight loss will be less than seen in the gastric bypass.

I've lost 70 lbs. and am now in a holding pattern at 10 months out from my surgery. I look great but will still work at taking off maybe 20 lbs. more when my fracture in my foot heals and I can exercise again. Neither of these surgeries can be "undone". They are permanent. We continue to eat a high protein diet to preserve muscle mass and we must eat several small meals and not overeat or we will expand our stomach size until it's back to normal size and we could regain all the lost pounds. I've seen people who are very huge after surgery at the monthly meetings. They've gained back all of their pre-surgery weight and maybe even more than that.

I must be vigilant all the rest of my life and eat appropriately for my weight maintenance. That's why I have to pass a psych evaluation that shows that I can handle the demands of eating appropriately and that I am ready to change my eating habits for good prior to getting approval for this surgery. Attending the monthly meetings both before and after surgery also helps insure the success of the surgery. There is help available both at the Dr's. office and the weight loss center in the form of phone calls for questions and referrals to resources and classes or counseling.