18 Month Post Op Check-In (with Pics)

Hi All

Im 41 years old, 6'1 tall, just past 18 months post-op and down just over 193lbs.  My start weight was 169.4kgs/372lbs and I now weight 81kg/179lbs.  Im 40lbs below my surgeons goal, have a BMI of 24 and over 100% EWL

I had a somewhat different journey to most of what you will read on here.   I don't/can't drink protein shakes and carbs are an important part of my eating as I am a woozy, dizzy mess without them.   There is no "low fat/low carb/no sugar" anything in my diet.  I eat the exact same foods as everyone else in my life BUT..... I do control portions and count calories daily.  I know to the nearest 100 calories, what the total is of the food Im eating every day.  

This was a very conscious choice I made post-op as I wanted my food choices to be as normal as possible post surgery.  I choose to monitor calories rather than have a restrictive diet.  A higher calorie meal = a smaller portion size.   During weight loss, my range was up to 900 calories a day, now in maintenance, its around 1300-1400.  This approach (although not a popular one on here!) absolutely works for me and is the "normal" that I wanted as I knew it was sustainable on a long term basis as "Im not on a diet".

Surgery was without doubt the best thing I ever did.  I only regret not doing it 15 years ago.  Im smaller now than when I was 12 years old, so it really is a whole new life for me that I have never experienced before.  I love being smaller than my brother for the first time ever!....lol

I have way more energy and am quite fond of hill running (what the!??).  There are too many NSVs to count, but my favourites are wearing 4 inch heels out on new years eve without being crippled by 10pm (I danced until 6am!), flying without the embarrassment of having to ask for an extender, sleeping so much better, being able to enjoy a summer at the beach which I used to avoid, being one of the crowd rather than the one that stands out in a crowd and shopping.....oh the joy!!  It still blows my mind having to ask for smaller sizes as I still pick the biggest size by default when Im trying things on.  

I think I have almost stopped seeing the old me in the mirror, although I still see myself as being a lot bigger than I am.  My boyfriend was over one night and it was getting chilly so I offered to grab one of my hoodie sweatshirts for him.  He looked at me as if I was on crack!  I argued that I wasn't that much smaller than him and made him put one on.....he looked ridiculous!...lol  

I got super lucky in the "left-over skin" department for someone who has lost over 190lbs.  Sure I have batwings and my tummy looks like I've had four kids, but I know how very lucky I am.  I had a few interesting boy experiences when I started dating as what looks like a good body dressed, but isn't perfect undressed, was an issue for a couple of guys.  I actually found it quite confronting the first time as Im so happy with how I have ended up, that to have someone not want to date me because of it was a bit of a shock.  But the guy Im with now, couldn't care less.  But I did have to retrain him on my portion sizes as his version of really small and my version were a little different when he first started cooking for me! :)

My advice for anyone starting their journey is don't stress it.  WLS is not "one size fits all" with only one way of getting to goal.  Educate yourself on nutrition and listen to YOUR body....its not the same as everyone else's and its ok if it needs something a little different.  There are different routes to the same destination as long as you keep focused.

And heres the obligatory B&A's.  

PS...thats not a surgery scar on my tummy in the after photo, its just a weird little skin crease.  Ive had nothing done plastics-wise at this stage and am not sure I will as frankly, it scares the hell out of me! :)

Great job!!

You are looking great!!! Plastics...not a cake walk but worth it if you need them! I am typing this from my hospital bed, had LBL thursday!

I saw that Julia.  You brave thing!...lol

Hope you are having an ok time with it.  It sounds like you are from your post.

i would love a flat tummy....and some perky boobs!  Thank god for padded bras....lol

Honestly if I didn't have the umbilical hernia I may have foregone the LBL but since the hernia had to be taken care of and insurance was kind enough to take on the plastics, I went for it. Looking forward to the full recovery...then we attack the boobs. I tell you, if I regain even as little as a kilo after this I am going to hire someone to beat me up! 

You look great!  And I don't think you need to worry about plastics--you don't appear to need them.

Hey Laurie

i live in New Zealand so we simply don't have the range of fat free/sugar free etc that is available in the US.  But I'm not a big fan of chemical food anyway.

thats why calories are so important to me.  I would much rather eat 30grams of full fat cheese than 50 grams of low fat cheese to stick within my calorie range,  because to me, the low fat version tastes like yellow plastic!!...lol

When I eat such a little amount of food, I choose to have great tasting food! :) 

wow you look amazing...... what a transformation !,,,Your an inspiration to all us newbies !!!!!

WOW! You look amazing! Good to hear from you and congratulations on your success. :-)

laurie