August 3, 2018, marked the one year anniversary of my gastric sleeve surgery. To be honest, I went to my one-year follow-up appointment feeling disappointed in myself because I had not met my goal of losing 100 pounds. I expected that my surgeon would also be disappointed in me so I wasn’t looking forward to the appointment at all.
To my surprise the first thing my surgeon said to me was “congratulations, you’ve done really well!” He saw my surprise and asked about my reaction. When I shared my disappointment, he shook his head and then provided some perspective.
I’m sure that I’d heard this before surgery, but there was so much information given about what, what not and how to eat; about how and when to drink in order to stay hydrated; about protein and vitamin intake, that post-surgery expectations weren’t high on my list of things to remember!
Anyway, he explained that with gastric sleeve surgery, a person who follows all of the post-surgery guidelines can expect to lose 60% of their excess weight within 18 months of surgery. For me, this meant a weight loss of 80 pounds would be expected. So, my goal of losing 100 pounds was and is totally unrealistic, especially in the first 12 months.
That was great news to me and really lifted my spirits! Truth be told, I’ve already hit that mark and exceed it at least once in the last couple of months. but then, didn’t maintain or continue losing and instead have regained some weight which contributed to my disappointment.
Now, as of today, I am within 5 pounds of that goal and its only been 12 months since surgery! The over-achiever in me is really pleased!
The rapid weight loss phase of this journey was exciting and fun. But now, my continued weight loss depends less on the benefits from gastric sleeve surgery and more on me: on my willpower, my choices each and every day. Some days I’m very compliant with my eating protocols and other days, not so much. I realize that this lack of discipline will sabotage all that I’ve achieved and impact any future success in my weight loss. So, now in order to continue losing the excess weight, I need to recommit to the discipline that I had at the beginning of this journey and not simply depend on the restriction that a small stomach provides.
I give thanks to God for the gift that this year has been and for the positive outcomes of my weight loss journey. I give thanks for the support of my family and friends who continue to cheer me on and hold me accountable. I am a healthier me with more energy, greater mobility, less pain, fewer medications, improved self-esteem and a brighter outlook on life. Thanks be to God!