Scared of the WHAT Ifs!!

I have done EVERY diet out there.... lose weight and gain plus more. I am now seriously thinking of having the RNY surgery but I am SO AFRAID years down the road I will regain my weight back. I noticed on the "grad" forums, people have regained 20-40 lbs! I feel so badly for these people! I am just afraid this will happen to me! I would love to hear from folks who have had the RNY maybe ten or more years ago and have kept the weight off. What advice would you give those who are planning on having the RNY surgery? I wonder what % of patients keep the weight off? What should I do to make sure the weight stays off this time away?

My advice?  Take things one day at a time and make good choices.  You have total control over what happens. There are just as many people out there who have maintained their weight loss for a very long time.  Decide which group you want to fall into and make it happen one day at a time.

I had fourteen pounds of regain during year three.  To stay at my goal weight, I weigh myself every morning.  If my weight is up by more than two pounds, I take action to get it back down.  When I had my regain, I had put the scale away and stopped using it.  I found out that was not right for me.  It was a long and hard task to get back down to my goal.

At first RNY takes weight off like crazy, but that stops at some point and then it is dependent on diet and exercise.  If you want to keep the weight off, you have to be aware of your weight and then adjust your food and exercise accordingly.

I've regained 20 lbs.  Please don't feel bad for me!  My lowest weight was 20 lbs below goal anyway and I'm perfectly happy - and healthy - at my currently weight.

Most people lose something like 80% of their excess weight but regain 15% of that weight after several years.  That means if you are 100 lbs overweight, you can expect to lose 80 lbs.  However, you can also expect to gain back 15 lbs several years down the road. 

Now, some people lose more than 80% of their excess weight - I lost more than 100% of my excess weight!  And not everyone gains back 15%.  Those are just statistics, just averages.

What should you do to make sure the weight stays off?  Follow your surgeon's and dietician's instructions, exercise, make healthy food choices, attend a support group and deal with any emotional issues that may have led you to overeat.

I am only 2 years out but this was one of my worries too before surgery. I finally decided that I could not be worried about a what if and looked instead at where I was headed if I stayed on my current path. I was headed to a poor quality life with diabetes,high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I life where I had knee and back pain everyday and never had the energy for even simple tasks. I had been obese my whole life and I was tired of being tired. I lost 140 pounds and feel so much better now. Don't let fear hold you back--you deserve a healthier more active life!

This x 1,000. Perfectly stated. 

If you do some research you will find that many patients actually lose too much in the first two years, then gain some of that back. Surgery isn't going to make the weight stay off, you have to do that through healthy habits. 

I would be fine regaining 20lbs if I can lose 120, know what I mean?

I am scared of what ifs too but not the same ones.  Diabetes and heart disease are common in both sides of my family.  I don't have either yet but 'what if' that changes.  'What if' my joints keep deteriorating?  More surgeries?

The pain and the likelihood of an early death are enough for me to go full steam ahead.