Everyone is afraid to end up where they started. I know I was and still am. I'm 18 years post op. I recently gained 35 lbs and have got to get a grip on it before it gets out of control.

I can't really advise you on what you eat or don't eat or should eat or shouldn't eat. But, I can tell you what my doctor had me do all those years ago.

I was not allowed any soda. And the reason for that was that the fizz in it made the stomach pouch swell. the only way I could enjoy it was to put it through the blender first to remove any possibility of it having the fizz.

My stomach pouch was the size of my surgeon's thumb when I had my roux en y gastric bypass done. I was allowed one ounce of baby food for six weeks. After that, I was allowed one ounce of soft food like mashed potatoes and gravy. No rice. Rice swells in your stomach. He had me eat often and very slowly. It would take me 30 minutes to eat a meal of one ounce. I'm talking really slow. I learned very quickly that if I ate fast or didn't chew well, it would come right back up.

I lost over 200 lbs in the course of two years dropping from 330 to 112. He had explained to me that my weight would be way too low for a while and he wanted me to weigh 160 at my age and height. He was right. When my weight finally leveled out I was exactly 160 lbs for about 15 years.

Last year, I broke my arm and some of the medicine my orthopedist had me on made me eat like a wild banshee. I gained 35 lbs and it has just got to go. And now is the time. If you think I can be of help or support to you, you are welcome to friend me.

When are you supposed to see your doctor again. The post above mentioned that and it is a good idea to check in with him or her when you are unsure of anything at all.

I'm 3.5 years out from gastric bypass and at goal weight. I have kept off all 200 pounds I have lost. The biggest lesson I had to learn was to forgive myself. Forgive myself for gaining weight, forgive myself for having surgery, and forgive myself along the way when I messed up. You have to forgive yourself and move on from here. You know you need to learn healthy habits if you want to get to goal and stay there. Period.

Personally, I stay away from soda. The overwhelming majority of people I know in real life who drink it post-op never got to goal or have gained back a ton of weight.

Exercise: I did none until the 7 month mark. Now I stay active. My surgeon tells us you can lose without exercising, but to keep it off you must exercise.

You can do this!!