3 Years Post-Op On The Verge Of Failure...

For you n00bs out there or people close to surgery, learn from my mistakes.

1: Avoid alcohol.

Yes, it's cool that the first time you try a beer or a mixed drink,  1 and you're feelin' no pain. What ya don't know is that your tolerance develops very quickly and soon you can consume more alcohol than a person WITHOUT WLS even should.

Not to mention, you pack on pounds QUICKLY with alcohol intake. No, you don't realize how quickly allow me to share.

On 9/1/08, I hit my lowest mark of 280lbs down from 566. I discovered the glorious world of vodka and orange juice. On 11/29/09, I have passed the 350 mark again.

STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL.

If I get a decent discussion / feedback / responses from the participants here, I'll continue with my very penetrating self-intervention that I can promise you some of you will learn something from. If there is little to zero interest, i'll stop and not waste your time.

Thank you for the advice I have not had a drink for over year and a half and I so wondering what would happen recently.  Now I do not need to find out.  I have work so hard and have screwed up a couple of time with the cookies and candy, so your post is a nice reminder from guys who are living proof.

thanks again.

shane

I can't drink alcohol because of adverse interactions with my medications.  However, like you, I started out as a super morbidly obese man with weighing 571.  I begain picking up addictive foods within 3 months of surgery.  I shouldn't be surprised about that because I am a food addict.  I got down to a low of 334 and began to slowly gain weight.  I'll never know how much of my weight gain was due to poor food choices since my doc found that I had a staple line disruption.  I eventually got back up to 423 before having an RNY revision.

My message is to stay away from addictive foods.  However, I realize that many food addicts may have a problem with this.  I suggest buying Food Addiction- The Body Knows by Kay Sheppard and the Beck's Diet Solution by Dr Judith Beck.  I used these books to follow a food addictis diet from Jan to May of this year and lost 50 lbs before I started to pick up addictive food.  I wasn't eating the volume I used to and I haven't gained weight.  I hadn't been able to go even one day without straying from my diet.

I thank God because I started back on the diet yesterday and I've made it through the first day.  I know from the past that the first day is usually the hardest.  I say that I'm on a diet in the same way that others are on a post-op diet.  I do realize this is a new way of life.  I can eat healthily and be satisfied without falling off my diet.  I know that, if I slip, I can go back on my diet.  But, I never know how long it will take me to get back on it so I'll be vigilant.  By the way, I've been holding at 340 for quite a while.

I know that transfer addiction to alcohol is one of the more common after WLS....so if you care to provide more information i know it could be very helpful to others and perhaps some others can share some experiences of their own that may help you....i'm curious how much/often you've been drinking and if you've also begun making poor food choices as well?  You obviously have realized that it's a problem, have you sought help for your drinking yet?

 < hijack >

 WOW Adam   what an inspirational slide show about your journey ..  from the brink of death right after the goof-up(s) by the medical team resulting from your WLS, to reaching goal in 10 months ..   I wish Ramon and Yvonne would see this presentation (if they haven't already) and maybe include it at all the major OH events ..   Very nicely put together ..   

Thanks man...It seems to inspire many...but probably scares the hell out of even more....lol....so I don't know if it would be good or bad to show at OH events.....but I can tell you that the traumatic experience is still very fresh in my mind, even 2 years later and is currently keeping me on the straight and narrow....but i still have a genuine fear of failing at this.  I don't think that's too uncommon though...

i'm curious how much/often you've been drinking

It was up to as many as 3 drinks a night. You may think that's not a lot until I add those drinks were 28oz apiece, somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 of it being vodka.

and if you've also begun making poor food choices as well?

Absolutely. When you're in that alcohol numbed state, several things take over.

1: You can eat a LOT more than you should. My body's pain receptors will be drowning in a sea of vodka. I can eat more and more often when blasted than sober.

2: You lose the best ( IMPO ) aspects of the Rou-N-Y surgery: Punishment for eating bad stuff. My body HATES when I have too much sugar or too much fat. When I eat too muh of either, I pay for it immediately ( too much sugar and I dump ) and then after the food has had time to make it's way through my system, usually 6 - 12 hours later, I'm in the head dumping some seriously horrible stuff.

You obviously have realized that it's a problem, have you sought help for your drinking yet?

As of yet no professional help. My wife and I have both agreed to do our best to self-regulate and so far have done a pretty damb good job of backing way the hell off. I'm gonna go by Celebration hospital on the way home tonight and look into the support group meeting schedule and maybe even try to squeeze in a light workout. It's been 14 months since I've been to the gym and man, do I feel it.

Oh yeah.. weighed myself this AM. 260. I've now officially gained back 80lbs.

I hope y'all listen to me.

STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL.

Then again, it may just be that I have a habitual personality. Hopefully y'all can be stronger. I dunno...

I applaud your effort in getting this under control before it got any worse...that is great....please continue to be honest with yourself and i dont let pride keep you from seeking professional help...I don't want to come off as preaching, but I do know from past experience that just "backing it off" probably isn't the best way to deal with it, you might want to cut out the alcohol completely....and if you can't do that, it may be a sign that the problem could be worse than you think...again, you've already realized its a problem so that is a great first step...online support is good, but talking to someone in person is probably going to be more effective....whatever you choose i wish you luck and am glad you brought this out in the open...i'm sure it will help many!

You can have my beer, right after you pry it from my cold dead hand.

So sorry to hear this Fish ...  Hopefully, you can put the brakes on before you re-gain any more of your EWL, if you haven't already ...   So far you have only re-gained about 25% of your EWL, which is still a heck of a lot less than MANY other WLSers on here .. 

 Transfer-addictions can be a biatch ..  I read recently that 30% of ALL post-ops will experience one or more eventually ..      I'm so glad that OH has finally started to address this problem with speakers at the events ..  Dr. Mary Jo Rapini is a counselor in Houston that has spoken on this subject before at OH events and is pretty effective in combating the problem.   You might want to PM her and see what she recommends.

  Good luck to you, and please keep us updated here ..