Hi all. I haven't been on for quite some time. I guess I've just been to ashamed. I have been such a bad girl and need to figure out what to do to get back on the band wagon. I've been considering a revision or maybe just finding a way to get back to eating right. I have gained 40 pounds in the last year since I've been gone. I need to do something though. I'm back on meds and hating it. Hoping I can get some good advice from my old friends here. I am ready to crack down, but this past year I have gone wild. Anyone know anything about revisions or a nutritionist or diet to restart my weight loss. Unfortunately, I can eat practically anything and I feel like a real failure on this journey. HELP!!!! Hope all are doing well. When I get a chance I will post my new photos. Yes I have gone from a 36 to a 22, but I need some extra support or push. HELP!!

Hey there! Finally some action on the site. I will be spending it with my family over my grandmother's house. I will be enjoying her while I still have her here on this earth. I cherish the time I spend with my family we will exchange gifts after dinner and I am going to make veggies so I can fill up on that instead of fattening foods. I started that the year I got my surgery a new tradition for me. Happy holidays to everyone. Love Annette

Just wondering where everyone is, Nobody seems to post on here anymore, even the Friday postings have dissapeared. What are you doing for the Holidays? Im going to be speding mine with Family, nothing too exciting, just a lot of gift giving and eating. Hope to hear from some Lurkers, PLEASE JUST SAY HI IF YOURE OUT THERE!

Hi Jill - First of all, as with the others, sorry to hear about your family issues; I lost my mom this past summer, so I can relate some to what you're going through. For many of us WLSers, food used to be what we used for comfort, and often, I even now find myself falling back to it in times of stress and/or emotional upheaval. One thing that's important for those of us over 2 years to remember, is that the lower intestine does regrow some of the villi it uses to absorb stuff... Per the last studies I read, by 2 years, we're back to absorbing near 100% of the carbs we eat... (we still malabsorb fats (think it's around 50-70% absorbtion) and proteins (similar, 50-70% absorbtion, or something along those lines..) So if we're using carbs as comfort food (which tends to be MY pattern I know), then we're back to regaining weight we lost, again - what's happened to me over the past few months. Even 170 lbs is a great achievement, and you need to make sure that you aren't beating yourself up too badly for gaining back some... More importantly than crucifying youself for the gain is a) realize HOW FAR YOU'VE COME, and b) to get back on track. When all else fails, go back to basics - go back to measuring out meals, protein shakes (my surgeon only approves protein shakes if you are using them as MEAL REPLACEMENT rather than as supplement/snack, but a protein shake is better than grabbing the chips, lol; your surgeon may have a different opinion, and many do..), drinking lots of water (look at the pouch rules for dummies, posted all over the place here on OH), and trying as hard as possible to avoid snacking (which can be a huge battle). If you must snack, try things that are protein-based instead of carb-based, like beef jerky (although it can be high in sodium), nuts, etc. In regards to exercise - Have you thought about looking into some of the machines that work on upper body instead of lower body (ie: "running with your arms", or using swimming as exercise, or even maybe recumbent stationary bike - all things that might be easier on your knees. Things like yoga are also very low impact, increase flexibility, burn more calories than you think and can also help with stress. There are a number of Yahoo Groups for grief, I'm sure, if there aren't any local groups. Again, my thoughts are with you, but don't beat yourself up too much -- you've come quite a long way already, and done a lot better than many of us - myself included -- ....N

Jill, It is so hard to lose a loved one and the loss affects each person differently. When my dad died, my mom went to a grief support group that was sponsored by the local hospital in her city. Whe went for a few months and did find it to be very helpful. Some health care plans offer counseling services too, it might be worth checking with members services section for your health care to see if it is covered. I know the one my mom went to was free. Call the hospitals in your area to see what they can offer. Also community centers might have grief support groups, churches too. Even possible that some might be listed in the yellow pages. If you go to google.com and type in grief support groups you will find a number of resources there too. My heart goes out to you and your family. I hope you all will find a group that will be of help. To get back on track with your eating and to restart the weight loss, get back to basics of eating high protein, low carb, and drink LOTS of water. There are a number of exercise videos that show how to exercise while sitting down. Originally created by an althlete who had injured her leg and was unable to exercise during her recuperation period. One of the web sites is called chairdancing.com I know Richard Simmons did a video too. Worth checking out and give you a good workout. When I broke my foot a few years ago, I purchased one thru Kaiser (my insurance carrier) that they carried at members services dept. It really was great. Don't beat yourself up over the weight gain. Focus on your accomplishments and on how well you have done. You definitely will get the weight back off. Big Hugs, Mary