IS ANYONE ELSE GAINING WEIGHT???

i find that i am living on coffee at work all day long- and water just isn't doing it for me...you are not alone here marilyn...

Wow - we all seem to be fighting the demons. I have to be honest, no matter how much it hurts me to admit this. I haven't lost any weight since the beginning of this year. I've plateaued and have just now slowly but surely starting to gain. Granted its 5 pounds - could have been water weight, but it scares the crap out of me. I'm constantly beating myself up for not following all the rules, but with all that is going on in my crazy life right now, some days I can barely muster the strength to get out of the house. So eating the way I should is way down on my scale of "things to do for myself". I usually live off of coffee from the time I wake up until about 2:00, then I grab food that isn't great and I tend to get all my calories in between 2:00 and 9:00 before I head to bed. I can't excercise - I have no motivation - nothing to kick me in the butt. I'm dating a guy who is wonderful who "loves my curves". I'm so afraid that I'm going to become even more complacent with my eating since I know he's absolutely fine with how I look now (and he loved me before I lost the weight). So - the long answer to your question is Yes - I have gained. I don't get on the scale very often - maybe once every 2 weeks. I got way too obsessed with the numbers. What can we do????? -Wendy

HI Margo, I know it is not the coffee addiction that is my problem, it is all the crap I put in the coffee. The falvored creamers, the hot chocolate they all add calories to the coffee. If I was drinking it black, i probably would not have the darn addiction. At owrk it isn't even SF hot chocolate, so I know ir I was to cut it out, I would lose the extra LBS. It seems we all hve the same problems right now being all from March 2004. We have to keep fighting those old habits from coming back. So we don't gain any of this weight that we worked so hard to lose. It is a Daily commitment to keep it going. Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Marilyn, the Bearlady

Maureen, I say yeah to what everyone else said. I'm up 8 lbs from my low. That is not a crisis, I know, but it signifies the departure from what I know I need to do, and a reminder that this is a tool, not a magic wand! Well, I will be fasting Monday for hernia surgery -- maybe I will lose an ounce. Hmmm.... I wonder if hernia mesh is heavy??? Joy

Yes, Maureen, it took me all this time to even get the nerve to answer this. It's been tough, really. I want to feel the way I did after surgery....you know...no appetite and the weight was falling off. I went down to about 143, now I'm about 156. The rules become more difficult. I can't eat only 3 meals a day---if I waited I'd inhale my food and hurl it right back up. I'm not working still and have become a gym rat but that doesn't seem to make a difference in my weight. School starts in January and I'm hoping that being busier will make a change in my eating habits. I started to gain after I lost my job. If I can only go back to eating the way I did when I was working, I'd be fine. I'm still a size 8 to 10, I even just bought a pair of pants in a size 6, they must have been mislabeled. I'm sure the "Irish Lassie" is reading this and laughing at us all, since she has it down to a science and is so perfect. Well, I never said I was perfect, and if my weight was the only thing I had to worry about, then life would be good. Ray was here for the week and we went out to eat alot, but he's back up north now and I'm concentrating on doing better. I'm determined to get back on track. You know, this isn't want I expected from WLS....I wanted to feel full all the time....I don't want to be hungry....but I find I am. As I said, it's hard, but I am determined.....good luck to everyone..... Joanie

Joanie, first of all I'm proud of you for your response. I had to muster the courage to even post this thread as I feel a great deal of shame and despair around this topic right now. Each day, I recommit, however, and am having a good "clean" day thus far. Your response was courageous and you need to be proud of that. I sense a good deal of negative feelings on your part as well, including fear, remorse, shame and resentment and I can attest to the fact that we cannot be successful in our new healthy lifestyles without first totally letting go of this negative energy. First of all, it serves no purpose, certainly doesn't solve any problems. Secondly, and more significantly, these types of feelings cripple our efforts to succeed. Negative thinking drains us; it takes up precious brain-space necessary for positive thinking and reaffirmation of who we are and how we can help each other, all those who love us, and find true meaning and purpose in our lives. This is the sort of energy necessary to succeed. Start there, sweetie. Let go of all those thoughts and feelings that are holding you hostage so that you can pave the road for new successes. We need to celebrate each of our journeys, no matter our differences. I am happy for Shannon, that she has found a way that works well for her to maintain her success and health. I continue to encourage all of us to share these strategies so that we can all benefit from them -- and then we are free to take what we like and leave the rest. Be happy, Joan. Turning this around for yourself is truely only a thought away. You've done so remarkably well. And there's one little person in Connecticut who has benefitted from your wisdom -- I need you...Love, Maureen

Okay, I have not been on this site in such a long time. I got pregnant 10 months post op and gave birth to a healthy baby boy on 10/17/05. I had gotten down to 235 before I got pregnant (I started at 340 back in 03/2004). I was a little stressed about my weight loss when I got pregnant, but fortunately, did not gain weight during the pregnancy. A few days before I gave birth I was at 232. Now....here's where I tie everything together. I went for my 6 week check up on Monday and had only lost 5 pounds since immediately before I had my son. Considering he was over 5 pounds at birth, this means I must have gained something somewhere which is absolutely ridiculous considering I breastfeed exclusively (burns 500 calories/ day). Needless to say, I think I may have gained a couple pounds (I should have been down to about 215 after my son's birth considering all of the stuff they pull out of you when you have a baby). I know that now it is time to get out of the house and start back exercising as I am in the same place I was in right before I got pregnant. I will say this, though. No need to beat yourselves up for gaining any weight. Remember, a degree of beating ourselves up over weight is what put us in the way of gastric bypass in the first place. What we who have gained some weight must do is to go back to the exercise (if only 20 minutes/ 3 days a week). START SOMEWHERE. We must go back to the 5-6 small meals a day instead of 3 larger ones that make you miserable and immediately ready for bed. Look people, in a couple of weeks is Christmas and we know we will be subject to eating more of the things we know we are not supposed to have. BUT, immediately thereafter is the New Year which is a new chance to begin. Make a goal to lose a certain amount of weight each month and then celebrate once you get back to the weight you were at before you gained. Just do your best. Be honest with yourself. If you need to keep a journal on how you feel, do it. If you get a little down (or even a lot down) and you normally turn to sweets and sodas for comfort, look back on all you went through that made you decide to have GBS. Knowing you don't want to be back there should be a catalyst for change. Take some time for yourself. Make it all about "YOU." Pamper yourself with things that don't require you to spend money you may not have. Don't leave yourself behind when you do all those nice things for people this holiday season. It's okay to be a little selfish sometimes. All of these things will help you (and me) get over this hump that has diverted our weight loss success. Good luck to everybody and God bless you!!!! ja.