Vacation: missed my scale

Happy 4th to all you Maysters, I just got back from a week's vacation in Canada, and I found there were several interesting things to me. First, I missed my scale. I weigh myself every day. I know most of you probably don't, but I have since the beginning. I think of it as a way of keeping me honest, as I have a huge fear of gaining my weight back. I didn't even own a scale prior to surgery, and it probably contributed to my weighing 351 pounds. Over the week I was gone, I was terrified I would come home weighing an extra 10 pounds. Well, it was closer to 2 1/2 pound gain, and honestly probably would have been more except Canadian food sucks. Not to offend any of our northern neighbors, but where we were the scenery was beautiful, and the food terrible. Poor selection, bland, and almost always fried. So I compensated by finding some terrific SF shortbread cookies at the grocery store. And I ate them as I pleased. I did drink my protein every morning and take my vitamins every day. We often packed a lunch of peanut butter and pretzels or dried fruit, and then ate dinner out. Vacation is scary for we gastric bypass people. When do we eat out every day? I know I don't. There was a loss of food control that scared me. Like I said, if the food had been good, I would have gained more weight. Secondly, all the vacation pictures made me look so old. I will be 51 next month, but all the sagging skin around my neck makes me look like my grandmother in her later years. And the arms, and the legs, and the panni. Pre-bypass, I don't think I realized how much this skin would bother me mentally. I am having the TT in September, but insurance won't cover any other PS, so I may just have to learn to live with it, or at least until the last kid is out of college. Thirdly, I was surprised by how much I "missed" my working out. Not because I like it, but again because I am afraid of weight gain. I brought along a workout dvd and videotape, but our hotel didn't have either player for the tv. I did take some great hikes, so that did compensate for the exercise. I found I could walk easily on the trails unless there was alot of climbing up and down over big rocks. My knees just can't take the climbing. My husband was impressed and said he hadn't seen me walk like that in over 25 years. So today, the first day back, I did my workout so I'll get in the habit again. And if I do eat any SF cookies, I'll limit them. It was good to catch up on all of your activities over the past week. You all are so honest with what you have been experiencing, and it enriches all of us. Thanks. Debra M.

Debra, Glad you had a nice trip! I think 2.5 lbs on vacation isn't a big gain in the scheme of our past lives. This is an excellent topic for discussion here on the board. I know, for me, that sugar alcohols while I was trying to lose were sure to stall me out if I ate them with any regularity. We had a 1-2 month ban in our house on sugar alcohols and lo and behold the scale moved again. Proved my theory right. I'm on vacation, of sorts, right now. Been at my sister and BILs since last Friday and we'll be heading home tomorrow. We brought protein, protein bars and vitamins with us. We brought some healthy snacks...jerky, peanuts, homemade cinnamon almonds (splenda sweetened), etc. I was going to say that we haven't eaten out (1 trip to a restaurant thus far) but in reality... my sister and BIL get what Take Out a bit. My sister is going through chemo and isn't dining out and her taste buds are a bit askew right now. We have BBQed which works well = protein. I've been going for a long walk every morning which I know helps. Biggest issue for me thus far has been hydration. Don't think I'm doing well there. My sister has a scale. Mind you, it is on carpet which I'm not sure what that does for the reading. But I weighed myself the morning after we arrived and it said 160 and I was fully dressed with shoes on. No, I don't think so. I left VA weighing 164 nekkid. Anyway, I was 159 yesterday so it appears I may actually have lost a pound. I won't complain about that at all. I think it is great that you missed exercise even if it is the weight gain fear. I haven't gone to the gym in weeks with my latest pains but will go back this week and I'm really, really looking forward to it. I'm sure your small gain will be gone very fast! I think you did a great job. Kathy

I'm a scale-addict too! When I was living with my mom for 3 months (hubby was took a transfer) I thought I'd go crazy b/c she does not have a scale! When I would visit my husband the first thing I would do is run to the restroom and weigh. It kept me on track too! Nice to know you missed your workouts. We really get used to certain things don't we! Sorry about the yucky, fried food. Welcome back home!

Glad you enjoyed your trip, Deb. I am sure those 2.5 pounds will disappear in no time flat. It's just fluctuations. I could not have eaten enuogh to regain 2.5 pounds of body fat. That would require eating more than 7000 calories above what your body burned, and it sounds like your body burned quite a bit of calories with all the hiking! Anyway, whenever I travel for work, I live on protein bars, baby carrots, and wherever I can get a salad with a scoop of tuna. Congrats in advance on the TT. I know loose skin is a pain and I also have quite a bit of it. Anyway, I am sure you look beautiful - skin or no skin. We tend to be too hard on ourselves! Hugs, Tracy

Lookey here everybody , I"TS TRACY !!! Hey lady, soooo good to hear from you. How are you??? I have really missed you and your cheery posts Delighted to see ya. Tell us what's up with you lately, OK. Mary

Welcome home Debra, Know what ya mean about the scale. It does keep us honest. Because if we are goofing up it'll tell on us. Ouch, but those reality checks can keep us stable. On the sagging neck skin issue, I also have the same and having a turkey waddle is better than 3 chins ...BUT, still not attractive. On the up side, since March it doesn't quite look as bad as it did. I don't know if our bodies keep shifting things but it doesn't hang so bad. When we visited Tennessee early Spring my little 5yr old grandaughter couldn't stop playing with it and saying " Grandma, what is this???" I said "Oh, its my turkey waddle" and made gobble gobble noises. She was just in town a wk. ago and didn't pull on it every time she sat in Grandma's lap so maybe it is getting a little less saggy. I have read up on the Lifestyle Lift ( lifts and removes excess saggy skin, jowels and chin waddle etc.) takes less than an hr. and no general anesthesia just a xanax to make ya loopey and local numbing for surgical site and it isn't all that expensive to have it fixed. Recovery time is minimal so if it bothers me after I get to goal and stabalize I may look into it.* congrats on only gaining the 2 1/2 lbs. bet you drop that off quickly as you get back to basics. Mary