2.5 YR CHECK IN

hELLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Anyone home? I've seen some familiar faces on the grads board, but I wanted to check in with my 1st family. How are you guys doing? Me...I had a tough time for a while, but I am back on that horse. I woudl like to wish you all a wonderful holiday season, stay safe and be blessed.

Hello fellow mayster.I lurk not post.I am doing okay learned the hard way as usual ...I like turkey but it doesnt like me :] uuug. I got down to 118 but I wasnt feeling too well have put on 10 pounds and it freaks me out but I am trying to deal with it.I am told I look much better got some booty back :] What bothers me is I eat basically the same I keep my carbs low.I dont exercise much and I am 40 I am guessing I need to mix some exercise into my life maybe my metabolism is slowing down??.I was 216 when I started size 20 got down to a 1 now I am a 3 so I shouldnt complain.Weight gain just freaks me you know right??!! 1 pound leads to 10 than 20 .Have a good holiday season.Glad to hear you are taking care of yourself...what are you doing?? I think I am gonna ask santa (me) for a tread mill since I work out of my house I can jog off my frustrations tone up and feel better ***

Hi Laura! Looks like you're doing great!!!! a size 3 and 128 pounds is awesome, and I know all about 10 pounds leading to 20, and yada yada yada. I'm ok, gained a few, but back on track now. Trying to work this tool again, and feeling better than ever now that I'm back on OH. I am going to get a peice of exercise equipment in my home as well for the new year!

Sad to report, that weight gain can happen post-WLS. Never kid yourself that this surgery will keep the weight off "forever". Forever in the world of weight loss whether surgically induced or not can be a very short time. I haven't really publically mentioned this issue before. Embarrassment? You bet. Denial? You bet. Self-loathing? Perhaps. Okay, maybe not. This past year we've been through heck and back - 5 surgeries for me for breast cancer, Rich's dad being in the hospital for 51 days and then nursing home until his death about 6 weeks later. Stress, stress and more stress. Depression abounded in response to all the stresses. I'm not trying to justify anything here. While, eating in response to stress is something that probably most of you are very familiar with - the bottom line is that Rich and I have both gained. We are greatly displeased. We have a tool and we didn't work it. We grazed our way past the tool often choosing useless white carbohydrates in a pinch to soothe the stress and we have paid the great price. GAIN. Rich had his appointments with our primary care physician and bariatric surgeon. His pre-surgery weight was 450. His lowest weight (for a few days) as a post-op was 239. He hovered for a long time in the 240s. But he is now 297 knocking at the unpleasant door known at the 300s. Yes, a 50+ lb gain. That's 25% of what he lost. The bariatric surgeon wants a stop to it and wants to see him in 3 months rather than the usual 6. Kudos to the bariatric surgeon to try to get the gain under control and him back on track. As for me, my appointments are coming up the week after next (with primary care) and then the week after that with the bariatric surgeon. My WLS consult weight was 276. My weight pre-op (post-pre-op diet) was 244. I hovered in the 160 range (my goal) but earlier this year got down as low as 148. Right now I'm 168. I've been up to 174 so I'm somewhat happy to be back in the 160s but most of all - I do NOT fit in my clothing. I hate it. I had to go back into bigger sizes. My body distribution is totally different. Clothing I wore 2 years ago at 170 do not fit me. I have more in the belly. I suspect with the removal of fat from my breasts (mastectomies), when I gain it goes where the fat cells are meaning belly and thighs. Argh. We are working on recommitting to working the tool we both have and getting back to the gym. Not sure how that will work for me with lower back disc problems again but I'll ease into what I can do. Changes we want to implement: 1. Eliminate the evil white carbs. We've both done well keeping them out of the daily intake before. 2. Eliminate the grazing. For me, I am fine all day long until I enter the house in the evening. I'm solo and therefore pretty unaccountable. I have foraged (grazed) from the minute I get home until I go to sleep and eat what is here whether it is cheese, SF ice cream, bread, etc. Whatever is here was fair game. No more. 3. Eliminate drinking while eating. Nuff said. 4. Eat in a 20-30 minute time frame. Then put it away. More a Rich issue then a me issue. 5. Exercise, exercise, exercise. 6. Protein first and foremost. We are both excellent on vitamins and good on protein shakes. Will continue there! Putting this in writing and admitting this really is so very hard for me. I admit that a few times I've skipped support group gatherings because I didn't want to show up - with an increased weight. Though I suspect that most others wouldn't notice. My sister was here for Rich's dad's services and didn't notice until I pulled up my shirt and she saw my belly. Sadly. LOL. (At least, I can laugh at it now.) I feel like I'm morbidly obese again and I hate how that makes me feel. I need to work on that. Heck, I need to work on alot of this. I'm far from cured for the behaviors that got me obese in the first place. Kathy (baring her soul)

(((Hugs))) to you Kathy...Thank you for such a heartfelt and honest post. It's been a long time, I am genuinely sorry to hear about all that you and Rich have been through over the year. I have been struggling with a weight gain as well, for all of the above reasons, plus my good friend Vodka. I will be implementing your 6 changes. I can relate to skipping out on supprt group meetings for fear of what people might say about the way that I've changed. Shoot, I even stopped coming here for a minute, others success was weighing on me, and I found myself resentful and jealous. Thats just me keeping it real. But then I took a moment, and actually "remembered where I came from" and that was enough to get me back on track. And like you for the first time, I put my numbers down for the world to see, I wrote dowm my shortcomings, and thats what I needed to do, to hold myself accountable, because who else was? My body has changed also, my jeans don't fit, and I just want to go back to the way I was...are you hear often. If so keep in touch. Take care, and continue to be blessed, although you've experienced more than a few setbacks, you have still come a long way, and continue to be an inspiration to me, and I'm sure others as well. Love, Aliya

Hi Kathy, Thanks for baring your soul. I've gained too and it's so difficult to share that. I am so disappointed in myself and really want to beat myself up a lot. I try to tell myself that beating myself up doesn't help. I too can't fit into some of my clothes and that makes me feel even more uncomfortable. Hang in there. We can all get through this and we're definitely healthier than we were 2.5 years ago. Big hugs, Wanda

Hi Aliya, It's so good to see your smiling face. Sounds like many of us are struggling with some weight loss. It's so challenging. I have gained almost 30 pounds from my very lowest. Of course I was at my lowest for approximately one day! I'm trying to watch what I'm eating, but I like Kathy's steps. I need to follow them closely. I hope that everyone has a great holiday. I know that I've still lost over 100 pounds and that makes me much healthier and happier than 2.5 years ago. Have a terrific holiday, Wanda

Wanda, its great to see you! I think that I've finally gotten my mind right, and I am slowly losing again. How are you doing?

Hi Aliya, I'm still plugging along. I'm going to have to be oh so careful this holiday season! So good to see you on here again! Wanda

Hi! This place has been like a ghost town! It's good to see some old familiar faces. I have not gained any weight, but I stopped exercising 6 months ago, and cannot find the motivation to get back to it! I still have 24 pounds to get to my big goal, and I know moving my body more would help, but I am so unmotivated! I am thankful that I haven't gained, but I do know that I need to be accountable every single day to not let that happen. It's so scary! We need to lean on each other, just like we did in the beginning! It's good to see you guys. I think of you all often, and hope you are all doing well. Happy Holidays. Candice