My one year rant!

Last week I turned 1 year (on the 15th) and I am 5 lbs from a normal BMI, I have lost at a slow rate as have many others, we work hard and the scale moves slow but steady. Over this year I have coached a few new pre-post opps, and have been an active member of this group.. ( this has slowed down a bit with my new shop) (no internet).. but you are all very dear to my heart.. My rant is that I look at the main board and my state page. Then went to the OH conference... I am SICK!!!!!!!! Of seeing post opps new and old crying that their surgery did not work! All the while they are "laughing" about eating and buying chocolate candy or pigging out on carbs!!!!!!!!!!!!! REALLY its NOT funny! I just wrote back a new post opp who was so happy to say that today she was eating mashed potatoes...OMG! Not to mention the other carbs she was consuming, nowhere did she mention that she had protein in her diet....jeeze why bother getting cut open and having you guts arranged at all.!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very few of us have the luxury of putting potatoes/ carbs in our diet... (Deanna / Carla and one or two others) for example. But don't cry when the scale stops moving or say your surgery did not work . HELLO! Its YOU! not the surgery that did not work. I am not perfect and occasionally eat things I shouldn't, but never will you hear me blame the surgery..... We look at Carla keeping us on track as much as possible, we account for our own bad eating days and strive to do better or get back on track. We look up to Deanna who has become a runner... Or Andi and others who inspire and nurture. Ok I'm off my soap box!

Well said.. it truely does get old seeing these ppl just eating away and cant figure out why they cant loose. I have a friend here at work that is about 7 months further out than myself. She just crossed the 200 mark and cant understand why she doesnt loose. She has bags of nuts from Costco on her desk and everytime she walks by she grabs a hand ful. well.. gee I say.. thats 200 cals a pop.. she wont hear it.. says they are good carbs.. so I tell her if she sticks her hand in there 5 times a day.. which is the least amount she does she is eating a 1000 calories along with her 3 meals and 500 cals of protein shakes she insist she must drink a day.. she is eating way over 2000 calories a day. She gets mad at me cause I made goal and past it and she is still 45 pounds away. Go figure.. I see ppl all the time newbies on the board talking about eating mac and cheese, etc.. I still havent eaten a piece of bread and I wonder, what are they thinking.. I told myself a year ago that I was gonna do this surgery and was gonna commit to getting to my goal which I did.. no carbs and all protein. Now I can add carbs although I am scared of them. I have always been of the mind set that for the time it takes me to accomplish somehting is such a short period of time in the scheme of our lives. I wont remember the piece of cake I wanted at some party 5 years from now, but I will remember the dedication and resolve I put into making myself a healthier person. It's not hard for me to say no to things because of this mind set and I know that I will continue to do this the rest of my life cause I have commited myself to staying healthy, happy and thin for the rest of my life. If only the others out there could see the big picture instead of the rationalizations of their actions. Deanna, if i could be more like you. I am not as dedicated to exercise as you but I am trying to get there.. I am even running on that treadmill now.. you rock Deanna. Andi and Ruthie with your constant encouragement and reality checks of who we are and what we need to do to make ourselves better. I love you both. Jean always coming in with such a zest for life and pushing each day for a new begining. I admire that so much. And the rest of you all for being there when you can to add some insite when we start to stray.. You all are so important to me...and i luv ya

Carla; Thank You so much! you and the others in our "small" group inspire me and I feal so blessed to have you all..

Jean, you are soooooo right! Congratulations, by the way! You have had GREAT success over the last year! I've been battling that desire for sugar again but last night I had this revelation that those foods just don't satisfy me. I would rather have a banana with some peanut butter on it than cookies. I know the banana isn't the utmost quality thing to eat but it satsifies my sweet tooth. I've always been a sugar-aholic so I am prepared that this will continue to be a battle for me. But I'm determined to not gain this weight back and I know that sugar won't help me! I have to admit that I'm almost embarrassed to be eating as many carbs as I am. But my Nut says eat them, and to eat more than I've been eating. I'm not supposed to be losing more weight and with as much exercise as I'm doing, I know I need them to fuel my body. Anyway, I do understand your frustrations but I also have my own battles with how many carbs to eat! But, I refuse to go overboard on them! I just wish that food didn't rule my life so much! Congratulations on a very successful year! I still think you have one of the most beautiful smiles I've seen in a long time! Deanna

Deanna you inspire many, you are a mom, wife, you run ,and are healthy. you have to eat more than most of us with all the excercise you do... and don't have to worry so much.. you are very beautiful and someone to look up too.

I am sorry that you are angry. But really, consider that every surgery group is different. If I was a newbie reading your post I'd be freaked out that my nutritionist told me to eat instant mashed potatos(made with all milk) during the puree stage. I'd be thinking crap....I'm not going to lose and does my nutritionist not know??? They have been on my official eating guide from puree on and so really, I refuse to think they are bad. It certainly wasn't a luxury for me to eat potatos during the 2 weeks of pureed stage when it's all I could eat every day. Some people can't tolerate meat or fish or milk.....PROTEIN. So, I say we all are different and if the pre-ops get anything from reading all the posts it's that who the hell knows what you will and won't be able to eat afterwards. Of course candy and obvious things are bad for us. They were before the surgery. Sometimes, I just think people lose slower than other regardless of how particular they are about sticking to their diet or how many carbs they cut out. You just don't know which you will be post-op.

Rachael; Every surgery group is not different... we are the same... RNY! Is RNY doctors are different, but the surgery gives the same results to those who follow the rules. We are not all going to be skinny bikini girls (God knows I'm not) but we will lose a large percentage of the excess weight if we follow the rules. Yes, I'm mad at those who keep making excuses for themselves or others . Mashed potatoes is NOT a thing to eat after this surgery. Although you can eat potatoes as a new post opp. No good Nutritionist would recommend it as a diet staple. .. especially at the cost of protein. Meat, fish and milk are only a part of what makes up protein. I was one of those who threw up most things but did not substitute "all"carbs as a way of eating. No excuse! Adding something to make the protein more digestible is understandable in the beginning, but not living off carbs and forgetting the protein. Its an excuse... We do all lose at different rates, yep. But for those who say this does not work and then say they have been eating chocolate , mashed potatoes, bread and pasta... its their fault not the surgery.

by surgery group I mean nutrition/nurse/surgeon team. For a couple months I came to the boards afraid of carbs because everyone was saying I couldn't eat them. THen, one day I got out my nutrition manual. There they were in all their glory, whole wheat crackers, ww tortillas, corn, peas, potatoes. There was little NOT allowed if I could tolerate it as long as I was eating protein first. THAT IS THE ONLY RULE. I eat carbs and follow the rules given to me. How is it that I can lose 170 pounds and someone else not who eats carbs if we are all the same? I am tired of carb bashers. You never know ahead of time if you are going to be the person who tolerates them or not. And, if you don't, it's not for you to tell someone they can't have them...or that they are not following the "rules" if they do. I understand you are upset about the people who eat 'whatever' and then complain, but your post made me feel I should be looked down upon because I had Special K protein cereal with milk for breakfast and yogurt and grape nuts for lunch and I am planning on having taco meat put on a tortilla tonight. That doesn't make me BAD. It makes your body different than mine.

It seems that many are uninformed, including nutritionist. I look to those who are 5 plus years out, as well as my nut who is named Seri and is the head of the dietary and nutrition staff and many hospitals in the south east. ( I figure they might know a bit more than me and the avg nut) Although you my lose weight in the first year the eating too many carbs will cause you to pack the pounds back in the future unless you exercise and burn the calories. And no I never said don't eat any carbs, but white carbs are not good for you at any point. And yes always after protein. Personally if you were great with what you ate before surgery then you would have never gotten fat! I'm not telling anyone what to eat or not, just mad at the ones who eat the carbs and then cry when they still are fat! "oh I need a revision" "oh they surgery is not working for me and I wonder why" I also am not worrying about what you had for breakfast, lunch or dinner... I don't care what you ate... if you body is loosing good for you. if you slow down and stop and then gain I look at it like its your fault, and don't think the group need to hear you wine that the surgery is not working ( and by you I don't mean you personally)... I went to both OH conferences in Fla and was disgusted at what I saw people eat! Only to hear them complain about not loosing. It had nothing to do with you personally. But if someone has an addiction to carbs and the are a new post opp AND they are only eating carbs... it not something to brag about and its not funny

I know and understand what you meant. It's not the normal carbs that are within the normal guidelines of our eating.. its the people who run around eating huge bags of pretzels, chips, cookies, pies, and than complain they cant loose. My angelette who is only 2 weeks out just pm'ed me with this question.. Can i eat mac and cheese if I suck the cheese off and spit out the mac. now please.. lets get real.. she is 2 weeks out.. eat a darn piece of cheese.. it is healthier.. doesnt have all that oil and fat in it and will stay with you longer.. I see things like this all the time.. I go to OH events and nothing on the table is without a ton of carbs and I watch ppl stand at the tables from the time they get there until they leave grazing and the whole time they are doing that they are complaining that they cant loose. Ppl who live at starbucks where a drink can have 500 calories and they drink 2 or 3 a day and say they cant loose. Anything is good in moderation and all docs are different.. I was told protein first and if i had room than veggies, fruit and last carbs.. well I never had room for carbs unless I gave up the good stuff I was suppose to eat.. so to me.. that means no carbs.. I could eat them... but I wanted to get the weight off and do what I was told.. no one is saying you cant eat carbs.. but in moderation.. its the people who do not eat in moderation that we see all the time wondering why they cant loose and complaining their surgery didnt work.. it did.. they just arent working their tool.. just like my friend who is downing 1000 calories in nuts a day.. its a protein.. but to much of anything is not a good thing. I understand where you are both coming from.. I dont think Jean was selecting anyone out of the crowd. If you read it.. it is stating the simple truth about those who dont use there tool... dont follow the rules.. eat and graze on bad choices than have the nerve to come on oh and complain that there surgery isnt working.. all us may babies are proving it does work when you follow the directions.. and no one said you cant eat no carbs.. Jean didnt say that eitehr.. you cant avoid them in veggies, etc. its the rule breakers she was pointing out.. and I agree with her. If you cant follow the rules in the early stages how do you plan to follow them down the road and be successful.