just needed my friends to talk to

I am 9 months 10 on the 13th post op i am happy that i had the surgery but some days i regret it, because it seems that iam working harder than i had the surgery, to not have to slip in my old habits. i am not dumping anymore. so i can eat everything so i have been slipping lately, ones i realize iam not dumping. i need some help, i feel that iam gaining the weight back and no matter what i do i am always hungry, i think iam eating right but the more i eat the hungrier i am getting. i am a slow looser as is it, so i am fustrated because i cant get under 200 pounds i am stuck . so i feel like iam giving up. i need some support and guidance from my fellow july friends. thank you for reading my post and hope you can help me help myself and give me some pointers iam trying to find a support group i realize know i need one, i live in harlem ny if anyone know of one close by please share with me thank you encouragement

I first just want to send you (((((HUGS))))). I want to send you all the encouragement I possibly can by first telling you you are not alone in fighting old habits. Those old habits were apart of our lives for sooooo long that they will creep up from time to time. I find my hardest time with old habits is right before aunt flow comes to visit. I find I am snacking for no apparent reason at all. I too cannot get under 200 lbs... I am not stuck... but it sure seems to becoming off at a snail's pace compared to my beginning. I am just now 9 months so I am about 2 weeks behind you but it is frustrating just the same because of the change. I will tell you some of the things that have helped me are I work out 5-7 days a week... and it varies what I do... I work out at curves, I walk our dog, we ride bikes as a family, and i have a treadmill on bad weather days.... so the variety keeps me motivated as well as how I feel afterwards. It has also helped me lose 174 lbs with 40 left to go before reconstructive surgery. I also make sure that I get plenty of protein in everyday... I drink a protein drink if not two every day... plus I get 96 plus oz of water a day. But i will say by far that the thing that has helped me the most is that I belong to a support group that keeps me motivated, gives me a place to vent... plus this place too... So now I will get off my soapbox... I didnt mean to get that way... I just want to encourage you to remember why you did it in the first place ... think of all the things you can do now that you couldnt before (((((hugs to you))))) Loni 18 lbs away from being half the person I was

Hi... sorry to hear you're having problems. I have been a slow loser since the very begining and I have about 30 lbs to go to get under 200 which is my main goal right now. We weren't guarenteed anything when we did this! But after getting this far I certainly am not giving up at this point. I feel so much better!!! I'm sure you do too. We can all make it together!! This July group is the greatest! You might do what I do only keep the good snacks around you. High protein things like string cheese, cottage cheese, low fat yogart, there is sugar free puddings in small cups and sugar free jello. My favorite dessert is sugar free popscycles and sugar free fudge cycles . It is hard work but isn't our health worth it !! If it was worth the chance of going thru the surgery it's worth fighting to keep going now were all right here with ya!! When ya need a boost! extra protein drinks and exercise can help also. Exercise can actually make you less hungry !! Take care you can do it !! ... Sue

Hi Ilva, Try to focus right now on the positives that have happened since the surgery. I am trying to focus on that myself because I have been struggling and even though I had 200 lbs to loose i have only lost 70+ so I consider that loosing very slow. Think of how good you feel. Think of the little things like not getting out of breath walking or being able to tie your shoes. I dont dump hardly ever anymore so I know where youre at. It can be very frustrating. Do you do any exercising? Curves is a great place for heavier people. I go there 3x a week. How about your water? I know that I am just on the frui****er now as I was drinking a lot of Diet coke... as is.. and I think that slows the weight loss down a lot. Hang in there and lean on your July family as much as you need too!!! Lisa in Mass 360/283/164

awwh sweety here i'm thinking that i'm the only one feel that way what is going on is this only july i too doing the same eating i do not dump at all can eat anything i feel like i'm always hungry i jump rope 300 times 3 days a week and do the bike with the kids and treadmill i go from 183 to 180 back to 185 this is with clothes off i'm so disgussed but i just keep going we do need to talk to one another so here is my to you and you know the saying THIS TO SHALL PASS! 280/181/GOAL-148

I know that it's frustrating. I seem to be having the same problem. It's getting harder to make healthy choices, and even harder to keep the grazing at bay. Sometimes, I feel (I think, anyway) that I'm hungry all day long and nothing keeps me satisfied for any length of time. It's really making me crazy. This month, I've recommitted myself to using my tool the way it was intended. It's not easy, but it will be worth it when I finally get below 200lbs. Hang in there! Pamela 352/255 on a good day/150

Since I had surgery on 29 June... I'm going to make myself a July person for a second here... hope you don't mind I have never had problems with dumping, so staying away from sugars has been my biggest challenge. I have done pretty well with carbs, i.e., pasta, rice, bread... I barely ever eat them. However, I totally can relate to the grazing and eating the wrong things here and there. What I do when I start losing focus, is do some picture comparisons to help keep me motivated... seeing how far I've come, really helps me keep focused... here's the latest one. Me shortly after surgery (13 July 2004) and then again on 14 March 2005: http://www.geocities.com/tiger_angie//images/13jul04-14mar05.jpg The honeymoon stage is pretty much over... this is the time when we simply must take control of our habits if we want to be successful in the long run ('cause as we've discovered, they will never go away). I found this in http://www.bariatriceating.com, in the Post-Op section and thought it would be something good for all of us, STALLERS, to read: http://store.bariatriceating.com/stallers.html I have posted this at home and at the office, next to the picture Angie http://www.geocities.com/tiger_angie 280/182.5/140 P.S. Oh, and then there's the rules, also from http://www.bariatriceating.com :D 10 SIMPLE BUT CRITICAL RULES TO ENSURE YOUR SUCCESS 1. EAT THREE SMALL MEALS PER DAY. Make good choices and supplement between meal cravings with a protein shake. 2. EAT ONLY GOOD SOLID FOOD. Healthy foods will fill you up faster than junk food. Likewise, solid, dense protein foods will keep you full longer than quick burning carbohydrate foods. 3. EAT SLOWLY, SENSE FULLNESS AND THEN STOP. Remember this is a tool. Let it work for you. 4. THERE MUST BE NO EATING BETWEEN MEALS. Grazing behavior can easily add over 1000 calories a day to your intake. 5. TAKE NO LIQUIDS WITH THE MEAL. Liquids will empty solids from your pouch quickly and you will feel hungry sooner. Drinking after a full meal may also induce vomiting. 6. ALL LIQUIDS MUST BE ZERO CALORIES (except protein supplements). Liquids pass right through the small stomach and do not produce a feeling of fullness. It is easy to consume several hundred to a thousand calories a day by drinking alcohol, fruit juice or other non-diet beverages. 7. EXERCISE FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES EVERY DAY. Regular physical activity will keep your weight loss going, reduce stress and help you feel better all around. It will also help you maintain your weight loss in the long run because it helps to rebuild muscle which has a positive affect on metabolism. 8. CONSUME YOUR PROTEIN. You need to get in at least 80 grams of protein a day. Some specialists in nutrition suggest you get a minimum of 100 grams of protein per day depending on your build. Taking in adequate amounts of protein will help prevent fluid retention, muscle loss and will definitely keep hunger at bay. Patients who consume adequate amounts of protein for their body size will enjoy a much greater weight loss. 9. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. This may by taken in the form of any non-calorie, non-carbonated beverage. Try Crystal Lite, Diet Snapple drinks or decaffeinated coffee or tea. Aim for a MINIMUM of 64 ounces of water per day. Keep a bottle or glass of water within reach at all times as a reminder to sip. Blend a 64 ounce pitcher of Crystal Lite with 3-4 scoops of Nectar and keep in the fridge for all day sipping... takes care of protein and water in one fell swoop. 10. TAKE YOUR VITAMINS/SUPPLEMENTS RELIGIOUSLY. This includes a multivitamin with adequate iron and B-12, and calcium (not carbonate) supplement. These are vital to your staying healthy in the long term.

Ilva, my friend, you are not alone. I too am struggling - I feel like I'm right back where I started with the food calling to me all day long and it taking all my will power to deny myself. I don't feel like I get full, I don't dump. I can go all day long without eating, but once I start, I can't stop. I think I need to keep myself busy, but how do you stay busy ALL the time?? If I sit and watch TV, I can't even concentrate on the show - all I'm thinking about is what can I eat? This is a terrible obsession that I will one way or another figure out, because no way am I going back to what I was. I've quit drinking and smoking, and sometimes I ended up screaming and crying if the cravings were too bad. I know I can beat this too, it's just a little harder when I can't just walk away - I must eat. Well, life is a series of peaks and valleys. Right now I am climbing a very high peak. Eventually I'll make it to the top if I keep on trying ~ let's hope that the struggle makes the journey that much sweeter! Feel free to email me any time if you need to vent!! We're all in this together!! Hugs, Nancy -105

Ilva, I've been wondering where you were, and how you were doing. We all share similar frustrations. Please hang in there, and know we're here for you. All the love, Jeff -115