i am at 25 months out RNY. Over the past 6 months i have gained 13 pounds and i really feel horrible. My goal is to stay between 80-85 pounds lost.  I am 5'2 and 44 years old.  My goal weight is to stay around 135 (which is not skinny for my height at all...135 is borderline normal/overweight BMI).  After this gain...I am sitting around 73 total pounds lost.  This extra weight weighs on my mind ALL the time.  I really dont eat bad stuff, i just eat too much healthy stuff which equals to many calories in a day.  I have head hunger.  I graze healthy foods and need to eat less slider foods.  I know my full feelings, but sometimes I wait a few minutes till they go away and then take a few more bites of my favorite food (I know that's bad).  I do love carbs.  I probably eat too many sugars from fruit...but i dont eat bread or pasta.  I do sneak in a tiny bite of chocolate now and then.   I do eat my souped up (extra protein) oatmeal or cereal every day...its my favorite breakfast (quick and easy).   I haven't worked out much since the holiday's either...im sure that is not helping.  I only get the chance to work out in the late evenings and by then, it is too easy to talk myself out of going.  I do walk alot in the warmer weather...i just need to hold on until then.  I KNOW what i must do...eat less and work out more...and drink more water.  i know about how many calories i need to maintain the weight I am looking for (about 1400 a day), but I figure I am gettting in about 1700-1800 plus a day.  i have gotten back into journaling online my intake.  Like I said, i know what i need to do...I am just in such a slump.  I am hoping that maybe sharing my experience, I will get myself back into gear.  To me, loosing 13 pounds right now feels like having to loose 100 pounds.  It seems like a mountain to me.  Don't get me wrong, I am greatful to have lost the weight...it is just harder to keep it off than I thought.  I am aware of trying to break those bad habbits from before...mostly grazing for me.  Are there others out there like me?

I have not been on here in ages and ages.  I was 2 years out on August 28.  I weigh more than any of you but I started at 389 lbs.  My lowest has been 189, but I have stayed around 195 for the last year.  All my health problems are resolved and I feel great.  I am 60 years old, so I haven't bothered with any plastic surgery.  I will never be 125 again, and that's ok.  I am active and happy and grateful for having been able to have this surgery.  I have not had dessert in 3 years, except for one forkful.  I won't go near it.  I do have occasional reactive hypoglycemia, but it'snot a big deal. 

I went to the ER on Wed because I have been having belly button pain and burning on left and right sides and lower stomach. No throwing up, no constipation, and the CT scan was normal, blood work was normal, urine was normal. Can you believe the nurse in charge gave me NSAIDs for pain. I really worried. I've done well for two years and now this. I have an appointment with a gas doctor next tuesday I found on my list.  I'm taking fexiril for muscle spasams and that is and some gas X but nothing works.  I'm going to try and drink just peppermint tea for the next 24 hours and see what happens.  This pain is making me crazy.  Anyone seen this before?

Thanks Kathleen

Hi all! Loooooong time no see/talk/post! I've been reallllllly lax about getting online since I took a job sitting in front of a computer for 10+ hours a day. I get home and the LAST thing I want to do is sit in front of my puter LOL.

I'm so sorry I've not been around to be of more support to those of you struggling!  Tara, you are an INCREDIBLE woman and don't you EVER forget it! Each one of us is in our own beautiful, unique way. I understand the struggle of hitting a brick wall with weight loss.  Been there, done that many many many times in life.  This time is only different because my body reacted so totally differently to the surgery than it did to any other form of weight loss I'd ever tried.  I also had hit a place that seemed I couldn't lose anymore. I did two things....I told my doctor and my nurse educator and they got right on it--gave me information and options that allowed me to lose another 20+ lbs. One of those options was appetite suppressants.  I know many people that have had surgery feel that if they "have to use appetite suppressants" then they failed somewhere along the line.  Let me ask you to do this.....DEFINE "FAILED."  If you had the surgery, lost at least some of your weight, have kept a good portion of it off (especially at the 2 yr curse mark!) and are as normal with your "head hunger" as the rest of us...we all feel it........then where and when have you failed?  Using an appetite suppressant is NOT a failure, but a means to keep our head hunger at bay.  That's it! That's all! My doctor (not my surgeon, but my aftercare doctor) told me that if I've gotten head hunger then I'm normal, if I've fought head hunger, then I'm normal, if I've found a way to help me THROUGH head hunger, then I'm exceptional! It isn't a crutch I use constantly, but it is something that I have available if I ever need it.

I believe you all are exceptional, beautiful women (and men too...we KNOW you're out there!) that have made a positive change in your lives that nobody can EVER take away from you.  We will ALWAYS struggle with our weight--whether we gain our weight back or remain slim--forever...because it became a main focal point of our lives for most of our lives. We fear failure in that ONE area more than anywhere else in our lives. We can always be concerned and careful about it......but remember ONE thing......it ISN'T a temporary fix ...it's permanent!!  Our body will never be the same, that pouch will NEVER hold as much as it did before, and there are helps and tools to help "tighten" that pouch again.  Try this....   www.5daypouchtest.com  it works for me and it's a reminder of where we started at in this journey....a "back to basics" if you will.

I've held steady now at 137-140 for the better part of a year. I'm wearing size 3/4. If I gain a couple or three pounds I MAKE myself not panic. Our bodies still go through hormonal phases and usually adjust back in a few days.  As far as feeling hunger...I don't. I haven't felt hunger pangs or sensations PHYSICALLY since my surgery. I often have to remind myself to eat because I get busy and forget because I don't feel hunger. This can be just as bad. But I will ALWAYS battle head hunger. I really paid attention to my body after surgery and allowed myself to really feel sensations.  Hunger, actual hunger was not a sensation I felt.  Head hunger, however, that's a battle of the mind, not the stomach/pouch. If I REALLY thought about it when I was "craving" something, I'd usually realize it wasn't actually hunger I was FEELING, it was hunger I was DESIRING. Grabbed myself a protein shake, a piece of fruit, or a walk.  I trained myself to know and notice the difference between physical hunger and head hunger.  I can honestly say, I don't --can't--remember what the sensation of hunger felt like it's been so long.

I hope I've helped...and please forgive me if I've gone on and on.  I'm still VERY passionate about my new health and life.  Sometimes I can seem overly aggressive or pushy.  I'm sorry if I've come off that way.

God bless each of you and may your journey be ever so successful!!  I love you all!

Brenda

Hi Everyone,  I'm really glad to see that some of us still use this site to keep in touch.  I had stopped checking in for a while because I thought no one was reading or writing from our Aug 07 group.  I am maintaining a weight of 145-148.  I eat a lot more than I did and that makes me really nervous.  My mark on the scale is 150. I won't let myself go above that.  I do dump but very rarely.  I feel terrible after eating anything that is too high in sugar but for some reason that doesn't stop me.  I am very glad I had the surgery.  I feel much healthier and happier than I did 2 years ago.  I too need plastics but can't afford it.  I would be happy with a tummy tuck and maybe a breast lift.  Most of the time I can sort of hide my imperfections with the right cloths.   Best of luck to everyone from our August losers.  Fran