Struggling - Please Help!

Hi, all my fellow 10/03 post-ops!! Hope everyone is doing well. I've not posted here in a while. Work here at OH has been keeping me busy (which is good! ). Now I'm grovelling for some ! Over the holidays (and a little since then) I gained nearly 20 lbs . My weight had basically stabilized at 257 lbs (down from preop weight of 402 lbs). Now I'm up to 272 lbs again!! I can only blame myself, poor food choices, and lack of exercise. I DO worry, however, that I've stretched my pouch and/or stoma too much. I feel like I can eat a ton of food - and when you've been making poor food choices, that's even worse. I'm so discouraged. I DO NOT want to fail this surgery!! I've worked too hard and put my body through a lot having my open rny. But I'm having a hard time getting back on the right track again. Right now, my cravings are esp. bad because I'm due to start my period soon - and I don't know about everyone else, but I feel the urge to eat bad stuff and eat it like a pig when I'm premenstrual! I guess I'm needing some motivation, reassurance or something. Has anyone else had problems with weight regain? If so, how did you get back on track and get that weight off? I'd like to get to 250 lbs before going for PS and hernia repair (I'm presently in a size 22 - which is still a heck of a lot better than the 34/36 I was in before surgery - because of the size of my hernia and my pendulous gut/excess skin, but SHOULD probably be, according to my WLSurgeon and Plastic Surgeon, in at least about a 16). I need some serious help/suggestions/good butt kickings *lol* in getting this excess off! ANY advice would be greatly appreciated! Bless you all!!!! Amy

Amy, What you need is a pat on the back and If I was there a good hug. You did the best thing you could do and that is reach out for help and support. We are all in this toghter and helping each other stay or get back on track is each one of our responsibility. You know you are heading the wrong direction and you realize that, Awsome! (thats the pat on the back) The first thing I will tell you to do is going to be the hardest but I know it will turn you around and that is go back to the beginning. Very high protein and stay with it for a good couple of weeks or if you can a month. Yea, our version of the atkins diet. Be sure to get in at least 80-100 grams a day. But most of all get OFF the carbs!!!! This as you know is giving you your cravings and the evil carb monster is dragging you back into his home. See If you can get back into eating some protein drinks and carb bars. Secondly make sure you are eating every two-three hours so you do not get hungery and binge eat. I'm currently at approx 1400 calories a day and am maintaining my weight. Find that spot for you between 1000- 1400 that works for you and try to drop that extra holiday weight. You did this once before and It worked.....Go back and do it again. (that is the Hug!!!) Most people, I believe, fail because they forgot the basics and remembered more of what they did for years or decades and worked harder at getting back to a "pre-surgery normal" life than they should have. Whi*****ludes quick foods which are high in carbs and sugers. You can do this just stop, breath, grab you post op guidelines and get to it!!!! All you have done is stumbled you have not failed!!! You are now back in a frame of mind that will let you succeed, so go for it and make us all proud of you. Feel great about what you have done and are doing again! I wish I could write as good as I can talk. You can do this!!!! Shawn -202 lbs Open Rny10/29/03

Hi Amy Shawn is right, you need to go back to the basics, PROTEIN! The carbs are not satisfying you, therefore you are craving more. I'm able to eat candy and cookies, now, but I have to catch myself. I was eating too much of these things. I wasn't gaining weight, but I wasn't losing either. That's an awful lot of weight to gain, have you told your doctor about your weight gain? I know someone who gained a lot of weight back and was eating anything she wanted. It turned out that her pouch and stomach fused together. The food she ate was going into her original stomach letting her eat what ever she wanted. I would let your surgeon that did your bypass know about the weight gain and see what he says. He may want to scope to see if this has happened. No matter what, you keep us informed and asking for advice. We're all here to support each other in the greatest journey of our lives!!! Your weight loss buddy, Jane

HI Amy, I can SO relate to the weight gain over the holidays! I gained about 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know the reason is that I got careless and fancy free with my eating and the lack of exercise. I got back to exercising daily ( I walk and run on my treadmill) and I also closely evaluated my eating habits. I have cut back on the carbs. and increased my protein. I also increased my water and fluid intake. I am happy to say that I have taken off most of the weight that I gained and I am back into my size 10 jeans...and they are even comfortable. I have to say that this experience was a real eye opener. When I would express my concern about the weight gain with friends, many of them would tell me that it wasn't a big deal and everyone gains weight over the holidays. I had to tell them...and remind myself that I am not like most people and a 10 pound weight gain could very quickly turn into a 25 pound weight gain. So, what I have learned is that the weight can creep back on real quickly, it can also come back off with some hard work and commitment. This has been a real eye opener for me...as I am sure it has been for you as well. Keep your head up and moving in the right direction...and good for you ( and me!!) for catching this early and wanting to get motivated to get back on track. You will do it! If you need more support, e mail me and maybe we can kick each other in the butt to stay motivated! Deb 250/145/135

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all *****sponded to my plea! It reminded me that I am SOOOOO not alone in this struggle. Your words of encouragement and support have meant so much. You're all angels!! Brief progress report since my last post: I've managed to get down from 272 lbs to 268 lbs, so I'm going in the right direction!! I've upped my water intake and increased the protein again, and I'm TRYING like the dickens to avoid the naughty carb monster. I think things will get a little easier once my nasty monthly visitor arrives - it ALWAYS seems to make a carb-craving pig out of me!!! Grrrr.... *lol* Now I just need to work on getting back on my walking program. Presently I live in an EXTREMELY "hilly" area, so two blocks to and from my apartment REALLY gets my heart pumping! It's just hard to get motivated to go walking without someone to walk with. Soooooo boring. Makes me feel depressed. But I know that if I want to get those scales moving faster, I need to do something. So hopefully one of these days I'll get off my behind and just DO IT!! Anyway, thanks again so much for all your love and support. Here's some fairy dust in my hope that you all stay well and continue the GREAT WORK at keeping the weight off!!! HUGS TO ALL!!!!! Amy

HI Amy, Keep up the good work...you are on your way! I also hate to walk alone so, what I do is use my walkman with some great tunes and walk away. For me, it helps pass the time and it seems like I have a little more pep in my step when I have some good tunes on! For a few weeks here it was extremely cold but, I still got outside and walked...very briskly! Today it is supposed to get up into the 40's...a real heat wave for us! Deb

Oh, can I relate. I haven't GAINED weight, but I haven't lost more, either. Of course, I blame carbs. I NEVER blame my insane, never-quenched desire for salty, crispy snacks -- not me! ;-D However, I did find that Snyder's of Hanover has a big, thick, crunchy pretzel -- one does the job. When I've been piggy -- and PMS is pig-out time! -- I go back to the basics. Cottage cheese, V-8, and a pretzel. I think it realigns the brain or something.