GAINING WEIGHT AFTER 2 YRS. POST-OP

I AM HAVIN A HARD TIME THESE PAST 3 MONTHS. I AM EATING MORE AND MORE AND CANT SEEM TO STOP. I HAVE GAINED 15 LBS. OF THE 130 I LOST. I AM BECOMING VERY DEPRESSED AGAIN. I JOINED CURVES 3 WEEKS AGO BUT AM STILL EATING. WHAT CAN I DO? I NEED HELP AND I AM REACHING FOR ANYONE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WHO OVERCAME THIS. PLEASE HELP.....

Laura- I am only four months post op...but glad you came to our board for help..this is one step in the right direction. Glad you joined curves too. How about going back to basics?? Start journaling your food and counting your protein. Just a suggestion. This is a great place for support. Good luck... Joanie

Hi Can you see Pysh Dr Kim Dainels about this problem and will help you to change your behavior toward eating foods. WE here all support you and don't give up!!! HUgs Kathy K

Don't you wish for the honeymoon again? I sure do. Like you, I have been on the gaining side right now. The last time I was losing was when i gave up snacking for lent, and dropped almost 20 lbs in 4 weeks. So much for not being able to lose weight after a year, huh. Yes, depression has so much to do with it. Food is just another medication taken orally. One that certainly we are comfortable with and have enjoyed a love-hate realatioship for many years. But are you depressed and that is why you are eating, or is the eating making you depressed? What is making you depressed? Is it something that you can change? If not, maybe a different medication (other than food) is the solution. Are there any other reasons which you might be eating? That you have to answer. Once you have the answer, is ther a way to change those issues to prevent the food from being the answer. Exercise will help for sure. But it is only part of the answer. You do need to find some way to limit food intake and make better choices also. I am not a fan of Dr Phil in any way. He did make one comment that I thought was just fantastic. You cannot get rid of an addiction. You can only replace one destructive behavior with an opposite form of behavior. it may only get you by for the immediate time, but it is a start. Are you attending support groups at all? They can help. Honest. Come join us @ Middlesex Hospital on Monday nights from 7-8 in the first floor conference room. Meet some wonderful people, help some of the people who are waiting for surgery and are newly post-op, and learn from the old timers what they do to get by for another day. Door is open to all. And all of us need it in some form or another. Peter

Laura, You have gotten some great advice here already. I am only a couple of months out but sure I will face some of the same struggles as you once I am 2 yrs out. I am sure it is scary for you to see that needle move up on the scale. I must agree with those who suggested attending support groups. I just attended the post op meeting last week at Middlesex Hospital --- EXCELLENT MEETING! (1st Tuesday of the month each month). One of the topics was being afraid of gaining the weight back and some of the people there shared that they are facing the same struggle as you. Kim Daniels was the moderator of the meeting and she said one thing that stuck with me: "You will always have this tool available to you, it isn't going anywhere. If you find yourself falling off track, you can always start using your tool again by going back to basics." Laura, it is very easy to come here and report good news, so you have made a great step by coming to the boards and trying to find some support before things get too out of hand... that is a very difficult thing to do. You can do it Laura! Don't give up. Hoping you are able to replace healthy alternatives to the negative behaviors. Keep us posted, okay? terri

Laura, I think if you start writting down everything you eat .. go to the Psychologist and talk with her. I am so glad you are posting.. we all need support and someone to listen to us. Hugs Pattie

You've taken a big step by OWNING the problem and admitting it. I'd recommend that you go and see your surgeon, first off and talk to him about it. Then, get yourself back to some support groups AND (most importantly) seek out some professional help from a nutritionist and from a psychologist or psychiatrist. You can get it under control, but you're going to need to attack the self destructive behavior head on and get to the root of the problem. Best of luck to you, Lisa C