Struggling

Hi All and Happy New Yr.  I have my RNY 4 years ago in July.  I had my TT this past spring with lots of complications.  All in all I've maintained my weight.  Over the holidays, I gained 6 lbs. and I am soooo struggling with this.  I know what I should be doing, but the more I gain, the more depressed I get.  Does anyone know of an "exact" diet to follow post surgery.  I know we are supposed to eat a lot of protein and drink, but how much?  I know I would do so much better if I had a precise diet to follow.

I go to the gym 3x a week and do yoga 1x a week.  Exercise alone doesn't work.
S.O.S.
Thanks.
JA

This may sound cheesey and generic but make an appointment with the nut at your doctors office. The nut would be the best one to help you and get you back on track. Good luck with this.

Kathy means nutritionist, not a real "nut" or crazy person!!!

paula

Paula, It took me a bit, but I figured that one out LOLOL!  I plan on calling Dr. Bell's office today to get a referral.
JA

Sorry

Not a problem; I actually needed the laugh!  I called the nutritionist this a.m., and they are going to contact Dr. Bell and call me back w/an appt.
Thanks for your support.
JA

Welcome!

Hi JA, I feel your pain! I'm nearly 5 years out and the struggle is very real. While you are waiting for your appointment with your nutritionist, try to do some self-assessment; are you physically hungry (not head-hunger, or emotional hunger)? If so, how much of the time and how insistent are the hunger pains? Do you find that you are hungry shortly after you eat? Are you still following the basic rules of success:  getting your vitamins in every day, at least 64 oz. of water combined with other healthy (non-carbonated, non-caffinated) beverages every day? Your exercise sounds very good - what I'm getting at is if the hunger is very frequent and unrelenting - and if you can honestly say you are not filling up on junk (empty calorie foods) - you might want to have your surgeon do an endoscopy assessment of your pouch and stoma; this far out, you could be stretched out enough so that the food does not stay in your pouch to provide you with good satiety.  Please keep us posted and best of luck, Maureen

Hi Maureen,
Thanks for your response.  I never get physically hungry...It's all head hunger.  I'm seeing someone to try to resolve that issue.  I'm not sticking w/my diet at all..eating junk, and carbs.  It's making me so depressed that I keep eating!  I have always felt from day #1 that I need a specific diet to follow...i.e. exchanges, etc. in order to continue my success.

I wish someone would invent a diet plan so we could follow it and then there wouldn't be anyone relapsing.

Thanks again, and I will keep you posted.  Good luck to you too!
JA

JA, I applaud your honesty; this is the truest first step towards recovery from relapsing.  And you can recover, it all starts in the head.  May I make a few suggestions for you here?  First of all, concentrate on just one day - give yourself just one day where I start your morning with this statement:  "I can do ANYTHING for just a day."  Let the food demons scream in your head all day long but just calmly say to yourself (loud enough for the demons to hear!) - "I can do ANYTHING for just a day." Make a pact with yourself that, just for this day, you will not waiver from your self-committed food plan. If you still want to eat crap food, tell yourself you can do that tomorrow - it will still be there tomorrow, but not today.  #2 Write your food plan down in a journal for just this one day. Commit yourself to eating one day's worth of healthy food choices, three meals with two snacks. Since you are into the bad carbs and I'm assuming sugar-laden foods, I recommend that just for this day you stick only to good quality protein and vegetables - no fruit for this day.  So your menu might look something like: Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs and 1-2 oz. canadian bacon, coffee (no sugar!); Lunch: Chef salad, or other green salad with your choice of good protein, with a sugar-free dressing (little bit!) of your choice; Dinner: grilled chicken breast with broccoli (or your choice vegetable) sauteed in drizzle of olive oil with garlic.  For your snacks choose something like, a low-fat cheese stick with 10 almonds, or a celery stalk with low-sugar peanut butter.  Drink ALL your water, at least 64 oz. and follow the pouch rules! Water load before your meals and don't drink ANYTHING for at least an hour after your meals. Just before you go to bed, drink a soothing, steaming cup of decaf green tea, nothing in it! Then, pat yourself on the head, give yourself a squeeze for having accomplished your goal and nighty-night! I promise you, if you can do this for just ONE DAY, you will wake up the next morning with a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, and much less (if any) cravings for crap food - and a new resolve to do it all over again.  There is no Magic Pill, no Magic Diet - the surgery is JUST A TOOL, it is a jumpstart to getting your weight off. The real work BEGINS at that point, when you've lost your weight and you say, "Uh-oh, now what do I do?" You know what to do. Believe in yourself with all your heart that you have the power and strength to do this. I wish you all the best and keep us posted - Maureen