Looking for help 7 YEARS out!

I had an RNY in May of 2000.  Successfully lost about 110 lbs. in first year or so.  No gains until about 1.5 years ago, now have re-gained about 45lbs...  I have gone through menopause and that may be some of the culprit.  Never became an exerciser, but did let sugar creep back in gradually.   What can I do, where can I go to get help to get this extra off and get back on track. Live in Central Illinois, but willing to hear from anyone with ideas.... Thanks Teresa

Teresa,  First off welcome to the IL board. We have many old timers here like me, newbies, pre ops and soon to be POs. All are welcome. What took you so long to get here and introduce yourself . Well, I think that you answered part of your question already about not being a person to exercise and you let sugar be the I have gone through problems with carbs (similar because it is a food that we let get the best of us) in the past. We are all in the same boat with our food addictions. It is just that we have our own demons. I hardly dump and sugar can be the for me also. I have just learned to stay away from it. Let me tell you about the snack cart in my office where I work - it has everything. Sugar and carbs, but a few of the snacks (store bought from Sam's) are healthy but I have not had anything from that cart since about 1 1/2 years ago. The one girl that buys for the police department buys Mike 'n Ike, Good 'n Plenty, snack bars (chocolate minis), animal crackers, pretzels . . .  you get the picture. If I want a snack I buy from the snack machine in our kitchen at work. When I have to stick my hand in my pocket to buy something I think twice. I am a cheap SOB.  I would get in contact with your WLS surgeon on the menopause issue. I have been in it for about 5 years and I have not regained any weight. I think that your letting sugar creep back in might be the issue. When I stopped eating from the cart above I just stopped cold turkey. Do not get me wrong as it was very hard! If I ever want a boost with realizing how far I have come I just go into my Outlook calendar at work and search for the date that I stopped eating the junk and tell myself I do not want to enter a new date and I walk on my merry way. Now realize that I walk past this cart EACH AND EVERYTIME I ENTER OR EXIT FROM MY OFFICE! You can do it - just set your mind to it. You might stumble a few times but just pick yourself up and dust yourself off and start over. Do not be hard on yourself for you recent stumbles as you can do with the tool that the doctor provided you. Christine  &

Dear Christine, Thank you so much for your reply.  Just hearing from someone helped boost my spirit.  I am thinking you may be right...the sugar is my issue.  I was so careful and dumped so badly the first year or two that it was not even a consideration.  It has been in the past year that I have allowed more and more sugar to creep in. I found an article from a surgeon yesterday as I was searching for this website that detailed what he called the "Rules of the Pouch"...basically water loading, which I never did, eating my meal with mostly protein, some veggies and some fruit.  I am going to try that regimen and see if it can help me get some weight off.   One thing I wanted to ask you is, do you drink diet sodas?  I have heard that some drs. say no to those and I do drink them constantly...what is your take on that. I do also think I am going to make a return appt. with my surgeon.  He is in St. Louis and I am in central Ill (Clinton), so I will do it this summer  when I am off (I teach).  Anyway, please keep in touch.  I will continue to post and offer my progress. Thanks Teresa

Hi Teresa, I found myself gaining as well and this is what I did to get back on track.  Some of these suggestions may help you as well....   You may want to try the 5 day pouch food plan.  I don't advocate this but some say it does help them get back on track.  It's not a weight loss plan.....Here is the link to it:  http://www.5daypouchtest.com/index.html Here are some suggestions for getting back on track... Go through your house and get rid of anything that is trigger foods for you Go to the store and get stocked up on good clean foods Get back to writing down everything that goes in your mouth, here are a list of good online sources: www.thedailyplate.com www.myfooddairy.com www.sparkpeople.com www.my-calorie-counter.com www.myfitnesspal.com www.fitday.com Great source for calories: www.calorieking.com Get back to journaling.  This will help you identify when you feel like eating.  Stress factors and or time of the day.  Once you identify when and what then put in place some factors to keep you from doing so.  For example, if you find  you are eating more at night.  Then sign up for a dance class or something fun you like to do.  A craft class, get out of the  house. Eat your protein!  Eat your protein first!  I promise you, if you eat your protein often, first and enough of it., YOU WILL NOT BE HUNGRY!  Try eating more often during the day.  Every 2 3 hours if you can. Now the KEY TO success and losing the weight and keeping it off....are you ready?  You may not like it but it WORKS!!! Exercise - if you don't like a gym, take a class, try different things and find something you like that gets  you moving.  Try dance lessons, horse back riding, swimming.  Find something you love and DO IT!  You will feel better about yourself and the energy level will go through the roof.  Come to my thread I do, called Move to Lose and we will help you keep on track. Go to a support group meeting often Surround yourself with people that are supportive and will help not hurt you. I think this will give you a good start.  Please keep me posted and email me anytime.    Here are some links to some forums that I think will\ help you also: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/nutrition http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/recipe/ Take care, Kathy

Dear Kathy, Thank you so much for all the ideas.  I did go to the pouch test and printed it off.  I thought this might be a way to go, but I did not have any idea how to do it.  I am going to start it either tomorrow or Friday, depending on when I get to the store and can clean out my cabinets. I also went to the website and began tracking my intake.  This should help just with keeping me accountable. I am struggling to find an exercise routine I will stick to.  I have a week pass to curves so I may try that and see how I like it. I have knee and hip problems so walking is difficult since I have regained. I do have two questions; do you still drink diet soda and if so,do you limit them? also, do you still use protein supplements and what kind.  When I was postop,  the first couple of years, I was very faithful in doing my protein. I have not done any in several years and would like to start doing so again. Thanks again for you advice, encouragement and kick in the butt, I hope we can continue to visit.  I will keep you posted. Teresa

Hi Teresa, If you have knee issues you may want to try something in the water.  This is a great way to get a work out and not damage your knees..  Try it you may like it I do not drink soda, I feel it sucks the calcium out of your bones and we lose enough as is...  I use Whey vanilla protein.  isopure...  I put it in my oatmeal, yogurt, and in smoothies. Here is an example of what I eat maybe it will help you get back on track with your protein. Oatmeal with vanilla whey protein Apple with LF peanut butter Cold shrimp with veggies and NF dill dip Power Crunch protein bar Grilled chicken and a 1/2 baked sweet potato Fage NF yogurt, fresh strawberries, SF strawberry syrup and muesli Let me know if I can be of any further help to you. Take care, Kathy

Good morning Kathy, Thanks for the info.  It does help to know that you still do the protein and watch what you are eating...the more I have thought about it, the more I think that the sugar is the culprit.  I still don't eat that much, but the things I eat are easily passed through my pouch.  I was interested to hear you watch your fat intake.  I was told my body doesn't absorb much fat so that would not be an issue. I am restarting my eating patterns today and I am visiting Curves after school today. Thanks for the help. Teresa