Monday morning Share and tell... struggles, successes...

Good Morning!

I thought maybe I'd change around the daily check in and see about doing a share and tell; you know, like the ones we did in 1st grade ;-) Please share your struggles and your success. We all learn from each others struggles and successes. 

I have been struggling with, but succeeding in getting in all of my supplements. I'm succeeding at maintaining my weight even though I'm not able to exercise at all right now; that should change when I get a pass in April to begin an exercise routine again.

Please share your struggles and or successes.

Hi, I won't repost what I put on the RNY site but let's just say, 5 days out and I felt hungry today. It was really weird. I've had a couple ounces of season chicken broth and I feel better now. Getting my 8 oz in including my 2 oz of protein every hour unless I'm alseep. It's not easy but I know it will be worth it.

Hi Koko,

Congratulations and welcome back! I agree that it is work to get it all in, but it is soooo worth it. I really hope to see less of you soon.

 Glad you are home safe and sound... it does get easier! 

As for my struggles, I am struggling with my exercise!  I am finding every excuse in the book not to do it... I am feeling well though... so at least thats good.  

Successes... vitamins!  Finally I am able to get them all in... a miracle!

Thank you. Pray I see you at the support group meeting next weekend.

Water, Water, water!

Success - This past week I have been drinking more water. I struggle to drink a lot of anything, although I would rather drink than eat. 

Struggle - I am retaining the water like crazy. I still go potty about 3 times a day, several hours apart.  Find me a fluid pill before I bust!

I'm one month post op.  I struggle with separating head hunger from real hunger.  I struggle with getting all my supplements in.  I struggle with enough fluids.  I struggle with exercise.  In a word, every day is a struggle.  I've lost 20# this month, so I know that I am being successful, but like someone posted yesterday, weight loss and maintenance has been such a failure in the past, I half expect it to be again.
However, I will remain optimistic, I will get my supplements in at least 80% of the time, I will record everything that I eat (I already do that) and a year from now I will be amazed at the success of my journey.

First of all, I want to congratulate you on such a successful beginning to your weight loss surgery journey. You are doing wonderfully!

Next, be gentle with yourself. It takes a while to learn to differentiate between hunger and cravings. While true hunger is a a biological response to the need to refuel, cravings are what we consider 'head hunger.' With true hunger, you can expect that you may feel some physical symptoms of hunger, such as a rumbling stomach, irritability, headache, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating. Our bodies are begging us to give them food and, often, liquids. It is very common to feel 'hungry' when we are actually thirsty.

A physical craving has the following qualities:

• The craving does not go away if you try to wait it out.
• The craving intensifies over time.
• Nothing you do will take away the craving except the craved food.

An emotional craving, on the other hand, looks like this:

• It does go away if you try to wait it out.
• The craving does not intensify over time; the emotion does.
• Doing something else satisfies the real need, and the craving disappears.

Here are a couple of things I do to help me determine if I'm having an emotional craving vs. being hungry. First, I make sure to have a long tall drink and need to wait 20 minutes after having the drink. While I'm waiting, I need to give it the Raw Carrot Stick Test. I'm not crazy about raw carrot sticks, but I'll eat them if I'm really hungry, but I need to be really HUNGRY to eat them. So if I'm hungry enough that I'll eat the carrots I'm probably actually hungry. This allows me to make sure I'm not just dreaming about warm chocolate brownies or whatever else rings my chimes. Generally, emotional cravings will go away if you give it some time, where true hunger intensifies. While I'm waiting, I need to do something I enjoy to distract myself such as knitting, reading, calling a friend, etc...

It's normal to worry about whether you will lose the weight this time and probably even more important if you will be able to keep it off. The good news is that you have about an 80% chance of keeping the weight off 5 years after you lose it. That's better odds than with any other way of losing weight, so the odds that you'll lose the bulk of your excess weight and keep it off in the long term are really very good. Those who do well with maintenance continue to see their doctor for long term follow up, (even if, actually especially if they experience a weight gain), are active in support groups on a regular basis and make real life style changes that will include physical activity and making considered choices about what you eat. I have to tell you that it really worried me too. That said, I don't know believe that I would have been able to lose the amount of weight that I have lost or be able to keep it off without the surgical tool I have, but it is also the behavior changes I have made that go with it that have made it work. I don't think that I could or would have succeeded without either of those things. 

Congratulations on your successes and realize that your struggles are normal and manageable.

My biggest struggle is that I am broke. But other than that all is fine. School is moving along and I am pretty focused on my studies. I have a pretty solid routine for eating that works for me right now and I am not moving on the scale in any direction. I am however building muscle and seeing an improvement in the fit of my clothes. I still see a weird shaped body in the mirror when I am nekkid but I do see a normal person in clothing. I make my vitamins and protein a priority. After 2 and a half years it does seem to be working. I love my water aerobics classes and swimming classes but I really hurt the days between them. I know that is toning me up but man it does hurt. So that's it for me. Hope to see y'all this month.

Hi Ann,

I understand the being broke struggle... just hoping it will ease up for you soon.

I'm glad to hear that you have found that sweet spot on the scale and have found the way to hold steady. Isn't it great to be able to maintain your weight and not have to fight with the scale all of the time. It's not that it's done with abandon. I know that you are paying attention and taking care of yourself and that is how you are maintaining your healthy weight, but not having to diet or fight with the scale is liberating, isn't it?

Keep up the good work with the exercise. I'm sure that it does make a difference in how you both look and feel. 

See you soon my friend!