when do ketosis start? mine hasnt but, still worried
When you stop eating carbs!
How do yu know you are not in ketosis??
Neat article..meant tojumpstart wt loss post honeymoon but descibes ketosis...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How To Kick Start Your Weight Loss
A five day program to shift your body to a Ketosis-Based Metabolism
by Janean G. Hall
If you have not already read the article "Do You Long for Those WLS
"Honeymoon" Days? by BSCI President, Ken Miller, please read it before you
read this lesson. You can access the article by clicking on this link: Do
You Long for Those WLS "Honeymoon"
Days? http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-pagesetter-viewpub-tid-3-pid-11.phtml
This program has been developed for WLS patients, like you, who have come
to a long, difficult plateau or perhaps have regained some weight. When you
had your surgery the size of your new little stomach helped you attain the
state of ketosis - or burning the fat in your body for energy. Later on,
your body shifted back to a carbohydrate based metabolism and now you need
to take specific steps to get back into the losing mode (ketosis) again.
Your WLS tool is still there, available to help you, but you must recommit
to making your tool work to your greatest advantage. The goal of this
program is to help you make the shift to burning fat instead of sugar for
your daily energy needs, thus causing you to begin rapidly losing weight again.
Several types of surgical procedures are currently being used for
weight-loss. It's important that you take personal responsibility to
understand the basic nutritional requirements of the WL procedure you have
chosen. Even then you may experience variations of food tolerance and
nutritional challenges that are different from others who have received the
identical surgical procedure.
How To Kick Start Your Weight Loss
Burning Fat for Fuel
When you reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat (your goal should be
less than 10g per meal) in conjunction with the tool your WLS has given
you, (eating a limited amount of food) your body starts to break down the
fat storage you have built up.
When fats are used exclusively as fuels they are converted to energy and
excess ketones are a byproduct of this chemical process. The build up of
ketones in your bloodstream results in a condition called "ketosis".
Ketones are a normal and efficient source of energy for the human body.
Ketones are produced in the liver from fatty acids when there is not enough
glucose (blood sugar) in the bloodstream to supply the body with the energy
it needs. The fats in your last meal and those stored in your body are used
for fuel (energy). Once the liver converts fats to ketones, they cannot be
converted back to fat, and so they are excreted from your body through your
urine and saliva glands. It is the excretion of this energy that doesn't
have to be burned up by your normal metabolic processes that accelerates
your weight-loss.
How Do I Know if I'm Burning Fat for Fuel?
These are some ways you may identify if you are burning fat as your primary
source of fuel:
1. Ketones give your breath a sickly, fruity odor. This causes a bad
taste in the mouth and can cause food and liquids to have an undesirable
taste. Some people describe it as a "metallic" taste.
2.Your cravings will go away.
3. As you modify your diet, you will correct the way your body reacts
to the very foods that made you overweight. The physical cravings that
ruled your eating habits will be gone, and they'll stay away for as long as
you stick with the program. By the end of 7 days most of your carbohydrate
cravings should be gone. As a matter of fact, you may not even feel like
eating. (However if after 7 days you're still experiencing cravings the
chances are you are unintentionally eating carbohydrate foods. (These may
be hidden carbohydrates.)
4.You will feel full while eating less food. When you're eating
correctly you feel in balance, you feel satisfied, and you stop eating
naturally.
5.Your energy level will increase. About the third day you will
experience an increase in your energy level. You may find you no longer
suffer those tired periods that used to hit a couple of times each day.
How To Kick Start Your Weight Loss
Let's Get Started
If you're serious about getting off your plateau, losing more weight or
losing the few pounds you've regained, you'll need to follow the
instructions below and follow them exactly.
To switch your body's main fuel source from burning sugar to burning fats
for fuel instead:
1.Eat 10 grams of carbohydrate or less at each meal. Do not exceed 40
grams per day.
2. Eat 3 to 5 small meals per day; or 3 small meals and two high
protein snacks per day.
3.Do not skip meals or go more than 4 waking hours without eating.
4.Eat protein and vegetables only.
5.Do not drink during mealtime. Do not drink 30 minutes before eating
and wait 30 minutes after eating before you start drinking.
6.Drink at least 64 oz of liquid each day. Be sure to count the
carbohydrates listed on the drink in your daily carbohydrate count.
Remember . . . water has no carbohydrates.
7.Absolutely NO bread, pasta, grains, or starchy vegetables.
8.Make sure you know the quantity of food your WLS Dr. feels is
appropriate for you to be eating at this time.
9. Eat SLOWLY until you feel comfortably satisfied, knowing you will be
eating again soon.
10. Eat a small, controlled, protein snack between meals.
11. Don't assume any food is low in carbohydrates - read the labels!
Check the carbohydrate count that is on every package.
12. Journal your food intake for the five kick start days.
13.Only eat foods that are on the acceptable foods list during these five days.
Oils and Fats
You may use a variety of oils including corn, olive, safflower, sesame,
soybean, sunflower, vegetable, or canola.
Carbohydrate Comparison
Look at the comparison chart below, then make a wise choice. This may be
one of the main reasons you're not losing weight or a reason for your weight regain.
Ingredients Carbs Calories Protein Fat
¼ cup almond flour 6.00 160 6.00 14.00
¼ cup soy flour 8.35 82 10.24 4.44
¼ cup white flour 23.85 114 3.22 .31
¼ cup wheat flour 24.85 124 4.10 .57
¼ cup cornstarch 29.21 122 .08 .02
Do NOT Eat These Foods During Your 5 Day Kick Start
The following foods should be EXCLUDED ENTIRELY from your diet during
your kickstart because they interfere with your body's ability to switch
from a sugar-based energy source to a fat-based energy source.
1.Sugar in any form (cookies, donuts, candy, cake, ice-cream, etc.)
2.Milk and yogurt
3.Fruit and fruit juice
4. Flour products (bread, pasta, crackers)
5.Grains
6.Cereals
7.Beans and legumes
8.Starchy or high sugar-containing vegetables (potatoes, yams, corn, peas, parsnips, beets)
9.Sweet condiments (ketchup, barbeque sauce and balsamic vinegar)
10. Nuts and seeds
ACCEPTABLE FOODS
Eat Liberally Two to Three Cups Daily Three to Four Ounces Daily
* tuna (water packed) celery * mozzarella cheese* salmon * cucumber
cheddar cheese* chicken (breast) * lettuce * cream cheese *turkey (breast) * mushrooms * cottage cheese* lobster peppers * gouda cheese* shrimp * radishes *swiss cheese *crabmeat romaine * parmesan cheese * beef * zucchini
* gruyere cheese* pork broccoli * monterey jack cheese * ham * asparagus * roquefort cheese *veal * summer squash bleu cheese * bacon * tomato * bouillon
green beans * cream (light or heavy) *carrots egg/egg substitute
Condiments and Thickener needed for recipes
* Salt and Pepper
* Garlic Salt
* Salsa
* Mayonnaise
* Worcestershire sauce
* Soy flour
* These are the foods you will need to purchase for the recipes found in
the recipes list.
How To Kick Start Your Weight Loss
You can use the previous lists of foods to avoid and acceptable foods to
eat during your 5 day kick start and create a variety of dishes from those
foods - making sure you count the TOTAL number of carbs in each meal as you
use your own recipes that contain ONLY the acceptable foods.
CAUTION: This very low carb 5 Day Kick Start program is intended to be used for a limited period of time. It is not intended to be used as a constant diet for periods of time longer than 2 weeks.
What do I do after the 5 Day Kick Start Program?
After you have successfully reached a state of ketosis, as measured by
ketosis test strips, or after 2 weeks, whichever comes first, you should
modify your diet to include other sources of proteins and vegetables that
are excluded from this program.
After you have ended your 5 Day Kick Start program, you can maintain a
metabolic state of ketosis by concentrating on eating 70% protein and 30%
low carbohydrate, (non starchy) vegetables.
Eat 3 bites of protien and 1 bite of vegetables to easily maintain these
proportions of proteins to vegetables during your meal..
[At several different times during your meal, LOOK AROUND . . . Is your
mother there? If mom's not there, it's OK to leave some food on your plate!
If you're really concened about those starving people in third world
countries that your mom told you about, just write a short note asking your
host or server to send the food you left to someone who needs it more than
you do . . . then just get up and walk away.]
***CAUTION !
The recommendations made in this lesson are intended to be used by
Weight-Loss Surgery Patients who are in good health and who do not have any
medical condition that would be aggravated by a low carbohydrate diet.
***You should consult your physician before starting this program.
Resources used to produce this lesson:
a. American Heart Association
b. Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program - Richard F Heller, M.D.,
Rachael F Heller, M.D.
c. Caring For The Surgical Weight Loss Patient - Gay Andrews, PHD;
Diane Lemont, PHD; Sally Meyers, RD; Erin Nelson, RNMS; Jacquelyn Smiertka,
RN
d. WLS Patient-To Patient Cookbook http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-BSCIproducts-view-pid-48-menu-1.phtml
e. Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins, M.D.
f. South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston, M.D.
g. The Success Habits of Weight-Loss Surgery
Patients http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-BSCIproducts-view-pid-5-menu-1.phtml
h.. The Success Habits of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients Final Success
Workbook http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-BSCIproducts-view-pid-47-menu-1.phtml
i. WLS Patient-To Patient
Cookbook http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-BSCIproducts-view-pid-33-menu-1.phtml
How do yu know you are not in ketosis??
Neat article..meant tojumpstart wt loss post honeymoon but descibes ketosis...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How To Kick Start Your Weight Loss
A five day program to shift your body to a Ketosis-Based Metabolism
by Janean G. Hall
If you have not already read the article "Do You Long for Those WLS
"Honeymoon" Days? by BSCI President, Ken Miller, please read it before you
read this lesson. You can access the article by clicking on this link: Do
You Long for Those WLS "Honeymoon"
Days? http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-pagesetter-viewpub-tid-3-pid-11.phtml
This program has been developed for WLS patients, like you, who have come
to a long, difficult plateau or perhaps have regained some weight. When you
had your surgery the size of your new little stomach helped you attain the
state of ketosis - or burning the fat in your body for energy. Later on,
your body shifted back to a carbohydrate based metabolism and now you need
to take specific steps to get back into the losing mode (ketosis) again.
Your WLS tool is still there, available to help you, but you must recommit
to making your tool work to your greatest advantage. The goal of this
program is to help you make the shift to burning fat instead of sugar for
your daily energy needs, thus causing you to begin rapidly losing weight again.
Several types of surgical procedures are currently being used for
weight-loss. It's important that you take personal responsibility to
understand the basic nutritional requirements of the WL procedure you have
chosen. Even then you may experience variations of food tolerance and
nutritional challenges that are different from others who have received the
identical surgical procedure.
How To Kick Start Your Weight Loss
Burning Fat for Fuel
When you reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat (your goal should be
less than 10g per meal) in conjunction with the tool your WLS has given
you, (eating a limited amount of food) your body starts to break down the
fat storage you have built up.
When fats are used exclusively as fuels they are converted to energy and
excess ketones are a byproduct of this chemical process. The build up of
ketones in your bloodstream results in a condition called "ketosis".
Ketones are a normal and efficient source of energy for the human body.
Ketones are produced in the liver from fatty acids when there is not enough
glucose (blood sugar) in the bloodstream to supply the body with the energy
it needs. The fats in your last meal and those stored in your body are used
for fuel (energy). Once the liver converts fats to ketones, they cannot be
converted back to fat, and so they are excreted from your body through your
urine and saliva glands. It is the excretion of this energy that doesn't
have to be burned up by your normal metabolic processes that accelerates
your weight-loss.
How Do I Know if I'm Burning Fat for Fuel?
These are some ways you may identify if you are burning fat as your primary
source of fuel:
1. Ketones give your breath a sickly, fruity odor. This causes a bad
taste in the mouth and can cause food and liquids to have an undesirable
taste. Some people describe it as a "metallic" taste.
2.Your cravings will go away.
3. As you modify your diet, you will correct the way your body reacts
to the very foods that made you overweight. The physical cravings that
ruled your eating habits will be gone, and they'll stay away for as long as
you stick with the program. By the end of 7 days most of your carbohydrate
cravings should be gone. As a matter of fact, you may not even feel like
eating. (However if after 7 days you're still experiencing cravings the
chances are you are unintentionally eating carbohydrate foods. (These may
be hidden carbohydrates.)
4.You will feel full while eating less food. When you're eating
correctly you feel in balance, you feel satisfied, and you stop eating
naturally.
5.Your energy level will increase. About the third day you will
experience an increase in your energy level. You may find you no longer
suffer those tired periods that used to hit a couple of times each day.
How To Kick Start Your Weight Loss
Let's Get Started
If you're serious about getting off your plateau, losing more weight or
losing the few pounds you've regained, you'll need to follow the
instructions below and follow them exactly.
To switch your body's main fuel source from burning sugar to burning fats
for fuel instead:
1.Eat 10 grams of carbohydrate or less at each meal. Do not exceed 40
grams per day.
2. Eat 3 to 5 small meals per day; or 3 small meals and two high
protein snacks per day.
3.Do not skip meals or go more than 4 waking hours without eating.
4.Eat protein and vegetables only.
5.Do not drink during mealtime. Do not drink 30 minutes before eating
and wait 30 minutes after eating before you start drinking.
6.Drink at least 64 oz of liquid each day. Be sure to count the
carbohydrates listed on the drink in your daily carbohydrate count.
Remember . . . water has no carbohydrates.
7.Absolutely NO bread, pasta, grains, or starchy vegetables.
8.Make sure you know the quantity of food your WLS Dr. feels is
appropriate for you to be eating at this time.
9. Eat SLOWLY until you feel comfortably satisfied, knowing you will be
eating again soon.
10. Eat a small, controlled, protein snack between meals.
11. Don't assume any food is low in carbohydrates - read the labels!
Check the carbohydrate count that is on every package.
12. Journal your food intake for the five kick start days.
13.Only eat foods that are on the acceptable foods list during these five days.
Oils and Fats
You may use a variety of oils including corn, olive, safflower, sesame,
soybean, sunflower, vegetable, or canola.
Carbohydrate Comparison
Look at the comparison chart below, then make a wise choice. This may be
one of the main reasons you're not losing weight or a reason for your weight regain.
Ingredients Carbs Calories Protein Fat
¼ cup almond flour 6.00 160 6.00 14.00
¼ cup soy flour 8.35 82 10.24 4.44
¼ cup white flour 23.85 114 3.22 .31
¼ cup wheat flour 24.85 124 4.10 .57
¼ cup cornstarch 29.21 122 .08 .02
Do NOT Eat These Foods During Your 5 Day Kick Start
The following foods should be EXCLUDED ENTIRELY from your diet during
your kickstart because they interfere with your body's ability to switch
from a sugar-based energy source to a fat-based energy source.
1.Sugar in any form (cookies, donuts, candy, cake, ice-cream, etc.)
2.Milk and yogurt
3.Fruit and fruit juice
4. Flour products (bread, pasta, crackers)
5.Grains
6.Cereals
7.Beans and legumes
8.Starchy or high sugar-containing vegetables (potatoes, yams, corn, peas, parsnips, beets)
9.Sweet condiments (ketchup, barbeque sauce and balsamic vinegar)
10. Nuts and seeds
ACCEPTABLE FOODS
Eat Liberally Two to Three Cups Daily Three to Four Ounces Daily
* tuna (water packed) celery * mozzarella cheese* salmon * cucumber
cheddar cheese* chicken (breast) * lettuce * cream cheese *turkey (breast) * mushrooms * cottage cheese* lobster peppers * gouda cheese* shrimp * radishes *swiss cheese *crabmeat romaine * parmesan cheese * beef * zucchini
* gruyere cheese* pork broccoli * monterey jack cheese * ham * asparagus * roquefort cheese *veal * summer squash bleu cheese * bacon * tomato * bouillon
green beans * cream (light or heavy) *carrots egg/egg substitute
Condiments and Thickener needed for recipes
* Salt and Pepper
* Garlic Salt
* Salsa
* Mayonnaise
* Worcestershire sauce
* Soy flour
* These are the foods you will need to purchase for the recipes found in
the recipes list.
How To Kick Start Your Weight Loss
You can use the previous lists of foods to avoid and acceptable foods to
eat during your 5 day kick start and create a variety of dishes from those
foods - making sure you count the TOTAL number of carbs in each meal as you
use your own recipes that contain ONLY the acceptable foods.
CAUTION: This very low carb 5 Day Kick Start program is intended to be used for a limited period of time. It is not intended to be used as a constant diet for periods of time longer than 2 weeks.
What do I do after the 5 Day Kick Start Program?
After you have successfully reached a state of ketosis, as measured by
ketosis test strips, or after 2 weeks, whichever comes first, you should
modify your diet to include other sources of proteins and vegetables that
are excluded from this program.
After you have ended your 5 Day Kick Start program, you can maintain a
metabolic state of ketosis by concentrating on eating 70% protein and 30%
low carbohydrate, (non starchy) vegetables.
Eat 3 bites of protien and 1 bite of vegetables to easily maintain these
proportions of proteins to vegetables during your meal..
[At several different times during your meal, LOOK AROUND . . . Is your
mother there? If mom's not there, it's OK to leave some food on your plate!
If you're really concened about those starving people in third world
countries that your mom told you about, just write a short note asking your
host or server to send the food you left to someone who needs it more than
you do . . . then just get up and walk away.]
***CAUTION !
The recommendations made in this lesson are intended to be used by
Weight-Loss Surgery Patients who are in good health and who do not have any
medical condition that would be aggravated by a low carbohydrate diet.
***You should consult your physician before starting this program.
Resources used to produce this lesson:
a. American Heart Association
b. Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program - Richard F Heller, M.D.,
Rachael F Heller, M.D.
c. Caring For The Surgical Weight Loss Patient - Gay Andrews, PHD;
Diane Lemont, PHD; Sally Meyers, RD; Erin Nelson, RNMS; Jacquelyn Smiertka,
RN
d. WLS Patient-To Patient Cookbook http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-BSCIproducts-view-pid-48-menu-1.phtml
e. Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins, M.D.
f. South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston, M.D.
g. The Success Habits of Weight-Loss Surgery
Patients http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-BSCIproducts-view-pid-5-menu-1.phtml
h.. The Success Habits of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients Final Success
Workbook http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-BSCIproducts-view-pid-47-menu-1.phtml
i. WLS Patient-To Patient
Cookbook http://www.bariatricsupportcenter.com/module-BSCIproducts-view-pid-33-menu-1.phtml
Take Care, 
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
Jamie,
Thanks for this info. I am going to print this out tomorrow at work & also the other article referenced in the beginning. I need to back away from the carbs & maybe if I follow these rules for a week or 2 it can help me! I have also started going to a gym (other than Curves) with a friend & I know that will help!! I went with her Sunday morning & already feel muscles in one good workout that I didn't feel in 4 months at Curves!! It feels good!!! I am so scared that I am going to fail or worse yet am sabatoging myself (all things I have done in the past!)!! I talked to my pcp about all of my concerns Friday & she helped me through them. I swear sometimes the mental & emotional part of this journey is so much harder than the surgery itself!!!
Thanks again for supplying tons of helpful info!!! I really appreciate it even if I don't say so often enough!!!
Cece
Thanks for this info. I am going to print this out tomorrow at work & also the other article referenced in the beginning. I need to back away from the carbs & maybe if I follow these rules for a week or 2 it can help me! I have also started going to a gym (other than Curves) with a friend & I know that will help!! I went with her Sunday morning & already feel muscles in one good workout that I didn't feel in 4 months at Curves!! It feels good!!! I am so scared that I am going to fail or worse yet am sabatoging myself (all things I have done in the past!)!! I talked to my pcp about all of my concerns Friday & she helped me through them. I swear sometimes the mental & emotional part of this journey is so much harder than the surgery itself!!!
Thanks again for supplying tons of helpful info!!! I really appreciate it even if I don't say so often enough!!!
Cece
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... it is about learning how to dance in the rain!"
CECE
U R WELCOME
You are entering a challenging period being 10 minths out. The honeymoon is over or soon to be, you are discovering your ability to eat a greater quzntity and variety of foods and carbs may of sneaked in. You have olost most likely 2/3 of what you will by 6 months postop, and now seeing if your lifestyle and healthy habits will hold during some possibly emotionally challenging times. We can do it if we arm ourselves with knowledge and hard work! Be well, congrats on the gym it is a great next step!
(I also have a few other posts on getting back on track.....
MY recipe for success: (I GUESS SOME SEE THIS AS A DIET I SEE IT AS A PRESCRIPTION TO GET ON THE LIFELONG LIFESTYLE WE NEED TO BE HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL MAINTAINERS!)
1) FIRST YOU IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
2) SECOND YOU FORMULATE A PLAN OF ACTION!
3) THIRD you post it here so we can support you (Being accountable to someone outside of self helps!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOW MY PLAN was it takes about 3 days to overcome the HORRID/VICIOUS carb addiction cycle for ME/MOST (the physical aspect that is)...
SO STEP ONE:
I detoxed my house of all foreseeable triggers/carbs (*Yes some will say this is deprivation) well should we have all that crap all the time? Most likely not!
STEP TWO:
I loaded my home with things allowable such as cheese sticks, pepperoni, jerky, eggs (hardboiled a few ahead), sandwich meats, stocked up on shakes so I had variety for the 3-5 a day I could use, low carb veggies etc.....I actually come to enjoy them over time as I feel satisfied and happier and healthier
STEP THREE: I was following the south beach phase 1 plan (adding shakes as above), so I had the book and there is a document explaining the reason it works/the plan in the files under http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG_Off_track/files/ first folder back on track tips and plans.. Karen B's timer plan is there and many find that SO helpful!
I KEPT IT HANDY TO READ/REREAD in times of crisis. I believe in a daily shake if not 2 one in eve to stave off hunger.
STEP FOUR: Place motivational sayings all over, on computer on fridge (like nothing tastes as good as healthy & thin feels), you can do this, its only a craving and will pass in a few minutes!
STEP FIVE: List a bunch of things to do to pass time when a craving happens (it will happen and it will pass!) take a walk, drink a cup of water, have a shake, call a friend, email a friend, email the group, brush your teeth, listen to music, pet an animal (walk the dog), journal your feelings, give self a mani/pedicure, deep breathing/relaxation, go for a ride (bike or car) etc chew gum, have a sf hard candy. HAVE IT HANDY, as when we are impulsive it's hard to think so go to the list not everything will work all the time but it helps delay!
STEP SIX: MUST PLAN, plan meal, prepare take fluid and food with you, if you fail to plan you plan to fail as we say here on off track. THIS is about progress, NOT perfection so don't beat self up, know that things improve with each passing day u get the refined carbs outta your body. It really gets easier cause if you don't put the junk in the hunger really decreases it is amazing!>>>>Again south beach worked for me...took me 1 mo to lose my 10# regain following this it was the hardest week 1, after that hunger was minimal and my willpower could handle the HEAD cravings (it couldn't handle the physically driven ones from how I was eating...bread=hunger kinda thing)...
STEP SEVEN: WRITE IT DOWN if it goes in your mouth, at least week one...then tell us how u r doing, many use www.fitday.com and I also recommend exercise of some way shape or form for the body soul and mind! TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS! IT is hard, but you just gotta do it....READY SET GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another saying we have is its WHAT U DO 90% of the time that matters, this strict carb reduction isn't forever, you can reintroduce things at a later date, for now it is no carbs like bread & crackers cause they aren't your friend, they give lots of calories and little nutritional value and well they make u hungry sooner with NO satiety (full feeling) I agree a burger or a pork chop sits with me for hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DO YOU NEED TO GET BACK-ON-TRACK?
You dreamed this would be the last time you would need to lose weight. Weight loss surgery was the answer to your weight loss failures of the past. You were doing so well. Weight seemed to fly off so to speak in the beginning, almost effortless. No matter what you did you couldn't possibly take in enough to not lose weight. For many this was the first time in your life you didn't experience physical hunger. You felt full on so little. You were limited in the variety of foods you could have. Sugar, fats or large portions made you sick. If you didn't chew well enough, or slow down to eat or if you drank with our food you got sick. Dumping syndrome, although not an intentional part of weight loss surgery works as a strong behavior modifier. Who wants to experience nausea, vomiting, sweating, chest pain, palpitations, diarrhea, fatigue, and lethargy and have to lie down for one cookie? But over time your motivation wore off. Fast forward a year or two, you heard the window slam shut, the golden period tarnish and well quite frankly the honeymoon is over. This is normal & expected but you still are surprised & horrified! Denial works for a while but after the ' 10-20 pound bounce back weight' hits you decide you can no longer live in denial. Your clothes don't fit and you are scared to death. Many think their pouches have stretched. In reality it could possibly be a mechanical problem, but most likely it is the honeymoon period ending. You are then faced with the questions, "Did I use my time wisely?" & "Did I make the lifestyle changes needed to be successful long-term"? If you answered yes to both of these questions then congratulations & do not read any further. But if you can't answer yes to these questions and you find yourself OFF-TRACK, keep reading!
You remember hearing about it months ago, bariatric professionals educate regarding its existence & significance; it has many names, 'Window of opportunity', 'Golden period' & 'Honeymoon phase'. Did you really believe, understand and utilize it? Or did you think that weight loss surgery was magic and you were invincible? The first 12-24 months after weight loss surgery is a time of change, growth and rebirth for many. It is the beginning of a wonderful journey. It affords us to experience life unchained by Morbid Obesity and all its limits & complications. You have heard this mantra before a thousand times, weight loss surgery is only a tool and they operate on your stomach not your brain! What you sometimes forget is it isn't the end of your food issues.
You are not alone! Do not allow yourself to be alone! It is in isolation that you continue to struggle and stay off-track. Your surgery hasn't failed; you are just not using your tool to its potential that is all. It is there still; you need to get back to basics though. And yes this means you now have to work harder than the tool! Remember it isn't the surgery alone that makes us lose weight it is the lifelong lifestyle & behavioral changes you make that enable us to lose weight and keep it off. It is the tool that gives us the opportunity to make these changes. It levels the playing field for weight loss and maintenance with those who are not Morbidly Obese! In this delicate time many things happen: dumping may decrease or stop, you are able to eat a larger variety of foods, you can eat larger quantities of food, you get over the newness of surgery and may let some habits slide, the malabsorbtion may decrease as the body tries to normalize! Basically life happens.
So how to get back to basics? You have to just take one step at a time; it doesn't have to be all or nothing that is old thinking! Getting and staying on-track and making is the global goal. Now break down the lifestyle habits you need to stay healthy and on-track. What do you feel you can conquer first? Write down your goal for the week, then work on it, once you have one goal under your belt start on another, be patient and kind to yourself, no one said this was easy! It is hard and no one is perfect! But you can change. The negative habits didn't happen overnight so neither will positive ones! But they wont happen if you don't start somewhere! Asking for help and admitting the problem is a great first step! Life will always be busy but you need to place health as a top priority and taking care of yourself has to be more important than anything else.
Below are some ideas to help you refocus and get back on track. Remember everyone's needs are individual so use the following as a guide in how to break down habits. It is meant to help you feel not so overwhelmed. If you held on to some basic fundamental pouch rules you are ahead of the game. How many are you already doing? You may not be as off-track as you thought! Look at the positive and build on that!
Follow-up:
Ø Resolve to recommit to your lifelong aftercare program. When was the last time you went to see your bariatric surgeon, clinical nutritionist, dietician, primary care provider? When was the last time you had a complete set of labwork? Life-long follow-up is necessary for your health and can be a motivating factor for your long-term success! Do not feel ashamed of regain, empower yourself and surround yourself with professionals who can assist you on your journey!
Fluid:
Ø Resolve to drink 64 ounces daily, this will keep you full longer and keeps a small amount if tension on the pouch. Make sure most fluid is non-carbonated, non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic & non-calorie. In other words don't drink your calories! Many times when you think you are hungry you are simply thirsty! Fluid load before meals, by drinking a cup or two of water before you eat you can curb that hunger.
Ø Do not drink with meals and wait 1-2 hours after meals to start drinking, or you will just make yourself hungry again sooner! You can eat a lot of food by sipping with meals and washing the food down because the pouch has no pyloric valve controlling the flow of food, it is now a leaky drain and after a little time you have more room in the sink to fill so you can all eat a while after you eat.
Vitamins:
Ø Resolve to take a multivitamin, calcium citrate, B12 sublingually or parentally as directed by your labwork. And of course any other supplements you may need such as iron, magnesium, thiamine, zinc, Vitamin A, D, E.
Meals:
Ø Resolve to journal your food either online or in a notebook. You can't possibly know what you are eating or need to change until you visually see it! This also helps you be aware & accountable to yourself. Some free sites for this are: http://www.fitday.com/
http://www.onlinefitnesslog.com/
http://www.dietagenda.com/
http://www.nutrawatch.com/
http://www.sparkpeople.com/
Ø Resolve to eat ONLY 3-4 small meals a day over 10-20 minutes no longer, and NO grazing. Just because you may only eat a few bites here and there, over the course of a day you can eat thousands of calories mindlessly NEVER getting full! Portions are important! Measure, don't guess that handful of peanuts you think is ¼ cup may really be a ½ a cup!
Ø Eat protein first! Composition of meals should approximate: 50% protein leaving 25% of meal for veggies/fruit and 25% high fiber, multi-grain carbohydrates. Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates such as candy, cookies, cake, crackers, bread. These refined carbohydrates are a 'waste of space' and you can easily consume many calories with little nutritional value, and they'll make you hungry sooner! It doesn't have to be 100% of the time but should be the way you eat more like 90% of the time! Many people seem to be carbohydrate sensitive while others are calorie sensitive. Finding the balance that works for you is imperative. "Diet plans" work because people are mindful, accountable and usually eat less. It is still about calories in and out for most of us.
Exercise:
Ø If you are not exercising start by resolving to exercise 30 min 3x a week, then increase to 60 min 3x a week or 30 min 6x a wee****il you are exercising 30 min daily (or more)! It helps you cope with stress, so you don't turn to food, it will help the weight loss and also give you energy! You will feel better about yourself and be less apt to go for the food.
Support:
Ø Resolve to either get involved in a local support group monthly. Weekly would be better but at least once a month. There are also many online support groups that can help also. Or get into therapy to deal with your food issues and look at why you are sabotaging your happiness. Most of us have food issues and we all need to face them eventually. The surgery is a great help but the brain is slow to change.
It is hard work but looking at the issues and wanting to deal with them is the first step! Be proud of yourself for that and you can do it. What purpose is food serving for you? Do you need to hold on to old unhealthy habits of numbing your emotions with food or can you develop new, healthier habits to deal with stress? Today is a great time to start, not to change everything but to change one thing. Stop the excuses! If you wait you may have another 20 pounds to work on. Holidays and parties are always going to happen, you can always find an excuse to wait or a reason why you can't. Its difficult but search within yourself and find a reason why you can and do it. Remember why you started this journey and what you told yourself not so long ago! The power of positive thinking is yours! Think progress not perfection! You are worth it!
Feel free to join me on: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG_Off_track/
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I will cut and paste the article as I see the link is not working....
From BSCI's eNewsletter October 13, 2004
Do You Long for Those WLS "Honeymoon" Days? - by Ken Miller
This article is especially for all of you WLS patients who never quite reached your desired weight-loss goal, or maybe you've regained some excess weight after reaching your initial goal. At BSCI we refer to people in your situation as "Back-On-Trackers."
Back-On-Trackers have a very different set of needs compared to first year patients. First year patients are excited and on top of the world because they've just been through the "honeymoon phase" of their weight-loss and new worlds of opportunity have been opened up to them. They're almost giddy when talking about the comparisons of what they can do now with all the things they couldn't do prior to surgery.
If you're a Back-On-Tracker, it's very likely that you long for those "honeymoon" days and you wonder if there is any hope for you to ever be able to reach your goal weight after you've left the "honeymoon phase" far behind. Yes, you can do it. Absolutely! But it's more difficult to accomplish when you're not recovering from the effects of the trauma your body was put through when a WLS procedure was done to it.
I believe that most of the weight-loss miracles that WLS patients enjoy during their "honeymoon phase" are directly caused by the trauma their intestinal tract suffers during their WLS operation and these effects typically last a little bit longer than the amount of time it takes for those injuries to heal.
You may clearly remember how you felt when you reached the end of your honeymoon phase: As your pouch healed it relaxed and allowed you to eat a larger volume of food. And the desire to eat returned and was much stronger than it was while your system was healing. Since that point in time, you've had at least three things going against you that make it more difficult for you to lose weight than it was for you right after surgery:
1. Your enjoyment of eating and your appetite has returned; this typically occurs at about 6-8 months post-op.
2. After the first year post-op, you can eat much more volume at a single sitting (and therefore many more calories) than a new patient can eat.
3. As you lose weight, it takes progressively less energy to accomplish your daily tasks so you don't burn as many calories doing them. You've lost a lot of weight so your body doesn't have to expend as much energy just to keep your cells alive and you don't have to do as much work to move yourself around as you did when you were fresh out of surgery.
After your WL surgery, your body naturally went into a metabolic state that's commonly referred to as "ketosis" and as long as it remained in that metabolic state the pounds just fell off and it seemed like very little effort was required on your part to lose that weight. Ketosis is a chemical condition where your body produces excess ketones through the process of burning its fat stores. While you were in ketosis, your body burned stored fat to obtain its immediate energy needs rather than constantly demanding that you eat more carbohydrates. When you were in ketosis, many of your body's physical cravings were less demanding than they were when you were in a "normal" metabolic state.
You may remember that strange metallic taste in your mouth that affected how foods tasted to you. Some foods that you liked before surgery didn't taste good to you after surgery, and vise versa. That metallic taste is one of the main indicators that you're in a state of ketosis. The taste isn't pleasant, but the weight-loss effects certainly are!
Several months after surgery, your new gastric system healed and your desire to eat returned. Shortly thereafter, your memories and desires for sweets and other refined carbohydrates returned with a vengeance . . . and you thought, "Just this once won't hurt," so you tasted that "forbidden food" . . . just once . . . and the refined carb cravings became stronger . . . and stronger . . . and you found that you couldn't eat them "just once", but you ate them more and more often, and then . . . you fell out of that blessed state of ketosis. Your honeymoon was over and those relatively easy days of weight-loss never returned . . . and now you long for them and wish they could be yours "just once more," because you know you'd use them more wisely if you could have them back again.
Well, there's good news and bad news . . . first, the good news . . .
It IS possible to put your body back into a state of ketosis, similar to the state it was in after you first had surgery, and you can do it without having to go through surgery again, but it requires strict adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet to get it kick-started into that state. Then, it requires constant diligence to keep your body in the state of ketosis. It only takes one or two minor instances of "cheating" to drop out of ketosis and back into a "normal" metabolic state where it's much harder to lose weight.
. . . and the bad news is . . . it will never be as easy to shed those pounds as it was when your gastric system was healing after surgery. BUT, you can choose whether you want to give up, do it the hard way, or you can do it the easier way. That is the point of this discussion . . . achieving a state of ketosis, and maintaining it is definitely the easiest way to lose weight.
So, how do you do it? We'll get to that in a minute, but first, there are a couple of principles you need to understand before you jump right in and get started.
There is a fine balance between providing your body with enough food and water so that it doesn't go into starvation mode (where it will protect its fat stores rather than burning them) and providing it with so many calories that it doesn't need to burn fat stores to accomplish the tasks you require of it each day. You must feed your body enough water, protein, and complex carbohydrates (like non-starchy vegetables) so it senses there is an abundant volume of food available. Then it will realize that it doesn't have to squirrel away every last little calorie you eat and it will feel free to burn your fat stores to obtain its daily energy requirements. It will feel safe to burn fat because it doesn't have to worry about endangering your long-term survival.
Your body must receive enough protein to maintain good health and enough low calorie vegetables to provide it with the bulk it needs to feel full when you eat. The combination of feeling full (satiety), with plenty of protein and water, and no simple carbohydrates or sugars will produce a state of ketosis, where your body is using up your fat stores and yet it isn't in starvation mode because it's satisfied with the volume of food it receives each day.
That's why it's vitally important that you eat at least 3 meals per day and that you eat enough to feel full at each of those meals. Also, it's very important that you consume fewer calories each day than you burn THAT day. When you achieve this balanced state, you'll lose weight, feel comfortably full, and have all the energy you need to accomplish your daily tasks.
OK, those are the general principles you need to understand before you attempt to kick-start your body into ketosis. It's very important that you understand these principles or you are likely to find yourself yo-yoing in and out of ketosis and finally giving up because you don't understand all of the factors that must be in place so you can stay in ketosis.
Janean G. Hall, BSCI Support Group Lesson Development Director has researched and prepared an Online Learning Lesson that describes "How to Kick-Start Your Weight Loss - A five day program to shift your body to a ketosis based metabolism". Her lesson contains all of the principles you can use to get yourself into ketosis and recipes you can use to get there if you don't want to create your own menu. Following this new program will assure that your body will quickly switch from a carbohydrate based metabolism to a fat-based (ketosis) metabolism.
U R WELCOME
You are entering a challenging period being 10 minths out. The honeymoon is over or soon to be, you are discovering your ability to eat a greater quzntity and variety of foods and carbs may of sneaked in. You have olost most likely 2/3 of what you will by 6 months postop, and now seeing if your lifestyle and healthy habits will hold during some possibly emotionally challenging times. We can do it if we arm ourselves with knowledge and hard work! Be well, congrats on the gym it is a great next step!
(I also have a few other posts on getting back on track.....
MY recipe for success: (I GUESS SOME SEE THIS AS A DIET I SEE IT AS A PRESCRIPTION TO GET ON THE LIFELONG LIFESTYLE WE NEED TO BE HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL MAINTAINERS!)
1) FIRST YOU IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
2) SECOND YOU FORMULATE A PLAN OF ACTION!
3) THIRD you post it here so we can support you (Being accountable to someone outside of self helps!)
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NOW MY PLAN was it takes about 3 days to overcome the HORRID/VICIOUS carb addiction cycle for ME/MOST (the physical aspect that is)...
SO STEP ONE:
I detoxed my house of all foreseeable triggers/carbs (*Yes some will say this is deprivation) well should we have all that crap all the time? Most likely not!
STEP TWO:
I loaded my home with things allowable such as cheese sticks, pepperoni, jerky, eggs (hardboiled a few ahead), sandwich meats, stocked up on shakes so I had variety for the 3-5 a day I could use, low carb veggies etc.....I actually come to enjoy them over time as I feel satisfied and happier and healthier
STEP THREE: I was following the south beach phase 1 plan (adding shakes as above), so I had the book and there is a document explaining the reason it works/the plan in the files under http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG_Off_track/files/ first folder back on track tips and plans.. Karen B's timer plan is there and many find that SO helpful!
I KEPT IT HANDY TO READ/REREAD in times of crisis. I believe in a daily shake if not 2 one in eve to stave off hunger.
STEP FOUR: Place motivational sayings all over, on computer on fridge (like nothing tastes as good as healthy & thin feels), you can do this, its only a craving and will pass in a few minutes!
STEP FIVE: List a bunch of things to do to pass time when a craving happens (it will happen and it will pass!) take a walk, drink a cup of water, have a shake, call a friend, email a friend, email the group, brush your teeth, listen to music, pet an animal (walk the dog), journal your feelings, give self a mani/pedicure, deep breathing/relaxation, go for a ride (bike or car) etc chew gum, have a sf hard candy. HAVE IT HANDY, as when we are impulsive it's hard to think so go to the list not everything will work all the time but it helps delay!
STEP SIX: MUST PLAN, plan meal, prepare take fluid and food with you, if you fail to plan you plan to fail as we say here on off track. THIS is about progress, NOT perfection so don't beat self up, know that things improve with each passing day u get the refined carbs outta your body. It really gets easier cause if you don't put the junk in the hunger really decreases it is amazing!>>>>Again south beach worked for me...took me 1 mo to lose my 10# regain following this it was the hardest week 1, after that hunger was minimal and my willpower could handle the HEAD cravings (it couldn't handle the physically driven ones from how I was eating...bread=hunger kinda thing)...
STEP SEVEN: WRITE IT DOWN if it goes in your mouth, at least week one...then tell us how u r doing, many use www.fitday.com and I also recommend exercise of some way shape or form for the body soul and mind! TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS! IT is hard, but you just gotta do it....READY SET GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another saying we have is its WHAT U DO 90% of the time that matters, this strict carb reduction isn't forever, you can reintroduce things at a later date, for now it is no carbs like bread & crackers cause they aren't your friend, they give lots of calories and little nutritional value and well they make u hungry sooner with NO satiety (full feeling) I agree a burger or a pork chop sits with me for hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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DO YOU NEED TO GET BACK-ON-TRACK?
You dreamed this would be the last time you would need to lose weight. Weight loss surgery was the answer to your weight loss failures of the past. You were doing so well. Weight seemed to fly off so to speak in the beginning, almost effortless. No matter what you did you couldn't possibly take in enough to not lose weight. For many this was the first time in your life you didn't experience physical hunger. You felt full on so little. You were limited in the variety of foods you could have. Sugar, fats or large portions made you sick. If you didn't chew well enough, or slow down to eat or if you drank with our food you got sick. Dumping syndrome, although not an intentional part of weight loss surgery works as a strong behavior modifier. Who wants to experience nausea, vomiting, sweating, chest pain, palpitations, diarrhea, fatigue, and lethargy and have to lie down for one cookie? But over time your motivation wore off. Fast forward a year or two, you heard the window slam shut, the golden period tarnish and well quite frankly the honeymoon is over. This is normal & expected but you still are surprised & horrified! Denial works for a while but after the ' 10-20 pound bounce back weight' hits you decide you can no longer live in denial. Your clothes don't fit and you are scared to death. Many think their pouches have stretched. In reality it could possibly be a mechanical problem, but most likely it is the honeymoon period ending. You are then faced with the questions, "Did I use my time wisely?" & "Did I make the lifestyle changes needed to be successful long-term"? If you answered yes to both of these questions then congratulations & do not read any further. But if you can't answer yes to these questions and you find yourself OFF-TRACK, keep reading!
You remember hearing about it months ago, bariatric professionals educate regarding its existence & significance; it has many names, 'Window of opportunity', 'Golden period' & 'Honeymoon phase'. Did you really believe, understand and utilize it? Or did you think that weight loss surgery was magic and you were invincible? The first 12-24 months after weight loss surgery is a time of change, growth and rebirth for many. It is the beginning of a wonderful journey. It affords us to experience life unchained by Morbid Obesity and all its limits & complications. You have heard this mantra before a thousand times, weight loss surgery is only a tool and they operate on your stomach not your brain! What you sometimes forget is it isn't the end of your food issues.
You are not alone! Do not allow yourself to be alone! It is in isolation that you continue to struggle and stay off-track. Your surgery hasn't failed; you are just not using your tool to its potential that is all. It is there still; you need to get back to basics though. And yes this means you now have to work harder than the tool! Remember it isn't the surgery alone that makes us lose weight it is the lifelong lifestyle & behavioral changes you make that enable us to lose weight and keep it off. It is the tool that gives us the opportunity to make these changes. It levels the playing field for weight loss and maintenance with those who are not Morbidly Obese! In this delicate time many things happen: dumping may decrease or stop, you are able to eat a larger variety of foods, you can eat larger quantities of food, you get over the newness of surgery and may let some habits slide, the malabsorbtion may decrease as the body tries to normalize! Basically life happens.
So how to get back to basics? You have to just take one step at a time; it doesn't have to be all or nothing that is old thinking! Getting and staying on-track and making is the global goal. Now break down the lifestyle habits you need to stay healthy and on-track. What do you feel you can conquer first? Write down your goal for the week, then work on it, once you have one goal under your belt start on another, be patient and kind to yourself, no one said this was easy! It is hard and no one is perfect! But you can change. The negative habits didn't happen overnight so neither will positive ones! But they wont happen if you don't start somewhere! Asking for help and admitting the problem is a great first step! Life will always be busy but you need to place health as a top priority and taking care of yourself has to be more important than anything else.
Below are some ideas to help you refocus and get back on track. Remember everyone's needs are individual so use the following as a guide in how to break down habits. It is meant to help you feel not so overwhelmed. If you held on to some basic fundamental pouch rules you are ahead of the game. How many are you already doing? You may not be as off-track as you thought! Look at the positive and build on that!
Follow-up:
Ø Resolve to recommit to your lifelong aftercare program. When was the last time you went to see your bariatric surgeon, clinical nutritionist, dietician, primary care provider? When was the last time you had a complete set of labwork? Life-long follow-up is necessary for your health and can be a motivating factor for your long-term success! Do not feel ashamed of regain, empower yourself and surround yourself with professionals who can assist you on your journey!
Fluid:
Ø Resolve to drink 64 ounces daily, this will keep you full longer and keeps a small amount if tension on the pouch. Make sure most fluid is non-carbonated, non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic & non-calorie. In other words don't drink your calories! Many times when you think you are hungry you are simply thirsty! Fluid load before meals, by drinking a cup or two of water before you eat you can curb that hunger.
Ø Do not drink with meals and wait 1-2 hours after meals to start drinking, or you will just make yourself hungry again sooner! You can eat a lot of food by sipping with meals and washing the food down because the pouch has no pyloric valve controlling the flow of food, it is now a leaky drain and after a little time you have more room in the sink to fill so you can all eat a while after you eat.
Vitamins:
Ø Resolve to take a multivitamin, calcium citrate, B12 sublingually or parentally as directed by your labwork. And of course any other supplements you may need such as iron, magnesium, thiamine, zinc, Vitamin A, D, E.
Meals:
Ø Resolve to journal your food either online or in a notebook. You can't possibly know what you are eating or need to change until you visually see it! This also helps you be aware & accountable to yourself. Some free sites for this are: http://www.fitday.com/
http://www.onlinefitnesslog.com/
http://www.dietagenda.com/
http://www.nutrawatch.com/
http://www.sparkpeople.com/
Ø Resolve to eat ONLY 3-4 small meals a day over 10-20 minutes no longer, and NO grazing. Just because you may only eat a few bites here and there, over the course of a day you can eat thousands of calories mindlessly NEVER getting full! Portions are important! Measure, don't guess that handful of peanuts you think is ¼ cup may really be a ½ a cup!
Ø Eat protein first! Composition of meals should approximate: 50% protein leaving 25% of meal for veggies/fruit and 25% high fiber, multi-grain carbohydrates. Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates such as candy, cookies, cake, crackers, bread. These refined carbohydrates are a 'waste of space' and you can easily consume many calories with little nutritional value, and they'll make you hungry sooner! It doesn't have to be 100% of the time but should be the way you eat more like 90% of the time! Many people seem to be carbohydrate sensitive while others are calorie sensitive. Finding the balance that works for you is imperative. "Diet plans" work because people are mindful, accountable and usually eat less. It is still about calories in and out for most of us.
Exercise:
Ø If you are not exercising start by resolving to exercise 30 min 3x a week, then increase to 60 min 3x a week or 30 min 6x a wee****il you are exercising 30 min daily (or more)! It helps you cope with stress, so you don't turn to food, it will help the weight loss and also give you energy! You will feel better about yourself and be less apt to go for the food.
Support:
Ø Resolve to either get involved in a local support group monthly. Weekly would be better but at least once a month. There are also many online support groups that can help also. Or get into therapy to deal with your food issues and look at why you are sabotaging your happiness. Most of us have food issues and we all need to face them eventually. The surgery is a great help but the brain is slow to change.
It is hard work but looking at the issues and wanting to deal with them is the first step! Be proud of yourself for that and you can do it. What purpose is food serving for you? Do you need to hold on to old unhealthy habits of numbing your emotions with food or can you develop new, healthier habits to deal with stress? Today is a great time to start, not to change everything but to change one thing. Stop the excuses! If you wait you may have another 20 pounds to work on. Holidays and parties are always going to happen, you can always find an excuse to wait or a reason why you can't. Its difficult but search within yourself and find a reason why you can and do it. Remember why you started this journey and what you told yourself not so long ago! The power of positive thinking is yours! Think progress not perfection! You are worth it!
Feel free to join me on: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG_Off_track/
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I will cut and paste the article as I see the link is not working....
From BSCI's eNewsletter October 13, 2004
Do You Long for Those WLS "Honeymoon" Days? - by Ken Miller
This article is especially for all of you WLS patients who never quite reached your desired weight-loss goal, or maybe you've regained some excess weight after reaching your initial goal. At BSCI we refer to people in your situation as "Back-On-Trackers."
Back-On-Trackers have a very different set of needs compared to first year patients. First year patients are excited and on top of the world because they've just been through the "honeymoon phase" of their weight-loss and new worlds of opportunity have been opened up to them. They're almost giddy when talking about the comparisons of what they can do now with all the things they couldn't do prior to surgery.
If you're a Back-On-Tracker, it's very likely that you long for those "honeymoon" days and you wonder if there is any hope for you to ever be able to reach your goal weight after you've left the "honeymoon phase" far behind. Yes, you can do it. Absolutely! But it's more difficult to accomplish when you're not recovering from the effects of the trauma your body was put through when a WLS procedure was done to it.
I believe that most of the weight-loss miracles that WLS patients enjoy during their "honeymoon phase" are directly caused by the trauma their intestinal tract suffers during their WLS operation and these effects typically last a little bit longer than the amount of time it takes for those injuries to heal.
You may clearly remember how you felt when you reached the end of your honeymoon phase: As your pouch healed it relaxed and allowed you to eat a larger volume of food. And the desire to eat returned and was much stronger than it was while your system was healing. Since that point in time, you've had at least three things going against you that make it more difficult for you to lose weight than it was for you right after surgery:
1. Your enjoyment of eating and your appetite has returned; this typically occurs at about 6-8 months post-op.
2. After the first year post-op, you can eat much more volume at a single sitting (and therefore many more calories) than a new patient can eat.
3. As you lose weight, it takes progressively less energy to accomplish your daily tasks so you don't burn as many calories doing them. You've lost a lot of weight so your body doesn't have to expend as much energy just to keep your cells alive and you don't have to do as much work to move yourself around as you did when you were fresh out of surgery.
After your WL surgery, your body naturally went into a metabolic state that's commonly referred to as "ketosis" and as long as it remained in that metabolic state the pounds just fell off and it seemed like very little effort was required on your part to lose that weight. Ketosis is a chemical condition where your body produces excess ketones through the process of burning its fat stores. While you were in ketosis, your body burned stored fat to obtain its immediate energy needs rather than constantly demanding that you eat more carbohydrates. When you were in ketosis, many of your body's physical cravings were less demanding than they were when you were in a "normal" metabolic state.
You may remember that strange metallic taste in your mouth that affected how foods tasted to you. Some foods that you liked before surgery didn't taste good to you after surgery, and vise versa. That metallic taste is one of the main indicators that you're in a state of ketosis. The taste isn't pleasant, but the weight-loss effects certainly are!
Several months after surgery, your new gastric system healed and your desire to eat returned. Shortly thereafter, your memories and desires for sweets and other refined carbohydrates returned with a vengeance . . . and you thought, "Just this once won't hurt," so you tasted that "forbidden food" . . . just once . . . and the refined carb cravings became stronger . . . and stronger . . . and you found that you couldn't eat them "just once", but you ate them more and more often, and then . . . you fell out of that blessed state of ketosis. Your honeymoon was over and those relatively easy days of weight-loss never returned . . . and now you long for them and wish they could be yours "just once more," because you know you'd use them more wisely if you could have them back again.
Well, there's good news and bad news . . . first, the good news . . .
It IS possible to put your body back into a state of ketosis, similar to the state it was in after you first had surgery, and you can do it without having to go through surgery again, but it requires strict adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet to get it kick-started into that state. Then, it requires constant diligence to keep your body in the state of ketosis. It only takes one or two minor instances of "cheating" to drop out of ketosis and back into a "normal" metabolic state where it's much harder to lose weight.
. . . and the bad news is . . . it will never be as easy to shed those pounds as it was when your gastric system was healing after surgery. BUT, you can choose whether you want to give up, do it the hard way, or you can do it the easier way. That is the point of this discussion . . . achieving a state of ketosis, and maintaining it is definitely the easiest way to lose weight.
So, how do you do it? We'll get to that in a minute, but first, there are a couple of principles you need to understand before you jump right in and get started.
There is a fine balance between providing your body with enough food and water so that it doesn't go into starvation mode (where it will protect its fat stores rather than burning them) and providing it with so many calories that it doesn't need to burn fat stores to accomplish the tasks you require of it each day. You must feed your body enough water, protein, and complex carbohydrates (like non-starchy vegetables) so it senses there is an abundant volume of food available. Then it will realize that it doesn't have to squirrel away every last little calorie you eat and it will feel free to burn your fat stores to obtain its daily energy requirements. It will feel safe to burn fat because it doesn't have to worry about endangering your long-term survival.
Your body must receive enough protein to maintain good health and enough low calorie vegetables to provide it with the bulk it needs to feel full when you eat. The combination of feeling full (satiety), with plenty of protein and water, and no simple carbohydrates or sugars will produce a state of ketosis, where your body is using up your fat stores and yet it isn't in starvation mode because it's satisfied with the volume of food it receives each day.
That's why it's vitally important that you eat at least 3 meals per day and that you eat enough to feel full at each of those meals. Also, it's very important that you consume fewer calories each day than you burn THAT day. When you achieve this balanced state, you'll lose weight, feel comfortably full, and have all the energy you need to accomplish your daily tasks.
OK, those are the general principles you need to understand before you attempt to kick-start your body into ketosis. It's very important that you understand these principles or you are likely to find yourself yo-yoing in and out of ketosis and finally giving up because you don't understand all of the factors that must be in place so you can stay in ketosis.
Janean G. Hall, BSCI Support Group Lesson Development Director has researched and prepared an Online Learning Lesson that describes "How to Kick-Start Your Weight Loss - A five day program to shift your body to a ketosis based metabolism". Her lesson contains all of the principles you can use to get yourself into ketosis and recipes you can use to get there if you don't want to create your own menu. Following this new program will assure that your body will quickly switch from a carbohydrate based metabolism to a fat-based (ketosis) metabolism.
Take Care,
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
how i know im not in ketosis is, casue, i only lost 30 lbs since surgery and everyone says that u start to smell from ur breath and vagina, and under arms... well my breath hasnt been pleasent since surgery, but my other places are ok. so im thinking that i havent started. but im not craving carbs.. or maybe i am, honestly i just havent been wanting to eat casue i alwasy end up throwing up.
Live, Love and Laugh
Kisses , Nanette 
Hello,
I always recommend folks remember we are individuals and knowing this can assist in realizing that how our body will respond may be similar or different than others. For instance having your vaginal and arm pit areas smell is a new one to me, that has NEVER happened (that I am aware of) when I have done a low carrb diet/been in ketosis which was 'known' by the number of carbs I ate and a urine ketostix. So perhaps you may not have those symtptoms as 'everyone says'.
Breath is a common (fruity) way to tell. I do ask that you consider Ketosis is NOT the goal of wt loss surgery, even wt loss is not the ultimate goal but developing a healthy lifestyle that will as a result have wt loss and eventually wt maintenance tied to it.
I wonder when was the last time many of us could of lost ONLY 30# in a month!!! (w/o surgery that is)...I would not say that is a way to discern being in ketosis or not (amt lost) some folks on Atkins lose 2# a week....
Sometimes we consume our lives with food, thinking about what we can and can not have, when we can eat or should eat, how much, how often, how it should be cooked, when to buy it, how much, what we weigh, how much we lost today/this week etc that we occupy so much time and do not even realize that we have no time left to feel (the point) in an addiction, it takes over us so we can forget us and what we are scared/fearful of feeling/being.
Think of today as just another NEEDED step in your million mile journey to health and long-term success; which WLS is one of the million as well *it is not the destination*Those that have goals that are health focused and functionally focused do the best (vs. those that are scale or weight/number focused). I am such a firm believer in not allowing the scale (or hunkametal that it is) to rule or dictate ones life/thoughts/feelings any longer, I agree we want to lose wt but gaining our health and ability to function in life are far more important than any number the scale can read; otherwise if it never reads the number we think, others say, a chart suggests we fail and that is simply not true!!! Most of our lives we have set RIGID, UNREALISTIC WEIGHT LOSS GOALS for ourselves that are BOTH UNATTAINABLE and CHRONICALLY DISAPPOINTING and lead to DEVASTATION & the slippery slope of self-sabotage...Review the UNDERLYING lifestyle change such as exercise, food choices, self-awareness/monitoring, avoidance of emotional eating, adherence to living self responsibly in a CONSISTENT way that is the foundation to our long-term success. For me I keep telling myself daily that***THE GOAL SHOULD NEVER BE A NUMBER*** These choices are what makes WLS work long-term and not be another failed diet attempt (and believe me it is for MANY! So I use that fear to keep plugging along)...It is a wonderful tool to build the foundation and sadly one that has ways to be defeated/broken down as we all can discover (grazing etc). Consider writing all the 'supports' of diet/exercise/lifestyle changes, coping skills etc for non-emotional eating (i.e through individual therapy, support groups) you have worked on, now where do you need to add reinforcements? You now are seeing it can collapse and the WLS tool if not used properly/consistently can be defeated w/o the extra supporting structures...Like having only one wall of your basement in place before putting the house on top.. what happens? it can crumble w/ the weight of the house (your life/the worlds challenges), but if you have the 4 walls in place (food choices/planning/healthy and consistent choices, exercise, self awareness/monitoring, support); then the WLS tool can just reinforce that foundation and make the house stand strong for a long long time!
We also can remember if we choose that wt loss amounts differ and we have the choice not to compare our journey to others. There are so many factors to consider, heights, starting weights, men vs. women, individual metabolisms, age, and most importantly if you have any other medical conditions or are on medications!!!
Remember the heavier people are the more they will lose (but the farther away one will be from an ideal bodywt..) and the lighter one is the closer to an ideal bodywt you will get, but the less they will loose overall!
It is challenging in the begining to eat food when we get sick, remembering that health is our goal many will eat to live now vs living to eat, part of the behavior modification. getting in the needed fluids, protein, vits/minerals and exercise is our tasks, doing the best we can each day....It is amazing how faster many lose when they actually eat despite not being hungry, vs those that put themselves in starvation mode by eating nothing. Be well on your journey and keep asking questions! Knowledge is powerful!
Surgery was the easy part looking back although going through it I thought it was the hard part (ha how skewed that was!) living the lifestyle after in a consistent, self responsible manner is the most CHALLENGING thing I have ever chosen to do, I did not realize preop the immense effort it takes each moment to be healthy! It is so worth that energy though the freedom it brings!
REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS is a big thing for me to share with the wls community.
WHERE IT ALL STARTS!
The surgical community considers anyone a success when they have lost 50% of their excess weight. Right here we have a problem. MANY approach this surgery expecting to lose 100% of our excess weight. And if we don't, then we consider ourselves failures even though our surgeon is adding our name to their success column.The first month or two after the surgery makes matters worse. You are losing 20 pounds +/- a month and believing that this will go on forever. I know I had my calculator out and was trying to figure out how long it would be before I hit my goal (excess pounds divided by 20). But life isn't like that for most of us. We hit plateaus. We come to the end of our widow of opportunity before we reach our goal and we stop losing. Or we stop losing and regain some of our weight. Why do surgeons consider 50% as a success? It is because there is no other method that you could use that would result in that much weight loss on a permanent basis (think 5, 10, 15 years). Remember back to your old diet days? Yes, you lost weight, but regained it plus additional weight. The best you can attain with dieting is a 5% weight loss.Before surgery, have your eyes wide open. Although most people lose 70% to 80% of their excess weight, you may lose only 50%. Figure out what 50% is, and be sure to rejoice when you hit that mark. ANYTHING ELSE IS A BONUS!
Enjoy the journey each stage is gone so quickly!
I always recommend folks remember we are individuals and knowing this can assist in realizing that how our body will respond may be similar or different than others. For instance having your vaginal and arm pit areas smell is a new one to me, that has NEVER happened (that I am aware of) when I have done a low carrb diet/been in ketosis which was 'known' by the number of carbs I ate and a urine ketostix. So perhaps you may not have those symtptoms as 'everyone says'.
Breath is a common (fruity) way to tell. I do ask that you consider Ketosis is NOT the goal of wt loss surgery, even wt loss is not the ultimate goal but developing a healthy lifestyle that will as a result have wt loss and eventually wt maintenance tied to it.
I wonder when was the last time many of us could of lost ONLY 30# in a month!!! (w/o surgery that is)...I would not say that is a way to discern being in ketosis or not (amt lost) some folks on Atkins lose 2# a week....
Sometimes we consume our lives with food, thinking about what we can and can not have, when we can eat or should eat, how much, how often, how it should be cooked, when to buy it, how much, what we weigh, how much we lost today/this week etc that we occupy so much time and do not even realize that we have no time left to feel (the point) in an addiction, it takes over us so we can forget us and what we are scared/fearful of feeling/being.
Think of today as just another NEEDED step in your million mile journey to health and long-term success; which WLS is one of the million as well *it is not the destination*Those that have goals that are health focused and functionally focused do the best (vs. those that are scale or weight/number focused). I am such a firm believer in not allowing the scale (or hunkametal that it is) to rule or dictate ones life/thoughts/feelings any longer, I agree we want to lose wt but gaining our health and ability to function in life are far more important than any number the scale can read; otherwise if it never reads the number we think, others say, a chart suggests we fail and that is simply not true!!! Most of our lives we have set RIGID, UNREALISTIC WEIGHT LOSS GOALS for ourselves that are BOTH UNATTAINABLE and CHRONICALLY DISAPPOINTING and lead to DEVASTATION & the slippery slope of self-sabotage...Review the UNDERLYING lifestyle change such as exercise, food choices, self-awareness/monitoring, avoidance of emotional eating, adherence to living self responsibly in a CONSISTENT way that is the foundation to our long-term success. For me I keep telling myself daily that***THE GOAL SHOULD NEVER BE A NUMBER*** These choices are what makes WLS work long-term and not be another failed diet attempt (and believe me it is for MANY! So I use that fear to keep plugging along)...It is a wonderful tool to build the foundation and sadly one that has ways to be defeated/broken down as we all can discover (grazing etc). Consider writing all the 'supports' of diet/exercise/lifestyle changes, coping skills etc for non-emotional eating (i.e through individual therapy, support groups) you have worked on, now where do you need to add reinforcements? You now are seeing it can collapse and the WLS tool if not used properly/consistently can be defeated w/o the extra supporting structures...Like having only one wall of your basement in place before putting the house on top.. what happens? it can crumble w/ the weight of the house (your life/the worlds challenges), but if you have the 4 walls in place (food choices/planning/healthy and consistent choices, exercise, self awareness/monitoring, support); then the WLS tool can just reinforce that foundation and make the house stand strong for a long long time!
We also can remember if we choose that wt loss amounts differ and we have the choice not to compare our journey to others. There are so many factors to consider, heights, starting weights, men vs. women, individual metabolisms, age, and most importantly if you have any other medical conditions or are on medications!!!
Remember the heavier people are the more they will lose (but the farther away one will be from an ideal bodywt..) and the lighter one is the closer to an ideal bodywt you will get, but the less they will loose overall!
It is challenging in the begining to eat food when we get sick, remembering that health is our goal many will eat to live now vs living to eat, part of the behavior modification. getting in the needed fluids, protein, vits/minerals and exercise is our tasks, doing the best we can each day....It is amazing how faster many lose when they actually eat despite not being hungry, vs those that put themselves in starvation mode by eating nothing. Be well on your journey and keep asking questions! Knowledge is powerful!
Surgery was the easy part looking back although going through it I thought it was the hard part (ha how skewed that was!) living the lifestyle after in a consistent, self responsible manner is the most CHALLENGING thing I have ever chosen to do, I did not realize preop the immense effort it takes each moment to be healthy! It is so worth that energy though the freedom it brings!
REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS is a big thing for me to share with the wls community.
WHERE IT ALL STARTS!
The surgical community considers anyone a success when they have lost 50% of their excess weight. Right here we have a problem. MANY approach this surgery expecting to lose 100% of our excess weight. And if we don't, then we consider ourselves failures even though our surgeon is adding our name to their success column.The first month or two after the surgery makes matters worse. You are losing 20 pounds +/- a month and believing that this will go on forever. I know I had my calculator out and was trying to figure out how long it would be before I hit my goal (excess pounds divided by 20). But life isn't like that for most of us. We hit plateaus. We come to the end of our widow of opportunity before we reach our goal and we stop losing. Or we stop losing and regain some of our weight. Why do surgeons consider 50% as a success? It is because there is no other method that you could use that would result in that much weight loss on a permanent basis (think 5, 10, 15 years). Remember back to your old diet days? Yes, you lost weight, but regained it plus additional weight. The best you can attain with dieting is a 5% weight loss.Before surgery, have your eyes wide open. Although most people lose 70% to 80% of their excess weight, you may lose only 50%. Figure out what 50% is, and be sure to rejoice when you hit that mark. ANYTHING ELSE IS A BONUS!
Enjoy the journey each stage is gone so quickly!
Take Care,
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
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