Nutrition Help - 18 mths Post-Op

Good Afternoon All,

I had my RnY in August 2013 and have since lost approx. 150lbs (300 highest). I am at a 21.3 BMI and 17% body fat. I am now a triathlete but mentally a recovery obese person and I always will be. I am in Alberta now from On and have yet to be able to see a Bariatric dietician, so I am looking for assistance.

As we all are afraid to regain, I am wondering if my eating is relative to that of a post-op of 18mths. I am going to be doing the 5 day PT this weekend because I have let sliders foods back into my diet (bad girl).

So this is where I am at food portion wise
- 4oz max of any solid protein or ground protein
- 1/2 - 1 cup of any food
- at least 80gms protein
- 130 grams of carbs
- Roughly 1400 cals a day (which scares the crap out of me but I am trying not to have anorexic tendencies which I am getting help for and being an athlete).

I should add that I also do eat pizza and a donut every now and then. I also train and lift weights for a couple of hours everyday and drink protein shakes as a recovery.

This pouch is no joke! The cravings come back, the desires come back and old habits die hard. Thanks all.

Hey :)

Generally, your plan looks good. The one thing I would say is that 130g carbs is really high and dependent on your own body, the calories may be a little low - unfortunately this takes a little trial and error to figure out the right balance.  Carbs/sliders sneak right back in, don't they? Sneaky little *******s.  The 5DPT is an option if you feel you need a real slap in the head to get a re-start. It'll definitely help kick carbs out of your diet/routine, so there's that.

Maybe join us on the "what are you eating" thread for accountability and suggestions.

K.

Hi Karen,

Thank you for your reply, I have followed you since 2012 and I really appreciate your honesty, always. Ok that is good to know about the carbs, I am going to work on getting that lower and I think the 5DPT will definitely slap me and I need it. LOL sliders are sneaky!

I am going to try to join the thread of eating everyday, thanks again, hope all is well.

Chelsea

That's great, Chelsea, we're thrilled to have you back with us! :)

I am curious, what do you mean by a "slider" ?

Thanks,

C

"Sliders" are foods that very easily go straight through the pouch and into the intestine without hanging around, either due to being liquid or liquidy (like yogurt) or are things that can be chewed down/melted in your mouth to nothing (like chips, crackers, etc.). Some sliders are good for us (Greek yogurt, protein shakes, etc.) but most are NOT (chips, crackers, melba toast, all the carby things you can think of).

I do not know how old you are but it sounds like you exercise a lot. You may need the 1400 calories

Hi Chelsea. 

Congrats on your success! I've heard the 5dpt works for some, as a reset to their system. It just made me miserable, and I quit after two days. Dense protein is always the key to getting back on track. 

I also train, and I have been playing with my eating schedule for a few years now. As you are just coming out of malabsorption, your calories might be ok to maintain your loss for now. You might find that after year 2 things can change with the additional calories, even with training. When I go into carb-loading the few days before a race, I gain easily. A lot of athletes do, but we seem to gain easier. 

Protein shakes as a recovery is grea****ch the cravings. Kick them in the butt now, if possible. Also, if you feel you are having anorexic tendencies, then please seek help. There is lots out there. 

Good luck, and hope to see you posting your races!

Wonderful responses, thank you all!

I am going to re-plan my meals for sure. I am scheduled to see a Dr. on Monday at the Eating Disorder Clinic because I was diagnosed with anorexia in the summer. Intellectually, I reason everything. It's a fine balance of getting in nutrients (but not too much), being a distance athlete and struggling with the mental aspect of still seeing obesity in the mirror and then calorie restriction.

Anyway, if anyone is interested I put a before and 'after'/progress pic in my profile. Still want to lose 13lbs. Cheers, thanks ladies!

Chelsea what the vets have said is great advice, I just want to also invite you to the What Are You Eating thread.  It's a great bunch of people on the thread, all of which have just responded to this post - Pat, Karen, Kelly, me (flutters eyelashes).   We laugh, plan our menu for the day, share tips, encourage and the vets truly inspire and inform.