I'm Scared For the 1st time!!

Okay, I am hungry a lot for the past 2 days and I find I can eat a little more than I used to....and its freaking me out man!!! I don't want my pouchie to stretchy stretchy and the little thing better just stay where he is and not make me hungry anymore. Maybe its psychological after Dr. Byrne talked about how after 6 months you will start to feel hungry again and I have heard others say that too. If I start to gain any weight, I swear I will just freak and staple my mouth shut. I did not come this far to go back where I was that's for sure. I am not eating bad foods, but I find I can now eat like 4 oz of meat instead of 2 or 3, so that is not good, I also had 1/3 of a baked potatoe, not a big one, and also a few grapes about 15 minutes later to help me go to the bathroom. Maybe I am constipated and that is why I feel so heavy, the scale shows I lost another 2 lbs, but I think cause of past weight losses and gains, I am scared. Anyone who is longer than me, 8 months on the 24th can shed any light, that would be appreciated. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My nerves are wrecked right now with thoughts of gaining weight, it still freaks me, I suppose we will always battle this no matter what happens. Love to all, Thanks for the support, Deb

Deb, I got scared the other day when I felt like I was eating way too much only a few days post-op, so I can imagine how it feels that far out. SO many people tell me they know someone who had WLS and gained it back and it is scary to think that we could. You took the right first step in coming here for support. Not sure how much advice I can offer, but if it were me, I'd be extra vigilant with my food diary, drink some warm tea or broth if I feel hungry and it's not time to eat, or call a support person on the phone- even our favorite nutritionist- to ask for suggestions. Hang in there!!! This too shall pass! Love, Christine

I am doing much better, the minute I started feeling the hunger/head thing, I started back on my wellbutrin, which actually cuts my cravings. I am also starting back on my protein shakes with some benefiber added to them for constipation, and that seems to have helped me a lot. I am so thankful we have this board to come to. I had this happen 2x before, once right after sugery, and the wellbutrin was awesome, and then a few months back, Christmas time, and we figured out that my body must have needed the extra nutrients since it was begging to be fed. After weighing over 300lbs and then starting off almost 300lbs at surgery, you just never ever want to go back again!! I want to keep losing....I only have 25lbs more to go, or 35 for my goal, so common' body, let's get losing!! I think being constipated....ewh, gross, has kinda played into the bloated gaining feeling, even though the scale says I have gone down some??? Love you guys You are the best!! Deb

Deb, We can all relate... going back to where I was is a fear I think we all have...I know I do!!! I waited to respond to your post to see if anyone further out post-op had any advice. I'm just shy of 11wks post-op, and really look to you and others who are further out to gage my journey. I am impressed that you really worked through this problem on your own. You used what you've already learned to re-group, and get yourself back on track You should be really proud of yourself...I'm proud of you!!! As Glenda the good witch would say..."You had the power in you all along"! So My Dear Deb, even in your struggles you continue to motivate and teach. That's what being a witness is all about. Love you Sista' Tonya

Hi deb I'm almost at one year 5-11-05 and I have had the same thing the last few days. It freaks me, it has been a great year not to gain any weight. Guess we will have to try harder and we can do this . Just think what we were going threw this time last year.Take care and God bless.

This happens to me and to Dawn too. It terrified me the first few times it happened and she says she feels the same way, but I am learning that this is a normal thing and it's okay. It comes and goes and doesn't last more than a day or so. They seem to balance out with the days when I don't feel like eating as much as I should. I get really, really hungry and then, of course, I panic. I have had periods of plateau fluctuation along the way, but they don't seem to have any connection to the hunger thing and I have never attributed a weight gain to a day of eating a little more. I just have days when I wake up hungry and I can't be satisfied by what usually satisfies me. So, I first try water loading. I have at least one large protein shake a day and have started eating salads, so I'll do a really big salad with hard-boiled eggs and chicken or shrimp and add another shake. It may be too soon for lettuce for you. I avoided it until a couple months ago because I considered it to be wasteful use of pouch space, but now it's low-cal pouch-filler and I love it. On days that I need to eat more, I tell myself that I will make a good choice each time I eat, and that I'll have a better day tomorrow. It really does work that way. In fact, sometimes I wake up the next morning and I've even lost a pound. I think sometimes our bodies need a boost of calories and we need to listen to them. I'm alot further out than you. I used to be much more nervous about everything working correctly and making sure that I was doing things the right way, just like you are. The good news is that one day you will wake up and that tension you feel will be gone, because you know you ARE doing all of those things for the long run. Deb, you are doing a fantastic job and everything is working just the way it should. Just look at you - at the beach in a bikini!! I don't feel like I'm battling anymore. I used to have lots of constipation issues, but they just went away and I don't even have to take fiber pills anymore. Last Thursday Dawn and I were talking about something we heard Britt say the other night - that at 18 months your body figures out what you're doing and you stop losing. Now, that's totally out of context, because we didn't hear her explanation, but all I can tell you is that I am 17 months out now and I am doing great. I don't believe what she said, at least for me. I think my mind has figured out what I'm doing and this is going to work for always. I think it IS psychological in that it's a choice we make in our hearts and minds, I am still losing. I can eat more and that is normal. I am relaxed about my lifestyle and way of eating. It has become what is normal for me. In fact, I don't even think about having had the surgery most of the time anymore. I plan to live this way for the rest of my life. Dawn feels the same way and I can see it in Susann, though we haven't talked about it. We have lost the stress factor over each bite of food we take. It will come for you too, because you have made the same commitment for yourself. So, You are normal, you are doing an excellent job, and you are going to absolutely meet your goal. The fact that you are so concerned means that you are committed to success. Now, go relax. That's an order!! Love, B

Barbara...I'm soooooooooo glad you posted!! I needed to hear what you told Deb...Awesome advice, because this IS a lifestyle change. I'm working towards the day when I'm not stressing over every bite too!! A Big Thank You..."THANK YOU"!!! Tonya

Hi Barb, Thanks for all that info. But I didn't mention anything about the 18 month thing. Dr. Byrne did mention that the other night at MUSC, and it isn't the same for everyone I am sure that he was speaking on statistcs. Britt

I'm so sorry. I stand corrected. Actually, someone else told me you had said that and I should know better than to pass on information that I don't hear with my own ears. That's how trouble starts. Forgive me? Love, B

Ofcourse Silly!!!