10 months post op RNY- not doing very well with FOOD need advice please

Hello - I had my RNY in October 2015 I weighed 337 prior to surgery today I weigh 179 . My weight is up from an all time low of 172. I am kind of at the same place I was the last time I posted. I continue to eat a lot of protein bars, and protein supplements for breakfast and lunch then I eat dinner. Unfortunately my grazing has returned. I really want to know if anyone else is experiencing the same problems with food and feelings/emotions that I am??   I eat protein bars and supplements because I just cannot find time in my schedule to go to the grocery or even cook. I am planning to go to the grocery and try to cook some healthy food tonight.

This is just my story and I know that yours may be different and I respect that.  My hunger and appetite and food cravings all returned in the 7 to 8 months post op. For the first 7-8 months I was just really never hungry. Today I feel like my overeating, craving for food, grazing has all returned and is really worse then ever.  I am jogging and exercising, training for a half marathon in mid October and full marathon in November. Overall I am super happy that I have had surgery. Prior to surgery I had severe chronic back pain ( I guess from all the extra weight) I could barely walk and had a handicapped parking sticker from my doctor because of the back pain. So I am thankful that I can move again and for the most part I am no longer in back pain and after 4.5 years the chronic back pain is gone. 

However, as time goes on it seem like eating healthy, eating according to the guidelines, and maintaining my weight just becomes more difficult. I mistakenly thought prior to surgery that this would be much easier then it is. Of course I am worried about regaining the weight. I never feel like I am full. And I know I have written this in previous posts- jogging (14 minutes per mile) once a week 20 miles- Makes me Hungry!  And  in the past others here have told me to stop exercising and I would no longer be hungry. Right now that is not an option for me, I continue to jog and plan to try to complete the marathon if possible. 

If you are pre-surgery and planning to have RNY, I still whole heartedly would recommend it!! - But just remember or know that you will have to continue to "DIET" after you have surgery and count protein grams and carbs forever. Well thanks for letting me rant! I look forward to hearing from all of you - Thanks!!

When I started to regain weight, my nutritionist said no more protein shakes.  I eat mostly meat for all meals.  You can go to Five Guys and get a burger with no bun, order boneless chicken wings (breast meat) without the extras, buy deli meat or salads with chicken or steak.  Eggs are always an option.  So are things like cheeses, tuna or salmon, Wendy's chili or refried beans.

The protein supplements are good for getting in enough protein early out when we are unable to eat real food.  Now they are just adding extra calories and not keeping you feeling full.  Nothing fills me up like a piece of steak for breakfast.

You need to be eating meat at every meal and ditch the "frankenfood" protein bars.  They will never keep you feeling satisfied.  Protein bars should ONLY be used if there are no other options available.  I keep one in my purse when I'm running errands and know I won't be home at meal time.  

Also ditch any simple carbs like pasta, bread, crackers, rice, sugar, chips.  Those foods will start a major craving cycle.  I would even limit fruit to one serving per day.  Veggies and meat only!  Most people who start craving or feeling hungry are eating too many carbs.

 In addition to what White Dove suggested, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is a great "go to" and no cooking!  Frozen veggies can be heat up in the microwave.  If you have time to exercise as much as you do, you have time to grocery shop.  Your health depends on it!  Make the time!!!

Schedule your meals and eat by the clock.  I eat a very small meal (200 to 300 calories) every 3 or 4 hours to keep my blood sugar steady and I measure every bite.  It's easy for portion sizes to creep up over time.  If I eyeballed my food, I would over eat at every meal and re-gain my weight.  You need to train yourself to be satisfied with what you measure and then STOP EATING!  Never eat until you feel full.  I am a food addict and can not trust myself to make that judgement call.  If I knew how to stop eating when I was satisfied  I would never have needed surgery. For that reason I still measure my portions (I'm almost 6 years out from RNY).

Hunger is not an emergency requiring immediate action.  You can allow yourself to feel hunger until your next scheduled mealtime.  Many of us have never allowed ourselves to actually feel hunger.  We feel the need to feed ourselves at the first, little, signal.  We use food to sooth our emotions and that "full feeling" feels like comfort to us.  Feeling hunger is O.K.  Not feeding it immediately is O.K. Nothing bad will happen to you if you force yourself to wait.  Drink a no calorie beverage instead.  Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger.

You can do this!!!!

Thanks this is very sound advice that I needed to hear. I really appreciate it! And you are right. Thank you!!

It sounds as though you never had a real meal plan that works with your life style - time comittments, travel and exercise schedule, etc.  If I did what you do, I would be hungry all the time and gain weight.  Now that you are out of the first 6-7 months where everything is easy, you have to have a plan that will work now that you are really recovered from surgery and living your 'real' life - hunger and everything.  Are you drinking enough - I still feel hungery when I am really thirsty and ice tea does it for me.

I suggest that you meet with your NUIT and develop a plan that addresses your real life.  The advice that OH people are giving you about eating REAL protein food is spot on, however, I sense that you do not really understand how to implement the skills you need.  It is not that hard, but you need to think different - like ditch the excuses, find out where you can get no salt added turkey lunch meat, cooked shrimp, etc. if you really cannot cook (your story sounds like learned helplessness in the kitchen) but you can cook and food shop once every 1-2 weeks and still eat properly and buy real food, not protein bars.

You are still under 180, so get your plan together and make this new life normal. 

As a newbie, I'm still at the stage where food doesn't appeal to me much...

I need to bookmark this, because this advice is most awesome.

Thank you!

You are remarkably average. Hunger comes back for the majority of people by the end of the first year, and things start getting more difficult. So, congrats on being one of us.

Unfortunately, it keeps getting harder. Make some adjustments and get back on a workable plan. You've done great so far. Take a breath, and dig back in.

Ditto to what everyone has shared with you. Sounds like you have gotten away from the basic rules that help us get to goal and stay there as well as the food/eating.  Here is a good list and also, cross post this on our RNY Forum if you have not done so. Great support and knowledge there as you see her from a few of them that had RNY.

Planning/Preparing

Remember when we were preparing for surgery?  How many meetings, classes and such did we attend?  We were told the more prepared we were the better our chances were for success.  And they were right. Go through the house, car and work place and get rid of trigger foods.  Stock up on foods that will keep you on track. I removed every bad carb/sugar temptation and replaced it with lots of protein, veggies, grains and fruits.

Journaling

Get back to journaling.  This will help you identify when you feel like eating, stress factors and any triggers in your life.  Once you identify these factors, this will help you put tools in place to keep you from eating.  It became clear I was not taking time for me anymore. I worked my day job and then spent the rest of my time caring for my husband.  It was easy to reach for fast, prepackaged food.  Since I purged my home I have to eat clean as there are no other options LOL

Use a tool to track you're eating and exercise like Getting Started with Health Tracker.  Once I started to track ever bite and drink it became clear why I had gained.

Goals/Rewards

Make a list of goals for yourself.  Make them realistic and small.  Some of mine were move more, purge all junk from my home, eat more protein.

Food

In general, a long term post-weight loss surgery eating plan includes foods that are high in protein, and low in fat?, calories, and sugar. Important, vitamins and minerals are provided as supplements. (if you had a different surgery adjust this to your food plan).

Water

Water is our Best Friend. I have to say I never went back to pop or any bad drinks, however I was drinking tea like crazy. What is wrong with drinking tea?  I was either using sugar or 3 equals and 3 sweet n lows per 32 ounce glass.  So I was either pushing to be diabetic or get cancer.  I found once I started carrying a bottle of water around 24/7 (yes had one at my bedside) I lost the cravings for the sugar and I KNOW those artificial sweeteners are not good for me. Look I am old and if you add up all the artificial sweeteners I have consumed I am sure I am at the rat in the lab getting cancer threshold.

MOVE!

I can't say enough about how key this was for me. The reason I kept my weight off for almost 10 years was no matter what, I kept moving.  If I could not go to the gym I would walk. I loved Zumba, bootcamp workouts, lifting weights. When I stopped, the weight started coming back.  So for me I am starting slow to avoid injury by walking and using some of the workouts on my Demand TV.  Find something you love to do and it won't feel like a pain in the *** to do daily.

Support

If it's an option "run" don't walk to a support group.

Keep me posted on how you are doing.

Thanks for your response and good advice!

Good on you for shooting for the marathon-- AND getting back on track only 7lb up.

Do you have any grocery stores that deliver or do online pickup? I find that helps a TON. I can order my usual standby food-- string cheese, pre-cooked meatballs, canned tuna, lunchmeat-- and only take a few minutes to pick it up.

Are you eating carbs right now? That can definitely mess with your hunger signals, plus you can eat a LOT more than you can dense protein. Try going zero-carb for a week and breaking that habit, it really helps even though it's very hard at first.