Introducing myself, telling my story and reaching out to connect with others

Hugs... 

I am 8 years post op... I had some regain that I lost. 

For me - lower carbs with calorie count works better than just calorie counting.   Lower carb - moderate proteins and higher fat worked to my advantage.  Losing the regain was slow.. But as long as I was consistent - it happened. 

But... I had to relax a bit since it was a long process... The all of nothing approach that I tried caused some set backs along the way for me. 

I can see a high intensity - the all or nothing approach in your post.  If that is the case - sit back a little - don't crash and burn... good luck on your journey. 

I can totally relate.  I had lap band surgery in 2007 and lost 100 pounds and through the course of years regained most of it back.  In  May 2015 I had revision surgery to gastric bypass surgery.  I have lost 100 pounds but still have 50 more pounds to go.  I have been struggling for the past 6 months.  I don't eat the bread, pasta and sugars but I have cravings that make me crazy.   I too can overeat on meat, salads, and "healthy" foods.  It is great that physically I can do things I haven't been able to do in years but emotionally I am a mess.  I see a therapist and have been seeing various therapists for eating disorders for years.  The cravings are horrible at times and I feel hopeless to overcome them.  Personally, I am a therapist for substance abusers and have my LPC for people with mental heath issues.  I am a binge eater and struggle with depression (take meds) and I can help others but not myself.   I "know" better but can't make the changes consistently.   I feel so hopeless at times I want to die.   My therapist talks to me about mindfulness, relaxations techniques, and self love.  I am just so tired of the every day battle to not overeat and hate living like this.  I have relocated since my surgery so I am not in touch with a support network.  In the past when I went to groups it was basically newbies so the focus was on them.  I have tried to find a support network locally but to no avail.  I go up and down the same 10 pounds but feel miserable emotionally struggling and fearing I'll gain the weight back again.  I pray and seek guidance form God but even that doesn't help. I know the 12 steps and have gone to OA for many years in the past but there are not many people with long term success.  I have no idea how to get out of this rut.  You are not alone in this battle.  Many succeed at losing and keeping the weight off.  Don't give up.  

Hey there.  I've had binge eating disorder for a very long time, but was recently diagnosed and started a prescription for Vyvanse.  As far as I know it's the only FDA approved medication for BED.  If you haven't, you might want to talk to your healthcare team about it - it's been a life changer for me.  

Thanks for the info.  A little nervous about the addictive component of the medicine but will definitely talk to my psychiatrist and therapist about it. 

That's understandable.  From what I found in my own research, it seems very unlikely for addiction to occur at therapeutic levels, so I haven't been particularly worried!

While DBT is the gold standard for eating disorders (as I'm sure you know), I had far more luck with a very client-centered psychodynamic therapist.  I also had to radically change my environment.   I had a severe intractable case of binge eating disorder and I have not had a binge episode in years.  There are almost no groups just for BED, which is very different from the other disorders and just overeating.'

I also was estranged from my family and had to rebuild an entire support network wholesale in my late 30s.

As another therapist with BED who was also hopeless and completely disabled at one point, do not give up hope.  Many of us fight this fight, even as therapists, and the battle is ongoing.

The first step in improvement is acknowledgement and the second step is acceptance.  I am going through this right now.  I have not had regain, however I have had health issues, stress, and a case of excuse-itis resulting in no weight loss recently.  The last is the most annoying since it is on my shoulders.  I have been trying to be more accountable the past few weeks.

Thank you so much for sharing your story & it looks like you're on the right track to get the weight back off. It looks like you're doing an all or nothing approach & if it works great, but might I suggest that since inconsistency is a problem for you to instead pick one or a couple of things to work on & stay with that rather than try to change everything at once?

Putting your workout shoes near the bed might work for now, but it can get way too easy to push them aside & put on your slippers instead. lol

Also don't go by the amount of calories mfp says to eat. They are really not made with wls patients in mind. Go to the rny what are you eating threads. They are very active & you'll see that overall their calorie count is much lower to maintain, much less lose, their weight.

I also see that you're not getting much in real life type of support, which is ok if that's what you want to do, but I encourage you to seek therapy or some type of support, at least to get some strategies or coping skills so that you don't turn to food to self medicate.

I know that I'm not as far out as you, but I realized that I had to change my strategies to keep losing weight/maintain my weight. Usually it involved changing my water, carbs, protein & calories ratio. I only use exercise for the health benefits it gives my body, not to accelerate weight loss.

I think you should also make sure your bloodwork is ok & start tracking trends & to see a surgeon, not for a revision, but to make sure everything is ok in there. Some GP's don't know what tests to give you because that's not their area of expertise.

Good Luck & I wish you well & hope you stick around to let us know how you're doing.

First of all, a big hug!!! You don't need a revision. If you have never seen a behavioral therapist I suggest one. Now this is JMHO but I feel you are thinking of your life as the next diet.... We get all the food ready , we buy new stuff to exercise, even new work out clothes because this 'diet ' is going to work and it does for a few pounds and then life gets in the way and off the 'diet' we go. You KNOW what to do, just need a little mental adjustment ...said with love. Take a deep breath. Come some how to the realization this is your post op life !!  This is how it will be forever. I don't do anything special. I don't have bad stuff in the house. I always make sure I have good choices on hand. Somehow having a fridg full of 'good choices' keeps me from thinking about food. It's there. I am not strong enough to have bad choices in my home. I ride a bike daily because I love it. Find an exercise you love and don't think of it as excercise. Think of it as ' your time ' I am going on 14 years at goal and eat to live. When I dieted all I thought about was food, what I could eat and when and then, oh I can cheat ... You know the routine. Now this is how I take care of constipation . I have a box of sugar free chocolate candy. Yes candy. One does the trick , two make me very sick so there is no temptation. Away from home I eat what I want but very small portions. Again this is what works for me. I wish you all the best . 

Thanks Marie for sharing your story. I feel for you and hope by sharing a little of what helps me it might help you.

I see a therapist and she has helped me realize the all or nothing thinking that I recognize with you. What has been so helpful is each week we set realistic goals for the week.  My goal initially was to exercise 2X that week. I panicked and challenged her advice since I was fearful it wasn't enough. I came to realize, though that by meeting the smaller goals consistently my confidence level increased which led to my exceeding the goal for the week. Again, it's a huge shift from my thinking that I've had for years and will take time to solidify.

Many therapists who specialize in eating disorders often offer group therapy. Also, my psychologist at my surgery practice also suggests Weigh****chers, not for the diet but emotional support from the group. OA may be another option which I'm on the fence about but others find it very helpful. 

Finally, try to focus on all that you have accomplished despite the challenges. 

Again, I hope this helps.

Hugs,

Lisa