I guess what I am saying is: In the past food unhealthly controlled my life.

Now that I am a more normal weight food is STILL unhealthly controlling my life.

With hypoglycemia you have to learn how much carb is required to keep YOUR blood sugars up with increased activity. That is very hard when it is not an equal amount of activity each time. This is a highly individualized thing,and depends on how stable your diet is, how much protein you have daily, hydration levels, and probably some other things I can't think of right now.

My sugars were fragile for 10 years before my WLS, several years post op, when I changed jobs, I learned to take a regular hydration drink, cut it by 2/3 with water..making 3 full bottlles out of it, and drinking as needed during increased activity...to keep my sugars in adequate range and avoid passing out.I would take regular water separately and alternate from each bottle... an ounce or so at a time.No overload of sugars because it was portioned out over several hours between breaks.

It is hard to run, or work with blood sugars critically low.Not an optimal solution, but it was necessary for me NOT to be passing out .. while doing a physically demanding job in a high temperature area... I also increased my protein to the upper limits of what I was told were my goals...and most of that was liquid proteins to stay hydrated under the working conditions. I couted the carbs in my drinks as well... so not extra carbs,just liquid and spaced. My carb restrictions are really tight to keep my sugars stable. Getting a handle on hypoglycemia is critical for all stages of your activity. Having a seizure from low blood sugars is a scarey thing.

...If your bloodwork is good, Doctor and Nurse approve. forget the NUT, she has some kind of issue going on . and projecting it on you.... I would discuss her attitude with the nurse..because.... The Doctor needs to know his patients are being discouraged.

Congrats on being so close to goal at one year...now is the time to finish off those few pounds to goal. You are correct to be diligent about doing it NOW. In a few months it will become more difficult to loose as your body finishes it's reset. Your tolerances to foods will also change...with more tolerances in time.

I am also 5'5". and my orig goal was 150. I did get there and maintained while doing heavy physical work,for 7 years. 23 years later I am around 170-( life happens) and many things like stress/cortisol and responsibilities affect our weight loss/gain. Now I am working on trying to slowly get @ least 10 more lbs off.( I have not had any plastic surgery to remove excess skin, and have quite a bit.)It is a slow rocess this far out from surgery.

Continue to enjoy your new you,to take care of yourself and those dear to you.

Thank you for your kind words.

I'm giving it all I've for right now because I've already noticed things are getting harder and harder as the weeks and months pass. The holidays are also a difficult time with all the temptations out there. in a few days I go away for 10 days to spend the holidays with my brother who lives in TX. I KNOW it will be harder to stay on track while there but I will try my hardest to maintain during those days and once I am back home I will give it all I've got to get to that goal.

You can maintain. You can do this!.

remember Protein is first, . everything else is extra...Pouch size should help you to prevent over eating,. eat very slowly..twice as slow as everyone else...remeber your potions should be much smaller and it take at least as long to eat as the rest of your famly, even if you are able to slow them with conversation..., just make sure to enjoy the company of your family more than the food. Make this trip all about your relationships.

Don't stress over your food. here is one thing I do for special family dinners... I have found rather than deny myself,of a food I love, but can't normally consume. I limit to one teaspoon, and make it last for several bites, by consuming 1/3 teaspoon at a time, and savor each taste. ( maybe a special food like a sweet potato casserol, I will pull back the marshmellows and just eat from the center of a potato peice.Then I do not feel deprived.

i count my carbs to the high side for foods I do not prepare. because of unknown ingredients. So I might count that teaspoon of sweetpotatoes as 2or 3 grams of CARB. in reality it is no where near that. I keep a running total in my head for most days. Writing down the amounts I actually eat help me to focus on consumption without obsessing.

I used to hate picky eaters, Now I am one...LOL

Thank you so much, these are great tips.

I'm 5'6" and my goal is 145-150... I may not reach it but we'll see....

My experience with many of the professionals in the bariatric group is that they are working by rote. They see so many people, and habits get so ingrained that they just repeat stuff without thinking about what they are really saying, or the impact it might have on the person to whom they are saying it.

Examples:

At one visit to my surgeon, I was cleared for occasional use of ibuprofen by the CRNP. Two weeks later, talking to her on the phone to ask about taking solid vitamins, she cautioned me about never taking ibuprofen. "WTF lady!?! You yourself just told me it was okay!" (editorial note: I did not actually say WTF. But I thought it.)

"Oh. Oh yeah, you're fine then." Translated - "I am not paying a bit of attention to what I told you before."

At another visit with the nutritionist, she told me, "As long as you are getting 50-60 grams of protein in a day, you won't have to worry about losing muscle mass."

"Hold on there. Everything I am reading online says a man of my build should be eating at least 100-120 grams a day. MFP agrees."

"Oh, yeah, that should be even better for you! We just normally recommend 50-60 grams as a regular amount." Translated - "I'm just responding without even thinking."

I would chalk up your experience to that kind of automaton behavior, unless you really dig into it with her and get a reasonable, rational explanation about why she would say these things to you. Then you can set her straight by pointing out the inconsistency in what she is saying.

LittleBillJr.. You are right! they are somtimes on auto pilot. that is why these boards are so important to help others to cope with such bad info.health guidelines and health professionals are set on rote for a 5'5" or smaller woman with a small to medium build. the amounts in your responses are typical for that body type .

I did not use NSAIDS of any kind for more than 15 years post op. I began using it for severe pain at higher doses(2200mg/day)...Big mistake. caused infammation, and a intestinal twist. More than 4 years after this event, I am again cleared for occassional use.....I use it occassionally @ low doses(200-400mg) with a PP, prevacid works best for me. The lower my weight and more stable my health- the less I need NSAID effect. Willow Bark is my main go to now for pain, and essential oils for my sinus' issues. Headache or foot/tendon pain are my main issues, now.

I have a very physical occupation which often gives me bumps, bruises, and minor lacerations. I've also got moderate to severe arthritis in both shoulders from lifting lots of heavy stuff during my life (or so the doctor says). I've taken ibuprofen one time in 14 months. If I can keep that rate up, I'll be happy.