Help :( I'm a statistic

Hello! I'm 32, and I'm married with two beautiful little kiddos! In 2008, at the age of 20 and weighing 330lb I underwent gastric bypass surgery. BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE!! At my lowest weight I was 235lb, I never made it to "ONEderland" but I had lost 100lb so I was happy. Fast foward to 2015, I was about 278lb when I had my daughter. I worked my ass off and managed to lose that weight. Skip to 2017, I had my son. With this pregnancy I hit approximately 286lb. In the spring of 2018 I managed to lose every pound that I gained with him plus 10lb. So, in April 2018 I weighed 225lb!! I. WAS. ON. CLOUD. 9!!!! But then something happened and I fell off the wagon and got very depressed. Both of my sister's (who are identical mirror twins) both had bypass surgery after I did, and both underwent tummy tucks and 360° body lifts Dec 2018 and May 2019... So while they were getting even thinnier, I was gaining back weight like crazy! This takes us to today... 12/16/19. I weigh... 308lb!!! What have I done to myself? How did I let this happen? I feel like an embarrassment to my family. Im an embarrassment to myself! Im a walking talking weightloss surgery statistic! I feel hideous! I fear that I will never "get my happy back"... A lot has changed for me this past year, my daughter began preschool 4 days a week, I babysit a 7month old M-F, I took a job teaching children in China online very early every morning at 4am and my husband works midnights. The time that I once had in the past to focus on myself and exercise is no longer there... Also, I am able to eat so much more now than ever before... I literally don't get any fullness sensation which used to tell me to "stop eating!". I had an EGD completed this past February ordered by a new physician closer to my home. The NP who ordered it said that it showed that everything was normal and directed me to see the dietician I the office. I probably know everything possible about calories, carbs, fiber, fat, good foods vs bad foods, metabolism etc. I've dieted my whole life. I know what to eat. I just miss having a "tool" to help me... I scheduled an appointment this Friday at the office of the surgeon who actually performed my surgery in 2008. Does anyone have advice on how to word my situation and inquire if there's any procedures available to help me regain rhe feeling of fullness/tightness in my stomach? I understand that if there are no problems then a revision isnt an option, but maybe there's something else that can help assist me? Any (positive/constructive/helpful) advice is greatly appreciated. I'm sure tons of ppl eat terribly and go back asking how to get the weight off, but I don't want to sound like "that person". I've gotten on meds to help with the depression and began seeing a therapist to try and understand myself, so I'm on the right path. Any suggestions on how I should word what I'm wanting/looking for?

Thanks in advance!

Laura

I also had surgery in 2008. I am up 30 from my lowest. I am a stress eater and this has been a crappy year. I am in counseling and it has helped me a lot. I have not gained any additional weight since the summer, which is a "win" for me. I have decided to join WW to help me lose the weight I need to lose.

Work with your therapist to make a plan and stick to it. Good luck.

I'm so discouraged. I have so much weight to lose it seems impossible!!

You are still young. time you have. Motivation you need to find. Get counseling. That may help you.

If you don't start - you would never get where you need to be.

Divide the task into small tasks.

First lose 20 lbs. You can do that it is you want that hard enough.

For me, WHAT I eat decides my fullness factor. Eat nothing but dense meat and you'll see that your pouch is still working.

I lost 60lbs last year on keto for 3 months and then low carb (50g per day). Took me about 9 months and I have maintained that loss (give or take 5lbs) for the last 14 months.

To regain the feeling of fullness in your pouch, go cold turkey. By that I mean cook a turkey breast, cut it in slices, put it in the refrigerator and eat nothing else. Eat as much as you want of it. It will keep you very full. Carbs won't. Once you add flour, sugar, bread, cookies, crackers, cake, cereal, rice, or potatoes it will run through you and you will be hungry.

Weight loss surgery success lasts for about 30 months. After that the body realizes that you starved it and figures out how to get its weight back. Most people have added 20 pounds by the end of year three. Many have regained 50 by year five and will gain even more by year ten.

The only way to lose weight again is to be on a diet. For me it has to be a structured diet, like Keto, Vegan, Weigh****chers, Jenny Craig, Atkins, or any other diet. I do the best with Weigh****chers.

We have seen many people have revision surgeries. They lose twenty pounds and slowly gain it back. The big weight loss from surgery is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Revisions rarely work.

You can lose the weight again, but it will not be the easy ride it was after surgery. Now it will mean sticking to a diet that works for you.

Hey, I am new to the site. Could you please tell me why WW's full title gets starred out but Atkins and Jenny Craig do not? Thanks Rachel

What White Dove said. I am going to do on Weigh****chers. It makes the most sense and will go protein forward. I would suggest this to you. Time had nothing to do with it. Only what you eat had anything to do with the weight. It all boils down to that. Our stomachs are small and will react to dense protein so make it work for you. Dense protein, then veg then fruit. period. Yes, it sucks to have to diet again. When you reach goal you can loosen up a bit. I have had a 20 pound gain. I am 68 years old and I am going to loose this in 2020.

I also had the surgery in 2008. I had 2 significant regains, app 30-35 lbs each time. I lost the regain both times. It was a hard work to do it. The regains did not happened over a week or even a month. I had to be patient and realized that I can gain fast but losing is so very slow. Long term, losing up to 1lb a week is doable. That would mean it may take you 2 years. And you are still young. Exercise is not needed to lose weight. I take on exercise when I try to gain weight.

So- start right away. Often, by changing a diet, we can lose first 10 lbs rather fast. But after that - be realistic and expect 1 lb a week on average.

Over the years I noticed that when I eat carbs, even complex carbs, and sugary things - my pouch can lose sensitivity to a full signal. I can eat, and eat and eat.. and then eat some more.

But when I change my diet, and eliminate carbs, most carbs, my pouch resets itself and again 4-5 oz of any dense proteins, and a few bites of veggies, and I am done, full.

When I switch from eating regular diet to low carb diet - the first week is most difficult. I often make or buy RTE (RTE -ready to eat) food and have a great selection in my house and at work of meats (chicken, shrimp, pork, cold cuts, fish) and some non-starchy veggies (cucumbers, no sugar pickles, zucchini, yellow squash, lettuce, olives, avocado, greens, etc.) and good fats. For a week I just eat that, and only that, eating as often as I feel hungry, and eating enough to feel full, or satisfied. When I eat dense proteins - I need to take smaller bites, eat slowly, chew properly. I make sure my meals have at least 25 gr of proteins, and at least 10 gr of fat, and no more than 5 grams of non-starchy carbs. I may have a few days that I eat almost until the bedtime. As a treat I may allow myself a few nuts (the lower in carbs). I don't drink my calories. I am allergic to dairy and I avoid things like yogurt, cream, etc. These are also items that are higher in carbs, so I am

Often, by the time the week is over, I really get full on much less food. And by the end of the week my appetite is down, and then I eat on schedule.

After the first "induction week" my appetite is often down and I can get full on much smaller amount of food. Alcohol can make me hungry and like sugar, it can make my pouch less sensitive to full signals.

As a matter of fact, when I had a problem with eating enough in my year 4-5, I would sip wine with my do=inner to be able to eat more.

Slider foods never make me feel full, even with a good pouch, the liquids just ran through with almost no stopping.

Good luck.

When you ready, just start eating right, drink lots of water, and be patient with yourself. When I was losing the 35 lbs, that took me a while. First 10 lbs i lost almost in no time, but after that it felt like i had to work extra hard to lose the rest. When i found my self "cheating" or having a pity-party day "I don't care!" I would try to snap out of it as soon as I noticed that. Not "Tomorrow" or "Monday, for sure I'll do it Monday" but the very next meal. One meal eaten off plan did not mess up my whole program, or even a day. It is just daily cheating on myself caused stall and actual weight gain.