One year post-op / DS

I just joined. i used to be a member of different facebook support groups but quit FB. I had DS just over a year ago and lost from 309 to 215. My weight has plateaued and I'm struggling now with wanting to eat and graze. I started turning to pork rinds as a good low/no carb option for snacking but before i know it, I've eaten the whole bag. I am slipping into bad habits again and sneaking sweets when I think I won't be discovered and judged. While my weight has not gone up, I notice that my midsection and around my face seems fuller. i feel like I'm regaining fat, and I guess the higher fat diet i've been eating contributes to that. I don't really know what I need to do at this point. I guess if this were an AA meeting, I would say Hi, I'm Bob and I am off my eating wagon and can't get back on.". :( i don't want to lose complete control and gain back all the weight i lost. more about me- 200 cm CC, normally less than 40 carbs a day, plenty of protein, and i take my vitamins religiously.

hi bob, welcome. What's a days menu look like for you?

We malabsorption the fat we eat so it isn't fat that is causing the problems. More likely it is carbs slipping in, which we absorb at 100%. Do you drink beef, wine or other high calorie drinks? They can cause weight gain too.

Good morning! For breakfast i drink a permafrost premier Protein shake. I drink a lot of coffee and add sugar free creamer. for lunch i eat chicken breast or ham or turkey slices with cheese as a roll up. i snack on pork rinds, almonds, cheese sticks, cottage cheese... for dinner i eat chicken, turkey, pork and have a salad or broccoli or some other vegetable. i end the night with a Quest protein bar to cure my snacking and sweet tooth. That's my normal day. my biggest "cheat" is overeating and if i go to the grocery store, i will sneak a cookie to eat. sometimes i do eat oatmeal as a snack if i'm hungry. I haven't gained weight, but i feel like my body has shifted and my clothes are tighter? Thanks for any suggestions!

your menu looks good. I hear you about the cookie and oatmeal. How often do you eat oatmeal for a snack? It is pure carbs and is absorbed 100% as calories.

HollyKim, I eat oatmeal 2 or 3 times a week, but i do make it decadently. i make it with half and half, butter, salt, and splenda.

I'm an RNY'er, not DS, so things might be different for you - but weight does tend to shift around after the first year or two. I looked really drawn and skeletal at about 18 months out, but then things started shifting around and I looked better - fuller face, etc.

that said, a lot of people start gaining weight during year 2 or 3 - mostly for the reason you mentioned. Bad habits start to slip back in. I'm still fighting a 20-lb gain I had in year 3 (well, 10 of it I really needed to gain - but the second 10, no). It's REALLY hard to get it off. I've lost only three measly pounds since March. So do whatever you can to avoid gaining. Find some substitutes for overeating - whatever works for you - get out and do something, call a friend, work on a puzzle, keep your fridge stocked with things like raw vegetables, SF Jello, etc. Or drink something. One of the speakers at this year's Obesity Action Coalition conference said hot drinks, especially, will curb appetite in some people.

good luck - but yes - get on top of this. You may not be gaining weight NOW from it, but that luck may not last.

When I found myself thinking about cheating with something like a cookie, I found low carb, high protein recipes and made my own cookies. I also had an ice cream machine and had sugar-free ice cream every single day for many years.

With the Keto diet craze, the internet is full of great recipes that are high in protein and low in carbs. It is soon going to be 13 years since my surgery. I do not believe in depriving myself or in not giving in to cravings. I have conquered cravings with my diet friendly substitutes.

I have accepted the fact that I will always have to track my food or I will regain the weight. I do weigh daily and also use the smart scale to track water, muscle, fat, and bone density. I have had several periods of regain and then losing that regain. I wear a fitness tracker and get daily exercise. I currently follow Weigh****chers.

There is a daily menu thread each day on the RNY forum. The people there have RNY, VSG, or DS. The food plans are very similar. It is a great place to interact with others who are in this struggle together. Please join us there. You do need a support group and Facebook is just not the best place to be these days. Way too much negativity.

Good morning Bob and congrats on the initial weight loss. My guess from your various posts is that, believe it or not, you're probably not eating enough food. The DS is different than any other WLS and you have to treat it differently, especially in your head. Not sure how much more weight you want to lose but you're at a different stage now. Sometimes a plateau needs a kick start. Up your protein. How much are you getting? at least 100 grams? If your DS was done correctly, fat is your friend, not your foe. You should only be absorbing about 50% of the fat you consume. You say you normally eat less than 40 carbs per day. Are you including EVERYTHING you eat?

Personally I think you're not eating enough for the DS. Start writing down everything you eat to really see exactly what you're eating and what might be causing your stall.

Yes you need to change your eating habits - FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. This is not a diet - this is your life. I eat sweets, I eat bad carbs, but I also eat tons of protein, eat good carbs, drink lots of water. If I notice my weight is creeping up (and I'm talking a few pounds) I honestly look at what I'm eating and what's causing the weight gain - 99.99% of the time it's bad carbs, period - and that's 17 years post-op. My DS still works as long as I pay attention to it.

I agree 100 percent with this. I will be 15 years out this November and this describes me exactly. I have been within 7 pounds of my goal weight of 155 for about 13 of the past 15 years. Protein! Protein! Protein! then Fat! Fat! and then carbs.

Water is huge and exercise is crutial. Take Care!