What does YOUR Dr's office suggest to get back on track?

I e-mailed my Dr's office over the weekend and told them what I am trying to do to get back on track and apparently I'm doing the wrong things. I know every single Dr has different guidelines for RNY. So I want to know what yours suggests?

The nurse e-mailed me back saying to:
1. exercise 30min a day most days of the week, at a moderate intensity (considered a 15 minute mile, or 4.0mph on a treadmill for reference).

2.RMAP's Theory on Protein Shakes: Don't drink them. Protein shakes are more often used for people who want to GAIN weight, rather than LOSE weight. Protein shakes will not fill you for very long, so you will become hungry much sooner than if you ate regular food. We recommend 40-60g/protein/day. This can easily be achieved from food, as it is equivalent to 160-240 calories/day from protein. So a pointer from our practice would be to AVOID protein shakes/bars.

3. How much water do you drink/day? We recommend AT LEAST 64 ounces/day. We often mistake thirst for hunger, as the thirst mechanism can be very subtle at times. Water will help keep you more satisfied throughout the day, especially in between meals. When you think you are hungry inbetween meals, try drinking a glass of water, and you might find you are no longer hungry.

4) How is your portion control? How much do you eat at every meal? In the beginning, you should be eating 2 ounces/meal, but with time, more food at every meal may be necessary to satisfy yo. But for the rest of your life, you should never eat more than 6-8 ounces food/meal.

I was trying to do 2 protein shakes a day, if not at least 1. I have been trying to eat alot better, smaller portions, and healthier food. And if I feel like i'm hungry in between meals, I do some type of veggie. I have been doing this for a few weeks and see no change on the scale. WTH is going on? I have not exercised regularly, so I know that is a HUGE problem with not seeing success, and i know i will need to step that up ALOT.  But please tell me what your opinons are and what have worked for you, as far as getting back on track to losing weight!!!!!  TIA
Jules

 Rigorously Lowfat ( as in I aim for 100% fat free cooking at home and fatfree dairy all the time ) works for me ......also I eat  high quality high fiber carbs (whole grains, veggies and fruits and fat free beans)  and minimize the sugar .

I have enough energy to exercise first thing in the morning if at all possible and make it a priority .

I personally think the low carb lifestyle that many suggest in here ( like eggface's recipes )  may work for people witha LOT to lose but that it would make me GAIN weight or not lose any at all.

I'm one lb from goal seven and a half months after starting my preop diet - I eat out , I eat over friends houses regularly without being a dietary PITA -I deal with pressure at work every single day .... a very FULL , EXHAUSTING Schedule ... andI still lost 112 lbs !! 

FOr what its worth - a national newspaper just printed the results of a huge study of low carb vs lowfat diets - and the lowfatters lost twice as much weight initially and kept off twice as much on average three years later .  

THey also were a lot healthier ,suffering less strokes , heart attacks, debilitating diseases and cancer .   Less of them  DIED . 

Because I exercise my skin snapped back a LOT better than average as well - I look great in bikini  pre PS ( friend me and see for Urself )  ..... and  I have TONS of energy because i eat healthy carbs ...... Its all good 

I work with a guy who grew up farming pigs. He said that they always fed the swine corn or slop instead of wheat becuase wheat made the pigs have white, jiggly fat and everything else made muscle and dense fat. When I heard that,  I reduced gluten (wheat) in my diet and it seems like that helped alot.

I have never understood the tendancy of WLS patients to drink protein drinks after they start back on REAL food. Back in my day, we only drank our calories until we were able to EAT THEM; then we were supposed to focus on real food protein sources followed by veggies, fruits and COMPLEX carbs like whole grains. The idea was our small pouch would limit our intake; our malabsorption would help us lose weight relatively quickly; and we were supposed to learn NEW, HEALTHY EATING AND EXERCISE HABITS during the "honeymoon period" (weight loss period) that would allow us to MAINTAIN  our weightloss.  Who wants to drink protein drinks 2 or 3 times a day for the rest of their lives? NOT ME!!

Thankfully, I have not experienced a WLS failure; however, I have gotten off track and gained up to 25 pounds I didn't want or need. I got back on track by doing the above. Admittedly, I have used meal replacement drinks ("protein drinks", if you will), mostly for convenience and for a very limited time....I found it helped me initially get away from the grazing and eating junk food. I do find myself to be one of those people who CANNOT eat a lot of carbs, since when I do I tend to crave more and more and more. A couple of days of "protein drinks" helps break that carb craving cycle. Then I can eat like a normal person (eating only high quality, complex carbs) and lose weight.

Good luck to you, getting back on track. If you have not really had a surgery failure, your tool WILL still work if you work it. I maintained for approximately 8 years before recently gaining 25 pounds; it took me 2.5 months to lose it. I am again at goal....hope you'll find yourself there again soon.

I wanted to drink the protein shakes because I felt that it would help me get back on track. I think alot of my problem is finding something that is healthy that sounds good and I want to eat. So instead of constantly looking in the fridge, I'd rather just know that every morning for how ever long I will drink a protein shake. BUT not for the rest of my life, I couldn't do it.

Thank you for sharing your story. I guess I am not considered a weightloss surgery failure. I just came here to see what people do to get back on track. I am only 2 years and 1 month out from RNY. I gained about 40lbs. But 3 weeks ago I started getting into a regular routine of exercise and eating better. So far I've lost 4lbs. I have a goal of 150. But for this summer, I'd be happy just to get to 175. So that's my goal for this summer.

40-60 grams of protein per day is absolutely rediculous.  We start out the first week after surgery at 60 grams.  By 1 year out, we need a minimum of 100 grams.  I was just at my NUT's office and I spoke to her because I am at goal but gained 5 pounds and want to stop it before things get worse.  She said that I am not eating enough.  She had no problem with the protein shakes, as long as I eat food too.  I drink 2 protein drinks per day and eat 4 - 5 meals per day in addition to the protein drinks.  Each meal must have protein in it.  They need to be high protein, low carb and low fat.  Don't avoid carbs altogher.  I do eat fruit 2 times per day and I do eat 1 starch a day - either 1 bread or 1 portion of rice or potato.  I get 120grams of protein a day, 1000-1200 calories a day and 64 ounces of fluids a day.  Prior to seeing my NUT, I was only getting 800 calories a day. Since seeing her 3 weeks ago, I have lost 4 pounds.  Increasing my calories and getting in lots of protein works.