How did you relose weight?

Did you relose weight?  How much weight did you relose?  What did you do to relose gained weight?  thanks, Tri

I am almost 5 years out and have put on some weight.  I just downloaded and read The 5 Day Pouch Test and started the program today.  It's not easy, but I have talked to people who swear by it and do it every 6 months or so to reset their weight loss.  The basic principle is to reset or resize your pouch by following the food guidelines from right after surgery.  It has gotten me back to reading about the original plan of WLS and how to follow the rules again.  I'm hoping tomorrow gets better.  I did make one of the soup recipes and it was great.  I'll let you know in a few days how much weight I lose and if it helped reset my pouch. :-)

I am also doing the 5DPT.  I started on Monday, it's been easier than I thought, how ever to day is the hardest.   I am feeling really tired, but still on track.  I am going to bed early.  Tomorrow the last day and definitely feel more in control.   One day to go.

Do I need to buy the 5day pouch or can I just use the basic principles, I see the allowed foods for each day, progression from liquid to soft to solid, etc, now the site says the book has more in it that will e needed, but honestly is it enough more to justify the cost of buying the book when my budget is tight?

Where do I find this 5 day pouch?

I have tried the 5 day pouch test but I don't have enough will power and I also felt sick physically.  I know a lot of people can do it successfully.  I hope it worked for you. I appreciate your help and support.  I hope you are well. Tri

Below is a repost I put on the Men's Forum.  I just happened over here.  I guess you could say I was a success even regaining over 40 pounds...At least my WLS surgeon was say I was normal.  Anyways, below is how I lost it...Literally got scared to death!!

About 2 1/2 months ago I saw my cardiologist.  He said I was retaining fluid.  At the same time I was having problems breathing. I have already had 2 heart attacks, double heart bypass, and a stent.  I freaked out...Feeling, well the end is near.  I am weighing about 225-230 when I meet with him.  I use to be about 300 pounds at my high, with a low of 187 post op...I'm over 7 years post op.  This fear sends me into a serious weight loss plan (including exercise).  The doctor scheduled a treadmill for me a month after the meeting...If the results were bad, it would mean going back to the cath lab to check the heart further.  Well during that month I dropped down to 203 at the time of the treadmill.  Results were good...No cath lab.  I wanted to wait till I was below 200 before I announced it on the weekly weigh in (a most hallowed tradition).  On Sunday I was 200.2...Close, but no cigar!!  I could have worked out hard, not drink fluids and made the weight...No, no cheating!! 

During this month of rapid weigh loss, I got dehydrated for a couple of days...Almost went into the hospital.  I preach about knowing the signs of dehydration, but when it happened to me, I didn't see them!  The EMT next door helped me and in a couple of days I was good to go. 

Fast forward to Monday...Eat regular...Still above 200 on Monday.  Today (Tuesday) I hit 198!!

So how did I lose the weight?  Let me just say it becomes harder and harder to lose the weight as the years go bye.  You can become sedentary and the simple carbs creep back into your life.  I think for me (others may vary) one of the big helps was that I am retired.  If I was working (security guard or farming) I would have felt that I needed to give 100% to my boss or the farm...Would grab the quick energy sugar or chips.  Since I don't have the pressures of work as much, (there is still other issues and always will be) I was able to exercise more and be very aware of my eating habits.

I cut out 90-95% of the simple carbs in my life.  Just a few months ago I was into; tortilla chips, candy, ice cream, hamburgers, breads, fried foods.  I still hit the coffee shop about 4-5 days a week.  But instead of a hamburger, salad (with Italian dressing**** tea with sugar and Splenda...It's a cup of soup and an ice tea with 1 Splenda.  On days they have a cream soup, I will ask for 2 poached eggs.  Add some salt and pepper and a little salsa to it.  I am down to about 1 teaspoon of sugar a day.  I get it in my coffee (I still like my coffee sweet)...I'm only drinking between 1-2oz...To cut down my sugar use.  I will also like to grab a piece of dark chocolate from the freezer.  The rest of my food is basically protein (eggs, milk, whey protein, tuna, meats, yogurt [plain with real fruit added}, Wendy's Chili, plain nuts) vegetables, and fruit (limiting my fruit...But it keeps me regular).  I had RNY and I don't get hungry...Some people do, I don't.  I get head hunger and cravings (salty crunch at night)...But no real hunger.  That really makes relosing the weight a lot easier.

For exercise I will ride my bike.  I run a lot of errands on my bike...Store, Wendy's, coffee shop, bank, flea market, church.  I also will ride for pleasure.  Riding to the local college, and the 2 or 3 paths I have chosen that have the best roads to ride.  Concerning weigh lifting...I really haven't done any.  Not to say I haven't worked out.  I do physical work at the farm and around the house.  I also do my little workouts.  I do modified pushups (I'm 58 going on 59).  I'll make a path and walk around the house.  Many times I'll carry a 3 pound weight and just play with it as I walk.  I'll do leg lifts and different movements.  If I did them outside people would think me strange...but it works for me.  I would also be on the edge of my bed and do sit ups.  I'll hit the bed as I go down to spring me up again for the next sit up.  I have a bad back so, I try to limit my exposure to the back (pounding).

About 8 years ago my cardiologist said I was dying.  I was about 300 pounds and my heart was not pumping effectively.  I'm still here...Every day is a gift from God.

Well, there it is.  I don't post much, but I still follow this forum when I can.  Thanks for reading...Brian

Mr. Brian~

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS POST!!!!  I want you to know that TODAY your message blessed someone's life, MINE.  I am not trying to hi-jack this message string, but I had to respond to your post.  I had my rny in April 2006.  I did wonderful, losing over 100 pounds and feeling great.  Then a serious and long hospital stay with my then 13 yr old followed by a serious (non weight related) medical condition for myself, I gradually started gaining weight, I believe due to my sudden forced stop of exercise and beginning depression that lead to out of control eating habits.  Fast forward to 2012 and my now 18 year old son was readmitted, another very serious heart surgery (LVAD) and listed for heart transplant and then a serious infection that took his life.  BRING ON THE GRIEF EATING.  I have gained every single pound I lost back, plus more in the year and 8 months since his passing.  So now I am sitting here, after cancelling an appointment considering a revision surgery (that shame and fear are back and I want to avoid drs to save myself from their sweet little pats and smiles and telling me, lose some weight), I am desperate to get back to what I once had.  I still have 4 other children at home and a loving husband (he's pretty awesome, loving me thin or fat but acknowledging gently my health issues).  I want to be healthy and comfortable again.  I came back to obesity help seeking others who have a similar weight experience who were successful without a revision (not against revision surgery, just afraid of needing a revision for the revision and so on).  You have renewed my strength and hope.  I too do not feel physical hunger still, just head hunger.  I know this won't be easy like the first time (and the first 75 pounds or so were so easy for me to lose, I think I took it for granted) but I have hope I can still use my tool IF I make the right choices and changes in my life.

Again, thank you so much for sharing.

Michelle

I am regaining rapidly, since I had my baby 6 months ago I have gained back half of what I lost. I am gaining 2-4 lb a week, with exercise, just like I did pre op! My only 'bad food' is a trail mix with mixed nuts and some peanut butter chips. All else is "good food". I am scared, depressed and ashamed as all my clothes are too tight and the scale is climbing. I have come here to obesity help this week also for help!

I am working hard to lose 35 lbs of regain - about 1/3 of my original weight loss. I've lost about half of it at this point.

Are you nursing? What kind of exercise are you working in to your new mom schedule?

For me, clothing sizes are key to my maintenance plan, so I hear you on that one!

It could very well be that you are simply eating too much of the "good" foods, especially the nuts (which offer good fats but a lot of fat none the ness) and chips (also high fat). For me, I had long ago abandoned logging my food - but I do it faithfully now and got some real insights. It makes me conscious of what goes into my mouth. I am also back to measuring my portions - no sure when you had your surgery or which surgery you had, but I can eat more than I ought to - and just because I "can" doesn't mean I "should" if you know what I mean.

The basics for losing regained weight are the same as the basics have been all along. Protein first. Cut the refined carbs. Load up on veggies. Drink lots of water. Move your body to kick that metabolism into gear. 

And see your doctor or nutritionist. You are SO right that the shame and depression make losing now even harder.