Help!!

I have a few questions that I really need so imput on. 1. Have any of you started to feel depressed after your gastric bypass? Mine was in May and the past 2 weeks I have been feeling really depressed and i am not sure if it is a side affect of the surgery. 2. How do u all get in all of your calories and protein? I never want to eat anymore and am finding it hard to get in all of the food in that I need. Any advice would be a great help!! Thanks Guys!!

I now know that due to the fact that I'd often go all day without eating and then eat only dinner, as a preop my metabolism was DEAD! And, as I was severely hypothyroid as well, it was pretty danged slow to begin with. Had I done more and eaten more, I may have been able to increase my metabolism, but my body stayed in starvation mode and held on to every little crumb I gave it! That got me to 410 pounds. After surgery, I have tried to learn what I can do to boost my metabolism and to prevent getting stuck in starvation mode. I EAT TO LIVE. I know that I must eat in order to nourish my body and in order to keep my metabolism going. I know that I need my protein each day and I know that I need my liquids for hydration each and every day. I wake up in the morning thinking about how I'll get it all in that day. I may get a late start, but I always try to make it! I watch on OH for mention of food and snack ideas that can help me get my protein in without going way over on my calories. I've tried soooo many things! I don't do shakes and I don't eat many protein bars. I get most of my protein from plain old food, so I have to stay pretty focused in order to get in the 65 to 80 grams I've aimed for this past 10 months and now my Nut says I need to boost it to 80 to 100 grams of protein per day. I find that I seem to stop losing and start maintaining at about 1200 to 1300 calories per day. I'm not really sure how I'm going to get 100 grams of protein in per day and stay below that calorie barrier without using some sort of protein supplement. I don't like most of them, so this is sort of daunting to me right now and I'd so like to say "screw it" sometimes and just not worry about it. BUT, I know that there are consequences for that and they can be severe and come with grave health risks. SO, I make myself eat. I eat something every 2 1/2 to 3 hours many days and no less than every 4 hours I have an actual meal with no less than 20 to 25 grams of protein. I do, however, feel like I spend ALL day long thinking about food. I never thought about it much at all when I weighed 400 pounds! Now I obsess over it! LOL (well, not really LOL) I think about food more than my hubby thinks about sex and we'll not talk about how overactive his "drive" is! On the depression side of things, I have never been "clinically depressed." I did deal with some depression issues at the peak of my illness and pain as a preop and tried a couple months on Lexapro which seemed to do nothing for me and I stopped taking it. No one noticed a difference in me on or off the meds. Lately, I've been dealing with some really stressful family crap. I know that is what is behind my currently "depressed" state of mind. I think it is more stressed/frustrated than actual depression, but if I explained it all to my PCP and asked for something, I know he'd give me an anti-depressant. But, I am going to try and stick it out a while longer and see if something doesn't give soon! Didn't you just have hernia surgery? If you are feeling depressed now, couldn't it be the after effects of that surgery and anesthesia?? Lea

Lea, You have no I dea how much your words mean to me!! Everytime I go to eat, or not eat I think of somthing you wrote! I am trying so hard to eat enough, but I am so very full ALL of the time. Also in regards to what you said about the anesthesia...you are right, I felt this way after every surgery I have had!! Thank you so much for your advice and words of encourgement!!

1) yes. i have become depressed a couple of times already. i know that your body releases hormones that are stored in fat as you lose the fat and that can contribute to depression, especially if you're predisposed to it, as i am. 2) idk. i still only get in 550-800 calories per day. and the only way i get all my protein in is by using 50 gram slams and splitting them up into two meals. that way i only have to "eat" one time and i've got all my protein in for the day. i change it up each day and sometimes only have half of one but my calories are still really low.

Thanks for the advice!! I use to 42 gram bullets, but I hate them!!! My doctor had said I should be eating 900-1000 calories a day, but I don't even come close, some days I am lucky to get in 500. All I eat is fruits and veggies and yogurt. nothing to heavy!!

Heather, Depression sucks, it's like being in a vat of oatmeal. Your can't climb out of the vat because the oatmeal keeps sucking you back down. I've suffered from depression on and off for years. I also had my surgery in May and have been feeling depressed recently, it could be the surgery, it could be loosing weight or something else. What helps me is exercise, just a 20 minute walk makes me more energetic. I'm not up to doing much in way of exercise right now other than walking. But the more exercise you do the better you feel. If this keeps up for more than a month. Go see your PCP they can help you get through this tough period. As for the protein issue and eating. I still like to eat and can get my proteins and calories in. I just need to improve on the proteins. I tried some powder protein in my coffee this morning and it wasn't half bad. I couldn't do this 3 months ago it made me gag. Keep at it and take care, Robin

I suffer from depression and take lexapro...might i add i take care of my mom who suffers from alzheimers work full time blah blah blah I have seen a few of your posts, and i think i responded once about not enough protein or it didn't seem like it...Have you tried doing the shakes? Cause they really help, I bought these turkey fillet mignons the other day at Sams, and one of them has 41 proteins in it, now even at 13 months out I couldn't eat but 3 oz, but that was 20 proteins. not bad, and i had some soy crisps as a snack and those have about 7 proteins per serving... also cheese has at least 6 per ounce usually, tuna etc...My nut said that there will be times where you just don't feel like it, but even a spoon full of pb or an ounce of cheese can make a difference... I hope this helps... I've done really well keeping up with protein, my problem is i haven't been able to exercise cause of inujurys the last few weeks, but i had been 5 days a week till then, and i'm trying to cut back on my coffee intake replacing it with better fluids

Thank you to all of you who answered my cry for help! You have all been so helpful and I really appreciate the honesty!!!