Search for answers, over eating, no loss & hunger
So after all my preaching about carbohydrates and being careful with what you eat on the boards, my blog, to people that I have actually spoken to, etc... I feel like I am slacking off and not practicing what I have been preaching.
Here's is the down low on what's been going on. I started a new medication almost two weeks ago, Lamictal, and a side effect is weight gain. I blew it off because I figured I could deal with it. Well, I am confident that I was wrong! A few days went by and the only thing I noticed was the huge lack of sleep since I started the medication (one side effect was that the drug made you sleepy, HA! I wish!)
After a few days of being on the medication I started to feel really hungry, I think. I have not felt hungry since the day I had the surgery... until last weekend when it all went downhill. I am craving foods that I haven't in the last 6 months. I am eating more than I have been eating the last six months. I started out about 1.5 ounces, then gradually went to 2-3 ounces over the next 4 months, then in Feb/March I could eat about 4-5 ounces. My wife and I still weigh my food (5 ounces) and I ate all but the last bite or two, then we would weigh it again to see how much I actually ate. I was eating about 4 ounces, mainly protein (fish, shrimp, beef, pork, poultry, deer & elk meat, etc...****asionally small amounts (less than an ounce) of taters, baked fries, coleslaw or veggies. Over the last couple of weeks I eat all 5 ounces and don't get full anymore. I am also eating the bulk of my food in the evening (like I did before surgery).
We had some sort of beef steak thawed so I cut it up into pieces, tossed it into the old Teflon coated pan with a little soy and teriyaki sauce and browned it, then added water and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile I took a casserole dish and dumped in a can of mushroom soup, cup or so of rice, half a bag of frozen broccoli, shredded some carrots and added garlic (we use a lot of garlic in our house). I dumped the mixture from the pan right into the casserole dish and mixed it all up and put the lid on and baked it for an hour and 20 minutes at 300 degrees. It was delicious and very moist, I added plenty of liquid because of adding uncooked rice.
Anyway, I put a couple of scoops into a bowl and added some noodles (chow mien or something like that, brown and crunchy). I forgot to tare the scale with the empty bowl on (when you tare you basically reset the scale to zero). I weighed it once it had my food in it and it was like 14 ounces. I figured I would eat til I was starting to feel full. After about 20 minutes or so I had a few bites left and told my wife to weigh it. The difference was about 7-8 ounces. To say the very least I was shocked! I had no idea I could eat so much and I am worried, nay, highly concerned.
I haven't lost any weight over the last week and I am absolutely positive it is due to my newly, unwanted eating habits.
I don't believe it is normal for me since my change, before surgery it wouldn't have been out of the ordinary but I might just be going through normal progression. I have no idea, thus my posting this.
Is this the normal progression of the DS journey?
Why can I eat so much or is tonight's meal a freak thing?
How concerned should I be about my situation?
What do I do at this point to 'curb' this new, yet unwanted, issue? I feel very ignorant and under-educated right now, I pride myself on my research and knowledge but this took me by surprise.
Thanks in advance for your help.
-Jaime 'needs some support right now' Breckenridge
Here's is the down low on what's been going on. I started a new medication almost two weeks ago, Lamictal, and a side effect is weight gain. I blew it off because I figured I could deal with it. Well, I am confident that I was wrong! A few days went by and the only thing I noticed was the huge lack of sleep since I started the medication (one side effect was that the drug made you sleepy, HA! I wish!)
After a few days of being on the medication I started to feel really hungry, I think. I have not felt hungry since the day I had the surgery... until last weekend when it all went downhill. I am craving foods that I haven't in the last 6 months. I am eating more than I have been eating the last six months. I started out about 1.5 ounces, then gradually went to 2-3 ounces over the next 4 months, then in Feb/March I could eat about 4-5 ounces. My wife and I still weigh my food (5 ounces) and I ate all but the last bite or two, then we would weigh it again to see how much I actually ate. I was eating about 4 ounces, mainly protein (fish, shrimp, beef, pork, poultry, deer & elk meat, etc...****asionally small amounts (less than an ounce) of taters, baked fries, coleslaw or veggies. Over the last couple of weeks I eat all 5 ounces and don't get full anymore. I am also eating the bulk of my food in the evening (like I did before surgery).
We had some sort of beef steak thawed so I cut it up into pieces, tossed it into the old Teflon coated pan with a little soy and teriyaki sauce and browned it, then added water and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile I took a casserole dish and dumped in a can of mushroom soup, cup or so of rice, half a bag of frozen broccoli, shredded some carrots and added garlic (we use a lot of garlic in our house). I dumped the mixture from the pan right into the casserole dish and mixed it all up and put the lid on and baked it for an hour and 20 minutes at 300 degrees. It was delicious and very moist, I added plenty of liquid because of adding uncooked rice.
Anyway, I put a couple of scoops into a bowl and added some noodles (chow mien or something like that, brown and crunchy). I forgot to tare the scale with the empty bowl on (when you tare you basically reset the scale to zero). I weighed it once it had my food in it and it was like 14 ounces. I figured I would eat til I was starting to feel full. After about 20 minutes or so I had a few bites left and told my wife to weigh it. The difference was about 7-8 ounces. To say the very least I was shocked! I had no idea I could eat so much and I am worried, nay, highly concerned.
I haven't lost any weight over the last week and I am absolutely positive it is due to my newly, unwanted eating habits.
I don't believe it is normal for me since my change, before surgery it wouldn't have been out of the ordinary but I might just be going through normal progression. I have no idea, thus my posting this.
Is this the normal progression of the DS journey?
Why can I eat so much or is tonight's meal a freak thing?
How concerned should I be about my situation?
What do I do at this point to 'curb' this new, yet unwanted, issue? I feel very ignorant and under-educated right now, I pride myself on my research and knowledge but this took me by surprise.
Thanks in advance for your help.
-Jaime 'needs some support right now' Breckenridge
robison9582
on 4/21/09 7:46 am - North Ogden, UT
on 4/21/09 7:46 am - North Ogden, UT
I want to offer you some support although I cannot say that I have had the same experiences that you are describing.
You may talk to the doctor that prescribed the new medication and see if there is another medication option that doesn't have the hunger side-effect. If there is no option maybe changing when you take the medication is a possibility such as before bedtime so that you sleep through the time when the medication is strongest in your system. Other medication option is splitting the dose into two or more doses instead of all at once.
You might also talk to your surgeon about his take on the situation maybe there are some tricks to fooling your body.
Remember to drink your water.
Keep your chin up, this too shall pass.
Blessings
You may talk to the doctor that prescribed the new medication and see if there is another medication option that doesn't have the hunger side-effect. If there is no option maybe changing when you take the medication is a possibility such as before bedtime so that you sleep through the time when the medication is strongest in your system. Other medication option is splitting the dose into two or more doses instead of all at once.
You might also talk to your surgeon about his take on the situation maybe there are some tricks to fooling your body.
Remember to drink your water.
Keep your chin up, this too shall pass.
Blessings
Thanks for the advice. I did call my surgeons office this afternon. they asked me what time of day I took the new medication. I take it at night, before bed. (to answer your question, you are just like the surgeron
you're good.)
Anyway, they told me to come in Friday and see Dr. Rossi (my surgeon) so I guess I find out more later.
Thanks again,
-Jaime
you're good.)Anyway, they told me to come in Friday and see Dr. Rossi (my surgeon) so I guess I find out more later.
Thanks again,
-Jaime
robison9582
on 4/22/09 12:10 am - North Ogden, UT
on 4/22/09 12:10 am - North Ogden, UT
I wish you the best of luck in resolving this issue. Would love to hear back once the issue has been addressed to see what happened.
I will be thinking of you and praying for your resolution.
Shelly
I will be thinking of you and praying for your resolution.
Shelly
Hey so have you heard back form your doc? I too am going through this and eating more and all that hunger stuff I know it's due to lack of water, protein,,,etc! So I'm off track.,...are you??? Protein makes you full....so we need it!!!I see my Doc next week....
I'm almost 10 months post op......140lbs gone......since Feb,,,,,,so March and April I really havent lost...........................BE CAREFUL you dont get stuck cause I feel stuck and I have 39lbs to go!
I'm almost 10 months post op......140lbs gone......since Feb,,,,,,so March and April I really havent lost...........................BE CAREFUL you dont get stuck cause I feel stuck and I have 39lbs to go!
So I saw the surgeon today. He said my sleep issues are probably a mixture of a multiple things.
1. They took me off the adderall (I was taking 30mg of adderall xr in am, 5 mg of adderall in am and at noon) Adderall is a stimulant. XR just means it is the extended release.
2. Same day I stopped adderall they put me on Lamictal. Lamictal is more of a mood stabilizer (it brings you down and slows everything) A side effect is sleepiness (I do not have that problem) another less common side effect is insomnia (DING, we have a winner) I am very tired and sleepy but cannot get to sleep.
3. My sleep apnea has gotten drastically better with the 200+ lbs loss of weight. I was at 33-35 for a pressure and after the sleep study they said I never made it into the teens. Now I wait for the sleep specialist to read the tests and determine the correct pressure.
The first two drugs tossed me off going from a stimulant to a ..well a depressant basically so that will take some adjusting. The lack of sleep has tossed my metabolism and basic bodily functions off kilt and I am not in a healthy state right now, physically or mentally (though I've never been on an even kilt mentally, hehe)
I feel much better after seeing the surgeon and the nurse. they are both great. Dr. Rossi and Melinda are fabulous and I am so grateful to have them both. they are genuinely concerned about my health and well being. I cannot speak highly enough of Peoria Surgical group and Dr. Rossi and Melinda. Melinda is the head of the bariatric program, I am pretty sure anyway.
Now, Dr. Rossi told me today that he would remove my 'gut' this summer. he checked my abdominal muscles and said they were tight and strong so I do not need abdominoplasty just the excess skin/fatty tissue removed and no need to tighten the abdominal muscles. That is a plus, less cost for the surgery. I still have to come up with about $10,000 before I can have it done. It might only cost 8 or 9K but I still need 10 in case it costs more. So I am looking around for loose change in the couch cushions, heh.
Thanks to all for your replies and well wishes.
-Jaime
Oh, he said my stomach being larger at this point was normal I can eat more but try to keep it 5-6 ounces or less for a while longer, until I hit goal. He also told me that people normally lose 60% of what they need to lose the first 6 months, I have lost nearly 70% so I am above average and this last two weeks is the first time I haven't lose 8+ lbs a week so I took it a bit hard. I feel much better knowing why I had issues though. I am confident I will do better in a few more days.
1. They took me off the adderall (I was taking 30mg of adderall xr in am, 5 mg of adderall in am and at noon) Adderall is a stimulant. XR just means it is the extended release.
2. Same day I stopped adderall they put me on Lamictal. Lamictal is more of a mood stabilizer (it brings you down and slows everything) A side effect is sleepiness (I do not have that problem) another less common side effect is insomnia (DING, we have a winner) I am very tired and sleepy but cannot get to sleep.
3. My sleep apnea has gotten drastically better with the 200+ lbs loss of weight. I was at 33-35 for a pressure and after the sleep study they said I never made it into the teens. Now I wait for the sleep specialist to read the tests and determine the correct pressure.
The first two drugs tossed me off going from a stimulant to a ..well a depressant basically so that will take some adjusting. The lack of sleep has tossed my metabolism and basic bodily functions off kilt and I am not in a healthy state right now, physically or mentally (though I've never been on an even kilt mentally, hehe)
I feel much better after seeing the surgeon and the nurse. they are both great. Dr. Rossi and Melinda are fabulous and I am so grateful to have them both. they are genuinely concerned about my health and well being. I cannot speak highly enough of Peoria Surgical group and Dr. Rossi and Melinda. Melinda is the head of the bariatric program, I am pretty sure anyway.
Now, Dr. Rossi told me today that he would remove my 'gut' this summer. he checked my abdominal muscles and said they were tight and strong so I do not need abdominoplasty just the excess skin/fatty tissue removed and no need to tighten the abdominal muscles. That is a plus, less cost for the surgery. I still have to come up with about $10,000 before I can have it done. It might only cost 8 or 9K but I still need 10 in case it costs more. So I am looking around for loose change in the couch cushions, heh.
Thanks to all for your replies and well wishes.
-Jaime
Oh, he said my stomach being larger at this point was normal I can eat more but try to keep it 5-6 ounces or less for a while longer, until I hit goal. He also told me that people normally lose 60% of what they need to lose the first 6 months, I have lost nearly 70% so I am above average and this last two weeks is the first time I haven't lose 8+ lbs a week so I took it a bit hard. I feel much better knowing why I had issues though. I am confident I will do better in a few more days.
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