Need Motivation!

I'm new to the forum... "Hello All"!

 I had WLS 13 th Nov 2012 and weighed 225 lbs at time of surgery. During my cleanse phase (pre-op), I weighed 234 lbs.

I had my first fill on 03 January 2013 of 3 cc's and weighed 209 lbs then. I was not feeling restriction like i wanted to, so I opted for a 2nd fill on  07 February 2013. At that time  weighed 204.5 lbs and was told by my surgeon that I wasn't loosing the expected 1 lb a week. I still remained happy despite this. Now I am 209 lbs again and started exercising for 40 mins daily for the past week and a half o the treadmill. I have been interval exercising and I like that because it keeps the boredom away, and I also moved my treadmill closer to the TV so that I can keep my brain occupied watching the news or crime dramas.

Im also back to my protein shakes twice a day and am struggling to eat solid protein. Its just my husband and I and I am a great cook who loves to cook different cuisines every night of the week! I am having potato and white rice withdrawal symptoms. I do without these to evil foods at dinner but by bedtime, I am craving sweets. I have tried to eat a few crackers instead but this is not 'satisfying' me! I know that I have to retrain myself but am having a difficult time doing so!  I have cut back drastically on my caffeine intake in the past 2 weeks (from 5-6 to 1-2) and am sluggish and moody. Thank God my husbands at work all day. I have been eating sugar free coffee flavored hard candies and gum instead.

I have also been loosing an insane amount of hair in the past few weeks and have upped my supplement intake of Biotin. I am taking the following meds:

Synthroid

Estradiol

Caltrate

Complete multi-vitamin

Biotin

Wellbutrin

Zoloft

Monthly B12 shots

Monthly steroid shots for pain (3 cc's)

 

What can I do to bring myself back on track, stave off the sweet binges, and spur on the weigh loss?

Thank you!

 

I hope this doesn't offend you, but I ask because of your list of meds you take.  I noticed the zoloft and wellbutrin.  I know they are anti-deppressants.  Do you suffer from that?  If so, are you seeing a counselor?  If not, I highly recommend it.  It worked wonders for me.  I have Bipolar so I can relate to depression issues.  Another thought is that the meds may make it harder to loose weight.  One of mine, zyprexa does.  However, the benefits greatly out weigh that side effect.  Good luck!  You can do it!  Oh, I just had one more thought, I would look into a WLS support group.  Hopefully there is one in your area.

vip1968, thank you for replying! I'm not at all offended by yr question! Yes, I do suffer from depression (myomectomy at 3, hysterectomy at 35,ovaries removed at 37, no kids, always wanted a big family). The anti-depressants help me cope with the surgery induced menopause and the Wellbutrin helps curb my nicotine cravings! I do see a counselor on a monthly basis, attend WLS support group once a month too.

Good Girl!  My WLS internist said to no way stop my paxil for at least the first year after banding.  He said it was hard enough without doing that to ourselves.  That said I was able to wean of it the January before going thru Getting the band removed.  I was able to lose much easier without it though.  He felt as I was off one year before the sleeve that I would be good to go without it.

You have a lot on your plate.  I too see a counselor on a monthly basis and have to get back to the WLS support group.  I missed this month as it was the same day I got the drain out and I didn't want to make the same trip twice.  When I got the band I was 100% compliant and didn't lose much either.  Keep the faith and just keep following your plan.  Sounds like you are doing every thing right you just are in banders hell.  You had surgery but, you don't have any restrictions since the swelling went down from surgery.

As far as hair loss.  Our Nut said if we keep our protein levels high we won't have any.  She is nuts, I had my protein  level at 80-100 grams before and after surgery to get the band removed.  Three month later out comes the hair and to make it worse I had to wait 4.5 months to get the sleeve so I am getting a double wammy.  I used to not be able to wrap a hair tie around my hair three times and now I can see my scalp.

Thank you Pineview, I don't intend to stop any of my medications until I get the all clear from my doctors. I know that I need the Estradiol and Zoloft, and probably will life long! Good luck to you!

Hi!

Good gurl to come here! And wonderful that you are exercising! In time you will love it and come to NEED it in your life, especially motivating when you see those numbers drop!

Are you eating DENSE protein? why protein shakes? they arent thick enough to keep you satisfied. thats why i mention the dense protein. Begin journaling your foods ( I am 5 years post op and I still weigh and measure everything) why? I have been obese majority of my life, I don't know how to eat to the point if feeling satisfied, it's a foreign feeling.

I attend support group meetings through doctors office. Helps me for accountability, and to get tips and be with other people who understand my mindset. I also see a counselor who specializes in eating disorders. I strongly believe so many of us have food addictions. I have on my profile page "8 signs of emotional eating", my doctors office had given us this paper at a support group meeting. I keep it posted at work or anywhere to remind myself to double check my feelings.

Ask doctors office about how many carbs you should be eating. If you need coffee, CLICK is a protein coffee with 6 carbs 3 sugars 7 proteins and 60 calories. CLICK comes in flavors and you can purchase it at the Vitamin Shoppe or online.

A little tip:
Anytime you eat a piece of fruit always make sure you have it wih a protein. The protein neutralizes your taste buds, keeps blood levels steady.

A good book to read ( easy reading: The End of Over Eating and another great book Mindless Eating.).

Watch out for the sugar substitutes, they can lead to cravings! I use truvia and do great with it. My eating is very CLEAN!!! No chips, crackers, pasta rice.

Do not use your Band to STOP you. Our Bands are to DIM our appetites to eating until satisfied. Again satisfied is foreign to sooooo many of us.

Hope this information helps,
Prek3

Dear Prek-3

THANK U!

I enjoyed reading your reply and I know that I have to change the way I am eating!

Having said this, it's extremely difficult or me to change 40 years of eating patterns, but I have to try. Having always dieted thru my 20's and 30's, eating boiled, steamed veggies and meat was my staple. Meat played a minor part of my lifestyle then while veggies made up 75-80 % of my meals...

I attempt eating 6-8 oz of protein over 3 meals a day, but find it difficult to eat my proteins first. I instinctively reach for the veggies on my plate. I've taken to only putting protein on my plate now and filling up on this before I have a portion of veggies. Why protein shakes??? Coz its easy to drink over a period of an hour or two!

I do have a meal plan that was given to me by my nutritionist and I follow that as best I can. I do attend support group at my doctors office. I will look into the CLICK protein coffee and read the "8 signs of emotional eating" on your profile page.

Thank you once again :D

Welcome! I am so glad you came here for help. I have a question, as well. Why are you struggling to eat solid protein? Is it hard to get down? What types of things? The reason I ask is that while some dense protein is difficult for a bandster to tolerate for a while you should be able to eat really moist things like boneless, skinless chicken thighs with some sauce, etc. If you cannot then you need to consider that your band may be a tiny bit too tight for right now.A too tight band will sometimes stop weight loss.

Also, the shakes have to go. The band is not meant to work with liquids. If you are not able to eat dense protein you will be less satisfied and will likely crave food more. Trying to eat as solid as you can tolerate from breakfast on will help with that. If you can cut your carbs down you might also have less cravings. I am carb sensitive and if I have things like crackers, rice, pasta, etc. I will crave like crazy and it will be sugary carbs I crave. Even some fruits set me off. What I like to do is to first go 1 week to 10 days with non carb or low type protein only. Then I start adding veggies. By then you are usually cleaned out and the cravings are controlled. Then I may add complex carbs in the form of beans, oats, etc. If the cravings start I eliminate the offender.

With that said, I refuse to live a life totally low carb. I also have to understand that if I choose to have something like lasagna I will crave, but knowing that makes it easier to deal with.

If none of this fits your cir****tance then I apologize and hope you will blow this post off. That is what we do here. If it doesn't fit, don't use it. Jean M has a very good Bandwagon cookbook she authored. She is a very creative cook and you can check it out on her blog. It might just help.

I wish you luck.

Sue

Grannymedic1

Thank you for taking time to advise me, I really appreciate this!

I eat chicken, lean pork scallops and fish. The difficulty is in wanting to eat my veggies first ! I only eat brown rice and this is at most 4-5 tablespoons twice weekly.  I now realize that because I've not been eating dense protein I've been craving carbs and craving MORE carbs!!

I absolutely will start tomorrow on 'crave cleansing' myself with 7-10 days of non carb and low type protein only. Wow! I feel so relieved after reading your sage advise.

 

:D :D