I'm alive!!! Hi guys...It's been 3 years. I tried logging in for 3 years to no effect. Even tried to get a new account...OH wouldn't/couldn't make it happen. Had my daughter log me in finally.

Where to begin. Oct 9th 2006 was my surgery. My last weigh in was at 215. I had rotator cuff/bicep surgery in May. Slow recovery, but am doing well.

4 grand kids now...Lot's of fun. I do not know if I will be able to log it again. OH has been a bear in that area. Hope all is well. I'll post later if I can log in again. I'm 67...Trying to ride my bike, but pollution in CA makes it hard.

Later, Brian...Cabin111

Last Week 238.4
This Week 242.3

I was at an out of town wedding all weekend. Good friends, times and food. Too much of the latter.

Took today off of work to get some yard work done, and maybe counteract the weekend :-)

Good week to all!

Last week 197

This week 194.6

1/2 good news is definitely better than 0/2. Not much happening. Have a week off 2 weeks from now. Weather can't decide if it want to be September or November. Was layering up last week and today and tomorrow it's supposed to be flirting with 80.

Howdy!

Hello to all the amazing, fantastic people in this forum! My name's Mike and I just wanted to take a moment and introduce myself.

I had Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery on February 7th, 2004. At my start weight I was over 400 pounds. After surgery, I got to my lowest (which was scary - I had lots of complications, developed struggles with food and got down to under 150 pounds, and at 5'11 with a large frame, I looked like a walking skeleton (I am posting photos in my photo gallery). Then, things finally got better, and I began to gain weight. I finally got to and maintained a very healthy 185 pounds and managed extremely well... until a couple of years ago.

Suddenly, my dumping syndrome (which never went away really) got even worse - I now have what the doctors call "surgically induced hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia", where if I eat too many carbs - even healthy ones like whole grains or even fresh strawberries, I get a severe blood sugar reaction. My pancreas pumps out too much insulin as a reaction, and forces my blood sugar too low and I black out. This has even happened once while driving back from a business lunch, where I made the HUGE mistake of eating a small roll on the side of my Chicken Caesar salad. Go figure - how DARE I do that! LOL hehehehe.... Ugh.

So, I began to eat around whatever I could - my dietary intake is a lot fattier than before, and I have even tried just pure Atkins-type eating. Yet now I struggle, very hard, to maintain my current weight which is 242 as of this morning. I feel miserable, I have no energy, and everything hurts - all as a result of carrying this extra weight after not having that issue for so many years.

Now - everything is not doom and gloom - if I had to do it all over again, I would! Surely, by now if I had not had the original surgery I would be long gone and 6-feet under. I am very thankful. I did have some follow up procedures from complications, and a few hospitalizations, but everything was managed great early on. Now, I just struggle every day with food choices, eating from emotions and stress (I work out of the house and have a very technologically challenging job as a Director of Information Technology for a large nationwide company, and I am ALWAYS working it seems) - and at times of very high stress I eat too much, or just not the right thing.... Or - (here's the kicker!) - already fully KNOWING how sick I will be, and that I might black out, I eat carbs that I know will just kill me (lol), and when I feel a blackout/dizzy spell coming on, I just run to the bed and lie down. This is so stupid. I am frustrated and I am disappointed in myself, that after all I have gone through, food still has such a huge control over me.

At any rate, I am so excited to start participating in this forum. From what I have been reading, everyone is so supportive and people here are truly terrific!

Currently, I am 57 (birthday is in May - a Taurus so very bull-headed LOL), I live with my partner in Little Rock Arkansas, I have three amazing dogs (two Chihuahuas and one Basset Hound), and I have two beautiful amazing 33-year old twin step daughters who I am blessed to have a terrific relationship with. I am an open book so ask any questions you like, and I look forward to participating in this group and also in hopefully getting some support, and an outlet for when I am struggling with turning to food. My goal? To get back down below 200 so that I feel better. Thanks so much everyone - I appreciate all of you - have a beautiful day!

Mike