3.5 years out and GAINING - HELP PLEASE

I got this great advise from someone at OH and it is the coolest thing. If you go back to basics and don't eat any food that used to make you dump or feel crumby in the beginning you will regain your distaste for those foods. I hope this helps. You did it once I am confident you can do it again. Donna

Hi Susan, I'm a little over two years out and we had the same surgeon. All the replies to your post were right on track --- maybe you should begin by attending a support group? I assume you had your surgery in Hackensack?   Well Hackensack hospital has support the first Thursday of each month (tomorrow) 6:30 - 8:00 in the Hekemian rooms.   Hope to see you there.

THANK YOU EVERYONE. I appreciate not getting the beat-down as I know all of you can offer the best advice and I appreciate the we're all just humans comment very much.  I suspect I have all the knowledge - it's just a matter of me applying all I have learned these years - and start anew!  I do have to realize that 25 is not 150lbs and I better do something about it now before it gets to be more. I used to attend a support group in the hekemian rooms - but I was told it is no longer.  Unless this is the group that is sponsored by Dr. Schmidt's office?  Please let me know.  I appreciate it.  By the way - do we know each other? Susan :) THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!

Hi Susan, There is definitely a support group tonight...... Annette from HUMC runs it .... I know people who are patients from various doctors attend (Drs. Schmidt, Trivedi, Ewing, Ballantyne and Capella), but it's open to anyone who's had or is considering surgery.  I'm not sure if we've met. but I will be there this evening -- hope you can come! Betty

hi betty, i unfortunately was unable to attend tonight - but it's marked on my calendar for october.  i really always did enjoy the meetings - especially when preops would come - i felt like i was helping the possible pre-ops.  it took the focus off of myself for a little while.  thank you and i hope i get to meet you.  if you recognize me pls come and say hello.  i'm actually not blond anymore.  i have a shorter curly redhair cut.  thanks! susan :)

Hello Susan:

I understand your situation ... and it is not an easy one ... I am 1-1/2 years post op and lost 140 lbs and feeling great ... but those "urges" come back ... I was very overweight for a LONG time and it is very hard to break those bad habits and learn the right way to eat and stick with it ... its awfully easy to give in to temptation.  One of the best tools that I use to keep my head straight is that I attend at least 2 meetings per month that are local to me (Lakewood) one in Toms River, NJ at Community Memorial Hospital on the FIRST FRIDAY of each month and then one in Lakewood at Kimball Hospital on the 3rd Monday of each month both at 7pm - There is also a meeting in Long Branch at Monmouth Medical that I also try to attend. All 3 meetings are open to ALL (no costs, not restricted, open to anyone with an interest in finding out more information or those who have had the surgery (RNY or Band). Please try to join us ... I do not go to my own surgeon's meetings as I had surgery in Morristown, NJ and its too far out of the way for me ... so I stay local and make sure that I attend as many of the meetings as possible. Please try to join us and see if that will help you. I wish you the best of luck and the strength to get past this situation.  Michael Rosen

I would also suggest that you consider joining Weigh****chers. We become so used to the limited amount we CAN eat that we lose the ability to gauge how much we ARE eating. When the volumes increase late post-op, we can overeat. I think Weigh****chers is a well-designed, well-balanced program, and teaches (or reteaches) you the tools to control what you're eating. It also gives you a controlled framework to pay attention to how much you're eating, which is what many of us sorely lack.

i definitely did attend WW meetings post-op (approx. 2yrs post) - and my eating disorders therapist asked that i stop doing that  - i was getting very obsessed again with numbers numbers numbers!  but thank you for the suggestion.