4 month update~encouragement appreciated (xpost)
I think that the winter months in general make it difficult to stay on track i.e staying active, darker nights etc.
Believe me when I say that I have lo-o-ong talks with myself these days.
You are ahead of the game with your 57 lb. weightloss which is great.
But just think, for the first time in a long time,you did not have to add "diet" to your New Year list. You are already living a healthy lifestyle.
Also for the first time in a long time, too, you might be able to wear nice clothes for the summer and feel good about it.
Most importantly is that with the loss of 57 lbs, you must be feeling major health bonuses ! You don't want to slip back to where you were - none of us do.
If you can just make a list of all the reasons that you fought for this surgery, you can try to rechannel your thinking. No bad carbs...NO EXCUSES. It is sooooo hard, but we all knew what we were getting into when we signed up for this WLS. Go back and read your profile to refresh your memory.
Take advantage of these first months that you have after the surgey by helping it along..especially with exercise...even if it's walking. These months really, really count.
I am trying to look at it from the point of view of how much I've gained health-wise instead of how much I feel I am denying myself. (The crap foods, I mean.)
I remember very well when you first came on the board that you were suffering from ankle and knee pain. Did the weight loss alleviate some of the pain? You wanted this surgery so badly.
Deb (Ms.Moozy usually has an "accountability" post where everyone posts what they had for the day...good, bad...or otherwise.
We are all in this together so I sincerely hope that we all can get our act together. We deserve a good healthy life!!!
KEEP CHECKING BACK. I care.
~Many Blessings ~ 
230lbs(start)-139lbs.(now)-130 lbs.(new goal) Total loss-91 lbs.
thank you so much, Penny.
yes, ur right. i had horrible knee and ankle pain.. and mild yet constant edema of the calves/ankles..
i now have SHIN BONES and ANKLE BONES.. oh and collar bones too!
my one ankle only hurts once in a while now, although i think its because i injured it, and not because of weight.
i did have that very thought on New Year's Day, that this is the first year i dont have to make a diet related resolution.
ive also thought the same thing about the 6 month honeymoon period.. maybe that's what im stressing over too... that i only have 2 months left of honeymoon, lol
Lisa;
You have done a great job on your weight loss. You should be proud of yourself.
As I was reading your post it was almost as if you were taking the words out of my own head. I have so many of the same fears as you. I do not dump (wish I did). I have the same reaction to carbs (they are an evil addiction). I have such a fear of never making goal or else making it for a short time and then gaining it all back. I do exercise (not as much as I should) but I don't like it and I have to force myself to go and can easily talk myself into NOT going.
I guess what I am trying to say is you are definitely not alone in your fears. I am right there with you. I am just so glad that we have this wonderful forum to post on for help and support.
Please do as others have said, treat yourself well. Try not to focus on the negative but think of the positive. Keep posting here and never be afraid to say what is on your heart.
Best of luck to you always
Sally
thank you, Sally... im so glad to hear im not alone in my thinking!!!
i did exercise regularly 2x in my life.. and once i got into it i did look forward to it.
but once i stopped.............it was really hard getting started..
this time its been ........oh...... 12 or so years since i exercised regularly!!
Lisa:
Hello, Welcome and thank you for the topic. You most certainly are not the first or last to experience many of these challenges with WLS. I appreciate your honesty and feel you have touched on a few areas you wish to make different choices about in the future that is POSITIVE.
Taking a look to the past without judgment as a way to learn and grow is helpful (not shaming yourself or beating self up at all). Every moment is an opportunity with lots of choices.
ü Plateaus are normal then for you, you have seen a pattern you can be frustrated by them or say hey this is how my body reacts to WLS interesting, what can I influence to change it? (Exercise, fluid eating choices, higher protein etc), then if you do that and nothing, that is all you can do!
ü Depression is common postop, if one thinks they are or may become depressed waiting is not advisable as most meds take 4-12 weeks for effect if you are fortunate enough to get one that works (a 30% chance you get the first shot!). There is a lot to be depressed about the loss of food as a coping tool for one, the rapid wt loss has definite hormonal changes (hence many get the menstrual irregularities and why BCPs can not be trusted!). The low calories makes ones body slow and feel sluggish; also nutritional deficiencies can mask depression (esp. VitD, the B's, protein, iron etc). When was last set of full labs w/ all vit levels? Cravings can point to deficiencies as Amy stated, best to let nutrition MD know! THERAPY IS IMPERATIVE TO LONGTERM SUCCESS I BELIEVE AND BEST TO START ASAP; after all this is a rebirth and you get one short honeymoon period! TAKE ADVANTAGEOF IT FULLY SO NO RGRETS!
ü Thinking about wt loss and goals is typical, you have come so far with a 57# loss, consider reframing success as many things besides a scale number! WLS is expected to give 50% of excess wt loss, not 100%, having realistic expectations lessens our risk for self sabotage (if I don't lose it all why bother etc). Rejoice when you hit the 50% EWL mark. ANYTHING ELSE IS A BONUS! (REFRAMING the old thought that less than a 100% loss is a failure!)Statistically at 6 months people have lost about 2/3 of what they will with WLS, the honeymoon is SHORTER than desired/expected if we get over 6 months that is a BONUS! The first year after gastric bypass is usually very rewarding, but this time can also be confusing, frustrating and frightening. The function of the stomach pouch "tool" changes almost continuously over the first six months, and continues to change periodically over the year or so. Just when the patient feels they have begun to understand the stomach pouch/tool and how to use it, things change all over again.
ü 6-9 months postop:
Frightening CHANGES takes place. The stomach pouch softens and expands slightly so that a patient regains a regular appetite and can "suddenly" tolerate a significantly larger amount of food. Patients frequently worry that something has pulled apart or broken on the inside, though this is rarely the case. This increased interest in food and increased capacity for food is a very natural and appropriate part of the recovery process after gastric bypass surgery. The reason it frightens patients so much is that they had previously felt they had control of their weight for the first time in their lives, and the renewed appetite threatens that they are losing control once again. You must realize that for the first 6 months or so after gastric bypass you did NOT have control of your weight.. The pounds were going to come off almost no matter what you did The pouch can't handle enough calories to maintain weight for the first few months. The return of appetite and the increase in food capacity signal an end to the honeymoon period and a transition to the rest of life. Your surgeon has created a stomach pouch that will be your tool to use to control your weight for life. In the beginning it worked 90% now you have to work 90%!
ü WHAT DO I NEED TO CHANGE?
The first postoperative year is a critical time that must be dedicated to changing old behavior and forming new, lifelong habits. THIS IS OUR TASK AT HAND A LARGE ON BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE!
After that it is typical and expected to eat a greater variety and quantity of food, lessening of sheer will power coupled with return of appetite for many is the point fear kicks in. Those who can embrace it feel it and move through it have a much easier time than those who deny it, struggle against it. DUMPING sadly is only expected in less than 50% RNYers and usually only early on, and sometimes it is a quantity thing (one Oreo won't make you dump 3 might etc) and after time the body adapts to sugar especially the more one exposes their system to it! The intestines have a large capacity to adapt (elongate, grow more folds and little villi for absorption) I am not making this up it is in the literature. We can mourn non dumping or move forward with a tad bit of more knowledge!
We can keep feeling ashamed about ''cheating' or accept we are human and make different choices on sweets/carbs if we wish next time, shaming ourself keeps us down, and not successful or able to change we feel bad so we emotionally eat, noticing w/o judgment is a opportunity to learn and grow and change if we wish!
Fluid, well I get plenty that was not my issue but it is for many, taking a 64 oz bottle and filling it with water each fluid you take by midday it should be ½ full? Works for some. Also drink 8 oz water before you eat or snack this may help, as Amy said drink with exercise I get 32 oz water in with my am workouots!
TIP:
Journaling has helped me tremendously be aware, accountable and successful, it may be a new adventure and one we sometimes avoid (connecting to our inner thoughts and feelings) but one very worthwhile and free!
As others have commented on the things we were challenged by preop if not addressed seem to only get more challenging and difficult to ignore. The fear is justified of not losing as much as one could and regain, not just 10, 20 or 50# but possibly all of it in some! WLS as a tool must be incorporated into a lifestyle adjustment. The tummy may be smaller with the gastric bypass but they never bypassed our emotions/brain! The food addictions/demons are still there waiting to be addressed. I waited until my 3rd year, wish I hadn't it wasn't any easier! I envy those who started preop the emotional work!
ü Exercise addresses not only out metabolism, rate of wt loss and maintenance but it assists in things such as improved mood, stress management, positive body image & self-esteem. Finding something fun (Carmen Electra's strip tease! or belly dancing, can entice our spirit and mind!) using an ipod, getting a friend involved, videos for home in inclimate weather so there are no excuses. Joining Curves for some or a gym helps others. Water aerobics, my favorite motto is if you cannot fit exercise into your life then your life needs to change! Although many start preop many say "I will start when the wt slows" you may have been one of these folks but can change that motto and start at any time! It doesn't get easier with time or wt loss actually. The hardest things is not the exercise itself for many but the act of getting ones sneakers on! LOL
ü Hair loss occurs frequently with any form of dieting/weight loss. After WLS MANY (I have seen 30-50% as the stats) patients experience hair thinning or hair, which is easily removed during washing/combing. Once you have the surgery, your caloric intake is drastically reduced to a mere 300-600 calories a day. This puts the body in an "emergency/starvation" mode as it thinks something is terribly wrong, (it used to get up to 10X that amount!) and it begins to focus ONLY on supporting the vital organs that will sustain life. Hair has never been under the category of a "life-sustaining" organ; therefore, the body puts the hair on the back burner until it is sure that the body is going to be okay enough to again send nutrients to the hair. Protein and iron deficiencies are a common cause, and increasing both can help *BUT that can take 3 months of so!*. It starts generally around 3-6 months and stop around 6-9 months postop (*but can occur anytime there is a deficiency). This is because immediately following WLS adequate protein intake is difficult and it takes about 3 months for the effects to become evident, therefore taking in additional protein via shakes/supplements this minute will not yield results for a few months!. There are also many other things including medications that can cause hair loss. In reality treating the underlying cause is necessary (so if from trauma of surgery/rapid wt loss/protein malnutrition then ONLY time will help and upping protein as early as possible for today's hair loss is from malnutrition/trauma 3 months ago, over time if your focused on the protein and vits it will stop and regrow! (no extra expensive vits or minerals/shampoos needed!), people say this vit or that shampoo did it when in essence most likely TIME was the biggest factor! Taking those things r using them may of lessened our worry and helped pass the time better
ü Most people (myself included) who have WLS look forward to all the 'wonderful' things they want to happen to them when they reach their goal weight...Clothes, comfort with self, increased social activity, no more isolation/loneliness, improved health, enriched relationships...and much more.
WHAT PEOPLE FAIL TO CONSIDER IS THE LONG JOURNEY FROM WHERE THEY ARE PREOP TO WHERE THEY WANT TO BE...NO MATTER HOW INFORMED/EDUCATED YOU ARE NO ONE CAN PREPARE FOR THE DIFFICULT ADJUSTMENTS..MANY FEEL THERE IS SORT OF A 'MAGIC' TO WLS. MEANING 'MAGICALLY' THEY WILL SURVIVE SURGERY, RECOVER, MAKE ALL THE LIFESTYLE ADJUSTMENTS NECESSARY TO LIVE A NEW LIFE.IT IS A RUDE AWAKENING WHEN YOU (I) RUN INTO OBSTACLES ON THIS PATH....
ü COMMON BUMPS IN THE ROAD ON OUR JOURNEY:
EMOTIONAL ISSUES....Losing weight does not solve all your issues and you soon realize it may make them WORSE!
#1 LOST FREEDOM OF CHOICE WITH FOOD EARLY POSTOP
THIS CAN BE EMOTIONALLY PAINFUL IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO PREOP WHEN ONE COULD EAT WHATEVER, WHENEVER IN WHATEVER AMOUNTS THEY WISHED...
NECESSITATES GRIEVING PROCESS.....
REFUSING TO GRIEVE LEADS TO 'CHEATING' WITH FOOD INTAKE (WRONG FOOD, TIMES, AMOUNTS)
#2 DEALING WITH TRIGGERS
PLACES, TIME, EMOTIONS
#3 CONTROLLING CRAVINGS
EATING IN RESPONSE TO A CRAVING SETS YOU UP FOR SELF SABOTAGE
#4 WEIGHT PLATEAUS
1ST FEW MONTHS RAPID WT LOSS..BEGINS TO SLOW..CAN STOP COMPLETELY FOR A FEW WEEKS...FRUSTRATING basically you can only do what you can do, if you are following the eating and exercise guidelines remembering to accept, and turn over control to the body (because we don't have control at that point we can only influence things to a certain extent!)
NEED TO CONTINUE ROUTINE AND NOT GET DISCOURAGED/DEPRESSED
#5 EXCESS SKIN!
I believe (we)YOU WILL NEED TO CHANGE YOUR(our) LIFE & MIND to be successful long-term, otherwise this too can be a 1 year failed diet attempt! Do not see this as overwhelming see it as a great opportunity you never had before! Think of yourself as successful and you will be!
ü 5 Behaviors of Successful Maintainers post it on a wall and read daily for mindfulness
1.Give UP Dieting FOREVER, instead practice a healthy way of eating based on bodies nutritional needs.
2.Stop being a couch potato:
EXERCISE: Regular/intentional
3.Find SUPPORT:
Friends/Family
Group
In person
Online
Therapist
4.HONESTY: Look at self-sabotaging behaviors/attitudes & develop positive ones to support their wt loss.
5.STOP reacting to STRESS
Realize they turn to food to cope with stress
Practice proactive stress management
Problem solving
As you progress on your WLS journey toward your ultimate goals of health and weight maintenance you will encounter both internal and external challenges. How you deal with these challenges depends mostly on your attitude. Your attitude depends mostly on your choices, because attitude itself is a choice! Yu must learn to effectively cope, self-soothe, problem solve & process feelings without food.
Some highlights to consider on the journey! It is about PROGRESS not PERFECTION! Look to live life well 90% and not so well 10%! There are so many rules that we teach concerning the use of the "pouch/tool" it is important to emphasize that it is not necessary to follow every rule all of the time.
ü Now is the time to define a new relationship between you and food.
ü Dispel old beliefs. REFRAME!
ü Live in balance.
ü Changing old unhealthy habits into healthier ones.
ü Finding happiness in your mind and life.
ü Find non-food rewards.
ü Loving your life makes you successful at any goal.
ü Life happens stop making excuses Holidays, celebrations, stress will always come how will you cope?
ü Break out of your isolation.
IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING THING I HAVE EVER DONE! BUT: Change is inevitable, struggle is optional! Other quotes that help me reframe positively:
"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be."
- Groucho Marx
"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same."
- Carlos Castaneda
"The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them."
- Bernard Baruch
Hello, Welcome and thank you for the topic. You most certainly are not the first or last to experience many of these challenges with WLS. I appreciate your honesty and feel you have touched on a few areas you wish to make different choices about in the future that is POSITIVE.
Taking a look to the past without judgment as a way to learn and grow is helpful (not shaming yourself or beating self up at all). Every moment is an opportunity with lots of choices.
ü Plateaus are normal then for you, you have seen a pattern you can be frustrated by them or say hey this is how my body reacts to WLS interesting, what can I influence to change it? (Exercise, fluid eating choices, higher protein etc), then if you do that and nothing, that is all you can do!
ü Depression is common postop, if one thinks they are or may become depressed waiting is not advisable as most meds take 4-12 weeks for effect if you are fortunate enough to get one that works (a 30% chance you get the first shot!). There is a lot to be depressed about the loss of food as a coping tool for one, the rapid wt loss has definite hormonal changes (hence many get the menstrual irregularities and why BCPs can not be trusted!). The low calories makes ones body slow and feel sluggish; also nutritional deficiencies can mask depression (esp. VitD, the B's, protein, iron etc). When was last set of full labs w/ all vit levels? Cravings can point to deficiencies as Amy stated, best to let nutrition MD know! THERAPY IS IMPERATIVE TO LONGTERM SUCCESS I BELIEVE AND BEST TO START ASAP; after all this is a rebirth and you get one short honeymoon period! TAKE ADVANTAGEOF IT FULLY SO NO RGRETS!
ü Thinking about wt loss and goals is typical, you have come so far with a 57# loss, consider reframing success as many things besides a scale number! WLS is expected to give 50% of excess wt loss, not 100%, having realistic expectations lessens our risk for self sabotage (if I don't lose it all why bother etc). Rejoice when you hit the 50% EWL mark. ANYTHING ELSE IS A BONUS! (REFRAMING the old thought that less than a 100% loss is a failure!)Statistically at 6 months people have lost about 2/3 of what they will with WLS, the honeymoon is SHORTER than desired/expected if we get over 6 months that is a BONUS! The first year after gastric bypass is usually very rewarding, but this time can also be confusing, frustrating and frightening. The function of the stomach pouch "tool" changes almost continuously over the first six months, and continues to change periodically over the year or so. Just when the patient feels they have begun to understand the stomach pouch/tool and how to use it, things change all over again.
ü 6-9 months postop:
Frightening CHANGES takes place. The stomach pouch softens and expands slightly so that a patient regains a regular appetite and can "suddenly" tolerate a significantly larger amount of food. Patients frequently worry that something has pulled apart or broken on the inside, though this is rarely the case. This increased interest in food and increased capacity for food is a very natural and appropriate part of the recovery process after gastric bypass surgery. The reason it frightens patients so much is that they had previously felt they had control of their weight for the first time in their lives, and the renewed appetite threatens that they are losing control once again. You must realize that for the first 6 months or so after gastric bypass you did NOT have control of your weight.. The pounds were going to come off almost no matter what you did The pouch can't handle enough calories to maintain weight for the first few months. The return of appetite and the increase in food capacity signal an end to the honeymoon period and a transition to the rest of life. Your surgeon has created a stomach pouch that will be your tool to use to control your weight for life. In the beginning it worked 90% now you have to work 90%!
ü WHAT DO I NEED TO CHANGE?
The first postoperative year is a critical time that must be dedicated to changing old behavior and forming new, lifelong habits. THIS IS OUR TASK AT HAND A LARGE ON BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE!
After that it is typical and expected to eat a greater variety and quantity of food, lessening of sheer will power coupled with return of appetite for many is the point fear kicks in. Those who can embrace it feel it and move through it have a much easier time than those who deny it, struggle against it. DUMPING sadly is only expected in less than 50% RNYers and usually only early on, and sometimes it is a quantity thing (one Oreo won't make you dump 3 might etc) and after time the body adapts to sugar especially the more one exposes their system to it! The intestines have a large capacity to adapt (elongate, grow more folds and little villi for absorption) I am not making this up it is in the literature. We can mourn non dumping or move forward with a tad bit of more knowledge!
We can keep feeling ashamed about ''cheating' or accept we are human and make different choices on sweets/carbs if we wish next time, shaming ourself keeps us down, and not successful or able to change we feel bad so we emotionally eat, noticing w/o judgment is a opportunity to learn and grow and change if we wish!
Fluid, well I get plenty that was not my issue but it is for many, taking a 64 oz bottle and filling it with water each fluid you take by midday it should be ½ full? Works for some. Also drink 8 oz water before you eat or snack this may help, as Amy said drink with exercise I get 32 oz water in with my am workouots!
TIP:
Journaling has helped me tremendously be aware, accountable and successful, it may be a new adventure and one we sometimes avoid (connecting to our inner thoughts and feelings) but one very worthwhile and free!
As others have commented on the things we were challenged by preop if not addressed seem to only get more challenging and difficult to ignore. The fear is justified of not losing as much as one could and regain, not just 10, 20 or 50# but possibly all of it in some! WLS as a tool must be incorporated into a lifestyle adjustment. The tummy may be smaller with the gastric bypass but they never bypassed our emotions/brain! The food addictions/demons are still there waiting to be addressed. I waited until my 3rd year, wish I hadn't it wasn't any easier! I envy those who started preop the emotional work!
ü Exercise addresses not only out metabolism, rate of wt loss and maintenance but it assists in things such as improved mood, stress management, positive body image & self-esteem. Finding something fun (Carmen Electra's strip tease! or belly dancing, can entice our spirit and mind!) using an ipod, getting a friend involved, videos for home in inclimate weather so there are no excuses. Joining Curves for some or a gym helps others. Water aerobics, my favorite motto is if you cannot fit exercise into your life then your life needs to change! Although many start preop many say "I will start when the wt slows" you may have been one of these folks but can change that motto and start at any time! It doesn't get easier with time or wt loss actually. The hardest things is not the exercise itself for many but the act of getting ones sneakers on! LOL
ü Hair loss occurs frequently with any form of dieting/weight loss. After WLS MANY (I have seen 30-50% as the stats) patients experience hair thinning or hair, which is easily removed during washing/combing. Once you have the surgery, your caloric intake is drastically reduced to a mere 300-600 calories a day. This puts the body in an "emergency/starvation" mode as it thinks something is terribly wrong, (it used to get up to 10X that amount!) and it begins to focus ONLY on supporting the vital organs that will sustain life. Hair has never been under the category of a "life-sustaining" organ; therefore, the body puts the hair on the back burner until it is sure that the body is going to be okay enough to again send nutrients to the hair. Protein and iron deficiencies are a common cause, and increasing both can help *BUT that can take 3 months of so!*. It starts generally around 3-6 months and stop around 6-9 months postop (*but can occur anytime there is a deficiency). This is because immediately following WLS adequate protein intake is difficult and it takes about 3 months for the effects to become evident, therefore taking in additional protein via shakes/supplements this minute will not yield results for a few months!. There are also many other things including medications that can cause hair loss. In reality treating the underlying cause is necessary (so if from trauma of surgery/rapid wt loss/protein malnutrition then ONLY time will help and upping protein as early as possible for today's hair loss is from malnutrition/trauma 3 months ago, over time if your focused on the protein and vits it will stop and regrow! (no extra expensive vits or minerals/shampoos needed!), people say this vit or that shampoo did it when in essence most likely TIME was the biggest factor! Taking those things r using them may of lessened our worry and helped pass the time better
ü Most people (myself included) who have WLS look forward to all the 'wonderful' things they want to happen to them when they reach their goal weight...Clothes, comfort with self, increased social activity, no more isolation/loneliness, improved health, enriched relationships...and much more.
WHAT PEOPLE FAIL TO CONSIDER IS THE LONG JOURNEY FROM WHERE THEY ARE PREOP TO WHERE THEY WANT TO BE...NO MATTER HOW INFORMED/EDUCATED YOU ARE NO ONE CAN PREPARE FOR THE DIFFICULT ADJUSTMENTS..MANY FEEL THERE IS SORT OF A 'MAGIC' TO WLS. MEANING 'MAGICALLY' THEY WILL SURVIVE SURGERY, RECOVER, MAKE ALL THE LIFESTYLE ADJUSTMENTS NECESSARY TO LIVE A NEW LIFE.IT IS A RUDE AWAKENING WHEN YOU (I) RUN INTO OBSTACLES ON THIS PATH....
ü COMMON BUMPS IN THE ROAD ON OUR JOURNEY:
EMOTIONAL ISSUES....Losing weight does not solve all your issues and you soon realize it may make them WORSE!
#1 LOST FREEDOM OF CHOICE WITH FOOD EARLY POSTOP
THIS CAN BE EMOTIONALLY PAINFUL IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO PREOP WHEN ONE COULD EAT WHATEVER, WHENEVER IN WHATEVER AMOUNTS THEY WISHED...
NECESSITATES GRIEVING PROCESS.....
REFUSING TO GRIEVE LEADS TO 'CHEATING' WITH FOOD INTAKE (WRONG FOOD, TIMES, AMOUNTS)
#2 DEALING WITH TRIGGERS
PLACES, TIME, EMOTIONS
#3 CONTROLLING CRAVINGS
EATING IN RESPONSE TO A CRAVING SETS YOU UP FOR SELF SABOTAGE
#4 WEIGHT PLATEAUS
1ST FEW MONTHS RAPID WT LOSS..BEGINS TO SLOW..CAN STOP COMPLETELY FOR A FEW WEEKS...FRUSTRATING basically you can only do what you can do, if you are following the eating and exercise guidelines remembering to accept, and turn over control to the body (because we don't have control at that point we can only influence things to a certain extent!)
NEED TO CONTINUE ROUTINE AND NOT GET DISCOURAGED/DEPRESSED
#5 EXCESS SKIN!
I believe (we)YOU WILL NEED TO CHANGE YOUR(our) LIFE & MIND to be successful long-term, otherwise this too can be a 1 year failed diet attempt! Do not see this as overwhelming see it as a great opportunity you never had before! Think of yourself as successful and you will be!
ü 5 Behaviors of Successful Maintainers post it on a wall and read daily for mindfulness
1.Give UP Dieting FOREVER, instead practice a healthy way of eating based on bodies nutritional needs.
2.Stop being a couch potato:
EXERCISE: Regular/intentional
3.Find SUPPORT:
Friends/Family
Group
In person
Online
Therapist
4.HONESTY: Look at self-sabotaging behaviors/attitudes & develop positive ones to support their wt loss.
5.STOP reacting to STRESS
Realize they turn to food to cope with stress
Practice proactive stress management
Problem solving
As you progress on your WLS journey toward your ultimate goals of health and weight maintenance you will encounter both internal and external challenges. How you deal with these challenges depends mostly on your attitude. Your attitude depends mostly on your choices, because attitude itself is a choice! Yu must learn to effectively cope, self-soothe, problem solve & process feelings without food.
Some highlights to consider on the journey! It is about PROGRESS not PERFECTION! Look to live life well 90% and not so well 10%! There are so many rules that we teach concerning the use of the "pouch/tool" it is important to emphasize that it is not necessary to follow every rule all of the time.
ü Now is the time to define a new relationship between you and food.
ü Dispel old beliefs. REFRAME!
ü Live in balance.
ü Changing old unhealthy habits into healthier ones.
ü Finding happiness in your mind and life.
ü Find non-food rewards.
ü Loving your life makes you successful at any goal.
ü Life happens stop making excuses Holidays, celebrations, stress will always come how will you cope?
ü Break out of your isolation.
IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING THING I HAVE EVER DONE! BUT: Change is inevitable, struggle is optional! Other quotes that help me reframe positively:
"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be."
- Groucho Marx
"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same."
- Carlos Castaneda
"The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them."
- Bernard Baruch
Take Care, 
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
WOW!!
thank you so much for such a thorough response!!!
lots of good stuff there and in the other posts.. thanks everyone!!
yes, i had full labs done at 3 months.. everything was good. they'll do them again at 6 months.
im religious about my vitamins, although sometimes i might only take 2 calciums..but i drink and eat a LOT of calcium rich foods/liquids... so missing the occasional calcium pill doesnt worry me.
my big struggle is water.............and of course carbs.. not so much the breads/pastas/potatoes than the sweets.. and now... the salty crackers/chips.
it definitely helps to think about the fact i have this little pouch that needs to be filled with PROTEIN or my body will suffer nutritionally.
i do see a therapist.. i found her 5 yrs ago when i had tried to get approved the first time. i think everyone can use a lil therapy!!
who wouldnt want to talk about all their problems to someone who is going to want to listen and be on your side!! or kick u in the pants if u need it!
thanks again for all your wonderful advice!!
~lisa
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