Is one better then the other???????

My daughter and I have decided that we need to break our snacking and carb habit and get back on track.  We figured the best way to do that is to try either the 5 day pouch test or the platuae buster diet.  I am 8 months out and she is almost 10 months out.   For the last few weeks we have not been loosing very well either.   Has anyone tried either one of these and if so how did they work and which one would you recommend to get back on track?    Thanks for any suggestions or tips. Sally

Hello, thanks for posting the topic. It is so common after 6 months for old habits to resurface, the honeymoon is slowly ending for most and it is a frightening time for many. Wt loss slows which is typical as by 6 mo we usually have lost 2/3 of what we will. The tool is slowing and out need to live a self-responsible and consistently healthy lifestyle increases if we wish to lose more and keep it off for life. Moving away from rapid to slower wt loss and into more of a maintenance phase is a challenge. For me no diet fixes those behaviors it only reinforces deprivation and self-sabotage. Looking beyond a week to life helps me. CAN I DO THIS FOREVER? If the answer is no its a diet and not going to be useful or helpful in the long run. Everyone has different opinions on this I am sure but dieting never worked preop and well after it doesn’t either. It doesn't address the underlying issues such as emotional eating, stress, etc. That is what I believe makes us successful along with realistic expectations. It is not realistic to lose like we did at 3 4 5 6 months. We can still lose a few pounds a month may be typical the effort involved is greater, diligence with the principles of a healthy life and kicking exercise up is the key I believe (in a balanced non obsessive way). Sometimes we consume our lives with dieting/food, (*it is all we are familiar with*) thinking about what we can and can not have, when we can eat or should eat, how much, how often, how it should be cooked, when to buy it, how much, etc that we occupy so much time and do not even realize that we have no time left to feel (the point) in an addiction, it takes over us so we can forget us and what we are scared/fearful of feeling/being. Consider writing all the 'supports' of diet/exercise/lifestyle changes, coping skills etc for non-emotional eating (i.e through individual therapy, support groups) you have worked on, now where do you need to add reinforcements? i have posted this before and it is sent to all members on my OSSG OFF TRACK yahoo support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG_Off_track

 

THIS IS ABOUT PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY NOT DIETING LOOK AT INTRODUCING ONE PRINCIPLE/GUIDELINE EVERY FEW DAYS!!!

 

 

 

JAMIE’S BACK ON TRACK TIPS

 

Your surgery hasn't failed; you are just not using your tool to its potential that is all. It is there still; you need to get back to basics though. Remember it isn't the surgery alone that makes us lose weight it is the lifelong lifestyle & behavioral changes we make that enable us to lose weight and keep it off. Dumping isn't guaranteed (~ 50% will dump early on only!) after surgery and may decrease the farther we get post-op....with that said:

 

 

 

You most likely know the principles of the tool & where you can focus.

 

So how to get back to basics? You have to just take one step at a time; it doesn't have to be all or nothing that is old thinking! What do you feel you can conquer first?

 

 

 

Write down your goal for the week, then work on it, once you have one goal under your belt start on another, be patient and kind to yourself, no one said this was easy! It is hard and no one is perfect! But you can change. The negative habits didn't happen overnight so neither will positive ones! But they wont happen if you don't start somewhere! Asking for help and admitting the problem is a great first step! Get to a local support group at least monthly if available, this keeps you focused on what you are doing and accountable to yourself...Life will always be busy but you need to reprioritize health as a higher priority and taking care of yourself has to be more important than anything else!

 

 

 

DO NOT RETURN TO DIETS! THEY DIDN’T WORK PREOP AND WON’T POSTOP!

 

MY 3 FAVORITE MANTRAS:

 

 

 

ü      IF YOUR LIFE IS TOO BUSY TO EXERCISE OR TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF THAN YOUR LIFE HAS TO CHANGE! THIS IS NOT SELFISHNESS!

 

 

 

ü      PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION!

 

 

 

ü      IT IS WHAT WE DO 90% OF THE TIME THAT MATTERS, THINK CONSISTENCY!

 

 

 

What works for me is the PHILOSOPHY of the South Beach Diet (not dieting) I look to it to guide my LIFE….It is a good marriage between healthy lifestyle and postop WLS needs! I must stress it is not a diet but a way of life for me! I am carb sensitive, when I eat more refined carbs I am hungry sooner and crave more carbs, it is a vicious cycle, but when I eat better carbs, getter fats, healthy lean proteins the way the pouch rules dictate I do well and maintain

 

SAMPLE GOALS:

 

 

 

Fluid: Resolve to drink AT LEAST 64 ounces (This will keep you full longer and tension on the pouch) of NON-carbonated-NON-calorie fluid a day. (Water, Crystal Lite, diet Kool-Aid) In other words don't drink your calories! DO NOT DRINK WITH MEALS and WAIT 1-2 HOURS AFTER MEALS TO START DRINKING....(OR YOU WILL JUST MAKE YOURSELF HUNGRY AGAIN...SOONER!).

 

Vitamins: Resolve to take 1-2 multivitamin(s) a day, calcium as citrate form ~1,500mg a day (some may need more), & ~1,000mcg B12 liquid/tablets sublingually daily (some may need intramuscular shots). Other vitamins are based on labs/dexascans: some will need extra iron/vit C (pills/shots/infusions), vitamin A, D, E, K, Zinc, Magnesium, Thiamine (B1), Folate, B6, selenium….This is a reason we need to follow up for life with our healthcare providers, deficiencies can happen not just early postop but anytime postop!

 

Protein: Resolve to get in ~65 grams a day (this will vary due to age/ht/wt/medical comorbidities) either in the food you eat or by supplementing with shakes *this is controlversial do what is best for you. EAT PROTEIN FIRST!!! IT fills the pouch!(less room for carbs)

 

MEALS: Resolve to eat no more than 3-5 small meals a day, NO GRAZING! Take 15-20 minutes for a meal no less/more, pay attention to the food, not a TV, radio, newspaper! Composition of meals: ~50% protein leaving 25% of meal for veggies/fruit and 25% carbs (whole/multigrain/low glycemic index/.load).

 

Exercise: Resolve to exercise 30 min 3x a week, then increase to 60 min 3x a week or 30 min 6x a wee****il you are exercising 30 min MOST DAYS OF THE WEEK (or more)! It helps you cope with stress, so you don't turn to food, it will help the wt loss and also give you energy! You will feel better about yourself and be less apt to go for the carbs. NOTHING revs the metabolism better! START SOMEWHERE! VARIETY IS KEY!

 

SUPPORT: Resolve to either get involved in a local support group monthly (weekly would be better but at least 1x a month), online support is also helpful and/or get into therapy to deal with your food issues and look at why you are sabotaging your happiness. We all have food issues/demons and we all need to face them eventually the surgery is a great help but the brain is a hard organ to change and unfortunately they didn't operate it when they shrunk our tummy! Be around those  whom can support and not sabotage your success, this may mean making new friends and giving up old/unhealthy ones!

 

 

 

I am glad you are looking at the issues and wanting to deal with them! Be proud of yourself for that and you can do it. Now is a great time to start, holidays and parties are always going to happen, we can always find an excuse to wait or a reason why we can't, search within yourself and find a reason why you can and do it (nothing tastes as good as health and thin feel!) __________________________________ Or another way I have put this:

MY recipe for success: (I GUESS SOME SEE THIS AS A DIET I SEE IT AS A PRESCRIPTION TO GET ON THE LIFELONG LIFESTYLE WE NEED TO BE HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL MAINTAINERS!)

 

1) FIRST YOU IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

 

2) SECOND YOU FORMULATE A PLAN OF ACTION!

 

3) THIRD you post it here so we can support you (Being accountable to someone outside of self helps!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOW MY PLAN was it takes about 3 days to overcome the HORRID/VICIOUS carb addiction cycle for MeE/MOST (the physical aspect that is)...

 

SO STEP ONE: I detoxed my house of all foreseeable triggers/carbs (*Yes some will say this is deprivation) well should we have all that crap all the time? Most likely not!

 

STEP TWO: I loaded my home with things allowable such as cheese sticks, pepperoni, jerky, eggs (hardboiled a few ahead), sandwich meats, stocked up on shakes so I had variety for the 3-5 a day I could use, low carb veggies etc.....I actually come to enjoy them over time as I feel satisfied and happier and healthier

 

STEP THREE: I was following the south beach phase 1 plan (adding shakes as above), so I had the book and there is a document explaining the reason it works/the plan in the files under http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG_Off_track/files/ first folder back on track tips and plans.. Karen B's timer plan is there and many find that SO helpful! I KEPT IT HANDY TO READ/REREAD in times of crisis. I believe in a daily shake if not 2 one in eve to stave off hunger.

 

STEP FOUR: Place motivational sayings all over, on computer on fridge (like nothing tastes as good as healthy & thin feels), you can do this, its only a craving and will pass in a few minutes!

 

STEP FIVE: List a bunch of things to do to pass time when a craving happens (it will happen and it will pass!) take a walk, drink a cup of water, have a shake, call a friend, email a friend, email the group, brush your teeth, listen to music, pet an animal (walk the dog), journal your feelings, give self a mani/pedicure, deep breathing/relaxation, go for a ride (bike or car) etc chew gum, have a sf hard candy. HAVE IT HANDY, as when we are impulsive it’s hard to think so go to the list not everything will work all the time but it helps delay!

 

STEP SIX: MUST PLAN, plan meal, prepare take fluid and food with you, if you fail to plan you plan to fail as we say here on off track. THIS is about progress, NOT perfection so don’t beat self up, know that things improve with each passing day u get the refined carbs outta your body. It really gets easier cause if you don’t put the junk in the hunger really decreases it is amazing!>>>>Again south beach worked for me...took me 1 mo to lose my 10# regain following this it was the hardest week 1, after that hunger was minimal and my willpower could handle the HEAD cravings (it couldn’t handle the physically driven ones from how I was eating...bread=hunger kinda thing)...

 

STEP SEVEN: WRITE IT DOWN if it goes in your mouth, at least week one...then tell us how u r doing, many use www.fitday.com and I also recommend exercise of some way shape or form for the body soul and mind! TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS! IT is hard, but you just gotta do it....READY SET GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another saying we have is its WHAT U DO 90% of the time that matters, this strict carb reduction isn’t forever, you can reintroduce things at a later date, for now it is no carbs like bread & crackers cause they aren’t your friend, they give lots of calories and little nutritional value and well they make u hungry sooner with NO satiety (full feeling) I agree a burger or a pork chop sits with me for hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Be well.

 

 

Thanks Jamie for posting this!

Thank you so much for your input.   It is greatly appreciated.   I completely understand where it is your coming from as far as the whole "diet" concept. and figuring out what causes us to eat the wrong things to begin with.   It is nice to see the scale move again though.   I know it is all about getting back to basics and eating like we were taught in the beginning.   I do like the concept of learning to listen to our pouch when it tells us it is full.  That is one of the main purposes behind the pouch test. (besides breaking the carb addiction and being strong enough to stay away from the bad carbs after you are off them for the 5 days).   I have never done the plautue buster diet so I can't say how that works.      I have given serious thought to some counseling regarding the reasons for what got us here in the first place, but for the life of me can't find anyone in my area who specializes in the whole weight problem/food addiction thing.    Thanks again for all your help. Sally