Need to start over
on 6/19/23 2:55 pm
My pre surgery program encouraged us to pick 3 things you can change and sustain those and then add a new change once those three are "normal". Maybe this type of approach would help you? What are some things you could change? Maybe it's not 3 maybe it's 1. The best thing to do is to just start.
HW: 306 SW: 282 GW: 145 (reached 2/6/19) CW:150
Jen
The only thing that worked for me with regain was Weigh****chers. I attended online and attended a meeting every day. Some days I attended two meetings. The weight came off slowly and a pound at a time, but I kept at it. What you learned after surgery is no longer going to work sixteen years later.
After surgery your stomach was tiny and you could not eat much. Your body was also malabsorbing what you ate. All of that is gone now and you can eat just as much as a person who never had surgery. Trying to follow the rules from sixteen years ago is like trying to satisfy a sixteen year old boy on the same diet he ate as a newborn.
I only eat foods that I love and want. I eat any food that I want. I do limit the amount that I eat. Weigh****chers shows you exactly how to do that. What meetings did for me was to inspire me. By watching others lose weight and listening to their stories, I understood what it really takes to lose the weight and keep it off. My lowest weight after surgery was 128. I am currently 131. My restriction is back and I am never hungry.
I eat meat, fish, chicken, fruit, rice, vegetables, sandwiches, potatoes, bread, cookies, candy, ice cream, pizza, pasta, cereals, and anything I please. I get some light exercise everyday because that is what works for me. I love water aerobics, my recumbent bike, and walking.
My hard and fast rule is to weigh myself every single day. Ignoring the scale will lead to regain for me. I have seen many, many people regain their weight after surgery. It is normal to do that. Weigh****chers was expensive, but they do know what it takes to lose weight and they do teach you so many things that no one else does.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
I too am struggling with regain. I thought about trying weigh****chers but am concerned about not getting enough protein. I still must supplement my protein intake. Do you know if they have a program for us post surgery RNYers?
I believe my pouch still stops me from overeating...true it's not as small as it was, but it still works for me. My problem I've been told is that I don't eat enough food. I also struggle with thyroid disease, Fibromyalgia and iron deficiency. I finally have a hematologist monitoring my iron and ferritin very closely. My last Iron infusion was August 2022.
I don't think they have a program for WLS patients, but if their regular program doesn't feature enough protein, you can probably tweak it a little to fit your needs. A thing of high-protein Greek yogurt, for example, will give you 20-25 grams of protein for not many calories (150-170). Or a protein shake - about the same amount of protein for about 100-120 kcal.
When I experienced regain my nutritionist told me not to drink protein shakes anymore. She said they are fine when you are not able to eat your protein, but just become an easy way to add more calories when you are drinking your meals instead of eating.
Your body needs 10 calories a day to maintain each pound. Example: If you maintain 140 pounds, you need 1400 calories. If you are struggling with regain, then you are eating more than enough. Weigh****chers does not have a RNY program. It is easy to get all of the protein needed on their plans. A good hematologist is essential when your body is not holding onto iron. I take Proferrin but need infusions about every two years.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends