Veteran's... need Your Help

This post is to Veteran wls patients... but I am posting it publicly because I think that we can all grow and learn from the advice offered.  We don't have some secret club of "maintenance" people who share privately, but we want you all to be included even though you might not have traveled this portion of the road on the wls journey. OK here is my dilemma.  I have noticed this week that I have been hungry at night.  Well, I say hungry, but I dont think its hunger.  Its not the kind of hunger that I used to have before surgery.  Its like I want something but I dont know what it is.  I have been eating a trail mixture that I made of sugar free Zannies (M&Ms) from Bariatric Eating, almonds, cashews, and a few raisins.  Its not just the sweetness, or just the saltiness that I like or crave. It is the mixture of sweet and salt.  Its weird.   I dont think its hunger.  I think its some kind of craving, like I am lacking something? Maybe I'm just making excuses as to why I am snacking. I know I am not drinking enough.  Especially throughout the day.  I am not eating a lot for breakfast.  Here is what I had : Early morning protein drink:  Nectar cappuccino 1/2 scoop in coffee breakfast - boiled egg lunch - tuna & egg salad but it was gross so I had toppings off one slice pizza (NO CRUST!) Afternoon protein drink - 1/2 scoop Nectar vanilla bean torte with 2 tblsp David Rio spiced chai tea Dinner - chicken breast, salad, few bites of sweet tator So here it is a few hours after supper and I am on the internet, and wanting something so I am eating some trail mix.  Its the third night I have done this.  I will sit here and eat it off and on until bedtime IF I do it like I did last night.  (I would estimate it being approximately 1/8 to 1/4 cup total)  Then I feel guilty as I have never been a snacker or grazer since having wls!  I forgot to add, I tried to eat a yogurt with granola.  I ate off the granola and the yogurt made me almost gag.  So I went back to nuts.  I've never even been a person who liked nuts too much. I wonder when a person's hunger really does come back.  Anybody know or experience that yet?

The first thing I see is...not enough protein.  Half a scoop of protein powder only has about 12 grams of protein.  The egg is 6 - 7 depending on size.  The topping off a pizza (not knowing exactly what type it was) has less than 10. Second half scoop pp, again about 12 grams. Assuming 1/2 of a normal size chicken breast, that's another 16-24. The salad and sweet potato had trace amounts at best. So, I calculate 56 - 65 grams of protein for the day. You know that's not enough. Your body is craving protein!! It looks like you are probably on the low end of the calorie scale too. Remember, your body can still go into starvation mode and hold onto everything you eat. This isn't any healthier during maintenance than it is during the weight loss phase. You must give your body the fuel it needs to function.  It also sounds like your body is actually craving carbs. Why not have some of that pizza crust? All carbs are not evil. Your body needs some carbs to function properly. You are at the stage where you should be getting about 1/3 of your calories from healthy carbs. This means ingesting healthy, carb containing fruits, vegetables and whole grains. If you are in starvation mode, you may see a slight increase on the scales while your body gets used to getting the fuel it needs. Once  your body figures out that the food intake is going to continue it will start burning the fuel again and any increase in weight will come off. You had this surgery to be healthy and to live. You must fuel your body!! Do me a favor and track your protein, calorie and carb intake for a week. Not just for a day or 2, for an entire week. Then average your intake and see what your levels are. You are thin and beautiful! I want to see you enjoy this new lease on life that you have worked so hard for.

It started about a week ago.  My eating took a strange turn where I did not want a single thing during the day.  Then at supper, I was starving.  I have to force myself and remind myself to eat during the daytime recently.  AND, I have not been getting in enough liquids.  Can not getting enough to drink cause the craving for the salt in the nuts?  It goes to show you that even after 18 mos postop, the rules sometimes get blurred when you don't feel well, your appetite changes, so many reasons...  and we often just need a fresh perspective our someone on the outside looking in.  That's why we should not be ashamed to ask for help.  I got started off on a good foot today...  ate breakfast at 5:15 am.   Then an hour later got started on my protein coffee...  now I am sipping on my cytosport protein drink, will flush those liquids through all day and also have brought a grilled chicken breast prepared at home for my lunch today.  We will see if that cuts down the cravings for peanuts. While I am thinking about it, remember me telling you that I put a banana in some banana cream protein pudding and couldn't stand the aftertaste? Last night I tried to push a protein shake down and had added some banana... . the aftertaste of those are killing me!  I guess I just dont like bananas anymore. 

I have to agree with Susan. It does not appear you are eating enough or getting in your protein. At 18 months post-op you shouldn't be using protein supplements as snacks. You should actually be eating snacks. The shakes are going to go through you quicker than actual food and thus cause hunger more often. Do you like any protein bars? I Love the Powercrunch bars and I have one every day for my mid day snack. They really help with hunger and since they are like a candy bar to me it helps for sweet cravings. And you need more breakfast and include some carbs in your diet. Like Susan said, not all carbs are evil. I have a piece of whole wheat toast for breakfast with sf smuckers jelly to go with my egg beaters. Whole wheat toast or some good carbs will help with hunger too. Maybe at night when you get snacky, you could try a piece of toast with peanut butter. That should help with the salty nutty cravings, give you some protein and help with hunger.  Don't think snacking is bad. It just depends on what snacking you are doing. Even before I was pregnant, I was probably eating/snacking 5 times a day. I personally think it keeps your metabolism up to eat that way. Three normal meals and two small snacks. I just made sure my snacks were healthy. I eat my power crunch bar for a snack and I eat yogurt as a snack. I sometimes eat fruit - like a banana, grapes or pineapples when I want something sweet at night. I also like to mix ricotta cheese with SF preserves as a snack or even with my breakfast at times. Even some oatmeal as snack.  I think you are doing fine. Even with the "trail mix" you eat, you do not look like you are getting in very many calories. I think you should use fitday to track your protein and calorie count for a week or two so you can see what you are eating. You need to be eating at least 1200 calories a day with at least 70 grams of protein. So in my opinion, and I bet you never thought you would hear this, you need to eat more food, more often - specifically protein.

Maintenance is hard!  I will say this, and some might think "what?!?" But losing the weight was easy (although very straining on the nerves wondering out of impatience "When will it be gone?)    It's maintenance stage that is so hard.  You have to deal with the guilt and fear of food, eating again, wondering all the time, "Am I going to regain?"  And continuing to log, log, log.  I was up to 100 g protein daily but about a week and a half ago, my appetite went awry and I did not want anything at all to eat!  Then I am making myself eat...  which I keep thinking OK a boiled egg is enough for breakfast.  This morning I ate a portion of an omelet with jalapenos, cheese, salsa, almost a piece of wheat toast (low carb bread) with a little SF jelly, and a piece of bacon.  I actually feel satisfied.  I do pretty good most of the time in pushing back that fear of regain...  but when I eat what I did this morning for breakfast, I think "OH NO. Have I stretched my stomach?"    I have been sipping on liquid all morning.  It's like I have digressed in a very short time, thinking OK WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT AGAIN?  The deer in the headlights kind of look.  And thankfully I have people who are with me at this stage who can say "Now do this..."  Don't forget this...  "Don't ...." 

I can understand the night hunger, mine's been that way for 2 months, we're talking belly growling faint feeling.  I have gained over the past 2 months 20 lbs. But I have also been under a great deal of stress with being evicted, having to have surgery on Monday for a biopsy, benign, and no money to put in the tank to find a place.  Rick is putting me in a motel tomorrow for a week as I can't get into this apartment until after the 11th.  But between 9-11pm I need to have something to eat.  My choice is crackers and p. butter or cheese. I crave salt real bad right now.  Now that I have been getting in my protein during the day and my fluids, I am actually noticing my jeans are getting lose again.  Why something salty is beyond me. BTW nuts are also high in protein, just depends on the kind and the amount. That's why they're in trail mixes.  If I ate what you ate for breakfast, I would be sick all day.  The chemo pills really take a toll on my appetite  and stomach for at least 2-3 hours, then I have to have something real quick.  But for the last 3 days I haven't wanted anything with salt.  Go Figure.  Keep track of what you are doing.  My aunt says eat like a king at breakfast, queen at lunch, a pauper at dinner.  I'm still not allowed any snacks thru out the day, but I have to have something before I take my pills, at least 3 hours prior to going to bed.  Don't know what else to tell you.  You've done great.  I agree the maintence is harder though.  Do the best you can, love ya see you tomorrow night.

Hey Ms. Melinda,   Okay I am not a veteran or a guru or a nutritionist or heck I am not even an attendant in the garage parking lot at the Hospital but since you threw this out there I'm just gonna throw some out there too!!!  LOL 

  You know we have talked about cravings before.  We have to learn to be really in tune with our bodies to distinguish the difference between a craving a hunger pain and head hunger.  To me all 3 of em look smell sound and feel the same.. LOL  From here on we will just call them the 3 Stooges.... LOL 

  This is just me but I believe you need to detox your body and start over.  By detox I mean if it was not grown in the ground or a slaughtered animal I would not eat it.  It is pretty obvious that Sugar free Zannies M&M's don't grow on a tree.  Along with this you need to get the measuring cups back out and find out how much your portions should be for each of your 3 meals.  Contact your nutritionist and they will be more than happy to give you this information which will include how much you should be consuming for your height and your desired weight and how far you are personally from your WLS date.  As you can see this is going to vary people by people because we all come in different shapes and sizes so I can not tell you that what I do for me is what you need to do for you because that just is not true. 

  In my opinion once you detox, which I am not going to lie to you here, you are going to feel like you are going through hell and back.  You don't have the luxury of getting to go check in to the Betty Ford Clinic and be locked in a private room for 5 days while you detox which will include pain, sweats, nausea etc etc etc.... Since you do not have that luxury guess what, not only do you have to detox all by yourself but you still get to go work, maintain a relationship, pay bills, and everything else.  Sounds like fun huh?  LOL 

  Once you get past all of that I do believe you can reintroduce other things back into your system very slowly so that you can figure out what the trigger items are...  That sounds like a lot of work doesn't it...  IT IS...   But remember you are the absolute strongest person that I know.  I believe in you........

I'm glad you posted on this thread to bring it back up!  I forgot about it already.  Susan, I have logged every piece of food into the daily plate.  I have read and reread my dr's instructions and needed a refresher course.  I found the culprit.  I had PMS and was starting my period.  For the last three or four days, I have logged it all, and spread my food throughout the day like it should be... especially breakfast and getting more dense protein in.  I have found some new drinks that I like, forcing the liquids, watching the 30 minute drinking rule, and also listening to my tummy MORE as to when it needs food and when it is full.  I have been very diligent about eating food that I should have.  Some things sneak in unawares.I have increased my carbs a bit with foods that are filled with fiber...  and I must say that I am now having a regular bm each day without use of MOM or espresso. drinks. My period always makes me feel so full without even eating food...  that's why my desire for protein just went awry, completely disappeared this past week.  A week previous, it was ranging over 100 each day.  I really think the salt crave came from my period.  Last month was a good month...  no cramps, etc etc no cravings, but this month it kicked my arse.  Some months are just like that.  All the reason for my frustration, moodiness, and tearfulness.  So hallelujah!  Rest easy, the visitor is on his way out!