3 Years Out... Need assistance

Hello, it's been a long time since I've been on this site.  I've been doing very very well since June of 2004 when I had my gastric bypass done.  Lost over 120 and have only gained about 15 since then.  Have done quite well!  BUT lately I'm finding I'm hungry all the time!!!  Is anyone experiencing the same thing and if so how are you handling it in a healthy way???  I drink a lot of tea and seltzer... don't get me going on water!  HATE IT!  Any advise??? Thanks... Ann

Ann, Congrats on your weight loss. I will be 3 years out in January. I have went from 312 lbs to 166 then to 173. So yes recently I have gained a few. My Surgeon told me to expect it, but it still is hard to do. Actually got down to 162 for a brief while. I know I am so much healthier, but am really scared that I will weigh 300 lbs again. I can eat alot more, am hungry all the time, or I think I am. Trying really hard this week to nip this in the butt. Went back on protien drinks and am cutting carbs some. Rhonda

Oh Yeah, I can eat way more now and definitely have my hungry days! On those days I try to really push good solid, dense protein like chicken breast, eggs w/ham chunks and cheese, etc and skip on the slider foods that I enjoy like yogurt and cottage cheese. I also try to keep my carbs down and if I do eat carbs I try to make them the good ones from whole grains, oats, beans, etc.  Congratulations to you on all of your success!!!!!!

I'm about 2 1/2 years out and have also discovered the hunger and the larger portions.  I lost down to 154, then regained a few, then lost, then regained, then lost, then regained and now am working on losing it again.   My best defense against hunger (and potato chips, ice cream, chocolate truffles, mac and cheese.....) is DRINKING, DRINKING, DRINKING any kind of low or no calorie liquid.  As long as I am fully... er... swimming... in liquid, I am really not hungry.  Turning down the boyfriend and his constant offers of... "hey, honey, I just bought this triple chocolate raspberry cheesecake... look at all this gooey chocolate... want some?... or... Hey, honey, I just made spaghetti sauce and added like a quart of cheese sauce to it... it's going to be awesome...."   (he's thin as a rail, eats like a horse, just doesn't "get it" )... anyway, turning down these offers gets a lot easier as long as I'm afloat on about a gallon of liquid and not feeling hungry.   Other ways to make dieting easier in my book-- avoid the BIG carbs like pasta, potatoes, bread, rice.... I really don't worry about the "smaller" ones in green veggies.  It's just sort of a rule of thumb with me-- when dieting, I will eat a peach but I won't eat a banana.  I will eat a green salad with tomatoes but I won't eat a serving of corn.  That kind of thing.  Carbs call to me a wee (a lot!) bit too much and I answer the call way too readily.  Eating really dense food works quite well, also.  A raw carrot will put me out of the eating action for two hours.  LOL.

Just a question Ann, we are supposed to stay away from fizzy things. Would your seltzer water be in that category?  and if you are prone to kidney stones, tea is way up there in isolates (per my bone doc). I have a friend who was having trouble with her kidneys and she was told to stay away from tea. I don't know if that includes "green or white" teas. You would have to ask. Just an "fyi" Marilyn