An Introduction

Good morning everyone.  This is my first time here.  I actually forgot this board existed.  I knew it was for patients one year and over, but it took me a while to realize that's me!  Sigh...one of those days already.  I've lost almost 170 pounds and am flucuating between 158-161.  It depends on the time of the month.  I wear a medium shirt and a 8/10 pants.  I am so happy I had this surgery.  I've been having trouble with food.  I get enough protein, but not enough calories.  My one year blood work showed this.  I'm still trying to figure it all out.  There are days I'm so scared that I will gain all this weight back.  I can't go back there.  To top it all off, I was officially diagnosed infertile, and have to go through IVF again.  The trauma of finding all this out sent me into a downward spiral.  I didn't care what I ate.  Sugar is my vice, and I do have problems with sugar.  If I eat too much of it, my sugar drops into the 40's-50's.  Luckily I realized what I was doing and stopped myself.  Problem is now I'm craving it.  I know why, and I'm glad I don't keep sugar in the house.  I do have sugar free, and that is helping a lot.  Sorry for rambling.  I just wanted to introduce myself.  Have a pleasant day.

I wanted to say welcome to the board...this is such a great place for us grads..  Everyone here is so helpful.  Your right you know what you have to do but it a battle between you and the sugar. Do you think you could do the five day pouch test to get you back on track'? Kinda back to basics. Im sorry I dont have a ton of help for you  :(  But I do welcome you. Linda

Thanks for the welcome!  I did do the 5 day test to get back on track.  It did get me back on track somewhat, but I didn't feel it was very helpful.  I decided to slowly get myself back on track.  I've cut back on all carbs and am focusing on protein for the most part.  Thanks for the advise.

Welcome to this board. Sorry to hear you have calorie issues. We do a posting each day (watched over by our own Carla) called Accountability... where we post what we have eaten and the totals for the day. Most of us do fitday or sparkpeople to keep track. You're certainly welcome to participate. We don't charge much...LOL. Just our encouragement.  See if you can switch to sugar free drops. I've switched to sugar free just about everything. And the added "bonus" is that it causes some discomfort to my pouch so I don't eat enough of it to be a vice anymore...Some of us still need that newspaper on the nose feeling to keep us in line. I'm one of those.  Good luck on the IVF. It's very difficult, I've heard. My brother and sister-in-law did it and they have a beautiful daughter, my neice, Natalie Ellen. Named after my mother. Love her to pieces!

Thanks a lot.  I am switching to sugar free everything.  That's all I have in the house.  Sugar-free everything.  I'm still nervous about it.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Hi Bethany Welcome and con"grad"ulations...:::::throwing confetti on you:::: Sorry to hear about your troubles...Hopefully someone here can share their similar experiences with you.  I wish you the best and hope you find something that helps you... I don't understand the whole sugar thing...and I hope that IVF helps. (my sister-in-law went through  years of that...and nothing worked...She got her sugar under control (Diabetic)...learned to eat healthier and got off the Fertility drugs...and 6 months later after accepting that she'd not have another child...prego!  He was born two years ago a happy healthy little ball of energy...I really hope that you have positive results. Either way...don't give up and lean on us... You'll get some hugs here...and you learn all sorts of stuff you might not have learned...some good stuff and some bad stuff and some stuff you might have forgotten.  We're all so different but many of us can relate to each other on so many levels... Hugs Anita

Thanks Anita.  Sugar has always been my vice.  Whenever something goes wrong, two things happen.  I lose my appetite and I eat sugar.  I'm not sure I get it, but at least I realize it.  Thanks for the encouragement.

Welcome Bethany and Congratulations on your weightloss!!!! I'm sorry to hear that you're having problems, but it sounds like you have a good handle on things which is half the battle. I hope to see you around here often!

Thanks a lot.  I plan to visit a lot.

Bethany, Welcome!  You will love it here.  There aren't as many posts as on the main board, but you get to know everyone here very well, and there's virtually none of the "drama" that's on some other forums!  Here on the grads board, we have such similar problems & struggles--even though some are in very different places, weight-wise.  I learn from those who are very successful with their maintenance as well as from those (like me) who are dealing with some re-gained weight.   So although I do check the main board when I have extra time, I am more plugged in to this board.  I don't post as much as some, but I get so much out of reading from it every day. Sugar . . .  !!  It's so-o-o easy and so-o-o evil!! Glad to have you, Jo