Maintenance Shift AGAIN

Ok have several things going on and not quite sure what to do.  I am 124 today and was 118 awhile back.  My periods have been ALL messed up and I WOULD have started a regular period this past week but went ahead and put in the Nuvaring.  I have been snacky and eating a little more than normal.  That's problem #1 #2 scenario is that I drink several protein drinks a day, and am really feeling that I need to shift my eating around again.  After having my gallbladder out last August, eating was awful and everything made me sick.  Therefore, my tummy never got any bigger to handle food.  Finally I think I am able to get protein from mostly solid foods now, where before I just could not.  My tummy was too tiny.  I still cannot eat a lot, but what I consider to be a normal wls patient's portion at almost 19 mos.  I am still kinda scared that I am overeating though only because I didn't adjust at the regular scheduled time. #3 I dont know if I should go back to basics to get off these 6 lbs, or maybe its hormones and swelling cause my pants feel a little snug.  I am very comfortable at 120 but 124 is just not what I want Any feedback and if I should be worried?  Suggestions? 

Hi, Congrats on all your success!  Being an RN, I would suggest you look for hidden salt in the foods you're eating.  Salt can be hidden as Potassium chloride, MSG, or other chlorides versus sodium chloride.  I would suspect hormones are definitely playing a part in the weight gain, and perhaps even affecting your appetite.  Those hormones are nasty little boogers, and make your body very salt sensitive.  Look for hidden salt, unrealized eating of more carbs; increase your fluids, and give yourself some time to adjust.  If you eliminate these possible contributing factors, and your weight continues to climb.....I would say the ring is definitely the root cause.  You might also reduce your protein shakes and move toward small amounts of denser proteins.  Your quality and amount of protein can affect fluid retention.  Take care; hope this is helpful.  TG

Thanks for your help!  I will start to watch the salts in foods...  I don't add salt to anything except sometimes when I ea****ermelon I will add some salt.  Starting Monday I am going on a "diet" aka basics!  Gonna cut back on those shakes and logging everything cause that has slipped too

Melinda, do you log your food?  Putting it in writing for me has to be a necessity to keep myself in check.  I tend to wonder occassionally (like now) and have also put on a few lbs.  I also believe for me when I don't do my shakes then I tend to graze and totally fall off my plan.   I'm going back to my surgeon's post-op plan tomorrow for one week, don't want to deviate at all and see how that works.  My plan was totally different than most other surgeon's plans so and I believe it is something I can stick to; it worked wonderfully for me to lose and get to goal. Saying this though since I've gotten off track of what you are asking, your hormonal issues could very well be what is causing the gain.  I can sympathize with you in this dept., although our female issues are different I'm having to deal with it also and find myself able to eat more, my appetite in the past 6 months has increased with the past 2 months really being scary for me.  My OB/GYN said I'm pre-menapausel and it isn't fun.  Not much I can do with mine, I hope yours can be cleared up. Also realize that many of u**** a low weight that isn't sustainable for the long run and our bodies will settle somewhere that it is comfortable with.  My low was 119 lbs then I settled between 123-125 for almost a year. 

I have been diligent about food logging. Lately not so diligent so that may be the reason as I'm eating the same stuff but did add back a few things that might not have been so good for me.  I struggle with fiber issues so added Fiber One cereal which I cringed at because of carbs... yes there are the good carbs but still... I eat a piece of high fiber bread sometimes, and I have also added protein bars in.  I am thinking that with my hunger coming back, this is a dangerous/scary place to be.  I have to get back to looking at every calorie and make some necessary adjustments again...

I'm right there with you. I've had a little rebound, used to hang around 125 and lately it's been more like 130. I can cut back and I'll lose back down but I always manage to creep back up to 130. I think it's due to the honeymoon being over and having to really be accountable for what I eat now. I used to pretty much eat whenever I got the urge, and it never seemed to matter, but now it shows up. It bites. I was eating a lot of peanut butter, and I still plan to eat some, but when I logged my food on sparkpeople, I was shocked to see how many calories I was getting just from peanut butter. I'm going to try to cut back a little on my starch (I eat a good bit of potatoes) and eat some more vegetables, and see how that goes. I would imagine we'll have some trial-and-error, but we'll do OK. Hang in there.

Hey Wanda, we had surgery just two months away from one another.  It's too bad that we don't have a support group by time span of surgery date, that way you can compare notes with people who are exactly on the same time frame.  Does that exist? 

www.obesityhelp.com/forums/10-2006/ Here is a link for 10/2006 forum. B

TODAY IS THE DAY.  I am going to get to the bottom of this 6 lbs.  I am going back to basics TODAY and logging every single morsel I put into my mouth.   I decided this after eating a protein bar for breakfast which was too high in calories so I scaled back and am spacing my meals a little further out.  I am going to see if this will help !  There is no day like today...  was going to start tomorrow and thought "NO!  TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW!  Don't put it off and use today as an excuse to eat more calories!" So today it is!

Ok I worked hard all day to log every single morsel.  Final tally: Calories:1244 Carbs:  55 Protein:  114 I had a Slim Fast protein bar for breakfast and it was 190 calories BEFORE I decided to cut back and I will not be doing that again.  I think while my protein is good, I need to cut back a little too on the calories.  Doc's office said no more than 1100. I also realized with the help of my dad, I have not been taking my fluid pill and that could contribute.  Thanks for the link to the Oct 06 board...!  I found it on my own not twenty mins after I posted!  Got curious and went looiking for it!