4 yrs out & i cant believe im GAINING!

Well, i actually cant believe it - but I am four years out from surg. (4/22/04) & have actually been gaining weight. Im very active - i bike 9 miles/day to work & back, hike, swim, kayak, do bikram yoga, horseback ride, never walks less that 4 miles at a time. Basically, you name it & im doing it. I eat anything i want (in other words, im able to tolerate 95% of all foods/soda/alchohal/etc) i just eat it in moderation.  Ive tried going back on weigh****chers, Alli, doing the post op 6week LIQUID diet (ya, that didnt go so well) & still im gaining weight! its realyl frustrating!! I know im an emotional eater & Lord knows im under A LOT of stress (to say the least), but its not like im pigging out on cookies & crackers here. Any suggestions?? Can I have the surg. again pls?!!?!?

im a carb addict...my downfall as well is that i can tolerate pretty much anything too ..i dont do sodas...and only occasionally have an alcoholic drink...i am up 30# from a year and a half ago and from my lowest weight...im on Day 4 of the 5 Day Pouch Test...it has worked for me ..perhaps it would for you...when was the last doctor visit? bloodwork? ..perhaps there is a level off somewhere..thyroid? ..wish you the best..take care and hang in there www.5daypouchtest.com

Hey Dawn, I am also a carb addict!! I love bread (specially sour dough). I can drink any alcoholic bev (vodka cran anyone) & use to "often", but ive cut that out w/in the past 2 weeks.  What  is this pouch test??  Funny you ask about the bloods - i just had the full scan done & got the results back yesterday. 100% of all levels are GREAT!! i couldnt have asked for anything better. No diabeties, no HB pressure, no cholesterol, no thyroid issues. Calcium, B12, protein, iron, etc are all perfect... & I DONT typically take a multi vit. & have never taken any of those calium horse chunks that break my teeth!  I'll occasionally take a B12 if im feeling sluggish & drink an IsoPure after biking to the office - but thats about it.

That's what I did....Was healthy and doing great for 4 years...Then whammo...not taking my vits and supps caught up and while things were good there for a while (4 YEARS!!!!), my body was using its own vitamin stores and now I have none!  Had no really huge symptoms either...The syptoms I did have were easy to dismiss and play down because it was so gradual...and slow and nothing so odd that I could really notice...  I spent the last 4 months trying to get out of being anemic and get my vitamin levels back up. When the levels started raising is when I realized how sick I really was.  I'm normally boucing off the walls, can't sit still kinda person...who can't find the energy now to hold a 32 ounce glass of water these days.  I dropped my cup of water on my key board because I could not hold the glass.  That really made me aware that I am not well yet even though I have been working hard at taking my vitamins again and trying to build my muscles back up after having to rest for two months with anemia. I am doing better...but these little things make me realize I'm still not well yet. I was fine too...It didn't take long once it started....I'm seriously glad you have been lucky so far. One of my best guy friends who also had RNy a year before me is just like you....he never takes vits...He's been feeling bad lately...I'm trying to get in to go in and get labs...Stubborn man!  I think his luck has run out like mine did.  I hope you stay lucky...but malabsoption is real and most of us need supplements forever. I gambled my health...Are you gambling yours when all you have to do is take a few vitamins daily...like brushing your teeth or combing your hair?  I think you've been lucky...like I was for a while.    I'm not rying to be a butthead here...but I gotta say something because I feel very strongly about it.  I came here bragging that I didn't take vits regularly and kept my weight loss off...Gained some weight, lost it...Was maintaining...Didn't feel I needed my vitamins because I ate healthy, could gain weight, so I must be getting my nutrition...right?  No....doesn't stay that way...It takes a long time for your body to lose its supplies/stores...but once it starts....if you are no****ching carefully and taking precautions...It will get you. You've been lucky that you DON'T look before crossing the street....eventually you're going to get hit by a car....and if you take followers with you, they will get hit too...Know what I mean?  Docs aren't always right...and some of us adjust more aptly  than others to our new anatomy...but malabsorption is why RNY and DS are so successful...It's real...We don't malabsorb calories or sugar...fat and vitamins we do....Be careful.  I hope you are getting labs every 6 mos and not every year.  If  you aren't going to take vits, you should, at least, be getting labs much closer together... I wish you much more success and good health....and I really hope you are not doing yourself harm in the long run.  

wow... thats a slapping wake up call! No offense taken (no, your not being a butthead). In fact, im thinking its more so the reality check that Im needing. You are right & I know I need to be - should be taking my vits. REGULARLY for the rest of forever... and I hope I didnt give the impression that I was "bragging" that i dont have to take vits & certainly dont advocate NOT taking the vits (for others who are reading) yada yada... I suppose it stems from a self experiment that i did during the 1.5 to 2 yr phase. i didnt take vits (since i HATE taking them anyways) during that time, but my bloods came out great & have been the same ever since. so i figured that i didnt have to take the vits. after all. but i dont want to gamble w/ my health as you put it, & realize thats pretty much what ive been doing. I suppose it will catch up w/ me one day & I'd like to avoid that if at all possible. so i guess i have to take the stupid vits.  i can identify w/ that hand shaking thing you mentioned & the previously bouncing off the walls to the now wanting to sleep all the time. But, since i normally anemic & control my iron level w/ my food intake - i figured i could do the same w/ the rest of the vits. the good news - its been 2 weeks since my physical w/ my reg. PCP & ive been taking the GNC womens ultra mega active + a B12 everyday since & have had at leat 3 IsoPure protein drinks (love those thing, but they've gotten so expensive!!) during that time.

No...You didn't give the impression that you were bragging!  I used that word to describe that I was the one bragging about all my good fortune!  I did the same thing!  Exactly!  I really believed I didn't need vitamins....I HATE THEM...I hate the way they taste...I hate buying them...I hate the price...I hate trying to take them on a schedule and learn which one do what and why and when...I hated that you can't just take them all at once...and then I learned you have to have the RIGHT kind and no one told me not to take iron with milk or dairy....or coffee!  One you can only absorb a little at a time every two hours.... OMIGOSH!  It was a PAIN getting it all straight.  They really cramp my style, stupid vitamins!  LOL  But they are soooo important for long term health.  All of that on top of not being able to swallow pills calmly and without gagging ...Taking vitamins was a nightmare for me...Not taking them was living wide awake reality....And I am soooo glad you didn't take offense....I truly mean everything I said with your best interest in my heart... I gotta lose a few pounds too....I'm being so lazy about everything lately.  And how can I give advice if I don't practice what I preach?  LOL  Oh I'm just human...in all my flawwed glory...The reason for no fruits or veggies is because the test is to rid you of all carbs...However, I couldn't do it with NO veggies and when i did my soups on liquid days 1 and 2, I had tomatoes and peppers in my chili and bean soup that I pureed with mostly broth... I even had a few strawberries in one of my protein shakes!  I just stayed away from sugar, bread, rice and potatoes for those five days...I'm going to do the 5 day next week...but I'm not excluding all fuits and veggies...I just need to stop with the bread and pasta...and sugary things.  I'll still go from liquid to soft to solid because that really feels nice....and you begin to feel the pouch again without all the hunger cravings and aches.  Even when you look at some of the soups on the 5DPT site, you know those recipes have some cooked veggies in them...I made a split pea and ham soup that I added carrots too also...In no way did it stop any of the results of the test.  For the first time...even since my surgery did I feel soooooo great...I am serious.  I've been eating leaner and following the rules ever since I did it (4 mos ago)  until last week when my son came home for Army leave and Home town recruiter duty....The boy can eat...and I'm Italian...I can cook! :::Sigh:::pasta doesn't like me and my hubby makes me slep on the couch on pasta nights!  LOL  I even get blamed if the dog farts...Good thing I have a sense of humor or I'd be divorced and farting in my bed alone! Gotta cut out the carbs for sure...But try to stick to mainly protein...It's only for 5 days and it gets easier...You really don't have to be hungry either...I was actually quite surprized that I was not hungry on the liquid days at all....I drink two ounces of protein powder ever since...Daily...and it has helped me to maintain and not gain.  I put it in a giant cup with coffe and soy milk....No more vanilla sugary fru fru....and I start my day with 32 g of protein.... Good you are taking vits...Seriously...I wouldn't have believed it if it didn't happen to me and others chimed in and warned me too ...I'm paying it forward now and looking out for my peeps!   LOL Hugs!

LMAO @ "I HATE THEM...I hate the way they taste...I hate buying them...I hate the price... One you can only absorb a little at a time every two hours.... OMIGOSH!  It was a PAIN getting it all straight.  They really cramp my style, stupid vitamins!" I TOTALLY Feel the same way!! all of it!! In fact, i couldnt have said it better myself. but wait wait.... WHAT?!?!??!-->>"I hated that you can't just take them all at once...and then I learned you have to have the RIGHT kind and no one told me not to take iron with milk or dairy....or coffee!" WHAT!!!  "I hate trying to take them on a schedule and learn which one do what and why and when..." you are killing me here. WHAT Schedule?!?!? You mean you CANT take them all (& what the helium does "them all" refer to!?!?!) at once?!?!?!  ok, can i pls get a list of what we are suppose to be taking - how much of  - how often - & if anyone knows what can be taken (should be taken) w/ what that would be great too. b/c i would seriously try to choke them all down at the same time just to get it over with. but i want to do this right & get back on the right track. So if anyone has that info, it would be great if you could email or fax it. omg this is bringing back such awful memories - I use to totally gag on the calcium chalk BRICKS that chip my teeth & break the blades of my blender. & gas/ constipation from the iron sups. "FAGETABOUTIT!!" Im killing my son w/ the gas as is (note - NOT on iron sups). why cant diet coke have all the vita sups?!?!?

Don't be discouraged. Brush up on the basics and use the tools you already know. Check out this website www.mckenna.com . He lists alot of good techniques and many of them are on short videos that are easy to follow. Coming back to OH message boards was a good step. There's a lot of encouragment and support here.

I too , am 4 yrs. out and have gained 10 lbs from my lowest wt.  I started the 5dptest and am on day 3 of it. (tomorrow).  I looked back over what I was eating and lo and behold, it's amazing how many carbs I can creep back into my diet.  That was why I decided to try the 5dpt.  To cleanse myself of the carbs and get back to the basics.  So feel free to join us and  give it a try.  Good Luck. Dancin'D

Greetings all - thanks for your replies & support. for the record - my stats are: 292/164/220/160 past/lowest/current/goal I checked out the 5dpt link that dawn sent over. I'll  start  that next week (as im currently eating a blueberry bagle w/ cream cheese - ugh), but have a few questions about it. Hopefully, you guys can give me some clarity. (omg i cant believe how HARD this is gonna be!! nothing but liquids for the first 2 days!!!) Please forgive/excuse my naiveite... ok so - 1) i notice the distinct absence of fruits & veggies. why is that? 2) i get the day 1 & day 2 thing. however, on day 3 (Soft Protein) is this in conjunction w/ all the liquids from days 1 & 2 (so on for days 4 & 5)? meaning - so on day 5 you rare basically eating a combination of: low-carb protein shakes, broth, clear or cream soups, sugar-free gelatin and pudding (days 1 & 2); canned fish (tuna or salmon) eggs, fresh soft fish (tilapia, sole, orange roughy (day 3); ground meat (turkey, beef, chicken, lamb), shellfish, scallops, lobster, fresh salmon or halibut (day 4) & white meat poultry, beef steak, pork, lamb, wild game (day 5) PLUS 64 oz of water??? OR is it simply the items listed on each day & thats it?? 3) what is the purpose of this 5 test?  4) what if I dont lose weight? i know there was somthing else, but i cant think of it at the moment. thanks guys :) -Candace