Question from Al Roker.............

I admire Al for admitting that he is still having trouble. I have always shuddered when I saw him doing food segments & snacking on all the wonderful goodies. I kept hoping he was spitting it out after the video stopped. It wasn't a good advertisement for WLS, if you think of it. "If he can eat it, so can I." I was in my office when the segment came on today & didn't get to watch but heard part of it. He is working with Jorge Cruse, the author of the 3 hour diet. I heard about it last fall, bought the book & it did nothing for me. I suppose that's because it has just been sitting on the shelf. I'm going to take it down tomorrow & start reading. Now as far as I am concerned, I have never made it to goal but I'm still working on it. I did find that having surgery after WLS really messed me up but probably because of lack of exercise. My plastic surgeon does not want you to do anyting that will raise your heart rate or exercise, even unnecessary walking, for at least 6 weeks & I followed his directions- twice! That was 3 months of the last 12 that I didn't exercise. Then I had two more surgeries in Dec & am now just getting back in the exercising habit. With both plastic surgeries I gained back the amount he removed. I have since lost that amount but it's been very hard. I didn't gain after the other two surgeries but I was very careful. My goal for this next year is to lose just 1lb a month. If I can get 2, all the better. I am giving up, or at least cutting back, on caffiene & sugar free pop. Today I convinced myself that the ho****er I was drinking was just as good as the pot of coffee I usually drink. Today I tried on some jeans in Walmart & was shocked to see how large my thighs still are. I have a long way to go. I may not make it to my doctor's goal of 155 but maybe, with that 1 lb a month, I'll make it to mine. I'll see if Jorge & his 6 meals a day will help. Oh, by the way, yes, I do get hungry & what frustrates me is that often it is right after eating a meal. Dixie

Dixie, Thanks for remembering the name of that diet- 3 hour diet. I also always used to wonder How he could be the "primary taster" On all of those food segments on Today. He clearly doesn't dump from sugar Because he's "tasted" really sweet sweets on air, And not tiny bites but a near full serving of Pie and such. I've always wondered about that. I hope he has great success with this diet exercise combo. Best Wishes- Dx

I am a "held at goal" responder. I owe my success to the realization very early on that I was the same person post op vs. pre op...only difference was the re-routing of my insides. It was that realization that had me in tears and panic and also gave me the inner strength to "study" my behaviors. In particular ways to change that work for me in order to replace my bad/negative stuff with a realistic and healthy approach. Subset being that I have never felt that I "dieted" my way to success, rather that I made appropriate changes along the way that would insure loss and eventually maintenance. The single greatest behavior that I owe my success to is awareness. Awareness of portions, calories, likes, dislikes, behaviors, personal mission, desires. Gaining awareness has allowed me to take control (no, not in a control freakish way) of my life and responsibility for the outcomes, success and challenges along the way. As for Al Roker, curious about his new exercise plan...please help those of us who are Today show challenged (out of the house early, lucky to catch NPR at best) to keep in touch with his outcomes. Thanks. Karen

Hi Dx, Thanks for posting this. No, I did not see this, but I needed to hear this tonight. I had my RNY October 11, 2004 and have gone from 309 lbs to 153-157lbs. I keep fluctuating. I have been going through a lot of stress with my job and other issues in my life and have found myself wanting something in my mouth all the time. I have been using Bob's sugar free peppermints. Last night I ate a bowl of homemade chicken vegetable soup and was full, but still wanted something so I got a bowl of yogurt with peaches (sweetened with splenda) and when I took a bite or two, realized that I was full (didn't accept it mentally) and I felt too full to eat, but kept the bowl next to me while I lurked on the Bama Board and played Spider Solitaire and kept taking little bites of just the yogurt until I could eat the rest and trying to ignore what I was doing. If I am honest with myself and that is hard, I have been doing this kind of stuff lately. I know it isn't the binges I used to go on, but it is definitely not "healthy" behavior. Today was a really stressful day at work and I wanted to eat everything in sight, but I had a protein drink (8 oz skim milk with a scoop of Unjury protein) when I first got up and then Yogurt with peaches for breakfast. For lunch I had a bowl of my chicken and veg soup and a small piece of SF peanut butter pie. I hadn't planned anything so supper and was really physically and emotionally tired so I ate three sugar free popsicles when I got home. I didn't want to cook, so I ate 8 little cubes of colby-jack cheese with 8 wheat thins and went back for 8 more cubes of cheese and 5 more wheat thins. I then later ate some more yogurt with peaches. Since then I have eaten 7 more sugar free popsicles (I use them to help get my fluids in). I sit here now, wanting something to eat. I normally will sleep on the sofa and get up during the night (dry mouth) and eat more sugar free popsicles. Sometimes 10 during the night. I know they don't have the calories and I am getting my fluids with them because I have trouble drinking enough water, but I also know it is that old habit of eating all night long like I did before my WLS. It scares the he!! out of me. I didn't mean to go on and on, but I have lurked on the graduate board and have never posted even though I am over a year out. I still feel like a newbie in many ways. I feel great physically and I am always hearing how great I look or people don't recognize me, but I am finding that fat girl is still there wanting to comfort herself with food!! Any help and suggestions you or anyone else on the board can share would be great. Again, this is making me face up to something that I have to face up to. I didn't have this surgery to gain all my weight back. My profile picture is when I still weighed 240 lbs. I am about 85 lbs lighter and a brunette again (I've got to post another picture). I am very happy where I am weight wise. I would like to get to 150 (but could accept it if I didn't). God help me and my old fat attitudes!! Again, thanks for being there and posting this about Al Roker! Thanks for listening!!! Christ's peace, Connie

Connie, Wow, sugar-free-popsicles! Those were a big turning point for me. Explain- I had a few months of sugar-free-popsicle-mania. I would have them all of the time Also thinking "They have no calories, so No Problem." But then I started wondering "Then Why have them?" They gave me no fuel or nutrition, And just pure water would be better. I made a conscious effort to question "WHY" I wanted one Each time that I did, and found that it was just old habits of Bored? Put something in mouth, Tired? Put something in mouth, Stressed? Put something in mouth, Anything? Put something in mouth. I think the sugar-free-popsicle incident, was for me A big change in my thinking. Not about the sugar-free-popsicles, but about me And my habits that had gotten me to 385. Just had a little shiver run through me when I read Your sugar-free-popsicle part of your reply. I think Karen's post about awareness is dead on accurate. Or at least it has been for me. The popsicles got me to really look at what I was doing And that has stuck since. Don't be a stranger out here to the grads board. Even though that Bama Bunch is a great group! Best Wishes- Dx

Hi Dx, Thank you so much for your response. You have given me something to think about and believe me I have been and will continue to. I'm having a hard time dealing and I may end up having to go for some professional counseling. I know I shouldn't snack on anything, but unti I get things worked out the sugar free popsicles will have to keep me away from the other things that would be worse for me. I really do appreciate your input and I know you shared this to help me and it has. I will keep you informed on what I work out. I know alot of the other grads will probably think I am being silly but all I know is I have lost all this weight (half of what I used to weigh) and I WILL NOT gain it back and will do whatever it takes. Yes I have a problem and I will be getting help to deal with it. Thanks to people like you who care and share! I won't be a stranger on the grads board, but I tend to lurk even on the bama board!! You have been one of the people on OH who has helped inspire me to keep on when the going gets touch. Thank you. Christ's peace, Connie

I had about a 40 pound regain following various surgeries including plastic surgeries and an emergency bowel repair surgery. That's not what caused the regain though. I just started eating like the "old days" again. It was just a horrible cycle of eating to feel better/then eating because I felt so bad. I turned it around just by keeping trying to turn it around, simplistic as that sounds. I just started over whenever I fell off the wagon. Eventually it just stuck, and I've been doing well for four months now, and have lost back down to near my lowest ever weight, and within spitting distance of my goal weight. Exercise has been a tremendous help. When I couldn't exercise because of my surgeries I really had a hard time with food cravings. Now I crave my running time -- Jim F, high-475, surgery-414, lowest-164, current-170, goal-160

Jim (and all others on this board) - I'm so glad that you've turned your situation around in the right direction. I remember we communicated about our struggles on the "other" board, and what a difficult time you were having. Goodie for you!!! Keep it up! And in answer to the original question: "For those of you who have had substantial regain-What do You attribute your problem to?" - I had RNY on 5/3/03, lost to goal weight in 1 year, then easily stayed at that weight for the next year plus, without needing to watch what I was eating, only the portion sizes. Then last summer I began having a substantially bigger appetite and began slowly regaining, to an approximate 20 lb regain, going from the much coveted size 8 back to a 12 (after giving away anything larger than size 8). I have started the new year with a clean slate, and am several days into much healthier eating. I'm working on the 5-6 mini-meal plan, as follows: B - protein shake made with skim milk S - cottage cheese/yogurt w/fruit and a sprinkle of nuts/seeds L - salad with protein (chicken & some cheese), nuts/seeds, craisins, & light dressing S - apple spread with 1-2 Tbl PB D - protein, veg/salad (and maybe some whole grain carb, if necessary). If necessary, a few animal crackers for evening snack, but trying not to. I'm trying to limit white carbs, and increase the whole wheat/whole grain carbs. I also walk on the treadmill 4-5 mornings a week for 40 minutes. My New Years Resolution is to add more strength training, and to find a way to get to Curves at lease 1-2 times per week (since moving to Chapel Hill, there isn't one in a convenient location for me). I wish all of you a Happy New Year and much success in your weightloss or staying at goal. Hugs, Betsy P.S. I need to figure out how to attach my picture to my profile so you can see my face.

I have a question. I hope it doesn't sound silly. Do you guys think we gain weight faster than before we had RNY? Or do you think we just didn't pay attention to the extra pounds when we were heavy? I just find it difficult to believe that if you stay on track and exercise you still gain weight. For me, if I gain a pound, I can honestly say it's because I snacked or ate unhealthy for a few days. But, quite often, I've read where fellow RNY patients state they have stayed on course and still gained weight. SCARY!

I am much more aware now. I gained 1 pound at a time preop, all the way to 260. diets were awful, a little loss a lot of gain. I was in denial about what I was eating and how much and how much I weighed. I really saw my self as somewhat overweight, not hugely obese as I actually was. A real big thing for me is ending the diet cycle. Learning to listen to my body, be aware of my body and respond appropriately to its needs.