Keep getting fatter

I am starting to freak out. I have never reached my goal and now I am packing the pounds back on. I try and keep track of my calories and I am now excercising but so far no results. Most of my clothes no longer fit. I remember when I was on the way down and I was this size I thought I was looking great. Now I see a blimp when I look in the mirror. I would rather die than get back to where I started, seriously! I am stepping up the water intake and wanted to excercise every day but time constraints and plain old exhaustion are getting in the way. I am really in a state of panic! -=db=-

Hi DB I know how you feel Sorry this is happening to you. I had lost 255 lbs in 18 months and kept it off for 4 yrs never gaining an ounce,got sick for almost a month and started gaining again and i had gained back 90 lbs Very disgusted with myself,i had an EGD and right after i had been sick and vomiting many many times a day and he said the Stoma is stretched to regular size again..so you see i am a WLS failure. Try real hard to get back on the bandwagon...do not let this happen to you. If you ever need to talk please feel free to e-mail,me...prayers for you going up Hugs Val

Is there a way to shrink it back by eating even smaller portions. I know I haven't stretched it that much as I can barely eat 1/4 of a hamburger. My trouble is nibbling high calorie junk food. I love chips and crackers etc. I am trying to eliminate all processed foods from my diet. I won't let it happen, I can't! Thanks -=db=-

I had surgery in 1999 and again in 2003. I lost 220 pounds, but regained 100. U feel like a failure, too, but I have to look and see that I am still 120 pounds less than I was in 1999. That is still a lot of weight lost. So, yes, I am disgusted that I gained 100 pounds. All that hard work was wasted and I have to struggle like crazy and fight for every pound to lose it again. But I am not a total failure. Nancy

Val, Don't know if you had seen this before or not?? Please read. Nursing Spectrum , New England edition, July 18, 2005, about correcting problems with SLD and when the opening from the pouch to the intestines becomes larger and RNY folks begin to gain weight. I imagine you can read the entire article at their web site. nursingspectrum.com. I couldn't put the article in, in its entirety. This is also done to correct issues with the stoma... Endoscopy to the rescue "Slattery and Christopher Thompson, MD, advanced therapeutic endoscopist and director of developmental Endoscopy at Brigham and Women's Hospital, have developed a procedure to correct pouch problems and help patients avoid another invasive procedure. Thompson's procedure employs an endoscope that features an attached sewing device. The endoscopist inserts the endoscope (following the administration of general anesthesia) through the patient's mouth and uses the sewing device to repair the problem." Another thing mentioned is if you have acid reflux, it could be an indication of an opening in the pouch... Best of luck MaryLyn

Val, Will they not go back in and fix the stoma to where it should be. I have heard of people having that done or so I thought ... Shirl

DB, I'm not as far out as you, just want to share what has worked for me so far. I too can be a carb junkie so I've decided that I will limit what comes in my house, I do have two children (5 and 6) so getting rid of everything is nearly impossible. There are certain foods though (trigger foods) that I will not buy and bring in my house. If they want those items I don't deprive them but it is something they eat outside as soon as we return from the grocery store. I also go back to my surgeon's early post-op plan, lean meats and green leafy vegetables only. I owe my sucess to the lean meats and green leafy vegetables, I still can only eat very little when I go that route and it fills me up. Should I get hungry between meals, I will do a protein shake w/water or coffee which sustains me til my next meal. Best wishes, Dana

Deb. I'm fighting a 20llb weight gain in the last year. My lowest was 147lbs a few days prior to my TT on 4/9/2005. Today, my weight has risen to 167lbs. Everyday I fight the battle NOT to snack. That is my downfall and weakenss. I take each day, on day at a time and try and follow the rules below: My support to you!!!, You can do it!!! Rule 1: Protein First: The first rule for living after Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) is Protein First - that means eating protein for three daily meals, and protein must be 50 percent of food intake. Animal products are the most nutrient rich source of protein and include fish, poultry and meat. Dairy protein, including eggs, is another excellent source of protein. Nuts and legumes are also good sources of protein, but sometimes difficult for the bariatric patient to consume. Science is proving that a protein rich diet will prompt weight loss and increase energy. The body contains over fifty-thousand different active proteins all made out of the same building blocks: amino acids. Amino acids are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen as well as sulfur, phosphorus and iron. Many diseases - including obesity - indicate an amino acid deficiency. Weight loss surgery patients don't have a choice, they must eat lean protein or they will get sick, anemic, and weary. Weight loss will cease if they eat processed carbohydrates instead of lean protein. Dumping or vomiting may also result if patients do not eat lean protein for the first half of every meal. The distinction must be made between high fat proteins and lean proteins. A gastric bypass patient cannot tolerate high fat proteins such as bacon, fatty beef or sausage products or greasy fried chicken: these foods cause nausea and vomiting. In addition, these high fat protein rich items are contributors to obesity and should be avoided by anyone wishing to control their weight. Rule 2: Drink lots of water Dieters are often told - drink water. Drink a minimum of 64 ounces a day - eight glasses a day. Gastric-bypass patients don't have a choice: they must drink lots water. Other beverages including coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks and alcohol are forbidden. Water is the essential fluid for living. Water is one of the most important nutrients the body needs to stay healthy, vibrant and energetic. A tell-tell sign of a gastric bypass patient is the ever-presen****er bottle. The human body is a magnificent vessel full of water. The brain is more than 75 percen****er and 80 percent of blood is water. In fac****er plays a critical role in every system of the human body. Water regulates body temperature, removes wastes, carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells, cushions the joints, prevents constipation, flushes toxins from the kidneys and liver and dissolves vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for the body's use. Nutritionists say a precise measure of the body's need for water is to divide body weight (pounds) in half and drink that many ounces every day. That number could well exceed 200 ounces a day for morbidly obese people actively engaged in weight loss. The body will panic if actual water intake is significantly less than required. Blood cannot flow, waste processes are disrupted and the electrolytes become imbalanced. Proper hydration prevents inflammation, promotes osmosis and moistens lung surfaces for gas diffusion. It helps the body regulate temperature, irrigate the cells and organs and promotes all functions of elimination. Certainly by drinking plenty of water many people could resolve inflammation and elimination problems that result from insufficien****er intake. Adequate water facilitates weight loss. Rule 3: No Snacking Gastric bypass patients are instructed to avoid snacking. No exceptions. Snacking is the worst possible thing a WLS patient can do. If patients snack they cease to lose weight and could possibly regain weight. In addition gastric bypass snackers risk severe swings in blood sugar levels and glucose overdose, they fail to move forward to the healthy life that surgery makes possible. They feel like failures when the WLS does not result in weight loss. The nature of gastric bypass surgery gives patients an edge on beating the snacking habit. When a patient eats three protein-rich meals a day the body's fuel requirements are met and satiation results. Hunger does not occur if water is sipped throughout the day. If a patient is taking vitamins they will not be nutritionally wanting. Given that, patients who snack are doing so out of the very habit that contributed to obesity. If a dieter must snack they must be mindful of their choices. Fruits, vegetables and lean proteins will contributed to wellness and weight loss. Processed carbohydrate convenience foods fail to meet nutritional needs or facilitate weight loss and should be avoided. Successful WLS patients understand that snacking is bariatric purgatory. When they begin to snack weight loss will cease and weight gain will certainly result. Successful weight loss patients - those who maintain their weight loss years after surgery - do not snack. The same is true for all successful dieters regardless of the means by which they initially lost weight. Rule 4: Exercise The final rule, the one WLS despise the most, patients must exercise every day. Nothing is more disappointing than hearing a gastric bypass patient brag that they didn't have to exercise to lose weight. It's true; patients will lose weight without lifting a finger. But patients who do not use the time of rapid weight loss to incorporate exercise into their lifestyle are doing themselves a grave disservice. Obesity cripples the body. Bone tissues are compromised, joints are swollen, the vascular system is inadequate and the skeleton overburdened. As weight is lost, the burden on the bones, joints and vascular system is decreased. However, the body is a magnificent machine. Given proper nutrition and physical motion it will rebuild its broken framework. The systems can become strong and vital. The most effective way to heal the body from the ravages of obesity is to exercise. Exercise means moving the body: walking, stretching, bending, inhaling and exhaling. Exercise is the most effective, most enjoyable, most beneficial gift one can bestow on themselves in the recovery from life threatening, crippling morbid obesity. People who successfully maintain their weight exercise daily. Conclusion: Successful weight loss surgery patients will tell you these are the four rules they live by, that the gastric bypass is only a tool to facilitate mindful behavior for better health. They will confirm that weight control, even with surgery, takes a lifetime of diligent attention to their bodies and behavior. They will assure you it isn't easy, but the results are worth the effort. Good luck L

Wow, lots of great information. Yes, I think the simple diet of meat and veggies is the way. I do fill up fast and for a long time when I eat proper meat and some veggies. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite things is marinated fish and sautee'd cabbage. Or steak and asparagus. What about fruit? Where does that fit in to all this? I like tropical fruits like bananas and papayas. -=db=-

Dee, I have the same reaction to fruit as I do to simple carbs. Personally for me they are a , I do eat them on rare ocassion, however they are not a part of my daily food. Mary