Back and with a plan

Hi friends!!!!

It's been a wild couple of months since I last resurfaced. Israel celebrates all of our major holidays in the fall and pretty much for a month...we shut down! While that's NICE it also got me from starting my WLS routine, anyway...

I am starting the 5 day pouch test. I know I am eating way too much slurry food. I also have problems with severe hypoglycemia but I think that the test plus a low GI diet should help keep me in the middle...I hope anyway.

Part of this is accountability as well and so making a daily stop to say hi and report my activity is essential. If you know me on FB and haven't seen me here in a few days, feel free to kick my butt back over here.

I am up to 140 which still gives me a good BMI but its a cycle of gaining I need to stop. When I moved to Israel, I lost down to 108. That was too tiny. But I also am not comfortable where I am so I'd LIKE to be at 120-125. I think the pouch test will be good because I also have an issue with dehydration so the beginning part at least will help with that. I have no control over my sugar drops but I also don't need to eat 2 pb sandwiches while I'm waiting for it to come back up. That's where I think I've gone off the road.

Stress, too, is a culprit. I am single now and pretty much alone in Jerusalem (love it tho!) raising my 19 yo Aspergers son. I actually. It my work week down to 4 days to have an extra day to rest and get things done so I don't stress so much. I am on Paxil, clonipin and the occasional Xanax....I find the Xanax really helps when I'm dropping, it can immediately stop it which is good.

If I drop too fast though I have auras and then a grand mal or clonic tonic seizure...bad bad bad!!!! My dr recommends sipping on a coke when this happens and that's a lot better than eating Until i feel better.

So, I am now 3 years out. Do you think my pouch still works? Can I get into a losing mode again? I need ALL of your advice!

Bridget

I'm a 2 part DSer, but in effect did a pouch test when I got part 2 of my DS (yes, I know I have a sleeve, but it's still called the pouch test).  Anyway, I had VERY little to eat for 5 days, basically one low fat yogurt a day (100 cals, it was one yogurt eaten over the course of breakfast and lunch) and clear broth for the other meal and lots of water.

My stomach was 20 months old at the time and I had good restriction for a couple of months after eating so little in hospital.  I needed to get eating though as I can't do protein shakes as they give me cramps.  Just try and get some protein in even if it's just adding the flavorless stuff.

BTW I'm sorry to hear about your seizures, I hope you can work things out to avoid them as much as possible.  All the best.

YES your pouch still works!  I did the 5-day pouch test and it does get us "back on track" and remind us what the rules are.  As far as RH, I don't eat the 'sandwiches' but rather just the PB on a spoon.  DON'T follow it up with liquids though - doesn't work and pouchy doesn't like it.  I know how you feel though when the sugar starts to drop - your only concern is to make it stabilize.

Good to see you again here!

 

((((()))))) Huge hugs for awesome brave U Bridget !!  I  am not sure what I can tell U  .. other  than that I also  inhabit a weight gaining  ( hey that gene selection helped our ancestors survive and reproduce ! ) prone Jewish-type body .   

When I get in trouble I don't try to reinvent the wheel- I  start with what traditionally worked for people with my body type .  In (our) case, thats' often vegetarianism.   I enjoy  ( and thrive very healthily on) traditional Jewish vegetarian foods ... but  I Do make one significant modification that keeps 10-15 lbs off ...  I make most things  freshly at home with fresh homegrown vegetables and without adding oils or fats .  I figure I get plenty of oil when I can't avoid eating out .. and most recipes can be made just as  tastily without fat .  

I actually love my dairy based and vegetarian  meals ... I think without those regular   breaks from high-protein eating  I  would feel a lot less healthy .  I don't feel deprived or like I live on a diet - and my meals are  very cost effective also .    My teeth and bones are also very healthy and my labs remain great  almost 4 years after surgery .   

 

 

Hi Bridget. It's great to see you back here. Of course your pouch still works. I have a friend 10 years post op who had a regain. In the last two years she has taken off 75 pounds through exercise and healthy planned meals. So I know it can be done!

Good luck to you. I know you can do it!

It's sooooo Great to hear from you!!!   We never did get to meet up when you lived in Pgh.  Join us more often.  I think it really helps to have support group who understands.

I've heard conflicting opinions about 5 day pouch diet but I don't think it will hurt to try it especially if you can do protein shakes and it could jump-start you back to "normal" RnY eating within your own eating style.
The surgery is a tool we all have and unless one is constantly piling or some weird bodily function that medicine doesn't help then we can relearn on ourselves. When I had the Silicon Ring in 1993 and vomited for years all healthy food, I lost weight but not enough, and killed my esophagus and had edema around it from the inside
- a mechanical malfunction.
I still did not lose all my weight but I see how after I "gain" after the various Holidays/weddings it takes about two weeks for me to re-lose what I gained to weigh my normal weight of 76.5-78K.
We have to find our comfortable body weight that make our body and mind happy.
When are we gonna get together girl?
Mikimi in Israel