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Hi Pat, I want to welcome you as well. I am glad you found us. Please feel free to post as often as you like. We are all here to help and encourage one another.

I grew up as a very skinny kid.  I was extremely active.  My mother was concerned that I was too thin and she urged me to eat more.  By the time I was a teenager, I was the garbage can at the end of meals--we couldn't waste food so Bob would eat it.  I was very active and was always in the normal weight for my age.  In nice weather I rode my bicycle 6-10 miles per day and was active with my friends besides that.  I weighed 165 when I graduated HS.  I remained active while in college.  Well, I didn't have much time for anything during my first year and a half of college.  It was a dismal time for me as I was an electrical engineering student and had to study like crazy.  I was nearly failing and hated it but it was what my Dad wanted ( I had a cousin who put himself through college, loved engineering, and was already a millionaire).  In the middle of my sophomore year I became an English major and became active again.  I ran around campus in nice weather--this was back in the 60s and that wasn't popular.  In warm weather my friends and I would go on daily bicycle rides of about 25 miles and come home and shoot hoops in addition to working full time summer jobs.

I graduated college in 1972 and got a county gov job and went to work for SSA when SSI came along in 1974.  I was also married that year.  I transferred within the fed gov to another agency in 1980 and worked there until I permanently retired in July, 1992 due to occupational diability due to manic-depression.  I simpley couldn't manage my casework.  I was given the choice of filing for disability or getting fired.  I got the message.  That agency was extremely nice as far as benefis and helping me through the whole process.

I weighed 175 when I graduated college, 190 when I got married, and 200 when I got back from the honeymoon.  I proceeded to gain about 15 lbs per year after that until one year when I gained 100 lbs.  I weighed about 571 when I had my first RNY and got down to 336 before I started regaining weight.  The surgeon said that was normal bounce-back weight.  However, it just slowly kept creeping up.  I couldn't eat more than the allowed amounts at meals, but I constantly snacked.  I couldn't walk because I had been laid up in bed for several mos following the RNY.  By the time I did start to walk, I was very weak.  Now my knees kill me and limit my exercise.
I found out in the summer of 2004 that I had a staple line disruption--the effect was as if I had never had the WLS.  I had a revision RNY on 01-21-05 and went from 420 to 380 due to that RNY.  When I went for a follow-up visit, I perceived the nurse as being nasty and I never went back there.  I realized I was more severely depressed and needed to change meds but the shrink said I was taking the max dose of that medicine and he's have to wait 9 mos post-op to wean me off it and start me on a different anti-depressant.  I slowly began to gain weight again.
I had to go to an outpatient mental hosp during the changeover of my meds and the group therapy was the worst experience of my life.  I'd rather be dead than go through that again.  I'm not suicidal but I'd look for different care rather than go into that loony bin.  Once my meds were changed, my thinking changed.  I joined a gym and started working out in a therapy pool.  However, 6 mos later I fell a couple times in their parking lot and they cancelled my enrollment.  the next year I joined the YMCA but their pool had too much chlorine and caused sores on my legs--I had to quit.

THE GOOD PART-- Last year I posted on the Main Forum asking about a self help book about behavior modification.  A member who is a food addict in remission and a therapist recommended the Beck's Diet Solution and said she uses it in both individual and group couneling with her clients.  I got it and lost 50 lbs between 01-08-09 and 05-20-09.  Then I had the misfortune of treating myself with addicting food in celebration ( after 4+ mos of clean living).  I haven't been clean since.  However, I'm actually at a lower weight than I was back then.  I'm just losing very slowly.  Now I'm reworking Becks at a very slow pace--1 of Beck's Days per calendar week and I'm posting it to the Hunger and Food Troubles Forum.  It should talke me through mid Dec to go through Beck's this time but, I have a lifetime to work it and rework it.  I intend to rarely post on the Becks Group as it doesn't really need me and I now get my support elsewhere.

I picked up Becks book today from library.  I had Gastric Bypass surgery October 2004.I have been morbidly obese all my life. I have a lifetime of mental and physical scars from obesity. Before and after surgery I tried Weigh****chers, other methods of losing weight. Every thing!
I have gained back 80 of almost 300 pounds lost initially. I joined this group hoping to get back on track. I never reached my goal of 200 pounds. I am thinking about a revision surgery but would like to avoid it.  I met with my surgeon this week.  I want to lose 50 pounds at least and get my thinking in gear before I have a 2nd surgery.  my goal in the next coming weeks is to stop grazing, stop gaining weight & do 20 min+ of exercise every day. My lowest weight after surgery was 302, and then I went up to 311, next year 321, last year 338 and this year Jan 2010 372 and to date 382.
I use to exercise on average 5 to 6 times a 45 to 75 min each session and weights at health club and at home with Leslie Sasone DVD's. I was very active and one reason for my gains over time I am less committed to my workouts. So far in January I am exercising 3 to 4 times a week 30 to 45 min sessions with walking away the pounds DVDS. I am ashamed to go back to health club since I have gained 50 pounds since the last time I was there--which was February 2009.
2009 my knee gave out and did not exercise for 2 months last year and I have not been able to get back on track since. Last year I considered lap-band and said no I don't need it. I do not think I am a failure I just need a readjustment and not sure how to get mind back in focus with my goals.
My biggest down fall is my addiction to and love affair with food. Surgery can not fix this so I have to fix my head with this problem. I look forward to participating in the group. It is my hope that there will be an interchange of encouragement and that we can help each other.  Thanks for letting me in the group.

Molly, I know you can lose that 50 pounds all you need is a RAGING determination, some support and encouragement. We here at BDS are here for you, ., we have all been were you are. We want to see you succeed because when you succeed it gives us hope that we can succeed as well.

I suggest that you start the BDS book right away, don’t skip any days or any of her suggestions. I believe by working the book religiously you are being faithful to yourself and to your goals…after all, have we not all cheated ourselves long enough?

Here is what I suggest, start today by journaling your food and counting calories on a daily basis. Some people don‘t like to count calories but even if you do it for a few weeks it will show you exactly what you are doing right or wrong.

Record every thing you put in your mouth, when you do this you will be amazed at the number of calories that is being consumed.

When planning your meals and this will come later in the book, be sure you add in the things that you can not live without, so that they are included in the calories.

I thought my calories were about 800-900 a day but when I started to count the calories in the hard SF candy’s, the chips, the junk, the cream in my coffee, that piece of cheese and all the other little things I was amazed to see that my 900 calories was more like 2,300 some days.

Personally accountability is a big thing for me this is why I record my weight and post it here every day. I have been considering posting my daily intake on a thread here. I consider BDS to be a safe place.

I also use Fitday.com

http://www.fitday.com/fitness/Login.html?_a_Date=1267920000 It is a bit time consuming but as you add the things that you eat in your favourites it becomes easier and less time consuming. It will break down all the nutritional values for you. You can also enter your favotie recipes here and it will break it down for you http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

Thanks.  I have started counting my calories.  That is one of the reasons I got the book from the library because this will push me to read. 

Hi

I am alittle over 26 months out from the VSG surgery.  I did great lost my weight, and maintained for about a year... over the last 6 months my weight has crept up alittle bit at a time and I am ready to work on my issues which are not exercising and eating "treats".  I started the work book and got to about day 10 and stopped.  I would like to lose 15 lbs and maintain.

With a VSG I can eat anything, my sleeve has not streched, I can not eat more than 4-5 oz protein, some veggies/fruit, but I can eat alot of Carbs!  Like all WLS, Grazing is a problem. 

I've been thinking I needed to get back to my book... I tripped over it earlier in the week when I was cleaning my car...I think of going into therapy, this seems like a good start to getting where I want to be! and working on my issues.

Thanks

Baja

Baja, welcome to BDS Group. I have know a lot of WLS people that have lost their weight and then gained back 15-20 pounds, some that put 90-100 pounds back on. We here at BDS all agree that the surgery we had was on our belly’s and it is up to us to perform the work on our brains, and we have found that working this CT program seems to be the key to freeing our minds.

I am glad to hear that you are going to start working the book again, can I suggest that you start at Day One, do exactly as the book says no matter how insignificant or silly the step may sound…….the reason being……it will work for you…… if you just do it!

As far as the carbs, I too can eat far more carbs than I should , they just go down so easily because the are “sliders". Try going Cold Turkey on the carbs (pun intended), the protein will fill you up and keep you full and satisfied you much longer. The pounds will begin to drop off ,and you will feel in control and empowered once again.

Just try it for 1 day, then do it again for 1 day and keep going. Your goals are far more important that feeding that carb monster.

So glad you have decided to join us, please post often, share what day you are working on. We are here to support , encourage and be supported and encouraged.

Hello - My name is Laura . I had RouenY surgery in October 2003. Went from 240 to 150 within my honeymoon period.  Have  come to find that the surgery is done on our stomachs, not our brain. Had some major stresses in my life, other surgeries, job elimination 2 times in 3 years. I have reverted to old coping mechanisms dealing with stress/emotions - mainly food, more specifically sugar and carbs. Started to test the waters with unskillful food choices, and found that they went down good, and I am able to eat alot of them. I have stayed within the parameters of my bariatric program, no drinking with food, take all of my vitamins/suppliments, and get blood work done on a regular basis, but am struggling with portion size and food choices, as well as not exercising. It's like I know what I need to do, but am unable to do it. I had heard about the Beck Diet Solution and purchased the book. Maybe it's time to read it. I am glad I found this group so I can network and connect with others going through many of the same things.

Laura, your story is a familiar one.  Welcome to BDS Group.  Sound like to me that you have the right kind of determination to make some better choice in your life. It's time to test the waters of  a different kind and make some new habits.

The Beck Diet Solution Book is just what we need to help us get a handle on what is wrong in our lives and why we are sabotaging our selves. We are here to give and receive........ support and encouragement.  We need each other to succeed.
 
So glad you are going to join us. Please post often !!!

Laura again - I should also post that I have gained back 35 pounds. I would like to lose that amount again and get the sugar/carb monster off my back.