VSG Maintenance Group
Not maintenance yet, but here for the support
Hi everyone!
My name is Jennifer, I am almost 11 months out but only about halfway there weight-loss wise. I am glad I saw Sublimate's post on the main VSG forum, I wouldn't have thought about coming over here because I haven't reached maintenance yet. That said, I haven't visited the main VSG forum much since I was about 3-4 months out. Like Diane's post said, the pre-op/early post-op discussions didn't really apply to me anymore. Now I wish i would have kept on anyways, because for the past 3-4 months I haven't progressed much. I've only lost 3 pounds in the last 3 months. I posted about this on the main board yesterday and got a lot of good advice and an offer of help from Frisco (I am so excited about that!)
Some background on me: While I was normal weight as a child and only slightly chubby as an adolescent, my weight skyrocketed in college (hello dorm food and booze!). I spent most of my adult life over 200, usually in the 220s. After I had twins in 2006 I was diagnosed with PPD and put on Zoloft. I was on it for 3 years during which time I gained 50+ pounds. By the time I got off the meds I was 40 years old and weighed over 270. Diets no longer worked. Exercise was really hard. I think I was still depressed. Whatever the reasons, by spring of 2010 I was 300 pounds. I really didn't have any co-morbidities, so I was unsure whether or not I would even get approved for WLS. I did, but then it turned out my husband's insurance doesn't cover ANY bariatric procedures at all. I was stuck. Thankfully, my mom helped me out financially so I was able to get my sleeve on August 4, 2010. I can't believe it's been almost a year!
I chose the sleeve for probably most of the same reasons as you. I loved the idea of having restriction without a band and without all the the rerouting and complications associated with the RNY. Although, I will admit some days I wish I had dumping syndrome so I would get punished when I ate junk food. My big problem right now is carbs, I know they are the reason why my loss has stalled. I have also been struggling with evening snacking. I can go through most of the day without feeling hungry, but the mental hunger really kicks in in the evening. I need help, guys, and I'm hoping to get it here.
My name is Jennifer, I am almost 11 months out but only about halfway there weight-loss wise. I am glad I saw Sublimate's post on the main VSG forum, I wouldn't have thought about coming over here because I haven't reached maintenance yet. That said, I haven't visited the main VSG forum much since I was about 3-4 months out. Like Diane's post said, the pre-op/early post-op discussions didn't really apply to me anymore. Now I wish i would have kept on anyways, because for the past 3-4 months I haven't progressed much. I've only lost 3 pounds in the last 3 months. I posted about this on the main board yesterday and got a lot of good advice and an offer of help from Frisco (I am so excited about that!)
Some background on me: While I was normal weight as a child and only slightly chubby as an adolescent, my weight skyrocketed in college (hello dorm food and booze!). I spent most of my adult life over 200, usually in the 220s. After I had twins in 2006 I was diagnosed with PPD and put on Zoloft. I was on it for 3 years during which time I gained 50+ pounds. By the time I got off the meds I was 40 years old and weighed over 270. Diets no longer worked. Exercise was really hard. I think I was still depressed. Whatever the reasons, by spring of 2010 I was 300 pounds. I really didn't have any co-morbidities, so I was unsure whether or not I would even get approved for WLS. I did, but then it turned out my husband's insurance doesn't cover ANY bariatric procedures at all. I was stuck. Thankfully, my mom helped me out financially so I was able to get my sleeve on August 4, 2010. I can't believe it's been almost a year!
I chose the sleeve for probably most of the same reasons as you. I loved the idea of having restriction without a band and without all the the rerouting and complications associated with the RNY. Although, I will admit some days I wish I had dumping syndrome so I would get punished when I ate junk food. My big problem right now is carbs, I know they are the reason why my loss has stalled. I have also been struggling with evening snacking. I can go through most of the day without feeling hungry, but the mental hunger really kicks in in the evening. I need help, guys, and I'm hoping to get it here.
JenniferI'm 5'4" ~ HW: 308 SW: 305 CW: 211 GW: 140 
welcome to this group. take time to read through old posts as there are lots of people who have gotten off track and lots of good advice on how to get back and begin losing weight again. its very doable. carbs can be so addictive. even in maintenance I pretty much stay away from all white carbs and the only ones i get are in fruits and veggies and sometimes low carb flatbread. And having been off them for some time, i really don't miss them. If you can break that cycle, you can get over those cravings. and sublimate sets up a weekly conference call support group and i think evening eating was a topic.
So you should be able to get some good ideas here. Again, start by going through old posts. Many pearls of wisdom in there. Diane
So you should be able to get some good ideas here. Again, start by going through old posts. Many pearls of wisdom in there. Diane
Join US On The VSG Maintenance Group Forum!!
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/VSGM/discussion/
Jennifer- I was just reading about something called Night Eating Syndrome. The way to combat it is to eat breakfast most days and to try to get at least 50% of your calories in by the time half your day is over.
A lot of us, because of years of dieting, try to eat as little as possible all the time. As a result, we end up going into the nighttime hours too hungry and being too hungry often causes us to make poor food choices.
Even after WLS, even though we may not get strong signals of hunger, our bodies knows we need more food and it does what it can to get us to eat. So it's well worth it to make sure we eat on a regular basis and don't skip meals or eat too miserly during the day.
A lot of us, because of years of dieting, try to eat as little as possible all the time. As a result, we end up going into the nighttime hours too hungry and being too hungry often causes us to make poor food choices.
Even after WLS, even though we may not get strong signals of hunger, our bodies knows we need more food and it does what it can to get us to eat. So it's well worth it to make sure we eat on a regular basis and don't skip meals or eat too miserly during the day.
HW - 225 SW - 191 GW - 132 CW - 122
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Starting BMI 40-ish or less? Join the LightWeights
Here's some of my best posts/tips on hunger and carb cravings:
=============
Some times will power alone is just not enough. I've had times where I have inadvertently eaten carbs (added sugar in something I wasn't expecting for example) and awoken the sleeping carb junkie inside me.
If you are hungry all the time you may be dealing with blood sugar fluctuations or hormonal imbalances or nutrient deficiencies. It's very difficult to deal with mentally when your body is screaming with cravings. This is what I do that really helps me deal with physical cravings:
Chromium Picolinate - Take 200 micrograms of chromium picolinate each morning
L-glutamine - craving destroyer. Take 500 mg 20 mins before each meal, 3 times per day.
5-HTP - (for night cravings only) Take 50-100 milligrams about 1-2 hours before bed every day as long as cravings persist.
So in other words most supplements should be taken each morning, with additionally 5-HTP before bed ONLY, and L-glutamine taken also before your main meals, three times a day. These all should be relatively cheap to buy.. and of course there are others you can take but I find these most helpful.
I know that it may not seem like these will help, but trust me they make a HUGE difference. I recently had a huge sugar craving bout because I inadvertently ate some added sugar and totally got triggered. I was like a junkie, totally and then I remembered that I have taken supplements that helped in the past.
It took about 6 hours for the l-glutamine to kick in but it totally took away all of my cravings when it did. In addition to taking these supplements, go BBQ yourself a whole bunch of meat so that when you are hungry, and every time you are hungry, you can go stuff more meat/protein in your face.
You might be craving carbs but you'll keep yourself full with protein, and keeping yourself full will help you avoid eating the carbs and repeating the cycle. It won't totally take away the cravings but it will numb them.
Trust me this will really really help you. Just spend some time this evening cooking the protein foods and buying the supplements (walmart sells them) and get your plan squared away so that you are ready to go tomorrow. You can do this!
================
I can relate a lot to what you are saying as I have had a lot of the same experiences. I have not had my hunger or cravings to eat go away, and I want to eat quite frequently. I've struggled with sticking to the recommended amount of calories and not grazing, and I crave fatty foods like full fat cheese and nuts, which spikes my calorie levels.
You may already have tried some of these things or they might not be relevant to you, but here is my "generic" list of things to try and help with hunger:
- Avoid carbs except those from green veggies as they will make your hunger increase
- Get back on a PPI as acid can mimic hunger, or try a different/stronger PPI
- Make sure you are taking supplements to help you with what you are missing from your diet (even non-VSG folks often have to do this because of poor food supply). Vitamin deficiencies can cause cravings/hunger
- Supplement with chromium, l-carnitine and l-glutamine which help with cravings
- Consider therapy to look at why you might be eating aside from physical reasons
- Consider doing a candida diet - candida overgrowth can rob your body of nutrients and cause continual cravings (I can recommend a good one)
- Keep food with you at all times in a small cooler or lunch bag so when you do feel like eating, you can eat the protein your body needs. If you choose good foods, you CAN nourish your body with a VSG. However it may not satisfy your cravings which may be a combination of emotional, physical and hormonal cues.
- Try my beef jerky or chicken salad recipes which keep you very full with dense protein, and fill you up longer: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/sublimate/blog/2011/02/21/recipes-/
- To help you stay hydrated, to distinguish hunger from thirst (just in case it is thirst) and to keep from wanting to eat all the time, drink some sort of tea between meals (green also helps with weight loss for a double whammy)
- Make sure you are eating dense REAL protein FIRST, by itself, and that you cook yourself. For example if you are eating a mushy meat like hamburger, you might be able to eat more. If you combine the meat with a sauce it becomes more "slidery". If you eat a hamburger patty from a fast food joint, they may have additives that cause you not to be as full as long or have other issues. If you are eating things like cheese or soy nuts, etc. for your protein instead of REAL home-cooked meat (chicken, pork, fish, beef) you may not feel full as long.
- If you are still feeling hungry between meals, snack on veggies (cooked or raw or what ever works for you) for a low cal way of filling you up, and getting some good nutrients in you
- Make sure you aren't eating too many carbs, as those can set you up for cravings and blood sugar swings that will keep you hungry regardless of what you eat.
- If you think it is head hunger, try to combat it with ways of keeping yourself occupied that don't involve eating. Go out for a walk, clean your house, call a friend, go shopping, etc. Boredom is the number one reason I personally get head hunger.
Hope that helps... Hugs...
A couple of other posts with ideas on this topic:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/VSG/4252246/why-am-I-so-hungry/
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/VSG/4255958/Im-so-hungry/
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/VSG/4277896/always-hungry/
=============
Some times will power alone is just not enough. I've had times where I have inadvertently eaten carbs (added sugar in something I wasn't expecting for example) and awoken the sleeping carb junkie inside me.
If you are hungry all the time you may be dealing with blood sugar fluctuations or hormonal imbalances or nutrient deficiencies. It's very difficult to deal with mentally when your body is screaming with cravings. This is what I do that really helps me deal with physical cravings:
Chromium Picolinate - Take 200 micrograms of chromium picolinate each morning
L-glutamine - craving destroyer. Take 500 mg 20 mins before each meal, 3 times per day.
5-HTP - (for night cravings only) Take 50-100 milligrams about 1-2 hours before bed every day as long as cravings persist.
So in other words most supplements should be taken each morning, with additionally 5-HTP before bed ONLY, and L-glutamine taken also before your main meals, three times a day. These all should be relatively cheap to buy.. and of course there are others you can take but I find these most helpful.
I know that it may not seem like these will help, but trust me they make a HUGE difference. I recently had a huge sugar craving bout because I inadvertently ate some added sugar and totally got triggered. I was like a junkie, totally and then I remembered that I have taken supplements that helped in the past.
It took about 6 hours for the l-glutamine to kick in but it totally took away all of my cravings when it did. In addition to taking these supplements, go BBQ yourself a whole bunch of meat so that when you are hungry, and every time you are hungry, you can go stuff more meat/protein in your face.
You might be craving carbs but you'll keep yourself full with protein, and keeping yourself full will help you avoid eating the carbs and repeating the cycle. It won't totally take away the cravings but it will numb them.
Trust me this will really really help you. Just spend some time this evening cooking the protein foods and buying the supplements (walmart sells them) and get your plan squared away so that you are ready to go tomorrow. You can do this!
================
I can relate a lot to what you are saying as I have had a lot of the same experiences. I have not had my hunger or cravings to eat go away, and I want to eat quite frequently. I've struggled with sticking to the recommended amount of calories and not grazing, and I crave fatty foods like full fat cheese and nuts, which spikes my calorie levels.
You may already have tried some of these things or they might not be relevant to you, but here is my "generic" list of things to try and help with hunger:
- Avoid carbs except those from green veggies as they will make your hunger increase
- Get back on a PPI as acid can mimic hunger, or try a different/stronger PPI
- Make sure you are taking supplements to help you with what you are missing from your diet (even non-VSG folks often have to do this because of poor food supply). Vitamin deficiencies can cause cravings/hunger
- Supplement with chromium, l-carnitine and l-glutamine which help with cravings
- Consider therapy to look at why you might be eating aside from physical reasons
- Consider doing a candida diet - candida overgrowth can rob your body of nutrients and cause continual cravings (I can recommend a good one)
- Keep food with you at all times in a small cooler or lunch bag so when you do feel like eating, you can eat the protein your body needs. If you choose good foods, you CAN nourish your body with a VSG. However it may not satisfy your cravings which may be a combination of emotional, physical and hormonal cues.
- Try my beef jerky or chicken salad recipes which keep you very full with dense protein, and fill you up longer: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/sublimate/blog/2011/02/21/recipes-/
- To help you stay hydrated, to distinguish hunger from thirst (just in case it is thirst) and to keep from wanting to eat all the time, drink some sort of tea between meals (green also helps with weight loss for a double whammy)
- Make sure you are eating dense REAL protein FIRST, by itself, and that you cook yourself. For example if you are eating a mushy meat like hamburger, you might be able to eat more. If you combine the meat with a sauce it becomes more "slidery". If you eat a hamburger patty from a fast food joint, they may have additives that cause you not to be as full as long or have other issues. If you are eating things like cheese or soy nuts, etc. for your protein instead of REAL home-cooked meat (chicken, pork, fish, beef) you may not feel full as long.
- If you are still feeling hungry between meals, snack on veggies (cooked or raw or what ever works for you) for a low cal way of filling you up, and getting some good nutrients in you
- Make sure you aren't eating too many carbs, as those can set you up for cravings and blood sugar swings that will keep you hungry regardless of what you eat.
- If you think it is head hunger, try to combat it with ways of keeping yourself occupied that don't involve eating. Go out for a walk, clean your house, call a friend, go shopping, etc. Boredom is the number one reason I personally get head hunger.
Hope that helps... Hugs...
A couple of other posts with ideas on this topic:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/VSG/4252246/why-am-I-so-hungry/
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/VSG/4255958/Im-so-hungry/
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/VSG/4277896/always-hungry/
Start weight: 388, Current Weight: 185, Goal Weight: 180, Weight Lost: 203 lbs
Certified Nutritionist ♥ VSG FAQ♥ sublimate: To elevate or uplift.
3/2012 Plastics: LBL, 3 Hernias Fixed, BL/BA, Rhinoplasty & Septum Fix. 6/2013 Plastics: Arm and thigh lift
Hi Jennifer, I am mary and not in maintenance either.
thanks to sublimate for the official invite! yipppeee!
thanks to sublimate for the official invite! yipppeee!
✿ L♦O♦V♦E ✿ & ✿ P♦E♦A♦C♦E ✿ღ ✿ & F♦R♦I♦E♦N♦D♦S ✿ ღ
"Keeping The Faith!" "Slim by Summer!"
HW: 250 - SW: 241 - CW: 154.7- GW: 140
1 month: 22 pounds (216) 2 months: 12.2 pounds (203.8) 3 months: 10.6 (193.2)
4 months: 9.7 lbs (183.5) 5 Months: 6 pounds (177.5 ) 6 Months: 12 lbs ( 165.5)
7 Months 7.1 lbs (158.4) 8 Months +1.6 pounds(159.8) 9 Months 2.7 pounds (157.1)
10 Months 8.1 lbs (149) 11 months +2 pounds ( 151) 1 YEAR!!! 2.6 pounds (148.4)
Hit "One-derland April 9th, 2011 (199.7)
"Half-Way Goal" April 25th, 2011 (194.8)
"Happyland 80`s" May 14, 2011 (189.6)
"Groovyland 70`s" June 20th 2011 (179.9)
" HippyDippyland 60's" July 16th (169.8)
" CQQL-land 50`s" August 25th ( 159.8)
"Normal BMI" 24.8 October 21st, 2011 (154.5) I am 5`6
"AWESOME-land 40's" Dec 1st 2011 (149)
"Century Club 100 Pounds" Dec 1st 2011 (149)
' ONE YEAR SURGIVERSARY!!!"
Two Year Surgiversary!!!"
Hey there fellow August sleever! I unfortunately don't have much wisdom to add as I've definitely let carbs get the better of me lately. I'm 5 months pregnant and have really let the baby be my "excuse" to eat things I shouldn't! Luckily I haven't done too much damage (yet) with my weight, but I fear that some real damage has been done to ruin all of the good habits that I had developed... protein first, etc. I guess all I want to say is that you're not alone in this and luckily we still have our sleeve to help us out, we just have to get back to the basics of protein first, then veggies, then carbs. Good luck!
Thanks everyone and thank you Sublimate for all the info! Thankfully sugar carbs are easier for me to avoid, it's the salty snacks I crave. And evening head hunger is a bear. Tonight was better, no popcorn and my snack was home-made beef jerkey, 3 crackers (yes, carbs, but 3 is manageable for now) and some bing cherries (about 10 or so).
Paula - congrats on the baby! Is this your first?
Paula - congrats on the baby! Is this your first?
JenniferI'm 5'4" ~ HW: 308 SW: 305 CW: 211 GW: 140
You're welcome. FYI the advice applies to any sort of carb craving, not just sweet cravings. So I hope you do give the advice a shot because it does work.
Start weight: 388, Current Weight: 185, Goal Weight: 180, Weight Lost: 203 lbs
Certified Nutritionist ♥ VSG FAQ♥ sublimate: To elevate or uplift.
3/2012 Plastics: LBL, 3 Hernias Fixed, BL/BA, Rhinoplasty & Septum Fix. 6/2013 Plastics: Arm and thigh lift
