wow this is so hard

I got off track and gained 3 pounds and it is back off this morning.  It has took me a long time to get it back off.  I am not going to go down this road again.  I was doing late night snacking and it done it for me.  I know to stay away from it.   I have to take it one day at a time.

or if you want to eat at night, some string cheese or something like that?

Its odd huh? How that 3 lbs that just fell off of us earlier out, can take soooo much time and effort to get rid of now. 2 things working against us now, being further out. ONE: we have a lower body wieght, so it takes less calories to maintain it, but way WAY more effort to burn off the calories during exercise and activity. The bigger we are the more work it is on our bodies to do things, so as we get lower, it takes less energy (calories / fat) to facilitate out activity.So we have to really pump it up.
The other thing is that our bodies are adjusting to this surgery, and learning how to function more normally even with having had the surgery. And our pouches get bigger s time goes on as well. The best goal to go for at this time, (as far as pouch goes)  is to make sure that at each meal you do not allow your intake to go over 1 to 1 1/2 cups per meal. This is where we need to keep our intake the rest of our lives, or we'll strretch it back out and be in trouble again. Then too, there is the way we add in new foods as we go along. Maybe this needs to be looked at as well.
I am going to PM you.

Hi, I had RNY on may 5, 2009 and am very pleased with my progress but i still have problems with wanting to eat when i'm not hungry.  My brain tells me i want sweets or salts and i really wish i could do something about these cravings. I know i have to eat healthy for the rest of my life and need to break those bad habits. I would really appreciate any advice anyone could give me.

Hey there...
One thing you may want to do is to evaluate if maybe something you are drinking or eating could be triggering these cravings. Some people get intense sugar cravings from using artificial sweetners or things that have them in them. You might want to try to reduce or cut out the sweetners for a few days and see if that helps. Also, you may want to try a 3 day run of totally cutting out th carbs from your diet, other than those you get from fruits and veggies, and see if that helps get rid of the cravings. I get these cravings too, but usually only right before my monthly cycle. I fill my cravings ffor sweets with fruit like grapes or pineapple, as they are sweeter and I find they do satisfy those cravings. I am to the point where I'd rather have fruit than the sweets I used to consume.

Hope this helps you some!

Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly.  I will definitely try to cut back on the sweetners(i use them every morning with cof) and I drink alot of diet Lipton green tea..How many carbs should I normally be eating every day? I know I need to eat more fruit and vegs, but my old habits I am struggling with and need alot of strength in growing into healthier habits for my health.  I pray that I too, one day may be so lucky as to rather have fruits than the sweets!!!! Thanks for your support

Now you are really challenging me! lol... Be here goes!
To get in a state of ketosis (fat burning) you need to keep your carb intake below 20gr per day. So this is only done if your aim to to continue losing.
A typical low carb lifestyle would include somewhere around 20 to 60 carbs per day.  So given the fact we are supposed to keep things lower in carbs, I generally try to stay in that range.  The important thing to note here is that carbs actually do play an important role in our health, but NOT the simple carbs (sugars) you want your focus to be on complex carbs like whole grains, fruits and veggies. We need the fiber, the sense of fullness, and the energy these provide. Also the fruit and vegie versions of complex carbs provide us with important anti-oxidants.

If you really researched this on the internet, you would get a multitude of opinions. But in my research and learning, these numbers above seem to be the most referred to ranges.

That is how I got to a point of the surgery.  I was always pretty good from Breakfast till I got off work, then all bets were off.  I have been post surgery since March 3rd.  I find that I have to make a daily, conscious effort to plan not to snack.  People might think, well isn't that what the surgery is for?

Not for me.  I also have a psychological issue with overeating that I need to deal with.  The surgery helps set the tone, but I need to continue one day at a time to stick to a plan to be healthy.  The neat thing about places like this is that we can do it together.

Steve

Yes.. and knowing we are not alone helps alot! We can feel so alone sometimes, as if no one "gets it", but here, we know we all do! Its our safe place to get support and encouragement and true understanding.

You are right, the surgery deals with the body not the mind. And for us to succeed in this journey we have to address the "whole" us. Otherwise in the end, we will not find the success we truly deserve and desire. This is the time to work on all of our habits and thoughts to create a lifetime of success.

Good job on staying concious of your need to avoid the emotional eating!