Question:
This may sound wierd....but...
Does anyone ever feel like they need someone to talk to that has actually been there? I am 13 months out and down 138. This past 2 weeks, I have gained 6 pounds, I have begun to step up my exercise and Crystal lite intake (I can't do plain water) But I am scared (actually terrified) about weight gain. I weighed 191 yesterday evening before I left work. I work in the medical field, so I can weigh myself at work, which I tend to be obsessive about (3-4 times a day) I weigh before I eat, after I eat, after I use the restroom and other times in between. I refuse to let myself get back over 200, plus, I still need to lose about 30 more pounds. Everyone at work tells me to "stop losing" & "with your height, you look fine" blah blah blah. I think my weight would be fine if I were 6'5 LOL. But I have noticed lately that I can eat quite a bit more than I used to. How much should I be eating this far out? I feel dumb for feeling the way I do, but I can't help it. I get irritated at people who only seem to have good intentions. Is there any type of Pen pal system, or someone to talk to who has actually been there that will not patronize me and sometimes just be there to listen and offer guidance? If anyone is interested, please let me know. This journey has been great, but lately this head hunger has been killing me. I do not regret the surgery at all, that is not my issue. Thanks in advance for any help. (I didn't mean to ramble LOL) *Traci* — TraciB06 (posted on September 26, 2006)
September 25, 2006
Hi Traci- I know how you feel. I'm 19 months post op and not quite as
obsessive about my weight; although I do weigh myself daily. I get
discouraged if my weight is 150 in the morning when I first get up and 153
by the afternoon. I am a nurse and know that different factors affect your
weight. So here's some advice. If you weigh yourself daily, do so at the
same time once daily in the nude after you've emptied your bladder. As
time progresses you will notice that you can hold a little more food than
before because the pouch is still muscle tissue and can muscles stretch and
change shape and size. Also consider the consistency of the different
foods you eat; i.e., meat is a lot more dense then a full cup of yogurt.
Continue w/ the basics of what you know to do and what you learned in the
beginning. I was taught to eat until I was satisfied or full and not a
bite more. Increase your exercise to 30 minutes a day X 3 days a week
should be sufficient. Just make your body move. You have to burn more
calories than you eat to lose weight. Increase your fluid intake. I don't
tolerate plain water either so I have to drink flavored water or crystal
light. Protein, protein, protein. Take your daily vitamins. I went from
250 to 150 and I bounce between 145 and 150 now. I'm comfortable w/ my
weight and never want to get near 200#s ever again - so I completely
understand what you mean. Don't feel dumb for asking. If possible, talk
w/ your surgeon's office staff (physician's assistant or surgeon, nurse or
staff) and ask, ask, ask. I've had people tell me that if I lose any more
weight, I will look like a "crackhead" LOL. I wish I were that
skinny! :) Well, that's my 2 cents for what it's worth. You've dealt with
the physical part of losing weight and it's harder to deal with the mental
and emotional part of this. I still see a fat girl when I look in the
mirror at times even though I see the actual weight loss. Congratulations
on your progress thus far and I wish you much more continued success.
— CHARLYLVN
September 25, 2006
Traci,
Congrats on your success!!! You are killing your pschy by weighing several
times per day. Start living and stop obsessing about what the scale tells
you. You say in your profile that you had surgery to be a more active
mother. Get outside with your girls and have some fun. You will be amazed
at how the last 30 pounds come off over the next 6-9 months. OK, enough
lecturing that the support group leader in me.
As-far-as having a penpal, I would be happy to be an email buddy
([email protected]). I have been a support group leader in the
OKC, OK area for 3 years now. My RNY was 4/23/03 and I have maintained my
weight for about 2 years now. I am not a size 2 (actually size 10) and I'm
no where near perfect. But, I am living my life after WLS as a healthier
happier person. I do have a new health issue the last 5 months I have been
struggling with severe anemia and therefore fatigue; it is like I just go
and go and then I hit a brick wall and am exhausted and can't motivate
myself past it. I am scheduled to start iron infusions next week. I am
looking forward to the extra energy. I would also suggest seeing if there
is a local support group that you could attend once a month. I love my
support group family. They motivate me so much.
Hope that helps.... Hugs from your Okie friend.
— wealthgvr
September 26, 2006
First of all... you are NOT alone. I weight myself almost daily too and I
get discouraged from time to time. I am almost two year out and I fluctuate
between 148-155 depending on what I am doing at the time... weight gain and
loss happens so fluidly for me that I try not to let it stress me out. One
thing that I found that helps is journaling. Although journaling in a book
is much more private, I found that have reactions from living people to my
entries helped even more. My suggestion get yourself a LiveJournal account,
its free! Then just start blogging, use their search engine to find other
WLS patients and "friend them", read their entries... I am sure
that you will find folks that feel just as you do. Sometimes it helps just
to "vent" in a journal. At least I think so! LOL! Over at LJ my
name is MagickalMom so look me up and you'll see that I journal all about
everything including weight loss efforts and exercise drama! LOL!
— MagickalMom
September 26, 2006
Traci...here is a duplicate below of yur message of someting another one
was criing out for...
Listen you are not by yourself... We have been given a tool.
we must learn to gain control of our good habbits by losing bad habbits...
I know it is easier said than done...
Always go through life with your glass half full, not half empty!
Live life, stop dieting which leads to cheating then to fialure.
I have my own values of what life should be...Lifestyle, planning and then
impowering yourself!
Hope this all helps!
Check out the cover of OH magzine... Its me, more importantly, read it in
its entirety...the stories will blow you away...
Journal all you have time for, but here is the key...MAKE time for yourself
daily... If you do nottake care of you, no one will!
here is the duplicate email to another gal...
lots of respect!
Celeste Momin
I am 4.5 years out... I sabotaged my results, by abusing my tool. Your
focus should be brought back to reality...
The honeymoon period is over...
Focus on nutrition, eating to live and getting 100 grams to 120 grams of
protein in a day.
Water, water , water... at least 64 oz, I do 80 to 100 oz a day.
I am true to my new lifstyle of what I have become.
I know that the results of learning how to use my surgery to its best is
important to my health...
Take your vitamins, eat your protein and learn how to control an obese
mind...
Hope this helps, Success is earned never given!
Celeste
from 327 to 140'ish to 198 to 156 to finding my "WHY"
now a success to my dreams... 130 pounds and hanging on to lean muscle and
a healthy body with a great body fat percentage
— shakeyourweight
September 26, 2006
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG.... many of us struggle with
these issues. Sure, there is always someone arrogant to remind you that
they are doing it "better", but in general, this list is
comprised of ppl who are standing right in your shoes with you.
— vitalady
September 26, 2006
Hi Traci. This is odd because I have the same concerns lately. I was a year
out this past June and have lost a total of 150lbs. I have gone from 305 to
155, and 10lbs short of "my" goal. I am also told that I look
great the way I am, that I have lost enough weight. I will agree that if I
never lost another pound I would be satisifed especially how far I've come
and what I was before. You are sabotaging your own success by weighing
yourself daily much less several times a day. For me, I have NEVER since my
surgery be obsessed with weighing myself. I found that if I weighed myself
once every few weeks then I was rarely disappointed because I had always
lost no matter how much or how few the pounds. I find that I can eat
anything I want and I can eat more of it. I am also scared and just
recently posted on the main board asking for advice on this. I would be
devestated if I were to gain any weight back. I am also upset because I can
eat anything I want without punishment, ie; dumping etc. But I notice if I
do not chew my food well or eat too much, I will throw up still, so that is
good. I also believe that we will always have our tool (small pouch) to
work with and all we need to do to get back on track is to go back to the
"basics" and it will all iron out. I am also afraid of yo yoing
because I stay between 155 and 160. If I find I have gained a pound or two,
I get back on course until I have lost it and once I have lost it, I feel I
can breathe and eat again, etc until it's a vicious circle. But I find I
still love food. It's all a mental thing Traci. But my best advice is to
STOP GETTING ON THE SCALE EVERY DAY, SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. :)
Hon, you have to stop that very very bad habit. And you can. If you only
weigh yourself, starting out, once a week, you will find you will have lost
at least a pound and you will feel better. Stop torturing yourself. This is
all the advice I can give to you hon. You are welcome to email me anytime
if you need some encouragement or for someone to tell you to chill out on
the scales :)
Hugs and good luck to you hon!
— Angelfirewithwings
September 26, 2006
Hey there!
I would be happy to become a pen pal of sorts with you. I will let you
look at my site to see if I am the kind of person you want to become pen
pals with. I currently weigh 193 and I am almost 3 years out. I started
at 366. So, while I never reached goal, I am so far from where I started
that I just can not berate myself too much! I understand obsessing over
the scale. I weigh myself multiple times a day too. I went over 200
pounds when my partner and I went on vacation in July. I freaked out and
dieted my way back to 188. My body just does not seem to want to go below
that. Bummer for me! Anyway, feel free to e-mail if you want a pen pal.
Good luck and know that you are not alone and there are other obsessive
compulsive scale jumper on-ers out there to keep you company! lol
— MissKimberly
September 27, 2006
Traci -
I have had a lot of the same issues and fears as you and it feels like we
mirror each other in several ways. I have learned to roll with it though
at 2.5 years out. I don't have time to go into lots of detail right now
but feel free to email me if you want to chat a bit about this. I think I
have some ideas that might help, but it is too much to put down here for
me right now. Dina
— Dinka Doo
September 27, 2006
Traci,
I am still a "baby" postop only 8 weeks out but I have seen a
tremendous amount of support between the members of this Yahoo group. I'll
bet you could find a great pen pal here:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GastricBypass-LOSERS/
Laurel in TX
— ljtx1965
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