Question:
I had my RNY June '07 and have lost 82 of the 143 lbs. I want to lose. The problem
is I am able to eat and drink everything with no problems. Old habits have come back but, I am now ready to give it my all and have been in private therapy because I know that I need to get to why I over eat. Also, I have begun Alli and am taking a low dose diet pill to get back on track. My concern is that I stretched my pouch. Today I started the diet pill and am not hungry like I was before and am very thankful. Part of why I am posting this is to reach out to others who understand my weakness and to try to face the fact that I am NOT cured of my issues with food and to seek your help. Please do not preach at me but help me to better understand I to control this demon that I have to leave with for the rest of my life. I am scared enough to know that I never want to go back to where I was before surgery, but I also know it is possible if I do not take steps to try to stop. Exercise is not the easiest for me, but I do take the steps where I have a chose between the elevator or escalator but I need to do more. — carolyn h. (posted on November 24, 2008)
November 24, 2008
I too had surgery in Jun 08 and have lost over 80 lbs...I can see that I
can eat more than I know should be eaten. I do have a pretty good sensation
of full and have learned what full feels like and what hungry feels
like...I also know when I am eating and I am not hungry....I have noticed
that I have a tendancy to think about food and want to eat in between and
have started seeing a counsellor...It is a metter of changing your
habits..For most of us this food issue was all comsuming and just because
our bellies were fixed our heads certainly weren't....You need to work on
recognizing where your problems lie, Like for me sitting at a table of food
leads to picking, I must remove myself or at least remove my plate when I
am done. The car is a trigger for fast food cravings, I have rerouted my
driving to not go past some favs. Bad weather days is another food trigger
for me, I must plan on rainy days to have healthy snack with me to pick
on...
I have now been diagnosed with adult add and this was and is some of my
major problems with my eating and scavenging...
PM me if you would like to talk more about looking into yourself and
figuring out where and when you are having issues and steps to change these
habits, because you are right if you do nothing now you will gain in the
future..
— lori042499
November 24, 2008
Congrats, Carolyn,
Big steps now start taking baby steps. Just do what you can and it will
get easier I can assure you. I used to weight almost 500 pounds and I now
weigh 198. I still have 70 pounds to go but I take it one day at a time.
I was a type 2 diabetic and had bad cholesterol and some renal hypertension
problems. It is always something. If something is really alarming you;
don't wait; get to the doctor and if it seems like their advice isn't
working then find another doctor. Believe it or not; they are human and
they do make mistakes too. Get a bariatric physician and nutritionist if
possible. Their specialization understands the problem better.
I don't know how old you are but realize that we women go through many body
changes throughout our life; if you are close to your menopause or
perimenopause then be careful because your body is making its own chemical
changes for your "golden years". Just a bit of advice to have
healthy golden years prep for them while you are young. Stay as healthy
and active as you can.
I'm 54, swim 3 times a week which I recommend highly to all, water supports
weight better and allows you to do some vigorous exercise you wouldn't
otherwise do. Its more comfortable. I also do simple aerobics, weight
train and other things. The point is start and do as much as you can each
and every day; even if it is something as simple as walking the dog or
walking to the corner store. In time you will attain your goal. You are
already over half way there. vinnigirl
— vinnigirl
November 24, 2008
Seeing the problem and getting counseling is so important. Start over with
the basics. You may need to be assesed for a revision if the pouch has
seriously stretched. Don;t be afriad to ask your surgeon and team for help.
You may want o meet with a nutritionalist as well.
— trible
November 24, 2008
I hope you talked to your surgeon before taking diet pills and such. With
that being said, you should consider working out. It will help with your
cravings and will keep your mind off food. Good luck.
— maria09elena
November 24, 2008
Carolyn, good for you for realizing that you need to get back to the
basics. I would, however, discuss taking the diet pill with your surgeon. I
don't really think that is a good idea. I know that it is hard to "get
moving" and that is one thing that I am worried about when I have my
surgery too.
Therapy is very useful, I'm glad that you've taken that step. I know for
myself, if I hadn't come to terms with my molestation as a child, I would
never be able to make the RNY work for me. I would end up the same size or
bigger!
Food issues are just as bad as drug addiction. Both are used to cover or
"mask" your true issues. The problem is, that when you come down
from that "high", the issues are still there looking us in the
face. This leads to a vicious circle and keeps us fat.
I suggest that you talk to your surgeon and be honest with him/her about
what has been going on and tell them that you really want to get back on
track and ask for any suggestions. It is not weak to ask for help, it shows
how strong you are that you are not giving up on yourself. We, as obese
people, did give up on ourselves and are now taking our lives back through
this tool.
Good luck to you!
— anitak
November 25, 2008
Your awesome for seeing what you need to do and working to do it. Though i
have almost lost all my weight i noticed that my eating changed and i was
grazing all day. I wasn't hungry but i had the need to eat. so what i did
is i went back to basics and did the 5 day pouch test. this was tough but
i did it. then on my cell phone i have a calander with alarms so i set up
when i was supposed to eat and when it was ok to drink and when i should
stop drinking, and when to take my vitamins. that way i quit thinking
about food all the time. i now get 5 small meals in a day along with my
water and all my vitamins and i don't have to think to hard on it. if i am
leaving the house i take my vitamins with me and i pack a small cooler with
what is good for me to eat and a bottle of water. then i am all set and
don't have to worry about what to get while away from home.
I eat protien first and then veggies/fruit and then carbs if i am still
hungry. but i have also noticed that if i eat more carbs i want to eat
more food period. So i try to stay away from carbs for the most part.
i only eat 1 cup of food at each meal and so i can keep track i use the 1
cup bowls that you get from the grocery story that can be thrown away or
rewashed. i have alot of those on hand.
finding what works for you is the key so food is not constantly on your
mind. and when it is no longer on your mind it is very freeing and you can
really start enjoying your weight loss and your new found life. I don't
know if this will help you but i am hoping it will. You can do it and i
know you will. Don't every give up.
Dawn
— Dawn S.
November 25, 2008
All I can tell you is what I am presently working on for myself. I have
found that my eating is one way I "numb out" to avoid feelings.
I had a pretty rotten childhood (so many obese people share this type of
history) and was punished for showing my feelings. So that plus the fact I
saw my parents overeating, set me up for stuffing my feelings by stuffing
myself. I still have issues, still working on it, and I suspect I will
continue to have to think about it and work on it until I die. Hope this
helps you.
— cydthekid50
November 25, 2008
Good for you for taking steps to deal with your problems. It's a very hard
thing to do but it sounds like you are doing a good job with it. If you
haven't already, please, please, please, please call your surgeon or
nutritionist and let them know that you are taking Alli. Vitamins A, D, E,
and K are fat soluble vitamins... they bind to fat. When you take Alli,
less fat is absorbed which means that less fat soluble vitamins are
absorbed. The RNY has already reduced the amount of vitamins and nutrients
you absorb (which is why supplements are so important)... taking Alli will
further reduce vitamin absorption. You may need to increase the amount of
certain vitamins to balance things out.
Good luck to you!
— mrsidknee
November 26, 2008
— Brenda Ashcraft
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