Question:
Getting back on track

I had the gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago and lost 110 pounds which I went from 255 to 150. Back then I could barely eat a small cup of soup now I can eat a whole slice of pizza or even half a sub! I stayed at 150 but recently crept up to 170! I am so afraid that I will gain this weight back. I do walk everyday but I wont resist potato chips and junk food!Can you all help me get back on track? I read a while ago about a gastric diet to get the pouch back to the way it was. HELP...I feel depressed. Thank you family!    — BLEACHMAMA36 (posted on September 30, 2008)

September 29, 2008
You did great! I just had my surgery 4 weeks ago so I don't know how much help I will be but I heard that there is a 5 day pouch test you can do to make sure your pouch is still working correctly. I know how junk can be bad if you feel you need it once in awhile do you buy the baked chips? But try not to have this stuff in your house & maybe that will help better. Keep your chin up we are all here for you! Tammie A
   — tammie71

September 29, 2008
5 Day Pouch Test www.livingafterwls.com Hope this helps. Anita WLS 3/24/08 - 85 lbs
   — ap2008324

September 29, 2008
I had my surgery 5 yrs ago and lost 150LBS. I have been in between 133 and 138 for years. I just wnet up to 147. I was shocked. I feel it but no one can tell I gained the weight. I can eat 3 peices of pizza sometimes. I can eat 1/2 a sub sometimes. I eat a bagel w/cream cheese in the morning. I can eat a wrap with thurkey bacon and veggies at lunch. The more protein I ahve the more I can eat. Carbs are the killer. I still get dumping which I call melt down. I dont throw up but I do feel like crap for abpout a 1/2 hour to 45 minutes depending on how much I over ate and ehat it is I ate. Everyone id different. i know someone who can eat pretyy much everything including ice cream, doesnt dump and she is too skinny.
   — Joanc

September 29, 2008
There is a normal 10% weight gain after WLS's...As we get older many/most people naturally gain a few pounds too. This is just a normal thing that happens to most Men and women without WLS...If you really suspect that your weight gain is from junk food, then you really have got to get a hold of it and get motivated by going straight to the fridge and pantry and filling bags full of the junk...Take it to the local homeless shelter! Then go to the store...a good one that has a wide variety of healthy foods! If you go to someplace like "Whole Foods", or Trader Joe's...you won't find much junk...still some though...But you'll find a bunch of stuff worth trying! On the other side, I am also almost 5 years out...I went from 315 to 158...(exactly half of me!) in 15 mos. Then immediately gained 7-8 lbs back....and have maintained 165ish the rest of these years. I do flucculate between 5-ish pounds! I also gained 10 lbs last winter and did do that 5 Day Pouch Test! It took me 4 months to lose those 10 lbs too! IT WAS HARD! I won't lie! I loved the 5 DPT because it forced me to eat like I am supposed to eat...I had gone on a long vacation to my mom's and she's an Italian cook! By the time breakfast is over she's setting out pre-lunch snacks and making a list for lunch and dinner and inbetween snack foods.... Nuff said! I will also tell you this...I will occasionally have a slice of pizza myself...or almost a half a sub too. (If it's a cheapo subway sub...I can eat the half...if it's a deli sub...I can only eat 1/4 of a 12 inch) These are not horrible choices unless you eat this daily or even weekly. I still have a family that enjoys this stuff and sometimes it's just nice to be normal and enjoy a little out of the ordinary junk with them. This is a rarity though for me. ( I am a never say never and never say always person) I'm a sometimes, kinda person. It's not all or nothing for me...It's a little goes a long way if you don't abuse it! Sometimes less is more...MODERATION....You know what I mean? You can make your own pizza too on low carb tortillas or wraps! Use lowfat cheese and lean meats and veggies...You can go to town making those as custom as you want and your family will totally enjoy making their own too! You can also make lunchmeat roll-ups...Less bread...I make mine on a hot panini press...I put everything that I would in a sub...roll it up in a wrap spritz with oil olive and seal it hot and crispy with a top layer of cheese to hold the wrap closed...It is GREAT! I make my own fajita wraps this way or turkey/tofu tacos...or egg omelets in wraps...Heat tuna melts...etc! Or if I'm carb watching i skip the wraps and make my sandwich in a lettuce leaf and roll it all up...Or wrap meats and cheese around a large pickle...There are days I need to watch it and days I can afford a little extra carbs. Mostly I watch them...Don't be depressed...Be proactive! Get the junk out of your house and out of your sight...Then take an afternoon and see what healthy choices are out there and make that change. Read labels and look for low sugar, lower fat, high protein and definitely some things with fiber. Pick things that will satisfy your sweet, salty crunchy and chewy urges. When you plan your snacks and have a small variety, you are not left to scavenge for that treat or snack...If you make SF creamchease flavored jello pudding w/ riccota cheese and you have strawberries and a bowl ofSF cool whip and yogurt blended...you know you have a GREAT decadant protein dessert waiting for you later...and maybe some wasabi peas or celery and peanutbutter for a snack. Plan a spicy tuna wrap for lunch and an omelet for breakfast...(Low fat eggs with egg beaters! if you are sensitive to the fat in eggs, as I am) Somany ideas and great foods out there...you just need to get creative and make you favorites more healthy and suited for you! You can do this if I can...I am a foodie! I love gourmet everything. I gotta try everything and I can't say no either...But I do savor just a taste of something and I am quite happy not to have the entire thing. I thank that part is mental training...You really have to learn this behavior and rarely stray from it or you give in and lose control...I have...so I totally understand! I am SOOOO far from perfect...But I start each day with total commitment to eat right and healthy...No...It doesn't always work out! But tomorrow is a new day and I have to move on rather than beat myself up...You do too. If you eat something you know is not a good choice...take a walk after dinner...Eat lean the next few days...Little efforts like this make a HUGE difference than sitting there not doing anything and just beating yourself up for it afraid you'll never gain back control. Don't you feel like you can do this? Of course you can! You have done wonderful! Try the 5 DPT and de-carb....That's really what it does and gets you back tot he basic rules and makes your pouch go from liquid to soft to dense protein so you can remember what your pouch feesl like! It's awesome! It totally got me back on track...(I was drinking with my meals...I just gave up) Once again, I do not drink with my meals...It's soooooo hard for me...but I will set a timer if I have to and try really hard not to think about it...and like all things in my life...It sometimes still doesn't work out! Or I compromise and just take a sip to wash out my mouth! I just say this...."Tomorrow"! Good luck! You can do this!
   — .Anita R.

September 29, 2008
There are far healthier snack foods than potato chips. If you crave that crunch salty taste, then try either dried peas or dry roasted edamame. Both are slightly salted, high in protein and fiber, and are easily carried with you wherever you may be. DAVE
   — Dave Chambers

September 30, 2008
Perhaps you are talking about the 5-day pouch test?? By the way, this bump in the road is nothing that you cannot overcome. Set your mind to it and fly foward full force.
   — bariatricdivalatina

September 30, 2008
This was the five day pouch test given to me by my surgeon's office http://www.5daypouchtest.com/
   — dyates2948

September 30, 2008
Joneen...don't beat yourself up too bad at this point! You realize this could be an issue and you are addressing it before it becomes a real problem...that's great! I'm sure that you are talking about the 5 day pouch test that the others mentioned...but something else you may want to monitor again is the number of proteins you are taking in...could be that you are not getting enough...the food items you mention (pizza and subs) are both higher in carbs and not always so high in protein...the pouch test basically sends you back to the basics...consider whether you may be taking in too many carbs and not enough protein! Good luck!
   — BrendaMS