Question:
OINK, OINK....I'm eating too much!

I know we have all seen this question posted a thousand times before, but I just have to get some feedback. I had a lap procedure done 6 months ago (tons-o complications) and have gone from 380lbs to 243 lbs. I know that's fantastic, don't get me wrong but I haven't lost any weight at all in the past 3 weeks! I find myself being able to eat more and more. I can have an entire bowl of cereal with banana for breakfast, an entire sandwich for lunch and for dinner an entire smart ones or healthy choice meal with added veggies! I am also one of the very unlucky that doesn't dump on anything. I have had cake, chips, everything. Please don't harp on the fact that I've tried junk food, if I had self-control and good sense I wouldn't have had to have this surgery in the first place! I was just wondering if anyone else is in the same sinking boat as me... any feedback or advice would be great, if you want to preach, don't preach to me, save it for church! :o)    — JM B. (posted on April 9, 2003)

April 9, 2003
You have lost a trmendous amount of weight in a very short time!!! The only thing I can surmise from what you have written is that you eat an awful lot of carbs. I can eat more of a carb than anything else. It just does not hurt when you are full the way that protein would if eaten in the same quantity. Also when I eat no carbs my calorie intake is so much less than with them. You might just want to try getting back to basics. Protein first and plenty of water. Do you exercise at all? A little goes a long way in keeping the loss going. I would bet if you started with an omelet instead of a bowl of cereal with banana, you would be more satisfied and stay full longer. Good Luck and CONRATULATIONS on the great loss!!!!!!!!!!
   — Carol S.

April 9, 2003
Ah, but unfortunately you do need self control and good sense when you have this surgery...it is only a tool, and one that can be abused at that. Sounds as if you have stretched your pouch due to old habbits. Sound advice would be to get back on track immediately with what you should be eating, not what you can eat. Call your nutritionist and schedule an appointment asap...they really can help you out.
   — Mark

April 9, 2003
You are doing AWESOME!!! I'm 4 months post, lost 50lbs, and I also feel like I eat too much. The other night, I took the kids to Taco Bell, and I ate an entire taco supreme. I didn't feel the least bit full. I don't dump either. I did at first, but not anymore. Actually, that's not true. I felt REALLY sick after eating pork chops. I have no idea why. I didn't feel full, just sick. I think that the further along we get, the more elastic-like our new stomachs get, and we can eat more. I need to do what the previous poster said, and get back to basics. Keep up the good work! You'll keep losing!!
   — Diana L.

April 9, 2003
Janelle, Sheila mentioned about starting the day with just protein, and that really does work. I find when I eat protein and carbs for breakfast, I am often hungrier all day. And you should try to stick to the "protein first" rule- I think eating carbs is fine, but make sure you eat the protein first, then some veggies and carbs. Also, you're completely right about the snacking and junk- hey if we were all perfect none of us would be here, would we!? I don't think you stretched your pouch b/c of old habits- you didn't say you were eating junk everyday, you said you've tried it, and that's a big difference. because you don't dump- you will have to work a little harder and develop some self-control. No one has WLS and automatically has self-control when they come home from the hospital. This is a learning process. I think you have done wonderfully. And you're at the 6 month mark- so the weight loss will slow down, we all have to accept it. But you will still lose. I also suggest eating more frequently, but smaller meals. If you want to have a frozen dinner- have that, but split it up. Don't eat all 10oz at once, that will continually stretch the pouch. Eat 5oz for dinner, then have the rest later. Should eat 5 small meals a day, maybe add some protein shakes? You do need to increase your protein though and do some exercise and you should be on track. Goodluck to you!
   — Lezlie Y.

April 9, 2003
Have you tried fluid loading? An hour before you eat start to drink water and do so for about 45 minutes. 15 minutes before you start your meal stop drinking. It's soemthing that my surgeon recommends. When meal time comes along then you aren't as hungry and tend to eat less. I don't dump either but my appetite is definitely not as strong as yours. I definitely won't harp on you for trying junk food but if you think it is wrong or a bad choice then consider choosing something else. It couldn't hurt. You know what "they" say -- just because you can eat it doesn't mean you should! lol Anyhoo, good luck with your choices :o) and continued weight loss. You'll break the plateau!
   — Tracy A.

April 9, 2003
I know you know your weight loss is fantastic, but let me just say WOWEE!!! anyway! It is tough when we discover we can snack on junky stuff, and then every plateau is about how *bad* we think we were. Obviously it's a time to work on relearning eating habits (sigh ... I don't think I'll ever stop "relearning" them"), but basically, the protein first thing is good advice. (I'm a cereal-with-banana fan myself in the morning, though -- I need the fiber.) It feels like it is sinking, when you can eat more stuff, but if you track faithfully on fitday.com (or however you track), you'll start to find out that even though it may seem you eat too much sometimes, a few little adjustments here and there really help make a difference. Good luck and CONGRATS on your progress so far.
   — Suzy C.

April 12, 2003
LIGHTEN UP! REVIEW YOUR EATING SCHEDULE AND GO BACK TO STEP ONE. RENEW YOUR EATING PATTERNS AND ESTABLISH A EXERCISE PROGRAM THAT IS MORE INTENSIVE. I AM BEGINNING A WEIGHT PROGRAM TO DEAL WITH MY PLATEAU. HANG TOUGH!
   — Marian B.