Question:
Have I blown it?
At 10 months post-op, my husband and I both became unemployed. The terrible stress of the next 9 months completely undid all my new baby habits. I can now eat as much sugar as I want to. I can eat a whole sandwich. I have regained 30 of the 85 pounds I had lost. This is my question: can I get my pouch small again? I know I can't get it to immediate post-op size, but can it get smaller than it is now? Can I start having dumping again if I eat the wrong thing? I waited so long to have this surgery, and it was so wonderful. I'm terribly afraid that I have blown what is my last opportunity to achieve a healthy weight. Thanks, Stephanie — sgaiwalker (posted on April 4, 2004)
April 4, 2004
No your on your way to gettng back on track! You recognize you have a
problem. I know its hard, and have more than my fair share of tough times.
Chances are you stomach hasnt stretched very much. My surgeon says thats a
overrated problem. Sugar and grazing is instant weight on for me. What you
do is go cold turkey on sugar and very low carbs for a few weeks. might try
a week of 2 protein drinks daily with a small dinner no sugar no snacks. Be
really tugh on yourself. But this will help you loose some pounds fast, and
that will encourage you futher. while your doing this get lots of exercise,
if you havent found a job yet make walking your job, a brisk multi hour
walk every day. All of this DOES work! Loosing after WLSis way easier than
pere op for me. I fight regain myself we nearly all do after were out a
while. Goiod luck and update us on your progress
— bob-haller
April 4, 2004
Follow the Dr. Fox Plateau Busting Diet! Okay, do what you feel is best,
but this works.
1.Do for 10 days
2. Drink 2 quarts of H2O a day
3. You must have 45 grams of protein supplement and all your vitamin and
mineral supplements each day.
4. You may consume up to 3 oz of the following high-protein foods, 5 times
a day
beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, cottage
cheese, plain yogurt(or artificially sweetened), peanut butter,
beans/legumes
5. You may also have: sugar free popsicles (avoid juice popsicles), tea
or coffee, sugar-free sodas, sugar free jello, broths and bouillons, and
crystal lite drinks.
6. IF IT IS NOT ON THE LIST YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT
7. Keep a food diary and get 30 minutes of exercise daily.
This worked for me wonderfully. By day three, the carb monster was gone and
the weight came down 5 lbs.
Just a suggestion....
— dimpkd
April 4, 2004
Good for you for recognizing that you need to do something now!
<br><br>In my opinion, you haven't stretched your stomach to
the ridiculous point... but I honestly do not think anything short of more
surgery would make it shrink. Otherwise why would we have WLS? I would have
done (and did) anything else I could before WLS to make my stomach
smaller.<br><br>
Everything you can do now is going to revolve around training, re-training
and reinforcing your mindset and attitude. <br>
Start to go back to step one, like a new pre-op, minus the pureed food.
Follow the rules (check out the Pouch Rules for Dummies!). Drink all of
your water PLUS. Get in at least 60 grams of protein/day. Stay away from
carbs... if you start the day eating them, you will probably eat them all
day. <br>Get plenty of exercise, esp. cardio. - pick up a pedometer
to make sure you get 10,000 steps/day.<br>
Here's the thing... if you aren't dumping, and you know you CAN get away
with anything, you need to be stronger than that. Figure out the times of
the day you cheat, and find something else to do. Most importantly, GET
SOME HELP! I cannot endorse therapy highly enough, and it seems that the
sooner we start out with it (even pre-op) that we head off issues in the
long run. It doesn't mean you are crazy, or need to be in therapy
forever... but there is more to this than your stomach. It didn't make the
decisions to eat the wrong stuff- your head did. And that is the part that
needs the re-training. If you can't find a good counselor, find a small
support group - or start one! Most of the people who go off-track have
little or no support from WLS peers... I have seen this happen time and
time again with my own eyes. Some start to forget that the new anatomy is
forever when we get out of a circle of supportive people. Surround yourself
with healthy people (mentally and physically)!<br><br>
Best of luck to you, honey.... and you are by no means alone on this!
— kultgirl
April 5, 2004
Since no one else has mentioned it, have you had your mechanics checked??
There are several different things that could be wrong with your pouch
enabling you to overeat enough to gain that much weight when you are only
19 months post op. The only way to know that everything is intact and
working like it should is to go to your surgeon and demand an upper GI
and/or endoscope. You could have a staple line disruption or fistula, or an
enlarged stoma. All of which are surgical failures, NOT personal failures.
The diet and exercise advise you have gotten is great, but nothing will
work if your surgery is not intact. Just like nothing worked for us pre-op.
Good luck and please call your surgeon - he should want to help you out and
if he doesn't, find one who will.
— Ali M
April 5, 2004
Congrats for recognizing you have to do something. Now you need to follow
thru and "just do it". There are many of us that can eat sugar,
and as much of it as we want to, as post-ops, like me. For some, they have
to go cold turkey and eliminate sugar forever, as they know no limits. For
me, I just try to control it, a little bit allowed each day, and it is the
first thing I cut back on when I want to lose weight, so I would suggest
you cut it out at least while you want to keep losing, and especially if
you know no limits once you start.... A whole sandwich is not a bad thing
(not white bread, I hope?), many can eat that much. What you have to do is
just get back to following the pouch rules: protein first, small meals, lo
carbs and cut out the bad carbs and sugars, tons of water, and regular
cardio (heart pumping) exercise. There is no secret to getting back on
track, just determination on your end. I will tell you, like Bob Haller's
comment, I have found it so much easier to lose weight post-op than I ever
did pre-op thanks to the pouch. Here is a quickie sample of getting back
on track: breakfast-2 scrambled eggs with melted cheese, for lunch-1/2 a
meat sandwich on multi-grain with mustard, or a few ounces of grilled meat
over a big salad, late aft snack-half a protein bar or a protein shake or a
cup of yogurt, and for dinner, any type of grilled meat/poultry or fish
with a veggie. If you need a snack later on, try cheese and crackers or
the other 1/2 of the protein bar or some fresh fruit...You can do this,
Stephanie!
— Cindy R.
April 5, 2004
I agree with going cold turkey. I went on a spiritual fast, of sorts. It
wasn't a complete fast, just partial. I ate one meal a day (lunch) and then
a healthy snack later in the evening. I lost 7 lbs in a week. I don't agree
with the poster that says you can't reshrink your pouch. After that fast if
I at so much as a caramel, I felt it. I literally felt full after taking 3
bites of anything. When you make up your mind to do it, it just comes off
so fast. I went from a size 16 to 14 in a couple of weeks after loosing 13
lbs. Actually, it was nice to know that I had some amount of self control.
Sometimes the farther out you are you think you can eat anything without
consequences. You can do it! Be determined and just do it!
— aprilbaree
April 5, 2004
I agree with going cold turkey. I went on a spiritual fast, of sorts. It
wasn't a complete fast, just partial. I ate one meal a day (lunch) and then
a healthy snack later in the evening. I lost 7 lbs in a week. I don't agree
with the poster that says you can't reshrink your pouch. After that fast if
I at so much as a caramel, I felt it. I literally felt full after taking 3
bites of anything. When you make up your mind to do it, it just comes off
so fast. I went from a size 16 to 14 in a couple of weeks after loosing 13
lbs. Actually, it was nice to know that I had some amount of self control.
Sometimes the farther out you are you think you can eat anything without
consequences. You can do it! Be determined and just do it!
— aprilbaree
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