Obesity Discussion Forums

[victoriac7]

I had gastric bypass 2 years ago and I never reached my goal I lost 100lbs and I have gained 15 back and I feel like all my old habits came back and I feel like I have no stomach restrictions/ As they say the honeymoon is OVER I am having a real hard time with trying to loose the 15 I gaind and the 50 more I need to loose. I Need help I have been going to my Nutristioist, counsling nothing helps I have head hunger and I give in to it all the time what can I do

[Obesity Discussion]

Hi Victoria! You've got a great support group here to cheer you on, and that's always important to have!

Just curious, what type of WLS did you have?

I do think we can help you find some ways to cure those cravings....what did your nutritionist suggest? I'm curious to see what was already recommended.

[monique]

Welcome Victoria!

Look at the bright side, you're still down EIGHTY-FIVE POUNDS! That's a great loss and there's no reason you can't lose the rest. You do not have to give in to your cravings, your willpower is as strong as you want it to be! I know losing weight is tough because you have to change habits and some, like overeating was for me, are really hard to break. But if you continue the counseling and work on self-esteem and self-control, you can totally do this. All you have to do is take in less calories than you burn. Easier said than done, but still doable! And you're more than halfway to your goal already!

~Monique

[MamaBear]

I'm sorry you are having a rough time.

I haven't had WLS myself, but in a book a recently read on a the matter the author suggested that patients visit their surgeon if they begin to gain weight. I suppose it depends on the surgeon, but he or she may be able to help you or at least point you in the right direction.

Congratulations on the weight loss so far. I think it's great that you are recognizing that you are getting off track and falling back on old habits. That's a huge step in the right direction to getting back on track!

One day at a time... one meal at a time... one minute at a time. You can turn this back around!

[victoriac7]

I had roun y gastric bypass they sugestt me to go back to basics phase 3 and 4 I beleive but it is to hard I am always hungyr and my head is stronger then the surgery at this point. HELP

[Thaddeus]

Hi Victoria,
Since I had recently my gastric bypass surgery, I still have a real aversion to food. Nothing sounds good, feels appetizing, and any extra bite can trigger unpleasant reaction. Somehow I would like to remember this, because I know that in a couple of years bad habits and stretched pouch could create devastating combination. Please put yourself in the same frame of mind as when you decided to have the surgery. What was important in your life? What trade-offs did you make? Which of these important aspects are now compromised? Why? You are reaching for help, but the help might be buried in your consciousness, that you need to dig out and understand. Wishing you all the best,
Thaddeus

[jtafaro]

Victoria the honeymoon's over and its time to do the long haul to your goal weight. I too was hungry all the time and had periodic weight gains. During those times I lost track of what I was doing and was eating food I wasn't supposed to. Sooner or later I would get myself back on track and go back to my new life style. One thing I do is keep a little monthly diary where I write down my weight every morning. It keeps me straight. It's not easy to change our life styles and then stick to it. Weight Watchers is a great program. It teaches you what to eat and the meetings reinforce all that. But who has the time and money to do that? This forum should help.

Joe T

[Ryanne]

The only answer I have is what is called "AGAPE" love for yourself. This is the type of love God has for us.
Basically it is doing what is best for yourself no matter how you "feel" about it.
I have had to take control of myself this way, it is not easy to tell ourselves "NO". With my children, sometimes they would like to have cake and ice cream for breakfast. As a mother, I cannot allow them to do this. I would give them something like organic oatmeal, a banana, an organic egg, and some yogurt or a glass of organic fat free milk.
It is doing what is right, because it is right. It may hurt a little as far as feelings are concerned, but in the long run, you will be happy that you are in control and not your emotions.
We have to look at ourselves as the "patient" and we also have to treat ourselves as a doctor would.
I hope this makes sense, for this is what has helped me.
I also have an eating plan, I know my portion sizes, and have each meal pretty tailored. I don't go so far as "planning menus" but my basic thing, (and this is only an example tailored for my own individual medical problems):
Breakfast: 1 serving complex carbohydrate, 1 serving protein, 1 serving fruit, 1 serving dairy, 1 serving monounsaturated fat.
Lunch: 2 servings complex carbohydrates, 1 serving protein, 2 servings vegetables, 1 serving fruit, 1 serving dairy, 1 serving monounsaturated fat.
Dinner: 1 serving complex carbohydrate, 1 serving protein, 2 servings vegetables, 1 serving fruit, 1 serving dairy, 1 serving monounsaturated fat

Snack: (IF DESIRED): vegetables, fruit or 1 serving monounsaturated fat.

I eat low fat, preferably fat free, also I don't eat red meat, I eat cold water fish, antibiotic and hormone free chicken, turkey and eggs, organic fat free dairies, soy milk, soy or rice "ice cream", and organic fruits vegies and cereals. I eat brown rice...okay, so basically vegetarian. My monounsaturated fats are extra virgin olive oil, black olives, dark chocolate, nuts and seeds, etc...

I also exercise at least 30 minutes 7 days per week, like walking or step aerobics, swimming...whatever floats my boat.

I hope this helps. It is hard to have feelings and emotions tied up in our eating, but unfortunately sometimes we do.

[Jasmine130]

Originally Posted by victoriac7

I had roun y gastric bypass they sugestt me to go back to basics phase 3 and 4 I beleive but it is to hard I am always hungyr and my head is stronger then the surgery at this point. HELP

Hi Victoria, you've received some wonderful counsel in the above posts. It is true that weight loss surgery is just a tool -- a powerful tool -- but just a tool. I commend you on your awesome weight loss!

One of the things that helps me when I feel like straying from my protocol is to remember what I felt like in "the early days" of my gastric bypass. I was so thrilled and excited at this chance to regain my life, after so many years of failure. I had done a great deal of research and planning and was very eager to embark on this promising journey. When I stop and meditate on those feelings of hope and promise, I find myself back in that frame of mind and find power to renew my commitment one more day.

You mentioned that your head is stronger than your surgery at this point. Bingo! My own head would certainly be stronger than my surgery at this point. Although I feel the tightness of my pouch in a big way when I eat the dense proteins that are the center of my food plans, I find much less restriction when I eat other than dense proteins. I could really go astray at that point and am often tempted to do just that. We gastric bypass patients can find creative ways to eat around our surgery! I recall one WLS patient she stopped going to her support group because it seemed most folks were interested in sharing tips for getting those candy bars and milkshakes in. I would say, they must not dump - but my own surgeon has a patient who dumps on chocolate but still has it every day. See how powerful our heads can be, that we would willingly suffer for a food to which we are addicted.

I have been diagnosed with a binge eating disorder, which is not really a surprise . To help me manage my compulsive overeating and food addictions, I am involved in Overeaters Anonymous. I am "working the steps" and have a sponsor; I also have 3 sponsees. My gastric bypass surgeon emphasizes very strongly the need to address any eating disorders/addictions and to be part of at least one good support group. I attend his support group, the support group of another bariatric treatment center, and in addition to my OA involvement, I see a therapist who specializes in eating disorders in women.

I want to lovingly encourage you to go back to basics in your eating plan (have you heard of the 5-Day Pouch Test?) and I bet you will feel the "pouch power" again, but more importantly, seek and commit yourself to regular, quality support. Oh! And track your food intake and calorie expenditure every day. I recommend www.fitday.com; www.sparkpeople.com; or www.dailyplate.com as excellent online resources.

Hugs to Victoria!!!!

-Jasmine

[monique]

Do I want to know what "dumping" is?

~Monique

[jtafaro]

I am not hearing anyone talking about exercise. That is one of the most important things in any weight loss program. When you change your life style which you must do to effect any long term change you have to include exercise.

After my WLS I started walking. I started with one revolution around the block. Then gradually got it up to two miles. I did this every day. It got so I felt bad if I didn't walk. Then I developed a diabetic ulcer on my foot that put me in the hospital for a month. Then came hurricane Katrina that set me back for almost a year while the ulcer healed. Now I am back to walking but I can't do as much as before because of arthritis problems.

I do a mile almost every day now. It reinforces those life style changes. I don't count calories or weigh food but I stay away from things that are counter productive. I am down 33 pounds since April and am 11 pounds from my goal weight. I had stopped losing after the first 100 pounds but in the last 11 months I have gotten back on track. It's like falling off of a bike. It is going to happen and you have to get back on and keep riding or you won't get where you are going.

Joe T

[Jasmine130]

Originally Posted by monique

Do I want to know what "dumping" is?

~Monique

Dumping is a side effect for some (~40%) gastric bypass patients. It's the result of food passing too quickly into the small intestine. Usually it is induced when one eats too many grams of simple carbohydrate, e.g., sugar and some starches. The symptoms can range from vaguely unpleasant to disruptive and include: nausea; sweating; weakness; sleepiness; vomiting; diarrhea; heat palpitations. The symptoms normally pass within 30 minutes.

I have a relatively mild dumping response, but it is definitely unpleasant enough to effectively and consistently keep me away from consumption of more than about 12 g of simple carbs at a time.

A lot of folks view dumping symptom as a *desired* side effect, as it serves as wonderful negative reinforcement for those of us with a sweet tooth.

[Jasmine130]

Originally Posted by jtafaro

I am not hearing anyone talking about exercise. That is one of the most important things in any weight loss program. When you change your life style which you must do to effect any long term change you have to include exercise.

Joe T

Right on Joe T! I don't know how I forgot to mention exercise, but I'm glad you did! Exercise is crucial for anyone seeking to lose weight and become more healthy. So many benefits!

And I admire how you overcame obstacles and got back to walking. Good for you!

[jtafaro]

Dumping is a side effect of gastric bypass surgery. But with the lap band you don't have that problem. However there are other problems. You really don't know what you can't eat because they don't tell you. Doctors don't hold your hand after surgery. They don't have time to do that. You have to experiment with different foods. Elamples of what you can't eat are: Heavy bread--cornbread, biscuits, french bread Meat--steaks, roast beef, anything tough or really chewey, some vegatables and most fast foods. They either don't go down at all or they cause you to feel like you swallowed a rock. If they won't go through the band they have to come back up the way they came down into a sink or trash can usually. I have had problems at a Chinese buffet before like that.. That isn't fun but it keeps you from eating a lot of things you shouldn't. On the other hand cookies, pies, soft desserts chocholate, ice cream and other things we really like go down without any problems and you can eat them all day long.

Thats why people don't lose weight after the lap band. It goes back to three words--LIFE STYLE CHANGE. Over eating is an addiction. If you are addicted to alcohol you just can't drink. But we can't just not eat. We can chose what and how much we eat. Stress controls a lot of what we do and I think we learn to over eat at an early age in a lot of instances and the invention of fast food restaurants with their drive-up windows and cheap junk foods in super sizes makes us a very fat society.

I am a volunteer at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas here and I watch the visitors when I am on the floor. It's amazing how many of them are really obese. Some of the volunteers eat the food in our food court but I bring a salad from a local salad bar at a supermarket. It costs me less than 5 dollars but the food court costs more than that just for one person. They will have super hot dogs and chips etc. for us on Labor Day weekend to eat(that's to make sure we show up when we have really big crowds). I didn't eat any of that on the Fourth of July but if they have oatmeal raisin cookies I am not sure I will pass on them. But if they do I will only eat one or three not ten. We have to indulge once in a while but the trick is to get back on that wagon the next day and stay there as long as possible. If we don't we wind up right back where we started from.

Joe T

[monique]

Thanks for the definition, Jasmine! The physical side effects are probably helpful to some in avoiding foods that don't work. But it seems like what triggers negative effects for Lap Band at least, isn't necessarily the worst stuff for you. I have a raw vegan promoting friend that insists her body gives negative feedback for animal products, sugars, and anything acidic. I thought she was crazy but I have noticed since I've been limiting my calories that I am getting physical responses I never noticed before, or could never figure out. Like I used to occasionally get heartburn and need to take Tums at night, and it seemed to be from caffeine but not always, or spicy food but not always. Well now I just never get heartburn! I did notice it one time a few months ago when I'd had both caffeine and spicy food but I think it was because I ate too much! If I don't have large meals, or what I once considered "normal" meals, spice or caffeine isn't a problem. I didn't even realize that the problem was eating too much, not what I ate. It's good to get in touch with your body so I think that might be a helpful result of WLS; you have to pay attention to your symptoms. I think maybe if we pay a little more attention to little things like what causes us to get hungry again quickly or what causes minor stomach upsets we can learn more about what's good for us and what's not. Doing what your stomach wants is not just for WLS patients!

~Monique

[dawn]

Victoria, I'm 6years out and have gained 45 pounds back. I too struggle with the feeling of hunger. I find that if I stay very busy I will forget to eat. I feel like anything I eat passes quickly through my pouch. I too have thought about going back to the basics. I really want to know about the pouch test that Jasmine talked about. I will search for this and let you know how it turns out for me.

[MikeB]

One of the reasons why I am so against WLS is that the patients never learn how to change their lives via exercise and diet. One of the main things is learning to avoid the hidden simple sugars and corn syrup that is in all processed foods. Learning how to fix your own food and not eat out or eat highly processed pre-made food is one of the biggest ways you can make a change. My diet isn't perfect but I try to eat as much food that is in it's original state as I can. The most processed foods I eat daily is a tablespoon of sugar free preserves such as strawberries or blueberries on my oatmeal or the 4 tablespoons of peanut butter I have when I get home from work. The rest is eggs, salmon, chicken breast, salad etc.
If you can't pick it from the ground or kill it and eat it, avoid it. If it has more than 1 chemical in it, avoid it. If you're drinking anything pop, tea, coffee etc, replace with WATER. Avoid alcohol entirely. If you're not sweating at least twice a day you're not doing enough exercise.

[johnita36]

I have to pretty much agree with you Mike, I think the only way to loose weight whether you have WLS or you're doing it on your own is to change your lifestyle so that you're eating healthy and exercising, I believe if you don't make a lifestyle change even with WLS you're at a bigger risk of gaining your weight back.



Johnita

[Jasmine130]

[QUOTE=MikeB;35706]One of the reasons why I am so against WLS is that the patients never learn how to change their lives via exercise and diet. . QUOTE]

Hey MikeB, I have to say, it is not true that WLS patients never learn how to change their lives via exercise and diet.

That paints with too broad a brush.

I am one of many many WLS patients who have used the surgery as a tool along with exercise and diet to reach and maintain their weight loss and health goals.

Jasmine

[Jasmine130]

Originally Posted by dawn

Victoria, I'm 6years out and have gained 45 pounds back. I too struggle with the feeling of hunger. I find that if I stay very busy I will forget to eat. I feel like anything I eat passes quickly through my pouch. I too have thought about going back to the basics. I really want to know about the pouch test that Jasmine talked about. I will search for this and let you know how it turns out for me.

Hi Dawn! Essentially, the 5-day pouch test is going back to how you ate when you first had your surgery. A lot of folks have found this very useful in getting back to the basics of protein first and breaking the cycle of eating simple carbs which results in spikes in blood sugar. I think if you google 5-day pouch test you will come up with further info.

I haven't used it myself but would definitely try it if I found myself on an upswing.

Jasmine