I don't mean to sound grumpy, but I don't come on this board very much anymore, I'm extremely busy in my life and it is good!!     But, I see posts about re-gain, and someone who is 8-9 months post op or even PRE-OP giving advice...come on......really???

I did very well for a really long time, I'll be 3 years out in July and am 98lbs down from my highest weight right now...I was down to 168 at 1 point, and stayed there until last Fall when I had a severe sinus infection, then mono, and now a really bad skin infection that has sidelined me from working out......I find myself now at 188....ARGH!! I don't want to see the big 200 again.  On another post about regain...Old Medic gave the best advice I've ever read...which basically was..."Go get some help and see why you keep sabotaging yourself"   Working on that today....

We all KNOW what to do....eat better, exercise more...and stop beating ourselves up and see what it is that is keeping us from succeeding?   I am very hard on myself, and don't do well with setbacks. I tend to reward myself with food...chocolate...wheat thins....etc...and it's so easy to say, just don't eat that..eat hard boiled eggs, protein shakes, cleanse those nasty carbs out of your system...yada, yada, yada.......  I KNOW I should be exercising consistently, it would help my immune system...that's proven..but why don't I do it???  

Probably going to get some flack for this post, but it just is how I feel.  We didn't get morbidly obese by not dieting...we all knew going into the OR what we needed to do, so why is it so diffcult to actually do those things...and I'm not saying these are hard things to do in the actual sense, they are not........just hard to do in the "making myself do it sense..." 

I like your post. Its honest and best of all its life.

And dear Julie G Where the heck have you been.

I miss all the old faces here. *clings to post*

aw thanks....we've just been really busy. 

So true and good to see you!!!

I do not like the fact that you think someone that is "pre-op" like myself or only 9 months out is not qualified to give suggestions or feedback.  I hope that not everyone here feels that way. 

I agree Austinmom. 

Just because we haven't 'been thru it' yet doesn't mean that some of us haven't been doing a TREMENDOUS amount of research, joined therapy groups, watched all the surgery vids and post op vids, read the books, lurked and read post after post after post from post-oppies.

It doesn't mean we aren't qualified to give some advice on things like: 'what is mushy?", "Can I drink sodas?", etc. If you do your research and are fully prepared for your own sleeve then you are also fully CAPABLE of being part of this forum.

To say we shouldn't even be participating because we haven't had the surgery yet is completely ignorant of what this forum is really all about...SUPPORT!!!

I believe what she said is someone preop or 9 months out can not give advice about maintaining or not regaining weight.  I agree.  I do not care how much research I did nothing prepared me for actually trying to live my life with the sleeve.  Yes I got great advice but reading about it and actually living it are two different things.  I have no business trying to tell someone how to maintain because I have no clue since I am in the very early losing phase.  

GREAT POST!!!!! It is something to make it and something different to keep it up for your life. I was so excited to get rid of the extra "ton...ige" but as I feel relaxed about the rest of the losing now, I want not to get complacent about my eating. I have some good habits formed but know they can get lost easily if I do not use them as I should.
I am glad you posted so those of us that need it, get the "push" or reminder that it NEVER ends and to just have fun BU****ch and do not let it get away from us. Thanks!

Hi Julie,

Well maybe we're getting advice from folks that are more recently sleeved because they do come around more often.  So let's not give them a hard time because they are trying to be supportive.  - I, for one, certainly appreciate all the advice I've been given from everyone on here!  Including the pre-op folks.

On your other comments, I agree...we all know what we need to do now and in the long run.  Its up to us. 

Liz

I hear you completely.  If it was that easy we wouldn't have gotten overweight to begin with.  Keep on with the good fight.  Get all the help you can and send some my way too, k?

Hi Julie..

I don't have an opinion one way or the other about the ones giving advice..  but.. I liked ur post...  It was this mornings "AHA" moment..   I'm still so early out I'm not even thinking about carbs or sweets or really any of that stuff.. but I noticed, I've been getting loose with my routine or times I should and shouldn't eat... and eating my popsicles just because...

The popsicles (sugarfree) isn't the problem.. it's the just wanting something .. that could become a problem.

So, thanks.. ur's was the first post I read this morning and I feel like I needed to hear it  ;  )

Kelley

I won't give you flack...and as I'm only 5 weeks post-op you may not respect my opinion.  But you have to remember that just because someone is only a short time post-op (or even pre-op) it does not mean that they have not dealt with "regain" after probably 100 or more diets.  I've been in your exact position time and time again..."I know what to do...so why don't I just do it?"

I think you've given yourself the best advise...get help.  Find a therapist to talk to and try to figure it out before the 20lb gain turns into 50lbs. 

Best of luck to you!

Not to be brash, but she has a point. You and I are learing to live our life with the sleeve and we are new at that. WE cant honestly have anything to say about regain with the sleeve. Now on other topics yeah chime right on in.

I kind of understand your point about newbies giving advice to vets. I recall one time when I was on the MB. I explained that I rarely eat pasta, maybe 3x a year but I was looking for a specific type of pasta. A newbie jumped in and told me that I am still dealing with the fat mentality and I shouldn't be eating pasta, I'm just going to regain everything.

Hello? I'm over three years post op, over 2 years at goal. I am pretty sure I have this stuff down pretty well. ;o) I'm not suggesting newbies never give advice or suggestions, but there are different challenges that come with maintenance vs. the WL mode. You don't really get that until you are a good year into maintenance.

As for your eating habits... you really are dealing with the fat mentality. I'm not sure it really ever goes away, we just have to learn to deal with it.

We really don't need food rewards. That is the fat mentality screaming loud and clear. That is no different than planning a specific day weekly to sit and eat a load of crap. "On Sunday's I eat pie, ice cream, and fried chicken, I'm good the rest of the week." That's a load! This is about a life style change. Naturally thin people don't plan days to sit and eat a load of crap, just us. THAT is the thinking we need to change. Our relationship with food.

Find better rewards for yourself.

Get all the crap food out of your house, nobody that lives with you needs it either. Out of sight, out of mind.

Set specific times to exercise, plan it out in advance and don't justify not doing it.

Track your food, if you haven't been you should. When you have to write it down and see those carb grams staring you in the face you get a bit of a shock and tend to think twice before doing it again. Better yet, track it before you eat it. You want some Chocolate? Fine. Enter it in your food journal and THEN eat it. ;o)

Most of all, get rid of all the crap food. If it is there you will eat it.

I can't speak for anyone else but I was raised with food rewards.  Eat all of your dinner and you can have desert.  Get good grades and we can go out for ice cream.  It's Friday and it's been a long week so lets go out somewhere good for dinner.  I grew up very poor and these things where real treats and great rewards.  Unfortunately it is a learned behavior that is very hard to unlearn.  I don't have an answer but damn I sympathize and this is why this board is so helpful for me.  You all are helping me keep on track.  

thank you, your kind of words were exactly what I needed, finally got a chance to sit down and read the thread.  

I really was not saying that someone with less time out from surgery or pre-op did not have valid opinions, so if you are offended by that I am sorry.    But part of a SUPPORT group is that you are allowed to express opinions and get support from people who have "been there, done that" so to speak.   Give all the advice you want, part of support is meeting people where they are at, and if that is where I am at right now, please allow it.   

I think it is a beautiful thing that we are allowed to come back on continue posting here as long time post-ops, we don't come back as often because many of us are busy with our newer more confident lives and simply find new interests. 

Hi Julie, good to 'see' you!

I too have regained....15 lbs on my own, and another 10 thanks to Lyrica....it's scarey!  And I so agree .... we all know how to live a healthy life; what we need to understand is what prevents us from doing it.  What is it within ourselves that believes we don't deserve the best life has to offer.

Here's hoping we all can discover what 'it' is that stops us from moving forward.

All the best!

 

Linda! 

How are you?  I know, it's scary how fast it can happen.. I am determined to STOP this gain, and  get things under control and successful at this.    The medical issues really kick me in the butt, and then they become excuses.....and the cycle of...am I too tired to exercise..or am I tired because I'm not exercising??? 

It is good to "see" the old friends on here!

Have  a great day!

Personally, I believe it's a disservice to others here to not post when we're having difficulties.  I know I felt like there was really something wrong with me because I thought I was the only one stumbling.  I just don't post about it because I don't want to be yelled at.  I do enough yelling at myself.