Still on a diet!!!!!

Ok, so here goes my pout for today.  I had my revision surgery on November 14th. I was 274 on surgery date, I went down to 261 and then this morning I'm back up to 263.  I just don't understand. I've been eating greek yogurt, chicken, fish.  I've had cashews, wendys chilli, I made me a cream cheese ball with imitation crab meat thinking that would be something low carb with protein.  Am I eating the wrong things?  I'm thinking maybe it's the sugar.  The greek yogurt has about 12-15 grams of sugar depending on the brand.  I've also had a protein bar from south beach diet which has 8 grams of sugar.  These are just some of the things that I have been eating.  It seems to me that I am going to have to go on the strict Atkins diet, but I don't want to have to be on a diet.  To me when you're on a diet and you come off of it you gain the weight back.  This is not what I want.  I have lost and gained the weight back with the lap band and I just can't go through that again emotionally.  What do I do?  I don' know if it's what I'm eating or if it's that I'm not eating enough or getting enough protein.  I don't want to  "Still be on a Diet"  Will I EVER lose the weight???

I know I'm not going to lose 20 pounds over night, but I just feel like I've had this surgery for no reason.  This is torture......... If I go on the Atkins diet how will my body react when I start to add other things in.  Will  just gain all the weight back?

I would guess that it is likely that you went up two pounds because of the salt from the chili, nuts, and crab and you're experiencing the water retention from it. I'm assuming the chili you had was a small but it has 880 mg of sodium. Combined with other things you've listed, your sodium level is pretty high. Why not approach this issue by tracking every bite on a website like myfitnesspal.com and see if you can see a pattern. This is the second time around for you so you'll need to do some self-research. Others here with more experience will likely chime in to give more experienced advice that might help also. I can tell you that the surgery is a tool to jump start the weight loss and to make it easier to be on a diet. I was able to see patterns I was developing by recording everything. I still do it about 2-3 days in a row about every 2 weeks. It has opened my eyes. Example: almond milk (unsweetened) was not a great substitute for skim milk. Lower in calories but almost none existent with protein. Extra calcium in it was useless as I was using it with my coffee and coffee interferes with calcium being absorbed. There were other things I saw also and I confirmed with my nutritionist that some things had to go. Here's a hug... 

When you have surgery, you can gain any where from 10 50 lbs while in the hospital, Due to the IV. So give it some time. you are just over 4 weeks out. Make sure your watching how much your taking in. i was told no more then 20 grams of carbs, 10 grams of sugar, and as much protein as you can in each meal. Maybe look for greek yogurt that is lower in sugar. I know there are some 100 calorie ones but not sure what the sugar is for them.

Keep track of what your eating. I use My fitness pal.com its great and keeps me on track. Also are you doing any cardio? getting in at least 60 grams of protein, and 60 oz of water a day?

You have had some good suggestions already and I want to chime in on what I think ...   Being a revision, you have already messed with your metabolism with your first surgery.   I don't feel you are making bad food decisions, but I don't see anything in your post to suggest that you are exercising?

You need to be eating little and often and moving - it doesn't have to be gym work at this stage but walking maybe a mile or two (at least) a day? 

You need to get yourself a good, healthy, lifestyle for LIFE - this isn't a sprint, it's a long journey with no foreseeable end.   I agree that the thought of dieting isn't good - presumably it's why you had both surgeries?   But you do have to adopt good diet and exercise practices which you will keep forever! 

Thanks for your suggestions, and replies.  I didn't think about the sodium but that could very well be part of the problems.  I have been doing exercise, but I must admit that it hasn't been a lot due to 12-13 hour days at work.  But I am getting it in on the weekends.  I just hope things began to change real soon.  I will be taking your suggestions.

Avoid a "diet".  Diets fail.  They always have and they always will.  Embrace a new, healthy eating lifestyle.  Don't worry about the sugar/carbs in dairy products since it is from natural sugar and doesn't usually bother people (unless they become lactose intolerant).  You need to trust that the high protein, limited carb food plan that you have been given WILL work.  You just need to really change the acting habits and not look at it as a diet and forget about things like the Atkins diet (the high fat, very limited carb diet isn't very healthy, even though it is high protein). 

The only thing that I see that is questionable in what you are eating is the cream cheese ball.  Was it regular cream cheese or low fat (or no fat)?  Regular cream cheese has 100 calories per ounce (which isn't too bad), but has 9g of fat (which is quite a bit) and a measly 2g of protein.  The reduced fat has only 60 calories and half the fat.

Personally, I prefer "real" food to chemical laden protein bars and such. I think it's important to build an eating plan that you can stick with for life ASAP after surgery (and I knew that I didn't want protein bars and shakes to be part of my daily eating).  Many people don't mind it, though (and, at 5 years out, I do "hide" a scoop of protein powder in my morning SF hot chocolate at work on weekdays).

Lora

I have to eat under 1000 cals to lose weight.  When I was in my active losing phase, I was eating about 600-800 cals/day.  Now I have to stay under 1200 to maintain.  I understand not wanting to be on a diet.....but realistically most of us will have to eat carefully forever to maintain the loss....so the practice of careful eating and making good choices in the weight loss phase will hopefully help you form good habits for later.   

I will be a revision patient and fear that I will be slow to lose. The poster that mentioned weight gain from fluid retention in the hospital is right! I had a friend gain 10 pounds with her RNY and then have to lose that to make any progress. She is now at 64 pounds down at 4 months out.  

The best advice I have heard here is stay away from the scale.

There is no going back. You are post op and the scale can mess with your mind. Stick with your low carb plan, exercise if at all possible and drink lots of fluid.  Relax and enjoy the ride!!  

Best of luck to you!!!!