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Name: Barbara C.
Username: bcumbo
Location: Raleigh, NC, USA
Member Since: 7/27/2006
BMI: 21.6
Post Op
Surgery Type: RNY (06/05/07)
Surgeon: Eric DeMaria, M.D.

Photos

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OMG!! I'm surrounded by my puppies. Uploaded on 9/27/11 5:58 pm	Ben and I in Monterey CA Uploaded on 9/27/11 5:57 pm
Dec 2006 - Near the top of my weight Uploaded on 9/27/11 5:57 pm	Uploaded on 9/27/11 5:57 pm
Our Newest Family Member! Uploaded on 7/27/10 8:48 pm	Proud Parents Uploaded on 7/27/10 8:47 pm

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Friends

Barbara C. has 512 Friends

inspector-girl	Marivonne D.	cdanielle001
Jan Ocala	Vanilla Lace	Patty Drye
MSTRACI	Karen S.	Candice T.

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Before & After

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Goals

keep most of my hair :)

13 People

in progress,

9 People

achieved this

lower my resting heart rate

0 People

in progress,

1 Person

achieved this

lose weight!

4 People

in progress,

1 Person

achieved this

reverse my Type 2 Diabetes

12 People

in progress,

18 People

achieved this

reduce or eliminate my hemoroids

0 People

in progress,

1 Person

achieved this

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Surgeon Testimonial

Eric DeMaria, M.D.
Dr. DeMaria has a significant amount of experience with Bariatric Surgery and in his position as Director of the Duke University Medical Center Weight Loss Surgery Program he trains other surgeons during their fellowship at Duke. The program that Dr. DeMaria directs at Duke is comprehensive and has a significant emphasis on aftercare which is comprised of medical, psychological and nutritional support at 3 wks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year postop. I have found all of the staff, from the office, nurses, to the dietician to be helpful and available. I had my Lap-RNY 06-05-07. While Dr. DeMaria is without question very competent, he perforated my colon during the surgery. Normally this would require a conversion to an open procedure, but Dr. DeMaria was able to re-sect the colon laparoscopically. I have done well since my surgery and have lost all of my excess weight. I have talked with Dr. DeMaria at length about my concerns that while it is important for bariatric programs to provide a significant amount of support through the weight loss process, but that it is at least as important, if not more to provide significant support as you enter the maintenance phase of this life-changing journey. I'm delighted to say that he is a strong proponent of long-term bariatric aftercare and has opened a practice that focuses on the 'whole' bariatric patient in the long term; medical follow-up/management, nutritional support, psychiatric/behavioral support, and physiological/exercise. I hope this becomes a model to support the bariatric patient population.

Member Interests

Dogs - I have Havanese ... Like chocolate I haven't met one I don't like :)
Meeting People - As my children say-Mom do you know everyone? Not yet, but I'm workiing on it : )
Singing - I love to sing ... However, my children are embarassed when people turn around
Shopping, Bargain Hunting & Auctions - OMGoodness! I love great deals! Like 500 sq ft of great tile for $5.00!
Photography - I love photography in general, viewing or creating
Scrapbooks - I started doing this about 15 years ago ... still so much to do. I love it!
Interior Decoration - I am often told I have an eye for it ... I love to stage homes for sale
Mentoring - I love to watch a flower unfold ... that's what happens when mentor young or old
Genealogy & Family History - I'm reasearching the family history of my children ... We are definitely muts!
Computer and Internet Surfing - I started using the internet long before AOL ... It's still amazing!

Click here to see interests of other ObesityHelp members.

Hospital Reviews

(Durham, NC) - Duke University Medical Center

Barbara C.'s Journey

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Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
I was an overweight child and became an obese adolescent and adult. I experienced a huge weight gain on the occasion of my marriage, ballooning up to 217 pounds. Unfortunately, I have never been able to get and keep my weight under 225 for more than six months. In spite of multiple efforts at dieting including HCG shots, Weight Watchers, Grapefruit, Cabbage Soup, Cambridge, many over the counter diets (Dexitrim, Hoodia, etc.), Slimfast, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Hypnosis, Registered Dietician and Personal Trainer, Medifast, medically supervised VCL diet, Shaklee Shakes, Oprah/Bob Greene diet. With each attempt I have lost some weight, however when the diet effort stops, the weight comes back, often more. When I...

Barbara C.'s Blog
Barbara C.'s Blog

Getting back on track... you can do it
posted on 1/4/12 10:57 am

The following is an excerpt from a response I made to someone who asked about getting back on track. This person has been very successful in her weight loss journey, but has recently experienced some regain. Statistically, her regain is within the norms for 'bounce back' weight, but it was how she regained the weight that distressed her and it was nearly a mirror image of what happened to me a few years ago. I really felt her distress and fear, so I wanted to reassure her that all is not lost, that we always have our tool and we can get control of it now, even when we couldn't for so many years before. So if you have have arrived at maintenance and are struggling with some unwanted regain or if you are only thinking about WLS or in the process of losing and want to know if you can and will be able to maintain your weight after you lose it, read on...

Okay, so the real question is how to get back on track and if it's a realistic possibility and probability. I'm here to tell you that it is both possible and probable that you can reverse the tides and get back to where you are happy and be able to stay there. I have to tell you that I too was just terrified because I knew from my previous experience that 'diets' just don't work for me. I'm an overgrown 3 yr old and if you tell me I can't have something, then.... I will. That scared the proverbial pants off of me. After mulling it over a bit, I decided to try a new tact. One to get the unwanted extra pounds off and another, related tact to keep my weight where I want it to be.

So, to take off the weight, the two biggest things I did were to log my intake and activity and to cut back on simple carbs... cut back, not cut out. I made sure to 'take care of business' with every meal and snack, making sure I was eating 5 to 6 times a day. When I say 'take care of business' I mean that I made sure that I got in 4 to 6 ounces of protein, then followed that with colorful, complex carbs. I also made sure that I wasn't drinking any fluids within that 30 minute window before, during and after my meal so that I could allow my pouch to work for me and help me really regulate my intake to ensure I wasn't taking in more calories than I needed. I maintained a caloric intake of about 1000 to 1200 calories a day when I was working on losing the weight. Logging really helped me think about what I was ingesting and if it was supporting my goals or undermining them. This helped think of things in a positive light. Is this choice going to help get me to where I want to be or submarine my attempt to achieve and maintain a healthy and active life? If not, I often would think twice and let it go without the burden and baggage that comes with feeling deprived. I have to say that I did occasionally indulge while I was losing, but not often because I had my eye on the proverbial prize and I was delighted at the result I was getting; most of the time the 'indulgence' I wanted at the moment faded when I 'weighed' it against my goals. To be honest, the weight came off relatively easily. Much more so than I thought it would.

Now that I've taken the excess weight off, I don't really log anymore unless might weight ticks back up out of it's normal range. If that happens, I start logging again and am able to easily trim off the few pounds.

I honestly think that losing the weight and then maintaining it, all comes down to awareness and accountability. If you think about it, I'll bet that you've been playing a bit of 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' as it relates to what you are consuming. You 'know' you are going off track, but tend to not want to see the evidence of it. We all have to find ways to be aware and accountable and to be honest what works when we are losing is not necessarily what works in maintenance; I think that this is one of the main reasons we tend to falter in maintenance. Whatever we did to maintain awareness and accountability in our weight loss phase may not necessarily work for us anymore. Unfortunately, no one has told us that we need re-evaluate how we are going to remain aware and accountable as we work to maintain our new found weight and it's resulting health and quality of life benefits. It took me a while to find what works for me. It may take you a while to find what works for you, but I'm sure that you can and will.

16 Responses to "Getting back on track... you can do it"

Thank you for your post. This is exactly what i needed to read after returning to obesityhelp.com after so long. I had my surgery over 6 years ago, i have had two more children since then, and I have regained 25 lbs since my lowest weight after surgery. I feel discusting, but I can't stop stuffing my face with high carb/sugar junk foods. Thank you for the reminder that I need to start recording my food intake to be accountable and more aware of the damage I am doing to my body. So I need to get back on track. Feeling a bit overwhelmed.. but little by little is better than heading to back to the days before surgery. it is a constant battle-- and I need to be stronger.
so how do you log your food intake? i used to use paper and pencil- which worked fine but inconvenient to carry the little book around. have you found an app on an android smartphone that you like?
jrelerjr commented on 1/4/12 1:40 pm
I use www.mydailyplate.com associated with livestrong.com and have an app on my smartphone. I like it because it has an exhaustive database. I can find just about anything I ever eat. With the online version, I like the pie chart that shows me the visual ratios of the percentages of protein, carbs and fats. Nothing like a picture to help me 'see' what I'm doing. Another thing that has been a great help to me, is to focus on the positive. Why I'm doing this, the life it helps me have, instead of feeling deprived, it helps me to feel empowered.
Wishing you all the best,
Barb
Barbara C. commented on 1/4/12 1:49 pm
What are your thoughts for someone who works out quite a bit? I log every morsel that goes in my mouth. I am still 10 lbs away from my goal weight but quite happy with the 90 lbs I have lost. I find that 1200 calories just doesn't cut it for me. I am working out an hour a day (30 minutes cardio, 30 minutes weight training) 5 days a week, than an additional 2 hours two nights a week (karate and strength training), so a total of 9 hours or so a week. I am eating 1400 calories a day most of the time, sometimes as much as 1600 or as little as 1200. My averages over the last two months are at 1390. I haven't lost weight in a month and I'm afraid I am not going to lose the last ten pounds or so.
Constantine commented on 1/4/12 2:49 pm
Constantine - You may want to have your resting metabolic rate checked. If you live in a major urban area, you can probably google 'resting metabolic rate' test if it isn't something that your surgeon's office does for you. Sometimes when your resting metabolic rate is higher because of your increased activity level, your lower caloric intake might actually slow your weight loss. I guess I'm saying you may be having an issue that you aren't getting in enough or you are over compensating and getting in too much. You won't know for sure until you test your RMR. A one month weight loss could mean that you are either at a stall or have lost as much as you are going to lose. If you have access to a RD I would certainly schedule some time with them, but please also remember that the number on the scale is not the only measure of success. Be sure to recognize and acknowledge all of the health and quality of life improvements that have come with the 90 lbs you have lost thus far.
Wishing you all the best and continued success, Barb
Barbara C. commented on 1/5/12 6:57 am
Thank you for your frank, simple, and to the point post! It is really simple (not easy, there's a difference). I am still in the losing process (7 months post op, down 114 lbs) and have just begun to get a glimpse of what maintainance might be like. I've allowed a few semi forbidden morsels after "taking care of business" as you put it, and find that if done at the end of a good, high protein meal it takes only a bite or two to truly satisfy. I most definitely suffered from "monkey syndrome" (see no evil, etc) The only way I feel I can continue on the path I want so badly to stay on is to hold myself accountable. That includes weighing and logging. Websites like these and others help me to keep my head in the game. I am looking forward to attending the Las Vegas Meet & Greet in May. It's all about keeping the focus on health!
God Bless!
Mary C.
mmqc52 commented on 1/4/12 3:07 pm
Hi Mary,
You are so right when you say that is simple, but not necessarily easy advice. Though, I have to say that with time and practice, it has become much, much easier than it was to start... Sort of like learning to swim or ride a bike I guess. As you practice you grow stronger, develop technique, etc...
Wishing you continued success on your journey,
Barbara
Barbara C. commented on 1/4/12 3:20 pm
Thank you for that advice. I have been struggling with getting the rest of my weight off and a couple extra a gained. I play mind games with myself and have noticed that I just tell myself ok after this. I worked so hard for this and I just dont want to fall into bad patterns. I am going to start a food journal tomorrow to track what i am putting in my mouth. I also work crazy hours, so I never know when to eat or not. My schudule at work is 12am to 9 am. My sleep during the day is broken up a lot. so, when i am awake a graze and I know thats bad.I am trying to go back to days at work but I need to figure out what to do for right know. Thanks again.
robmot28 commented on 1/4/12 5:55 pm
When you do 'graze' you may want to be sure to lead with protein and follow with complex carbs, so that you can minimize the negative impact of simple carbs. Wishing you all the best, Barb
Barbara C. commented on 1/4/12 6:30 pm
Thank you Ms Barbara, it has been 2yrs since my surgery I started at 387lbs and have lost about 137lbs!! I seem to have stalled at 250lbs and I too am guilty of sneaking in items I know I shouldn't. Your blog has encouraged me to "get back on track" My goal is to get to 195lbs, although my surgeon suggests 145lbs. I have been invited to an all white party in July of this year so this too will give me the incentive to do what I have to do...once again thanks for sharing... :)Saundra G.
BigS_061 commented on 1/4/12 6:11 pm
Hi Saundra - First of all, let me congratulate you on your significant success thus far. You have done a great job. As I mentioned, I think that awareness and accountability are the keys to losing the weight and keeping it off, so figure out what you need to do to make sure you are aware of the value of what you are putting in your mouth and your level of activity. I'm sure it will lead to your making some changes that will help you get to where you want to be. Also, remember to focus on making the changes because they are going to get you what you want, not in terms of depriving you of things you want to eat.
Wishing you continued success,
Barb
Barbara C. commented on 1/4/12 6:35 pm
I needed to read this more than you know! I had my RNY June 2005. I lost 112 lbs from my highest weight of 275. I've maintained that (although I'm only 4'9") and have been healthy. In the last 3 1/2 years I have had a total hip replacement, a fusion at two levels of my neck (from a car/deer accident), elbow surgery last May, followed 6 days later by a nasty ankle fracture. The latter causing me to be non-weight bearing for nearly 3 months. Up until my fracture I had maintained my weight withing 3 lbs. But during that 3 months of basically sitting on my butt I gained 10 lbs. On my little frame that 10 lbs is actually 1-2 clothing sizes for me. I am SCARED to death.

I've been trying to get more protein, watching my simple carbs (I cannot tolerate sugar at all) such as white bread, etc. And have nixed the Crystal Light for just plain water.

I do love your idea of the basics though. Eating my protein first, followed by pretty veggies and then a carb if I'm still not satisfied. I never eat to full, and I cannot drink with my meals or I dump.

I just felt good knowing I wasn't alone. Thanks so much for sharing. Debra
Debra H. commented on 1/4/12 8:01 pm
Debra - I'm glad that you found the post helpful. While my challenges have been different that your own, I can relate. We've had a tumultuous couple of years and I'd be if I didn't admit to stumbling sometimes, lapsing into destructive old habits. I also fell and fractured some vertebrae which kept me relatively sedentary for several months, so I understand how that can throw a wrench into things. Sometimes, when things get rough, it can be easier to move into the 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' mode as we try to get our bearings, but that only serves to be destructive. I have found that especially when life gets rough, I need to make sure that I am aware of what I'm doing so that I don't harm myself. Wishing you all the best in this new year, Barb
Barbara C. commented on 1/5/12 7:04 am
Barbara-
Thanks so much for this post! My Hubs and I had the VGS in 2010-I am stalled or have reached a plateau-he has lost 148lbs-I am so disappointed, I am sure I am not eating enough during the day therefore my body id rebelling-This is an excellent time for me to change my focus and BEHAVE!!
I will begin my journal today!!

Hudson's Bubbie!!
hudsonsbubbie commented on 1/5/12 5:05 am
Dear Bubbie - I know from personal experience how hard it can be to have two people in the same household have different outcomes. My husband had his RNY 3 years ago. While he has been successful in terms of resolving his health issues and his quality of life has improved immeasurably, he has not been nearly as successful with his weight loss as I have been. This happened for a number of reasons and has been a source of distress for him. The good news for my husband and for you, is that you both have come a long way and have reaped the benefits of your efforts so far. More than that, you still have your tool and whenever you are ready and able, you can leverage it to enhance the benefits of lowering your weight and BMI. Wishing you all the best as you continue your journey, Barbara
Barbara C. commented on 1/5/12 7:11 am
Babara,
You mentioned that we are not supposed to drink 30min before and I think it's 1hr after. Why is that???? I have forgotten. You said it was to allow the "pouch" to work. I had VHS May 2010. I only lost about 65lbs (needed to loose about 120 all together. Reached a plateau for 6mo and then alot of life happened. Gained back about 25lbs. Started Medifast diet on Monday.. have lost 7lbs and not hungry at all. Hopefully, this will help me get back on track to get to my goal weight.
neesyc1950 commented on 1/5/12 7:46 pm
Neesyc - I'm not familiar with the VHS, but with pouch based procedures, drinking 30 minutes before, during your meal or 30 minutes after can cause you to circumvent the pouch and 'flush' food through it. If you have a 'sleeve' based procedure, drinking 30 minutes before, during or after a meal can cause you to fill up with fluids and not have the capacity to consume the volume of foods and nutrients you may need. There are different reasons depending on the tool you have, but it seems to be a rule necessary for both tool types.

Congratulations on jump starting your weight loss again. I wish you continued success, Barbara
Barbara C. commented on 1/5/12 7:55 pm

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