Dinka! spooky...

Ok now this is just spooky... "Whole bagel with cream cheese Whole apple Not sure how much chicken, but plenty. LOL! I can eat a whole normal size bowl of cereal but it will make me dump unless it's low carb and low carb milk. Generally I have to stop myself before I'm full, but when I do find myself eating more I will watch what I eat the rest of the day. I'm still trying to lose - I'm down to 189.5 from 325. Still losing but very slowly. Today (24 hours since I work nights) what I had was 1/2 cup cereal with a dash of milk, an apple, 1/2 tuna sandwich, a cup or so of stewed zucchini with tomatoes, 1/2 a container of Campbells chicken and dumplings. I also had a handful of jelly bellies (bad me!), about 6-8 Pringles, and about 4 gingersnaps (bad again!). I could have eaten twice as much as this or more, and on weekends I find I do indeed eat enough to gain weight, so I have to watch myself. It's not easy, but I do it." Please get out of my cupboard ok???? Honesly.... I swear I am the same exact way...can eat and did a whole bagel with cream cheese and I too can eat a whole bowl of cereal and it too makes me feel icky and need the low carb milk and such but... i can surley eat it. I had jelly bellies the other day and also pringles (am on a stupid pringle kick) and ALSO had gingersnaps...bought a box the other day... also stewed zuchinni with tomatoes (which I LOVE!) I use a little spaghetti sauce just a little for taste and its soooooo good! honesltly I forgot how many quirky things we have in common at those odd times. Hope everything is going well with you. I am loosing at a phenomenally super slow pace. 'sigh' i know what i have to do though and thats the basic protein drinks and protein bars to get my butt back on track. just a matter of gettin to it.... lately with the chocolate... ugh its been bad. I havent gained but still cant loose eating reeses and the darn dreaded take 5 mini bars... ugh. i dont dump unless i go overboard and have like 3 or something which i rarely ever do because i know i will dump... but give me a stressful night and chances are.... anyways... i too can eat like triple what I normally do. it sucks and horrible thoughts go through my head like "maybe getting a band put on my pouch" which i would never do but being that i am confessing those thoughts DO run through my head...but i have to just tell myself to get a grip and do what i need to do to loose the weight. 'sigh' its still a struggle no matter what.

Hi Elizabeth, You are very much not alone in your struggles or your ability to eat for that matter. I have no problem eating a whole bagel with cream cheese! I also can eat a whole sandwich or a large bowl of pasta if I let myself. I have found that I can eat most anything I want to if I'm willing to feel lousy afterward. I was never much of a candy hound, although I occasionally get the urge. I don't have quite the urge for sweet things like donuts, cakes and cookies that I once did, but again, I have my moments. Another good result of this surgery, is that I can avoid alcohol. I had and still have the ability to pound down a lot of drinks, but I seem to have lost interest in all but the very rare drink. Just as well in that it's a lot of empty calories and probably very bad for my modified innards!! I'm afraid that if I fail in this WLS journey, it will be due to my old downfalls of pasta, bread, crunchy snacks, etc. As we all know, this surgery does not remove that self-destructive part of our brain which leads us astray! Once again, I remind you (and myself) to take it one day or even one meal at a time. When I go to make a sandwich, I make it a half despite the fact that I could eat a whole one......it still gives me the taste without as much guilt. It's the same for all of the other things. If I insist on having something "Bad", I try to have a small enough amount that I can get the enjoyment without going overboard. This probably doesn't work for everyone, but so far, it's working for me. Just keep trying and hopefully, you'll find a system that works for you. Stay in touch.....we're all here for you. Mike

Elizabeth - So good to hear from you! I have thought of you often and wondered how you were doing. Isn't it freaky how we are so similar in so many ways? Especially now with the food thing....kind of odd we go toward the same things!!! I don't know about you but I know I end up wanting to totally pig out around my period time. It has increasingly become obvious to me the more I lose that I react this way. I never noticed it before but I really notice it now. I want to eat everything in sight and if I'm not careful I will gain almost 10 lbs in a short period of time. Usually I take it off right after I start my period, but there was one month I didn't and had to really work to get it back off. Kind of scares me how voracious my appetite can be around then. I just want to eat and keep eating. I've been trying to add apples back to my routine because they are great fillers but even still I find I'm eating too much. It's all such a struggle still. I am thankful for this surgery, but what it reveals to me is just how much I needed it. Had I not had the surgery I don't think I would have ever been able to get to this point. The only way I seem to be able to lose much anymore is to do an on and off diet thing. I will eat meagerly at work during my work week and eat what I want on the weekends. Makes it hard if I have any extra time off though. But it tends to help me lose. I will not concentrate on losing for most of the month but then right around my period I will use the lack of hunger and loss of water retention as a starting point to take off a couple more pounds if I can. It seems to be effective....like I'm tricking my body into losing. It's super resistant at this point, so I have to bring out all the big guns and do what I can to cut the calories to the quick. I feel for ya, sister. I know your struggle. I hope you are able to find a good routine for losing. From here on out it's up to us.... Dina

Hi Mike! Yeah I can drink as well... but not too long ago I had a big scare with wine and havent touched it. The other day I had 1/2 a beer and was ok. But I'm nervous about drinking now which is a good thing. Im with you on the crunchy things!!! Its true I try to do what you are doing and try to have 1/2 the sandwhich and not all of it and make that half yummy! Dina I'm RIGHT there with you on that time of the month!!! Definitely a severe hunger around that time and its funny you mention that the only way you loose is the on again off again thing ... this is how my weight loss pattern seems to be... If I am careful...I usually gain like 3-5 pounds around that time of the month jus****er weight and such... then I will loose like 5 - 7 (I know a weird and big fluctuation) so that would be like breaking even or loosing 1-2 pounds... usually I can keep them off sometimes I get the severe hunger and eat big time before that time of the month then gain then right after my period I loose all that I gained (normally if its a good day) then maybe another pound. its strange... so I am trying to be very careful. I actually get excited after that time of the month because I know my weight drops. So if I just can contain myself BEFORE that time I will probably loose more easily! I also never noticed this before surgery. I think as well about how badly I needed this surgery...in fact was thinking that just 3 minutes ago and then thought that I needed to check this web site. I will try to keep in touch more! I miss everyone so much! (((hugs))) Elizabeth M

Elizabeth - I know EXACTLY what you mean about getting excited over this time of the month (it is for me right now anyway). Although I dread seeing that scale inch up, I know it's going to drop in a few days and I get excited over that because it means I might just drop down to a new low. Everyone keeps telling me I look like I've lost more (I never see it) so I am hoping that is the case here. My low was 189 and I weighed 194 yesterday. I was surprised actually with how much I ate I figured I'd be 197 or something. Anyway, I haven't started my period just yet but the munchies went away yesterday, so I've been fairly good for 2 days. I don't know why it hits, but it really hits hard. Thankfully I grow disinterested in food when the spell is over. Hopefully I'll see a new low after my period this month. I so badly want to see 185 which is what my driver's license has said for almost 20 years. I've NEVER weighed what my driver's license says, so I really want to see that day. When that comes, I'm going to get a new one since I look nothing like that picture! It's so good to hear from you. I know we both never get to the boards much but it's good to see we at least can check in! Dina