19 months post ops How much are you eating?

I have been absolutely awful here the past several weeks. I've been very depressed here lately & stopped logging my foods & eating all the wrong things. I even started drinking more often. I normally only drink once or twice a year. In the past month or so I'm drinking 1-2 times a week. Just flat out depressed & was wanting to feel numb. I don't expect everyone to understand, but that's where I'm at right now. I've been having a lot of pain the past couple of months. The surgeon thinks I have adhesions kinking off my colon where I had my right hemi colectomy & causing stool to build up & go the wrong direction & staying in that little pocket. They were hoping it would work itself out & break through the adhesions. It's been over a month & it still hurts. Then on top of that from my previous post, my period is so heavy & have decided to have a hysterectomy. I will have that surgery Oct 17th. Just feeling awful & am in pain all the time it seems. I have allowed myself to eat too many carbs, sugars & soda as well as drinking while eating. I've gained 10 lbs in the past month. I have to nip this in the bud. I did not have this surgery to go back where I was to begin with. Starting today things are going to change. I'm just wondering those of you who are 19 months post op, how much are you eating? I'm thinking I should be anywhere from 1200-1500 cals a day. I just recently had an endoscopy done & cat scan & the Dr had not said anything was stretched so I'm hopeful. Just really depressed & angry with myself for this. Time to get a grip.

 

I'm pretty much wanting to be accountable to you all & myself, as this website & the people here have been a great deal of help for me when I needed it.

 

Thanks for listening to my ramblings & I wish you all the best.

I AM IN THE SAME SPOT YOU ARE.  I AM 16 MONTHS OUT. THOUGH I CANNOT STAND TO DRINK IT STILL  MAKES ME FEEL LIGHT HEADED AND NAUSAUS .  BUT I TOO AM "SABATAGING" MYSELF EATING THINGS I SHOULDN'T NOT KEEPING A FOOD LOG I DECIDED THAT TODAY WAS THE DAY I WOULD GET BACK ON TRACK. I HAVEN'T BEEN EXCERCISING  EVEN THOUGH I PAID THE 450 DOLLARS TO THE FITNESS CENTER. I ALSO THOUGHT I SHOULD GET OUT AND WALK AT LEAST ONCE A DAY BUT I WILL TRY TWICE A DAY IN THE AM AND IN THE EARLY EVENING AS THE WEATHER IS GETTING COOLER HERE.  YOU CAN DO IT. GET OUT THAT BOOK AND START LOGGING AND START WALKING...  LET ME HOW YOU ARE DOING..  I HAVE DONE THE LOGGING BUT NO WALKING OR FITNESS CENTER TODAY.. I AM FEELING LIKE I LOOK OK  AND EVERYONE LIKES HOW I  LOOK WHEN PEOPLE SEE ME AND I TELL THEM I STILL HAVE ALMOST 50 POUNDS  LEFT, THEY SAY YOU LOOK GREAT WHERE!!! ARE YOU GOING TO LOSE 50 POUNDS WHICH MAKES ME THINK HEY I LOOK GREAT TO EVERY ONE WHY AM I TRYING TO LOSE MORE.  THATS WHEN I  KINDA LET THINGS GO.  SORRY ABOUT MY SPELLING BUT SPELL CHECK ISN'T WORKING. LOL

I don't have an answer to your original question, but I've had problems with adhesions before and wanted to let you know they should be able to break up the scar tissue near your colon at the same time they do your hysterectomy.  Make sure the surgeon knows you need this done so you don't end up having two separate surgeries.  Also, I'm not sure why your doc thought the adhesions would work themselves out.  They're caused by scar tissue that tightens over time, so they will get worse and not better if left untreated.

If you are still trying to lose more, I think you should keep your calories at or under 1200. Some people eat 1200-1500 to maintain. At 19 months out, I was trying to maintain and was eating around 2500 calories a day. By the two year mark my malabsorption was over and I had to cut back to 1700-2000 calories a day to maintain.

I'm also 19 months and in maintenance.  I have not started counting calories yet but figure I will when it is obvious that the honeymoon is over.  My typical day :

Breakfast:  Protein Shake or one egg with one slice of turkey bacon

Midmorning:  Fruit

Lunch:    4 oz of meat and a few bites of vegetables

Dinner:   4 oz of meat and a few bites of a vegetables

Between lunch and dinner or later in the evening as we eat dinner by 5:00 pm usually add:  

Yogurt with added unflavored protein or my leftovers from lunch and/or dinner.

Plus, I drin**** water all during the day starting with a glass as soon as I get up.

 

An example of other types of food that I eat:

One taco as a meal

1/2 to  3/4 of a small or kids cheeseburger as a meal minus half the bread with mustard, pickle, onion. lettuce and tomato

2 slices of a small cheese, meat and vegetable thin crust pizza as a meal

1 cup of meat and bean chili topped with cheese and onion as a meal

1 cup of beans with lean cut brisket topped with onions and cheese as a meal

1 large or 2 small chicken tenders as a meal with a cup of salad

6 chicken nuggets as a meal with a cup of salad

1/2 cup of chicken salad made with chicken, red grapes, almonds or pecans, celery and MW with 1 or 2 whole 1" grain crackers

1 cup of tortilla soup with extra chicken

Homemade casseroles:  1/2 cup serving with vegetables

 

 

I may not understand all that you're going through but I can relate to some of it. I used Facebook as my little accountabilty tool. It was super easy to check in at the gym....posting all those apps BikeMyRide and quickly realized how many people I had begun to inspire. There are lots that feel just like you do so you're NOT alone. 

We all believe in you and your abilities!

Best wishes

~ Mark

Sorry you are going through this but wanted to send you a virtual hug. Cut out that alcohol drinking if you can. It's a VERY slippery slope. Don't use it to numb your pain. There has got to be other ways or things you can do like walk outside, ride a bike, watch your favorite tv show or a movie on Netflix. Anything.....to distract yourself from pain or drinking. Hell don't even buy it. Sorry you are in such pain.

As far as how much I can eat I noticed we have different surgeries. VSG and RNY seem to have very similar restriction. I can still only eat 2-ounces of protein or 3 or 4 ounces of cottage cheese. I have noticed I have more restriction than most people though at 19 months post op. I think my surgeon made my stomach very small. I eat about 1500 calories a day on average sometimes up to 1800 calories and I do exercise 3-4 days a week. On that amount I don't gain weight.

Track your food somehow. Myfitnesspal.com is a good one. Stop drinking and eating asap. Just start practicing it again like you did immediately post op. I can't physically eat and drink at the same time if my life depended on it so I have no idea what that's like but I think it would allow you to eat more. You know what you need to do and I'm glad you came here. Just have to decide RIGHT NOW to start doing it and don't put it off another second.