Question:
Falling back into to old eating habits!!
I have done very well with the weightloss, up until now. Has anyone lost the desire to stick to "the eating plan"? High protein, low carb, water and exercise etc.... I know what I need to do to use my tool. But, just feel overwhelmed to graze! I have gained about 5 lbs. in the last week and a half. I can't seem to get back on track!! I will be a year post op on Dec. 27th. Any advice on how to regain self control, would be appreiciated. I feel like I am setting myself up and sabatoging my own weightloss. I think it may be the holidays, or just maybe depression. Has anyone gotten off track but then gotten back on? Any suggestions from others who have experienced this would be helpful. Just knowing that I am not alone would also be helpful. I feel blessed that God has given me this tool, I don't want to abuse it. I normally feel in control, I am embarressed to admit that I have been doing this. Any good suggestions would be appreciated or maybe just a good kick in the but is all I need. :) Thank you all!! Colleen — Colleen M. (posted on December 11, 2001)
December 10, 2001
I'm right there with you on the eating thing. I had my surgery july 6,
I've been stuck at 65 pounds for 2 months now. Yes I'm happy about the
weight loss. I thought it would be more. I'll admit I'm not exercising as
I should. then I hear of this girl I know who's lost 250 pounds in the last
year. What's up with that. They you hear of the person who eats what they
want and still loose????
— Terri H.
December 10, 2001
From what I have been reading, depression is a big reason for people to go
off the eating plan. The holidays are an emotional time. We have years of
dealing with stress,happiness, sadness, love, boredom, every emotion known
to man, we have turned to food for comfort and understanding. Its not an
easy habit to break. I personally see a therapist every other week to help
keep me focused and I take an antidepressant.
I have read a long, but interesting article and in it, it talks about some
people who really went off the eating plan and gained all their weight
back. Instead of having surgery again they just had to learn how to make
their pouches work for them.
http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/understandingsmallgastricpouch.htm
I review the article at least monthly to keep me on track.
— Helen B.
December 10, 2001
You are not alone! I'm starting to crave carbohydrates again and I'm
working hard not to give in. I'm having problems too. I don't know about
you, but a good swift kick in the butt (that I occassionly may need) just
depresses me. So that does'nt work. Probally those of us with no self
esteem don't need those kicks as they only make things worse. Perhaps if we
were to try harder to get more filling proteins in, then the carbs would'nt
be so tempting? Hope someone else has some more ideas. :)
— Danmark
December 11, 2001
I am seven months post op and found that at 5 1/2 months I could eat more
carbs and sugar without getting sick. This happened to correspond with
Halloween. What bad timing. I did indulge (and in some cases overindulge)
for about a month. I found that I didn't feel as good as I did on the high
protein/low carb diet, plus I got tired of the candy and bread (I still
have a big bowl of Halloween candy on my kitchen counter that no one is
eating. Anybody want some? LOL).<p>I didn't gain any weight that
month but I didn't lose any either. Now that I have upped my protein intake
I am back to losing slowly--which is fine with me 'cuz I'm at goal. Here's
what I did: Start out the day with protein. Have a half a ham or turkey
sandwich with cheese, or cottage cheese and a little fruit, or--if you are
lazy like me--just cut off a 2 oz hunk of cheese and eat that! If I eat
carbs first thing in the morning, I snack all day and feel like I can't eat
enough carbs. Find something you like that has a lot of protein and eat
that for lunch. My favorite is fajitas: I can eat the meat and beans with a
couple of bites of rice and tortilla. It lasts me two meals (BTW I don't
take the rice/tortillas in my doggie bag). <p>I have decided that I
will eat healthy as long as I enjoy what I eat. If I try to restrict, I
will fall off the wagon. If I want some bread, I have it--but I know that
if I eat too much I won't have room for the protein I need to feel great.
Depending on the situation, I have been known to do one of the following to
stop myself from eating too much bread: 1) throw it away 2) give it to my
husband or 3) have the waiter take it away. Now when I start fishing it out
of the trash, I'll know I have gone too far! LOL<p>Good luck to you
and, remember, the holidays are prime time for protein--just think of all
that lovely turkey and ham you can fill up on. Then you can have your
couple of bites of dessert and feel satisfied!
— ctyst
December 11, 2001
Boy can I relate! I am one year post-op today, and I have had real
difficulty sticking to what I'm supposed to do. I take all my supplements,
but don't get in enough protein or water. I've lost a total of around 98
pounds (give or take the 4 pounds I've been fluctuating), although I still
have about 20 to go. I wonder if this is a common occurrence at about a
year post-op. I know I've been REALLY craving carbs, even though I never
deprived myself this past year, I still crave them like I haven't had ANY
carbs! SIGH! I wish I had some answers for you, but I'm at a loss myself.
Just thought you'd like to know you have company. Good luck. Maria
— Maria H.
December 11, 2001
How about protein bars instead of candy and cookies and try to eat baked
chips with beans dip and cheese. eat some carbs but add the protein. And
most IMPORTANT SMILE:):)
— [Anonymous]
December 11, 2001
I think after the first year, we all have a tendancy to go back
to our old eating habits. You have to understand that and be very
focused. I was "off track" for a year! I didn't go completely
crazy,
but I was eating too many carbs, grazing, not drinking enough water.
I gained 15 pounds and that scared me silly. Someone gave me the
"Pouch
Rules for Dummies" article and I've been doing as it says. I'm
actually
losing again, very slowly 2-3 pounds a month. I always thought that wls
meant never dieting again. I couldn't have been more wrong.
— [Anonymous]
December 11, 2001
I want to thank you all for your answers. I'm 5 1/2 mos post op from RNY
and found in the past month I crave carbs a lot. I gave in and ate candy
and crunchy snacks for a couple of weeks and now its been 4 wks and my
weight has remained the same. I just started getting back on track this
week but I must say its hard. I guess I'm just a little taken aback
because I work with a girl who had this done 19mos ago and we've known her
since she had like 8mos and she claims all the time she's never hungry and
it makes me feel like my surgery didn't work because I am hungry. Not as
hungry as I used to be and I do eat a lot less than I used to but I can eat
sugar with no problem, which is a problem and I just thought the surgery
would make me sick if I ate certain things and that I would stay away from
them so I didn't get sick. I'm still glad I had it done, I know I'll start
losing again and I wish you the best also.
— Sheila R.
December 11, 2001
I had a major relapse between years 3 and 5. I got back into sugar, carbs
etc. I stopped dumping
I went cold turkey and got rid of all carbs for 2 weeks. I reset my
dump-o-meter by doing this.
I never looked back and lost the regained weight plus I got down to my
maintenance weight.
My story is at my profile page and at the website listed there.
I am still a food addict, surgery is NOT a panacea, it is a tool. I had to
change the way I lived my
life so I could continue on the right path.
so, up the protein, water and get rid of the sugar and starches. PROTEIN
will help you avoid the cravings
and keeps you full longer.
Hugs
Rita who has been there and done that....(rny 3/94 463/185)
— vt_rita
December 13, 2001
This answer is a little late, but I had to answer this, because i have been
experiencing this as well. I am now 18 months post op. I have lost around
150 pounds, give or take 5 pounds. At one year, I started reverting back to
my old ways of eating, carbs, craving sugars, and have a horrendous time
trying to get back on the healthy track. It has taken me about 2-3 months,
and I am still struggling. I found that once I stopped my exerciseing I
started grazing more. There are many reasons this may occur; stress,
depression, old coping mechanisms, old self sabataging tapes, etc. In order
to not gain the weight back, I do have to continually fight with myself, to
remember that I do not want to have this surgery again, and try to remember
that I did this for a reason. I hope it helps to know that you are
definately alone!!!.
— twenc
December 14, 2001
Many years ago I was visiting friends whose teenage daughter was dieting.
She had a poster on their refrigerator that had two pictures on it. One
was a picture of her when she started her diet, the other was the body of a
model with her face on it. At the bottom was a question - poundcake or
cheesecake what will it be? I think of that poster often. The idea is to
stay focused on why you are doing this - the desire to lead a normal,
healthy life. Some of us have a built-in "fear of success"
because we don't know what our life will be like we reach our goal. Maybe
you need some type of visual reinforcement. Make a list of what you
couldn't do before the surgery and what you will be able to do when you
reach your goal weight. Stay focused on why you had the surgery and
staying on track should be a little easier. Good luck!
— Sami S.
December 14, 2001
Gosh everyone had some great answers for Colleen on this one and so honest
too. Colleen, I am almost 3 years out and yes, I too still crave carbs
alot. I crave all of the junk food that I shouldn't have. Depression?
No, although, Daniel is correct in that that can be a cause. I am on
antidepressants and doing real well with that. I sincerely think it's
alittle bit of habit and alittle bit of missing an old friend (food). We
lived for years eating this junk and most of us liked it well enough. For
me it was almost a crutch or a friend. I was basically deprived of that
right after surgery. Now, my tummy basically says I can eat anything I
want and yes, I have done so many times. Not a good example, just an
honest answer. I want to be the same as everyone else I guess knowing that
I am really not anymore "foodwise". You are SOOOO normal Colleen
and it really "is" a matter of deciding for yourself which way
you want to go because no matter how much surgery we have, it didn't change
our brains and the way we think and feel about food really. (okay not true,
for many it definately DID change the way they think about food and for the
rest of us somehow we didn't completely get it I guess). One other thing.
I am one of the "lucky" ones I guess. I lost every pound of my
weight and even with grazing and eating wrong I don't gain anything. I
actually pay for it in the bathroom instead and lose weight (which I don't
want to do). I certainly wish you alot of luck because I know that this is
a fight in your head and I hope that you can win it. Please be careful
with the holidays coming up with all the food.
— Barbara H.
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