Question:
Just really confused on the issue of long term weight gain
Is it all that easy to gain back a significant amount of weight even if you are watching your caloric intake. It scares me to think that it maybe so easy to regain. I know you will regain if you graze and eat over a certain amount calories. Is it that you become so hungry over the long term that it is really hard to stay with in your limit. Just want to ease my mind or either put me on contant watch. Thanks — Tammy P. (posted on May 22, 2003)
May 22, 2003
Tammy, I had my GB two years ago this June. I find I can eat more, and
could overeat and gain weight if I wanted to. I make a decision everytime
I put food into my mouth. Should I eat this, is it good for me, will I
gain weight.. I still eat much smaller meals than I used too, I think I eat
less than my "normal" size sister does. But I also know that if
I go back to my old habits of eating candy, ice cream, cookies, cakes, high
fat foods..etc.. that the weigh will come back on. I've learned that I can
have what I want, in moderation, like anyone should. But I also make sure
I eat vegetables and fruits. I do get very hungry around my period, but I
just eat more raw veggies, or some popcorn. I WILL not get fat again, I
WILL do what I have to to keep this weight off. I think what you have to
remember is that this surgery is done on your stomach, not your head, so
you have to make the right choices. You will do fine, just remind yourself
how far you've come, and where you came from, that usually puts me in my
place. Good Luck.. Gail
— Gail M.
May 22, 2003
I think the main problem occurs when we treat morbid obesity as a mental
disease vs a physical disease. When we treat it as if it is a character
flaw, we assume we have anormal body. In other words, given some character
restratint, I can eat small pportions of normal foods and not become fat.
I don't agree with that concept. I do NOT have anormal body, never did,
never will. I have a fatal disease and it's in remission. Every time I
have "forgotten" that my body is broken & tried to behave as
normal people do, I've gained wt. When I remember my disease and put things
back into perspective, I maintain my goal wt. I have certain freedoms
others do not have, but also limitations that I can either accept, or,
well, pay the price. I can have butter & mayo! I cannot have milk or
sugar. Or graze. And it's not about "permission". It's about how
my body is going to react to my treatment of my treatment. I was not
successful in dealing with the disease itself, so the only thing I have
left is to work with the only treatment provided. You often hear me refer
to the 2 year wall. That's about the time people get tired of having to
live with our disease, throw all that got them thinner into the trash &
try to live like the people next door. "I'm grazing on HEALTHY
things", "Mary next door has a tiny bit of ice cream every nite
& SHE can still wear size 3"--that kind of thinking. I cannot do
those things and maintain my wt. And I've got as distal a procedure as you
can get. The good news is, by avoiding milk & sugar, drinking my
protein shakes, water & taking vites, my disease still IS in remission.
I just can't forget the character of the disease.
— vitalady
May 22, 2003
Michelle, thanks for sharing. Great perspective...one many more people
need to (should) hear. Obesity is disease, but most people have WLS
thinking they have finally found a 'cure'...but you are right...remission
is a far better word. They should make patients read and sign that
disclaimer before having surgery! Diabetics don't go off of their insulin
just because their blood sugar has been normal for a week. Cancer
patients, don't refuse surgery, radiation, or chemo, as hard as it may be,
just because they can't 'see' the cancer. There are many more examples,
I'm sure, but the point is that WLS needs to be a PERMANANT lifestyle
change not just a quick fix.
— eaamc
May 22, 2003
WOW! Thanks for putting this into perspective. I was kind of thinking to
myself that some day I'll be able to eat anything I want. But I'm
realizing that if this is to truly be a sucessful tool for me, I've got to
accept this as a life change. I can live with that! I don't need the junk
to keep me happy. I'll have a nice, healthy body to keep me happy. So,
I'll replace food with new clothes and its a win win situation! LOL!
Thanks for the wonderful post, Michelle!
— Renee B.
May 22, 2003
*That* is the question! What is it that causes weight re-gain, and what's
different about WLS? I think the best advice I've seen on this issue came
from Michelle Curran (no surprise there!), who says you have to ask
yourself what you'll do DIFFERENTLY after this surgery. I think that, when
it comes to failed diets and weight regain, repeating the same old
patterns, expecting the different results, is indeed the definition of
insanity, WLS notwithstanding!.<P>I'm only about a year out, but for
what it's worth, so far, I've noticed the following things, or made the
following changes, that I hope will help me keep my obesity "in
remission" this time:<P>(1) I still need to pay attention to
whether I'm eating out of physical hunger, or whether it's just head
hunger, resulting from (A) Fatigue (trying to eat for energy?), (B) Thirst
(which I still mistake for hunger), or (C) those same old
boredom/stress/emotional reasons (blah, blah, blah ... but they're very
real!). There are times I really cannot BELIEVE I still let a stupid pint
of ice cream rock my world; "How freakin' ridiculous is *this?*,"
I have to remind myself.<P>(2) If I keep protein foods, protein
snacks, &/or protein shakes prominent in my diet, it helps with hunger
pangs. If I have too many carbs (crackers, or worse, sweets), I experience
an accelerating urge to eat crummy foods with each passing hour or day. It
can start subtly, but it grows every time; I can set my watch by those
increasing cravings. I no longer get peeved that I can't eat whatever I
want as far as carbs go, at least, not without consequence; for me, eating
"normally" means avoiding too many carbs. I don't limit them to
a super-low level, but for me, if my carb grams creep ahead of my protein
grams, on a daily basis, I'm headed for trouble. If recent studies &
press reports are to be believed, Dr. Atkins might've been onto something
there after all.<P>(3) I absolutely still track what I eat, at least
mentally, because it is ridiculously easy to graze your way into more
calories than you thought possible, or to eat a heckuva lot more junk or
carbs than you think you're eating.<P>(4) Link exercise to food:
Slowly, I'm learning not to kick myself as much for making "bad"
food choices (rather, I'd like to pay attention to how much, and why, they
happen), so long as I'm also exercising to compensate. They're not
"bad" if I learn to balance them into my day by running them off,
or sweating 'em off on some machine at the gym. We always have to remember
that while there may be malabsorption, there ain't no "free
lunch." ;~)<P>(5) Gotta love those "Pouch Rules"! If
I feel I'm going on the prowl for food I don't need, I drink something.
This shuts me off of food for at least thirty minutes, under the Pouch
Rules. Sometimes that's all I need to break my food obsession
cycle.<P>I think as long as we recognize we need to change our
lifestyle after surgery, we can make it work. I am always watching posts
around here for new strategies, new protein snacks, etc. Worrying about
weight re-gain is probably the smartest thing you can do to avoid it.
Beats the heck out of that big pre-op worry, "How am I gonna lose all
this weight?" Doesn't it?
— Suzy C.
May 22, 2003
I am still pre-op but I must comment on that inspiring post written by
Michelle! I was worrying about post-op weight gain in the long run, but a
light-bulb went on in my head when I read that. My newest mantra is
"I have a disease, and this is what I need to do to keep it in
remission." That way, when I see "Sister Slimfast" next
door, I will try and not resent her for her "struggle with 10
pounds". I will also think positively that I am *lucky* enough to
have a disease which can be kept in remission. Mea :o)
— Mea A.
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