Escape_Pod

PLEASE be careful, and try to go back to purees. The surgery did major trauma to your stomach, and most of the nerve endings have been cut, so you're still healing, and don't have good sensation. The point of the slow transition back to real food is to give your stomach a chance to heal. Digesting real food is a lot of work, not something you want to make your stomach do so early!! Hunger in the early days can be a lot of things - head hunger, boredom, excess stomach acid, higher ghrelin levels still in your system (takes awhile to subside). You're not going to feel a whole lot of restriction until you begin to introduce more solid food, and with most of your nerve endings healing, you're not going to feel as much now as you will after you heal.

Thanks CBT! I've never gotten over my "fear" of fruit post-op. I'm so sensitive to sugar triggering me to go on eating bonanzas, I almost never have fruit. Having given it more thought, there's a couple of things I want to try. I do want to plan to add either another Protein shake the morning after (I usually start the morning with a hot protein mocha) or an extra hard boiled egg as a morning snack. I also have a tendency to intentionally under-eat on hiking days. Right now I'm HUNGRY, did a longish hike this morning, lighter than usual calories, only ate half my usual lunch, and for some reason I'm resisting having something to eat. Some kind of mind game going on there, which needs a bit more analysis on my part. I also think a good part of the next-day problem is just coincidental timing - I generally hike on Sundays, and so the day after is my first day back at work. I suspect that's the more likely explanation for my inclination to overeat. p.s. - yuck on avocados. I've never developed a taste for "green slime"... lol...

Jlangen, don't panic yet. It's VERY common to stall around the third week post-op, and then begin dropping again. Especially with such a huge drop the first couple of weeks, I'm not surprised your body is taking a pause. You'll be seeing happier numbers on the scale soon!

I hadn't noticed! Unfortunately, my last 11 is regain. I got within half a pound of 140, but was already struggling with old emotional eating habits, and regained quite a bit. As hard as the last 20 were to lose, they're even harder to re-lose! Sigh...

I struggle with this as well. For me, it's a sign of a role that food is playing in my life that has nothing to do with nutrition. I might get away with it for now, but long term it's going to be a problem, and I need to address it. From time to time I find myself getting too obsessed with food blogs - even if they're bariatric-friendly recipes, too much focus on food is going to lead me to overeating, or eating the wrong things, and I have to just stop. Too much time spent grocery shopping is an indication I'm probably using food for entertainment, or as a distraction - time to figure out what I really need. With my history with food, I know I can't afford to ignore it if I want to be successful in maintenance.

Well, that's a new one. My B12 levels are super-high, though, so I'm pretty sure that's not the problem for me.

Honestly, the best thing you can do is try not to compare your progress to others, because we're all so different, and there are so many factors that affect your weight loss pace. If you really want to be able to compare to someone, your best bet is to find someone as much like you as possible - another woman, same approximate age, same surgery, same starting weight, same height. These factors all impact your loss rate, as will pre-op diet (most of us lose 10 or more "easy" pounds that are mostly Water weight - either because of a liquid diet, or low-carb pre-op diet, or in the early weeks post-op. Those of us who lost it pre-op will lose a few fewer pounds in the early weeks post-op. After surgery, of course your food intake and exercise impact your loss, but I've always suspected other things can play a role as well - have you had prior huge weight loss cycles (with subsequent regain)? Have you been overweight all your life, or did you not really start to put on weight until adulthood / child bearing? And there are weeks when your body just decides to do what it wants, despite all your hard work and careful eating. Have you thought about setting goals based on your efforts, not the outcome? You can control your efforts (exercise goals, getting all your Vitamins / water in, learning to eat slower, staying on track when you eat out), but not necessarily the outcome (scale numbers). Find ways to change your behavior and relationship with food, and new ways to enjoy activity in your changing body, and the scale will take care of itself, in its own time.

I'm going to go against the grain here and put a big huge question mark on the pizza. Yes, lots of folks find success with the "everything in moderation" approach, and if you're one of them, you have my admiration, and more than a bit of envy. I spent over a year in a losing battle with the scale, seeing my old binge eating habits take over my life again trying to convince myself I could eat certain foods in moderation. Turns out, I was lying to myself. chocolate and sugary carbs are my kryptonite. Once I start eating them, I crave them constantly. As in, bags of chocolate hidden in my desk drawer, sneaking downstairs after my husband's gone to bed to get my fix, polishing off a doughnut AND a sticky bun AND god knows what else for "breakfast", and gobbling sugar the rest of the day. It's awful, and it's humiliating, and I've spent the last 14 weeks losing 25 pounds of regain, and I've got a bit more to lose. Now... do I eat pizza? Yes. Sometimes a healthier substitute (cauliflower crust, or on a low carb tortilla), sometimes the real honest to goodness thing. Can I have some, even too much, and then get right back on track the next day? Yes. So, pizza is something I can enjoy in moderation. Chocolate chip Cookies, not so much. For my "kryptonite" foods, I've found low-carb, sugar-free substitutes that I find enjoyable and satisfying, but that don't pull me down into a sugar spiral. The only reason I'm waving this flag of warning is the way you described how you feel about pizza. I'm not suggesting you avoid it forever, but I AM suggesting that you be brutally honest with yourself about how you (and your body) handle pizza, or any food you can't imagine living without. Some foods honestly and truly are worth giving up for what you really want - a body you can live happily in, and the energy to do what you want with it.

Yep, and most of us were obese as pre-ops because we failed to follow the "simple" guidelines of eat less / move more. And society judged us for failing to have a little self-discipline and lose the weight without surgery. Or, we went on a restrictive diet, became exercise fanatics, and lost a ton of weight, all the while committed to a permanent lifestyle change and then failed to "simply" stick with it and regained. Any of this sound familiar? How is it different to judge post-ops for failing to follow the plan? I just don't think assigning blame is useful in this discussion, regardless of which way the finger is pointing, even if you're pointing it at yourself.

I'll admit up front, if regain of 22 pounds is the failure line, then I'm a failure. Or, I should say, I was. I'm working to get it back off again, and am well below that line again. But I definitely slipped back into old habits, and found myself slipping rapidly down the frightening slope back to obesity. I don't find it useful to assign blame, either to the patient, or to the procedure, mostly because I think most of us were blamed for our obesity as pre-ops for a failure to "just stop" eating junk and get more exercise. Some of us struggle just as much to change what and how much we eat as post-ops (long-term). I think it matters less whose failure that is, and more that we figure out how better to support patients, before and after surgery, in making whatever changes are needed for the individual to sustain long-term weight loss. There's so much at play here - long-ingrained habits, emotional and psychological elements, hormonal and biochemical elements, physical limitations, societal expectations... it's complicated. I'm glad to see some honest reporting, though, on "failure" rates. For many (most?) of us, keeping those XX pounds off "forever" is going to require huge changes in many areas of our lives, not simply eating what we always have in smaller portions.

Have you experimented with different liquids and different temperatures? Many early post-ops find plain Water hard to get down, something with a little bit of crystal light, mio, or other flavoring, or even tea can help. Some people find the temperature makes a difference - some like it ice cold, others hot, others just warm. The hydration really is crucial. For anything else, thinner is better. broth, very thin Soup, etc. You may just have a particularly tight / swollen sleeve, that will get better. But even though it doesn't feel like you're straining, if what you consume is coming back up again, that may be keeping your sleeve irritated and swollen.

If by "frozen yogurt" you mean plain (unsweetened) yogurt (greek or otherwise), I'd think that would be doable. If by "frozen yogurt" you mean something that comes in a container in the frozen food section of your grocery store, I'd say it's unlikely you'll find an option that's not far too high in sugar to be a good choice. I've made my own "soft serve"-like concoction, using a small blender, almond milk, ice, and Protein powder. I don't usually use yogurt because it gives the whole thing a tangy-ness I don't care for, but it would thicken it up. That's not always a good thing when you're really early post-op, though. Thicker shakes can be harder to get through your tiny sleeve in the first weeks when you're still swollen and healing.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I think there is no "normal" under these circumstances - your life has been turned upside down a bit, and grief is an unpredictable process. Be as kind and gentle with yourself as you can in the weeks and months ahead. It looks like you're fairly new post-op on a revision surgery, is that right? And it sounds like you're having difficulty making your Protein goals, as opposed to being off-track and eating things you shouldn't. If that's right, my advice would be to focus first on hydration, as it's very important not to let yourself get dehydrated. Then, focus on getting in as much protein as you can. I know when I lost my mom, some days I was depressed and didn't want to eat at all, other times I wanted to turn to food for comfort. I think as long as you're focusing on good quality protein when you do eat, that's your best choice. If you don't feel like eating, sip on Protein shakes. If it helps, think of it as your medicine - you're giving your body what it needs to heal. Get some exercise in if you can, it really helps as a coping mechanism, just to get outside, and get some fresh air, and move a bit. Hang in there hon...

I don't know how many of you follow Dr. Sharma, but I find his viewpoints on obesity, nutrition, and healthy eating to be sensible and well-balanced. I thought I recalled a recent post by him on this issue on his site (DrSharma.ca - he's in Canada), and a quick search of his site brings it up in one of the first his, pointing out that the evidence in favor of reduced sodium intake is less than conclusive. He apparently spent the first 10 years of his research career studying the effects of salt on blood pressure, so it's a topic he follows. I think his post is worth a read. I'm very curious about the cancer link - I'll have to do more digging on that. I have a VERY strong family history of cancer on my mother's side, but never the same kind, so there are no particular risk trends, but I figure I'm bound to end up with cancer of some type eventually. The strong obesity-cancer link was a major convincing factor for me to proceed with surgery.

Count me in for the exercise as stress relief! My weekend hikes help so much with shaking off whatever's going on at work. You might also look into things like amino acids. I think especially for women as our bodies change as we get older, it's not uncommon to end up out of balance biochemically. I read Julia Ross' Diet Cure, and tried several things she recommended based on how I was feeling. I take HTP-5 and GABA, which have really mellowed out my moods - I'm just on a more even keel, don't end up with really disproportionate reactions to things emotionally, and L-Glutamine worked wonders for me, albeit briefly, with the sugar cravings. I was really skeptical, but the difference when I take them is quite noticeable. Might be worth a try if antidepressants seem like more than you need. Ross's book or Maria Emmerich's book Secrets to Controlling your Weight, Cravings and Moods are good places to start if you're interested in this approach.

If I'm honest with myself, I know that for me, maintenance is going to require hard work and discipline for the rest of my life. I'm extremely sensitive to sugar, and somewhat to other carbs. Early trials with "in moderation" eating led me right back into the old binge eating habits I thought I'd conquered, and I put back on more weight than I really like to admit out loud. Last year I started off back on track and made it six weeks before falling back into sugar habits, fought them all year and ended the year yet another 10 pounds heavier than I'd started it. This year I'm doing better, I've got half my regain off and am hoping to get back to my happy weight. I know that to achieve that FOR ME will require staying off sugar. I envy those of you who can handle it in moderation, but I've learned where that approach takes me - to a closet full of clothes I can't fit into. I think we all have to figure out what works for us, what our triggers and challenges are, and what will work. I also suspect many of us will need to continue to adjust along the way if we want to maintain. Life happens, motivation flags, injuries can sideline our fitness routines, and aging will change our metabolisms. It is what it is. I always liked Dr. Sharma's urging to live the healthiest life you can enjoy. It's a balance. Ricky, I hope you are successful in finding the new paths that will work for you.

I aim for 2 hours as well. The good news is, 8 weeks of FerroSequel (on top of my regular daily Iron supp) has brought my ferritin levels up from a quite-dismal 2 to a reaching-normal 14.

For the recipe, I should refer you to the source, so she gets the credit (and the site hits!) Just search Bing or Google for "just one" oatmeal cookie no flour and you'll find Linda Farnsworth's EatingWellLivingThin blog site. I usually triple her "just one" recipe, and add a bit more oatmeal (or sometimes some PB2 or pb Protein powder - otherwise the dough is a bit wet), chopped pecans and sugar free chocolate chips, and I usually use "whey Low Gold" (alternative brown sugar-like sweetener). With all the additions, I make 6-7 Cookies out of a "3 cookie" base recipe. With the additions I think they're every bit as good as a "real" chocolate chip cookie (if you like oatmeal in them). She has a "just one" Peanut Butter cookie recipe too.

Yes, it's very common. For some reason many of us have an easier time with Water if something's added to it. I like the Mio liquid flavors - just a little seems to make all the difference. Of course there are a million flavors of crystal light, too, or herbal teas. And, as other suggested, try water at different temperatures.

Yep, I'm sure it wasn't chicken pox. I know, shingles are unusual for children. Fortunately I don't remember it (I was 2 or 3 years old at the time), but apparently I had shingles, rubella, and impetigo all at the same time! At least, that was the diagnosis.

Yes, for the most part I'm fine with artificial sweeteners, fortunately. I still have a sweet tooth, but as long as I'm sticking to artificial sweeteners, I seem to be able to enjoy things in moderation. I have a small-batch no-flour cookie recipe that makes about 6-8 Cookies, depending on add-ins, about 120 calories each, and I can make a batch and have it last 3 weeks or longer. Finding satisfying substitutes has been a key strategy for me to staying on track.

Is it an annual vaccine? I'm only in my mid-40's, but had shingles as a child, and I wonder if that doesn't make me more prone to it as I get older.

I recommitted right before Christmas and have managed to stay on track since then with a whole bag-load of strategies. Every day requires focus and commitment, but the first week was the hardest! I'm off sugar, have been for over 10 weeks now, and plan to stay that way. Somewhere a corner of my brain isn't 100% on board with that though, I was cleaning out the pantry over the weekend and came across some of my favorite chocolate and couldn't bring myself to throw it out. Hmm..... At least I managed to put it back in the very back of the pantry. Sigh... I do have to watch carbs, but it's sugar that will put me right back into bingeing, night-time sneak eating, hiding-food mode. Scary how easily I slipped back into those hold habits, and how hard it was to drag myself out of them! Don't get me started on Cereal - my husband still eats it, and I was looking for his brand this weekend, but it appears to have been dropped by the local stores in favor of newer offerings. Would you believe Kellogg has signed a co-branding agreement with Rocky Mtn Chocolate, and there's now a Rocky Mountain Chocolate chunks cereal? It was right next to the S'mores cereal. Seriously!?!?!

Having lost over 50 pounds pre-op, you're going to lose at a slower rate post-op. Also, if you're eating too much sugar or carby foods, be aware that your body retains more Water if your carb intake is higher - it needs the extra hydration to be able to digest those foods, which is why you see a big drop when you start low-carbing - your body's dropping that extra water weight. Is your surgeon satisfied with your progress? Are you following his/her plan? As far as getting back on track goes, I can sympathize, I've been there myself. There's no magic wand, you just have to mentally commit to a few days of struggle, and go back to basics - mostly Protein, and some veggies. Focus on dense protein (chicken or other solid meats, not yogurt and cottage cheese) - they'll fill you up faster and keep you full longer. Avoid Protein Bars, especially while you get back on track. You can do this!

I generally don't worry about liquids before meals. After meals I wait at least 45 minutes. Sugarless gum or a mint help if my mouth is really dry before time's up.