shewolf143

Hi,
I had a gastric sleeve done in 2013. I lost 110 lbs and was at goal. Then my mom passed unexpectedly in 2014. I gained 75 lbs back. I have struggled trying to lose it. I have tried Noom and Keto and low carb...failed all. I'm contemplating a revision or a lap band. Any insights out there?

@@shewolf143
I'm sorry for your loss. You may want to consider counseling for stress and emotions. Put yourself first. Don't let things get out of control and derail all your hard work.
Here is a link to the 5 day pouch test.
http://5daypouchtest.com/plan/days1_2.html
I wish you the best,
Jenn

I am struggling big time & need some suggestions & help! I had my surgery in 2013 & lost 110 lbs. Then, my mom passed away a year after my surgery (2014) & it has been down hill since. I have had some major stress in the last 2 years. I gained 35 lbs & no matter what I do, I can't seem to take it off. I have gone back to the basics but it isn't working anymore. I was writing every single thing down & was walking & still not losing. I know I have stretched my stomach pouch out as I can eat a lot more than I used to. I have even resorted to trying over the counter diet pills that I KNOW don't work. I am working a lot of hours right now so exercise is difficult plus the fact that I HATE exercise. I hate even walking. I have no energy at all. I even went to my Dr & had bloodwork done to see if something was wrong but everything came back normal. I am so frustrated & I am struggling not to gain more than I have but I am so tired of struggling. Is there anyone out there that has gone through this & if so, were you able to get past it? I don't want to be one of these people that had the surgery & then gained it all back :-( I was 165 & now I am hovering between 195-200. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am struggling big time & need some suggestions & help! I had my surgery in 2013 & lost 110 lbs. Then, my mom passed away a year after my surgery (2014) & it has been down hill since. I have had some major stress in the last 2 years. I gained 35 lbs & no matter what I do, I can't seem to take it off. I have gone back to the basics but it isn't working anymore. I was writing every single thing down & was walking & still not losing. I know I have stretched my stomach pouch out as I can eat a lot more than I used to. I have even resorted to trying over the counter diet pills that I KNOW don't work. I am working a lot of hours right now so exercise is difficult plus the fact that I HATE exercise. I hate even walking. I have no energy at all. I even went to my Dr & had bloodwork done to see if something was wrong but everything came back normal. I am so frustrated & I am struggling not to gain more than I have but I am so tired of struggling. Is there anyone out there that has gone through this & if so, were you able to get past it? I don't want to be one of these people that had the surgery & then gained it all back :-( I was 165 & now I am hovering between 195-200. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone for your support & suggestions. I have been back on track for 5 days now & I think the sugar cravings are about gone. I swear it felt like withdrawal...not that I know what that feels like, lol. I plan on seeing Fat Sick & Nearly Dead if I can find it at the library. I made an appointment with my old therapist for the 25th of this month. I fessed up to my partner about going to the store almost every day & getting junk to eat & then hiding the wrappers in the trunk of my car. It went well. We had a long talk. I went to my bariatric support group meeting Thursday night & that helped a lot too. One woman there is having the surgery next month & she weighs over 400 lbs. I looked at her & thought to myself, "If you keep going the way you are, you will end up back to where you were & you do NOT want that" I think once I get a few things off my chest in therapy, I will feel better. I did go for 1 20 min walk, used my punching bag one day & have used my pedal cycle twice for 30 min each time. I am trying to work up to either going to the gym or going back to Zumba. I HATE exercise so it is hard. I know all of you can relate in some way or another. Once again, thank you!

Thank you for your suggestions & I think going back to the way I ate at the very beginning is a very good idea. I am going to try that. I know I can eat a lot more now than I could then so I must have stretched my stomach out some. I just have to care again-right now I feel like I don't care but I know I do. Thanks again!

I am 1 yr and 7 months post-op. I was within 15 lbs of goal weight when life threw me a curve ball. I lost my job in January 2014, found another one within 6 wks. Then, my mother passed away unexpectedly in May, on Mothers Day. I didn't care for my job so I started another new one in June. I have been struggling since. I work from home & can't seem to find my prior motivation. I have gained 15 lbs & I am scared to death! I keep eating all the wrongs things & I am resorting to my previous binge eating. HELP!!! Any suggestions?

Thank you for sharing your stories, lending support & giving advice. I so appreciate it as I feel so alone. I stuck to it for 3 days & then went off of it again so finally I told myself to wait until Nov. 3. The project I was working on for my old employer would be done & I would have a lot more free time. Starting Monday, I will be back on it 100%, no excuses. We have a cruise coming up in Dec. & I want to at least lose what I have gained. I will now have time to exercise & focus on eating right. I don't like the way I feel right now: sluggish, yucky & depressed. I can do this & I will do this!
auntiemel-you are right-my mom would want me to excel at this & she is in a better place-a place where she is no longer in pain from her arthritis.
mbrinmn-I saw food Inc & Fork Over Knives & it really is an eye opener. Will look for the other one you suggested.
Eclectick-thank you for sharing your story-I am so sorry for your losses.
Inner Surf Girl-I have considered grief counseling as I am angry that my mom gave up so easily...still considering it.
thesuse2000-I think that is what I am going to do...as I mentioned...trying to do it while I had so much going on was just too much.
Thanks again everyone.

Thank you for sharing your stories, lending support & giving advice. I so appreciate it as I feel so alone. I stuck to it for 3 days & then went off of it again so finally I told myself to wait until Nov. 3. The project I was working on for my old employer would be done & I would have a lot more free time. Starting Monday, I will be back on it 100%, no excuses. We have a cruise coming up in Dec. & I want to at least lose what I have gained. I will now have time to exercise & focus on eating right. I don't like the way I feel right now: sluggish, yucky & depressed. I can do this & I will do this!
auntiemel-you are right-my mom would want me to excel at this & she is in a better place-a place where she is no longer in pain from her arthritis.
mbrinmn-I saw food Inc & Fork Over Knives & it really is an eye opener. Will look for the other one you suggested.
Eclectick-thank you for sharing your story-I am so sorry for your losses.
Inner Surf Girl-I have considered grief counseling as I am angry that my mom gave up so easily...still considering it.
thesuse2000-I think that is what I am going to do...as I mentioned...trying to do it while I had so much going on was just too much.
Thanks again everyone.

Thank you for your suggestions & I think going back to the way I ate at the very beginning is a very good idea. I am going to try that. I know I can eat a lot more now than I could then so I must have stretched my stomach out some. I just have to care again-right now I feel like I don't care but I know I do. Thanks again!

You've lost a lot of weight in a very short time. Your body needs time to catch up. It will come off so please be patient.

I was concerned I wasn't eating enough although I have lost weight every single week since the surgery Sept. 12, 2012. I met with my Dr last week & told him I eat about 900 calories & was that enough. He said to keep doing what I am doing as it is working. I have 22 lbs to go to get to my goal & he said the last 20 are hard. My NUT recommended that I get about 1000-1100 calories on days that I exercise & then 800-900 on the other days. I eat both reduced fat cheese & regular, stay away from anything white (rice, bread, Pasta, sugar). I feel awesome!!!!! Keep up the good work everyone & we WILL get there!

You are doing the right thing. Mine happened fairly quickly also but I was glad. I am very pleased with my results so far. I feel like I finally have a handle on my binge eating disorder for the 1st time. I just got back from a cruise & actually lost 4 lbs! I feel better mentally, emotionally & physically. It was the best choice I have ever made in my entire life! I wasn't scared or worried at all about the surgery. You will have this feeling too.

You are doing the right thing. Mine happened fairly quickly also but I was glad. I am very pleased with my results so far. I feel like I finally have a handle on my binge eating disorder for the 1st time. I just got back from a cruise & actually lost 4 lbs! I feel better mentally, emotionally & physically. It was the best choice I have ever made in my entire life! I wasn't scared or worried at all about the surgery. You will have this feeling too.

You are doing the right thing. Mine happened fairly quickly also but I was glad. I am very pleased with my results so far. I feel like I finally have a handle on my binge eating disorder for the 1st time. I just got back from a cruise & actually lost 4 lbs! I feel better mentally, emotionally & physically. It was the best choice I have ever made in my entire life! I wasn't scared or worried at all about the surgery. You will have this feeling too.

Ft Myers, FL

scorpion-NSV-duh-I should have figured that one out, lol. I was doing Zumba 2-3 times a week & then I twisted my knee, which was already bad so beginning of March, I joined a gym & I go 3 times a week. I usually do 30 min of cardio (bike, treadmill) & 30-45 min of weights. I know muscle weighs more than fat & I meant to take my measurements before the surgery but didn't so I haven't been able to monitor inches lost. Even before I joined the gym, my weight loss has been sort of slow. I eat between 700-1000 calories a day but usually average around 850-900. Once a month I allow myself something I normally wouldn't have like fried clam strips or fried shrimp. Otherwise, I stay away from any kind of bread, Pasta, rice & sweets. I weigh once a month & I have lost every time but it seems slow compared to others in my weight range. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic that it is coming off but I am so ready to be at goal weight & it seems like it is taking forever. Thanks for listening.

This is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I am down 68 lbs...not sure why it is so slow as I have not "cheated" at all & I exercise but, hey, it is still better than nothing. I am 7 lbs away from onederland! I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. What blows me away is I have absolutely NO cravings & I am NEVER hungry. I have to force myself to eat-nothing tastes awesome to me so I eat what I need to get my Protein in. Ummm....not to sound stupid but what is NSV? Anyone have any ideas how to speed up the weight loss? Good luck & congrats to all of you!

I am 18 lbs from onederland. My weight loss seems to have slowed as I have only lost 3.2 lbs in 3 1/2 weeks. I am 5 months post-op. Any suggestions on what I can do? I am doing Zumba twice a week for 45 min. & Fit Club once a week for 45 min & then I use my exercise bike at home for 30 min twice a week. I am still eating 70 g or more of Protein & less than 40 g of carbs & 64 oz or more of Water per day. Any tips or hints would be appreciated!

Thank you for your kind words. I feel better about it now. I was really angry with myself but you are right, it should come off fairly easily. I have been back on track since I got home Sunday. CBT-there is no way I ate 3500 calories or more in a day. I know that for a fact as I can only eat about a cup of food. The worse thing I ate was 1/2 of a small piece of tirimisu at dinner one night. I was very proud of myself as far as my food choices went & really thought with taking the stairs instead of the elevator & the physical aspect of the ziplining excursion, that I would be ok. I'm not going to worry about it anymore. What is done is done. I just wish the mandatory overtime at work would stop as it is interfering with my exercising. Looking forward to hopefully making goald weight by the end of 2013!!! Good luck & Happy New Year to you all!

Hi, my name is Lauri and this is my first day on this board and I am still trying to figure everything out. I am just a little over 3 weeks post-op and doing fairly well other than I still get nauseated every time after I eat. It kind of takes the joy out of eating altogether, but I guess that can be a positive thing too since it will keep me from eating too much and too often. I started my research back in July after we got a windfall of money and I started looking for a surgeon that I could afford. I was lucky enough to find Ready 4 a Change and talked to alma there. She is a wonderful lady and my first of many great experiences with their company. I originally was looking at having a gastric bypass and they said that a gastric sleeve might be a better option. Hey, it was less money and less invasive so I was all for it!! I have been morbidly obese my entire life and even though I was attending Weight Watchers (and still am) I felt this was the chance of a lifetime to help me finally lose weight and get down to a more normal size and feel what it is like to be a more normal person. I still don't plan on being a runway model or anything like that, but if I get down to around 180, I will be a happy camper! I was disgusted with myself after reaching an all-time high earlier the year before of 422. I never imagined being over 400 pounds and trying to find clothes was becoming a real chore. This was heart-breaking to me because I am a real clothes horse.
I had done some yo-yo'ing weightwise, and had gained weight back after taking a break from WW, but when I made a committed effort to start back, I was at 390 pounds. This is the weight I started at when I started working with Ready 4 a Change. I set things up and we set a surgery date for October 4, 2012. Because of my high BMI, Alma suggested I do the pre-op diet for 3 weeks prior to surgery. This consisted of 2 Protein shakes a day and a salad for dinner with some kind of Protein on it. I managed to lose 13.2 pounds prior to going to Tijuana. I took this as a good sign and was proud of my progress. I was at 376.8 pounds going into surgery.
We had nightmare after nightmare getting ready for the trip. We had problems getting our passports and had to drive to Seattle from Portland the week before we left to get them and then they lost them. We had flight delays and problems with my mom's power wheelchair, but we made it to Tijuana! Everything seemed to be golden once we were there. The staff at Ready 4 A Change was so accommodating and helpful, I can't begin to say enough about them. Samuel, the driver from San Diego to Tijuana is a real sweetheart as well as his father, Samuel. Melissa or Meli, the coordinator along with Rosie was there to answer questions and get us settled into the hotel. The Tijuana Mariott is beautiful! They made sure we were set up for pick-up the next morning at 6:45am.
Surgery date arrived and I was excited! The staff and doctors went over the whole procedure with me and told my mom and myself what would be happening every step of the way. They made sure my mom was taken care of and had food to eat and a bed in my room to sleep in for the 2 nights I was in the hospital. Surgery was quick and easy and I was back in my room in no time flat. I was sleepy, but they reminded me that I needed to be up walking 20 minutes every 2 hours to dispel the gas that was used to fill the abdomen for surgery. I was a stubborn patient--I wanted to sleep, not walk! I begrudgingly did it as little as possible and I paid the price for it by being in more pain. It was nice to have my mom by my side to baby me and take care of little things when I didn't feel like calling a nurse. The staff was wonderful, although the language barrier got in the way from time to time. The doctors spoke pretty good English, but the nurses didn't speak as much. At the end of the day though, we figured it out. My biggest complaint came the morning after surgery when they wanted me to get up and take a shower. I was so weak and didn't know if I could make it, but I did and then they came in and changed my bandages. We repeated this again day 2. Dr. Garcia came in to see me and said that I had done very well with my pre-surgery diet and had the liver of a much smaller person. This made his job much easier. He said my surgery went well and I was free to go back to the hotel for another 2 nights.
We made friends with some of the other patients and arranged to go shopping and tour Tijuana. Things kind of fell apart, but my mom and I took a 3 hour taxi tour of Tijuana and went shopping on Revalution Street and brought home some souveniers. I ate some chicken broth finally and drank some Water and ate a popscicle. Eating was, and still is, a chore. Since surgery, I've gone back to Weight Watchers and the first week back I actually gained weight! I was up 2 pounds, but we figured it was all the fluids and everything they gave me in the hospital. The second week back, I was down 18.4 pounds and last week I was down 3.8 pounds. Altogether, I've lost 20.2 since surgery, but overall I am down over 40 pounds and it feels great! I am hoping for a little more loss this week and I'm going to try to start exercising more. Other than my discomfort with eating, I am thrilled with my surgery. My doctor in Mexico thought I could lose 100 pounds in 3 months, but I am thinking more like 60-75 pounds. I am just going to follow the diet and let my body do what it feels is right. As long as I'm not gaining, I will be happy. Thank you for reading my story and I look forward to being a member here.

Fat Free refried Beans mixed with 1/8 of a cup of shredded parmesan cheese is really good. Lentil Soup pureed in a blender is also good. Finely chopped egg salad mixed with light mayo & the same with canned chicken-make chicken salad. Those things got me through!!! Good luck!

Fat Free refried Beans mixed with 1/8 of a cup of shredded parmesan cheese is really good. Lentil Soup pureed in a blender is also good. Finely chopped egg salad mixed with light mayo & the same with canned chicken-make chicken salad. Those things got me through!!! Good luck!

Bryan,
Why are you having this surgery? (This is a question most WLS therapists ask you.)
Seriously. Think about the reasons WHY you are having this surgery. (No need to tell me, I just want YOU to think this over.). Make a written list. Keep looking at it. That list needs to be your motivation and your lifeline. You need to stop focusing on what you 'can't' have and start focusing on your new life.
For example, at 400 pounds i'm guessing you'll need a seatbelt extension? Or two seats? Just think: flying home will be the LAST time you fly that won't fit in one seat easily! YAH!!! Find something that really motivates you and have that be your mantra. It's just not worth losing your dreams for a bite of Peanut Butter.
And as a side note: I'm in the same mindset as ButterTheBean: I now stay away from certain foods. Why should I start eating the crap again that got me here in the first place? Now I finally understand those restaurants that serve small portions of high quality food. Tastes SO much better than an xrta large plate of high carb/fat foods. IMO.
Hang in there, Bryan. I'm hoping that you will be one of those who in a few months from now can talk someone else through this.
And before anyone blasts me for being a 'hardass' on here, READ Bryan's other posts. He is asking for help.
Peace,
Judy

Bryan-remember, to be successful, you can't go back to eating the way you did pre-surgery so having a spoonful of Peanut Butter every now then-is NOT a good idea. Ok, so you have the surgery & you think, well a spoonful of this won't hurt me or a spoonful of that won't hurt & before you know it, it isn't a spoonful anymore & you are back to 400+ lbs! I have seen friends do this & it is a shame. I am almost 5 weeks post-op & I finally feel for the 1st time in my life that I have control over food, not the other way around. I will NOT go back to my old eating habits. The reason for the pre-op is to shrink your liver so that they can get to your stomach. If they don't have enough room, they will have to do the surgery open, which means alot longer healing time. Stay away from the nicotine gum too! Best of luck Bryan!!!