heynowkc

Hi Bebette,

Hope your surgery went well. I also had the sleeve (mine about 4.5 years ago) and I'll be getting the DS soon. Hope you're recovery is speedy and you're not in too much pain!

On 5/13/2019 at 10:32 AM, BabettesFeast said:

Hi everyone - Trying to resurrect this old thread! I had my sleeve done in 2010 and same surgeon will be doing my DS on June 14! I live in Boston and my surgeon is Dr. Sheila Partridge at Mass General/Newton-Welleseley Hospital. She's just terrific. She'll be using a robot - I'm super excited!

So I'm 2 years out from gastric sleeve surgery. Last year I started eating carbs again and got way off track. I posted about this back at the end of December and I'm still trying to work the kinks out, since I have been on-and-off doing well with getting back into the healthy lifestyle that I LIVED BY before reintroducing carbs. I know that I can do it I've just been having trouble keeping myself from falling back into old habits.

I've recently noticed that I almost always get sick when I drink/eat anything dairy-based AND sweetened. Whether the sweetener is artificial (no sugar added hot chocolate or Protein shakes) or real (like one serving of ice cream on a cheat day). I get the sweats, that feeling of shakiness or general unease, and finally unignorable nausea until I just have to just run to the bathroom and give up.

This is not something I've ALWAYS suffered from. Especially with the Protein Shakes since I drank them regularly for at least the first six moths or so. I think this happens more often with powdered protein mixes than it does with the pre-made Premier Protein shakes though, for whatever that's worth. I keep telling myself it may because I just drink it too fast, but I am not so sure anymore.

I have almost a full case of premiere protein (which I think I'll TRY keep and just drink verrrry slowly) and a brand new container of EAS Lean 15 Protein Powder. Not sure I'll ever be able to finish that if every time I make a shake I get sick.

At this point, I'm just ready to give up on protein supplements period. I am trying to maintain a high fat/protein and low carb diet (basically Keto, but modified for WLS and my protein requirements) so I definitely feel like I get enough protein anyway without the supplements. I don't know.

I'm really just writing this because I'm curious if anyone else has experienced the same thing.

@@sbg224 I am just now seeing your post. How are you doing? I find following the HFLC (high fat low carb, or keto) diet is helpful. It helps with the hunger and it helps with staying away from the carbs. The thing is that I babysit part time (I have a full time job, but do this one the side.) and being with kids several evenings a week is so hard! Kids mean lots of snack food means lots of carbs and junk food! So hard to say no but I've been managing! I have been steadily losing but it has been slow going the busier I get. The busier I get, the less time I can focus on exercise and eating right. But I've still been losing and not gaining so that is a plus!

Hope your journey is finding it's way back on track!

Quick update from me. The holidays set me back again, but I'm back on track. Hoping to have some more to say soon, Just really busy!

@@myrizzy good for you!!

The holidays were tough. Especially being at my mom's for 8 days. Not proud of how I ate. I gained about 3 lbs. Not as bad as I feared. Now I am right back to it starting with Protein, veggies and water!

@@jintycb yay I'm so glad to inspire! The holidays are when we need the most inspiration of all!

I've heard people put in $1 in a jar for every lb lost... at the end of a year they treated them self to a message...or something. If they gained they took it out and put it in another jar till they lost it again and put it back.

Anyway.... it's a thought.

Love this! I should start this with my reboot. Haven't weighed in few days. The steroids were catching up with me but I finished them yesterday. Hopefully any Water retention will subside before I weigh in tomorrow. I try to weigh in every Weds at the very least when I am in the habit of weighing. We shall see!

@@khalid151 Incredible! Congrats!

@@Renkoss I have no experience with blood sugar issues or insulin so I was unaware that it effects weight loss. Sorry that you're having to deal with that! It's really easy to let this get you down, but you have keep doing what you know will get you to your goal in the end. Trust me, I have been talking myself into making all the wrong decisions ALL YEAR LONG. I am a pro at letting my excuses get in the way of my goals. I know you can do it! YOU HAVE to be able to do it because I HAVE to be able to do it! We are in this together!

@@LisaLouBop Thank you so much! I can't mourn this past year. I look how far I've come and it feels really easy to be upset that I've wasted even more time. And as true as my regrets are, I have to move forward. Onward and upward. (Or, y'know... downward.)

Just getting back on track after a year of not losing. I'm in the middle of a dramatic re-boot. (14.4 lbs lost in 8 days! Woo!) I'm about 2 years out. My anniversary is on Dec 17th! Here are some before/during shots!

HW: 491

CW: 264.1

Some before and "during" photos!

Left is about 2 weeks ago, mid-Nov 2016. Right is late Oct 2014, about 483 in that pic. Almost 10 lbs down from highest weight!

Just some face comparisons.

Some before and "during" photos!

Left is about 2 weeks ago, mid-Nov 2016. Right is late Oct 2014, about 483 in that pic. Almost 10 lbs down from highest weight!

Just some face comparisons.

@@Sai Thank you Sai!

@@heynowkc

Thanks so much for sharing your story. Carbs are nasty little buggers and everytime i fall off and let them back into my life, I gain.

Your story is inspiring and educational. I am so glad you have been able to get back on the plan.

I have read that the tool is always there and it is nice to know that it is from your experience.

Over the last 10 months I have worried that I was blowing it. In those moments when I was being honest with myself, I truly worried. I think I could tell that it was still there, was still "functioning" (though not "working" in a sense! hah!) But it's nice to see proof of that!

@@heynowkc

Thank you for your awesome, honest and informative posts!

I agree that today's social media steals so much time .... far too much. Hence I eased off FB a lot, otherwise 2-3 hours are easily lost and gone....

Glad you are back on track, and losing again.

Carbs and sugar are evil, yet so addictive. Yes, it is a life-long journey ....

One step at a time, one day at a time, one mouthful or Not at a time .....

Congratulations!

Please keep us posted.

I really do feel easing off social media will give me hours of time in my week for meal-planning, meal-prepping, and exercising. I'm hoping so anyway! I think what I'll do is give myself a limit. Like a certain time of day and span of time (30 minutes? 15?) when I can check my account, and after that, too bad, wait until tomorrow! Life is too short!

After a couple of years are you able to eat regularly again? Like full meals like before?

No, certainly not. Depending on the density/consistency of what I'm eating I'd say my max is 1.5 cups but typical "satisfied" fullness occurs way closer to 1 cup, sometimes a bit under that depending. If I'm eating carbs and slider foods that is wildly different for sure. But veggies/meat or even fruits? Definitely still baby plates!

Everyone's already said everything possible to combat the (sorry!) craziness of your dad's e-mail/math skills.

I just want to respond to one thing he's said:

This surgery is the best decision I've ever made in my entire life. I'm sure MOST people who have had the surgery will agree! Don't let him scare you. This is life-changing in the most positive of ways!

Oh! And I'm down 2.4 more pounds today. INSANE. 14.4 lbs lost in 8 days 2 years after surgery. Anniversary is coming up on the 17th!

Your post has so inspired me. Im two years out and i have fallen to the carb monster. Im with you. We got this.

Yeah! Good luck! We can do it!

Wow... this is one of the best post I have read in any discussion forum. Very honest, open, educational, and inspirational.

... I love meat, and veggies. But carbs are easy and everywhere.

Wow, Jim! Thank you for that complement! I just kind of unloaded! Glad it inspired! Also that. Carbs are EASY and EVERYWHERE! Well put. I mean, they're also way cheap too. So unfair. (Now I'm just going to pout!)

Oh, and I was 2 years out last August I find myself doing the EXACT same stuff you've been doing! What's with that? Something about year 2/3 I always see in these forums. Must just be boredom/complacency? Someone once called it "Behavior Fatigue". I just have to find ways to keep my eye on the prize and stay motivated! We must always remain vigilant!

I am sure that the people that get "behavior fatigue" far outnumber the people that don't. More power to them! The rest of us need a little extra push, I think. I think I personally needed a LOT of extra pushes! But I am nothing if not stubborn!

I have eaten less than 20 grams of carbs per day since March, and even once I get to my goal, I will probably always have to keep them low. I am a carb addict. I may not be able to completely eradicate them from my life like an alcoholic does booze, but I will likely always have to keep them low. Maybe not below 20 low, but probably below 50 or 60 low when maintenance comes around.

I eat too much dairy to get that low I think. Haha. Om nom dairy! If I absolutely had to, I could definitely do it, but yeah I am right there with you. Even once I get to goal, I will ALWAYS have to keep the carbs down if I want continued success. This year has proven that to me.

It does give me pause to how life will be post Sleeve and ironically is a bit depressing. I had the fantasy that I simply would not want food (like I did the first few weeks I was on Byetta that one time). I had such a deep sense of relaxation, being freed from the ADDICTION of carbs. I see it will be a bit more work.

Anna, don't get TOO depressed. Yes it is work. But it's much easier for us than other people. Everything that I did wrong this year I did because of things in my head. My stomach was trying to think FOR me, but my head wouldn't let it. Can you imagine? Keep working and you won't have to worry at all!

I'm 9 months out. I've already started sneaking in a bite of this or that (mostly a bite of a cherry pie, those little ones frosted) at least once a week...for a reward. Haven't gained yet but, have been having a month long stall.

Tinanne, thanks for commenting. Don't beat yourself up TOO much. Everyone deserves a bite of frosted cherry pie now and then. If you're keeping on plan otherwise, it should NOT be a deal breaker. Your stall may have nothing to do with that. If it breaks soon, I think it's probably just part of the natural ebb and flow that happens to our bodies after WLS. If your carb indulges increase, and your stall lasts longer than a typical stall does -- a couple months at most?, then I'd say you need to make a change or two. That's what I did wrong. I just told myself I wasn't in control. It was just a REALLYLONGSTALL and had nothingwhatsoever to do with my increasingly poor eating habits. Hahaha. That car didn't stall! That car drove itself over a cliff bar and straight into mashed potato heaven! I have learned now that I can no longer delude myself like that. It's all about balance. Be honest with yourself and you'll do just fine!

I'm trying to get back on track. When I was going through my process carbs were not even talked about all they said is healthier foods and even suggested foods that had carbs. I have been steered wrong? Ugh....so since I'm on this awesome forum I decided to try low carb IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE!! They're everywhere I need a complete broken down list of okay foods. What's left to eat?! I'm hanrgy....lol

I know the oft-repeated word on these forums is that every surgeon and dietician has different rules/philosophies and that you should follow what your doctor has said. But I'm also all about a second opinion. It may be worth it to talk to a different dietician/nurse or even a hotline that your insurance company may have. I only I know what works for me and carbs ARE NOT IT.

Here are a few things that are on the no-no list from my dietician:

grains (rice, corn, wheat, oats, even quinoa which is not technically a grain) and all grain-products (any grain-based flour, corn chips, bread, Pasta, pastry)

anything with more than 9g of sugar per serving (yogurt is a big culprit, read those labels!) including honey/syrup

dried fruit, peanuts, cashews (all other nuts are fine, I was told these are too carby!)

white potatoes, sweet potatoes

Beans of any kind including lima Beans and peas (not including green beans/sugar snap peas)

One I got a little farther out, she said I could have the occasional:

steel cut oats, black beans, quinoa, sweet potato, wonton wrappers (up to 2 at a time, which i used to make toasted tuna melt-type lunches)

I was told that fatty foods are fine and you only really want to start cutting those out if you have trouble getting close to goal/maintenance. For example she told me mayo is better than ketchup as a condiment (Duke's mayo has NO SUGAR and is one of the only ones on the shelf that has no sugar, if not THE ONLY one.) She told me to buy the tuna packaged in oil instead of Water. Eat full-fat cheeses, enjoy a slice or two of bacon, etc.

If you're looking for a more thorough list, I would DEFINITELY recommend checking out the list of allowable and prohibited foods on the 21-day sugar detox by Diane Sanfilippo. At certain levels she allows dairy. That's the level you want to look at. I ignore the whole "organic, pasture raised, antibiotic free, whatever whatever" guidelines simply because I cannot afford that! She also doesn't allow for sweeteners or Protein supplements which I also ignore. Other than those little quirks, it's similar to what a post-bariatric diet would often consist of. Only it's not 21 days for us. It's kind of forever!

Also! Thanks to both @ & @@mi75 for the encouragement!

Okay so my first year was phenomenal! I did so good! And this past year? Well... not so much. My loss slowed around the end of last year and continued to be slow/creeping for the first couple of months. Chalk it up to holidays, the stress after a move, poor planning, it wasn't a great time. And I should have followed that up with renewed vigor, but instead I re-introduced two things into my life that has made this year, frankly?, a complete waste!

1. Carbs! I started re-introducing them back in February. Just a little at first. But what was an occasional thing turned into an every day thing, turned into an (almost) every meal thing, turned into an (almost) every meal/every snack thing. It's a slippery slope. And the worst part about this is that I don't even enjoy them that much! They're just convenient and EVERYWHERE.

2. Snacking. Before I was mostly doing the strict 5-6 meals/snacks per day. It would occasionally deviate, but for the most part, that was my mainstay. After introducing carbs, the desire to snack became so much stronger. The more carbs I ate, the more I snacked, the more I snacked, the more I ate carbs. It was just a gross gigantic avalanche of snacking/carbing.

3. Facebook! Can I blame the fact that I re-introduced Facebook on this? I recently read (a real article, though I can't remember the name of the publication at the moment! I THINK it was NYT.) that surveys suggest that Facebook takes up more of our time than exercising, reading, and socializing per day COMBINED. COMBINED. That's... INSANE. To know that I've wasted good quality exercising (and reading!) time on Facebook (which I don't even really LIKE, which is why I avoided it for SO LONG.) is mind boggling to me. I haven't deleted the app from my phone yet, but I'm doing it tonight! I'll keep messenger because for some reason people prefer that to texting these days. STILL. This is unacceptable in my world view. How did I allow this to happen?

I have not technically gained weight this year because I looked back and I'm around the same I was this time last year. So that's... something? But with gains and losses, I did gain back about 25 lbs. You could say ALMOST 30, but the only reason I ever dipped that low was because I had mycoplasma pneumonia (the one with gastrointestinal symptoms) for 2 weeks in the middle of the year. Apart from that one week period where I had lost weight because of Illness, I'd been hovering at about 255 for a pretty long time this year. Then, when I stepped on the scale one week ago I was shocked to discover that I was weighing in at 278.5. 23 and half pounds higher than my (non-pnuemonia-induced) lowest weight!

The little progress that I did make this year, just kept being erased by my poor choices! I hadn't stepped on a scale since I'd been sick. I was in deep denial!

I immediately joined a dietbet (which I'm going to lose because I'm losing too quickly!) and started eating right again. No carbs, veggies, Protein (at least 70/day), getting in my fluids, only eating 5/6 times/day. I began losing weight so rapidly that I couldn't believe it. Still can't. That was Dec 1st. When I weighed myself this morning. I'd already lost 12 lbs! This is TWO YEARS out from surgery. I haven't had ANY TIME this week to exercise (though I do babysit after work so I usually get all my steps in.) This tool still works! It still does EXACTLY what it's designed to do! And the REALLY remarkable part of this? Half way into this week, my dentist had to prescribe me an antibiotic AND a steroid. A steroid! Yet I still managed to lose 12 lbs. I feel like I JUST had surgery. These are astonishing numbers even if it's mostly Water weight. Even if I'd just lost 6/5 lbs this week I would have been astounded. 12 is beyond anything I ever expected.

Some things I've noticed this week:

1. I still don't miss carbs (much!)

It's hard to step away. But honestly? I just feel so dissatisfied with what I'm eating when I'm eating carbs. I've always been more of a meat and veggie girl. Carbs are just so abundant, so easily accessible and convenient, and so weirdly addictive even if you don't really love them, that it's just a habit I fall into that is almost exclusively environmental. I just need to REMEMBER that I control my own "food environment" if I make the time to plan!

2. I have to remember to take my Vitamins.

I still have them, I just have lapsed in taking them. Now that I really need them again, it's more important to remember!

3. I am going to the bathroom very infrequently, much like I did the first year post-surgery.

4. My capacity really is not as high as I feared.

When you nibble, stretch out your meals into long social affairs, snack frequently, eat slider foods, it can really be a bit of a mind trick. You start to believe that you can still eat like you used to. But you can't, you're just adapting what you CAN do, to what you WANT to do. If you want to eat more, you'll make it happen. You have to MAKE YOURSELF use your tool the way it was intended.

If I eat good quality veggies and protein, eat from start to finish (no stopping to chat OR BROWSE FACEBOOK for ten minutes in between bites!), I can still only eat ABOUT a solid cup of food before I'm comfortably full. Might take a few extra bites to make me UNCOMFORTABLY full depending on what the food is. I made a double-batch of Skinnytaste's Stuffed Pepper Soup (without rice) last week. Which is not very brothy and more like a stew. Yesterday I had a cup of that for lunch. (my ladle measures exactly one cup). By the time I finished the cup, I was UNCOMFORTABLY full. I actually should have stopped a few bites before I finished. Because it was stew-like, it was way more dense. For dinner today I had about 2 ounces of roasted chicken breast (which doesn't equal a half cup if you cut it up in chunks), about a half a cup of sauteed brussels sprouts, and a little less than a tablespoon full of homemade pimento cheese melted over the top. I was perfectly full by the time I was done. Not too full. Not still hungry. Just right.

5. I'm worried this will not last. I don't mean I'm worried I will fail again. I'm sure I will and I have a plan for that. (Get back on that horse, not 10 months later, but two minutes later!, etc.) I'm worried that I'll somehow do the same thing I did this week and for some reason I won't lose. I think I told myself for a long time this year that it wasn't ME and MY CHOICES that were causing me not to lose. It was something else. So I just have to remember that I am in control and I think these worries will go away. I'm really excited to get back to the gym too. Babysteps!

I'm so thrilled at this NEW START. I wonder if anyone else is in the same boat I am, or is in the same boat I was a week ago? Has anyone had long-term success with a re-start? After a period of not losing or a period of slight re-gain? What are you doing? What's working? What's not? How did you "re-boot?" Did you do the pouch test? What warnings do you have? Etc?

I feel like a newbie. It feels kind of good!

What are some of your favorites?

Honestly one of my favorite things to make now that I have discovered it is from the pioneer woman cookbook my roommate bought this christmas (for herself -- but she is not a cook!)

It is a mustard cream sauce that is basically a mix of dijon mustard with whole grain seeded mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, a little cooking wine and some cream. I sometimes have had to put in a little bit of corn starch to thicken it up but only a sprinkle! This is really good on chicken which is how it is prepared in the original recipe, but it also goes well with pork. (Not sure how good it would be with beef or fish... haha.) Not low calorie depending on your choice of ingredients but I only use a tiny bit on my meat so it should be fine.

For a long time I was at a size US11 women's shoe, but in the two years leading up to my surgery, I often bought size 12s or even 13s just so I could fit them width-wise. Because of this, I am not EXACTLY sure how big my foot actually was at my highest weight.

About 4 months after surgery (last March) I was measured for a new pair of running shoes for a 5k I was doing. By that point I'd already lost over 100 lbs from my starting weight and was measured at an 11 (10.5 on one foot, even 11 on the other). I recently needed shoes for a new job (second job) and realized I'd bought shoes that were just too big. I asked the clerk at payless if I could be measured and she measured me at a 10, (9.5 on one foot, 10 on the other). So I've dropped a whole shoe size in both feet AT THE VERY LEAST, possibly more. I'm still about 100 lbs from goal weight, so it may be possible that I could drop to a 9.5 or even a 9 before all of this is through.

I am just curious -- how many shoe sizes have other people lost?? It is really nice not to be in an 11 anymore because it is really hard to find shoes that are bigger than a 10, but even 10s can be challenging depending on the store! Definitely one of my favorite shopping related NSVs.

Wow, thank you so much for sharing your story! You are an inspiration! I had my surgery around the same time you did (a few months later) and I am very far from my goal but I was much heavier than you when I started. My weight loss has been at a snail's pace since december and I know it's because of the choices I'm making. Thanks for inspiring me to get back on track! Congrats to you!

Thank you for this post.

I know how you feel. I have been going through this since my birthday (Nov22) right before the holidays and throughout the holiday season. Now that the holidays are over I'm starting over again!

@@chesneyfan81 Thank you! I will call them!

If there are any sleevers in the Richmond / Henrico area who know where there is a support group that meets here (or would be interested in maybe starting one?), let me know.

I lived in Fredericksburg and had my surgery in Fairfax almost a year ago. My time was split between Richmond where I worked, and Fredericksburg where I lived. I never got the chance to go to any of my surgeon's support group meetings in Woodbridge because of the distance and my work schedule. About 3 months ago (almost exactly) I moved to Richmond. I haven't been exercising regularly since the month before, and the 3 months after the move. I really need motivation and would love to talk to some others who have been through this!

I am not a thin person despite losing over 220 lbs. But to be honest, I don't actually feel like anybody treats me differently. Even in public where I'm a stranger. I'm still the same person I always was, very chatty (even with strangers, random check-out clerks, etc.) even when I was almost 500lbs I was always energetic and a tiny bit hyper, even if I was slow or in pain or sweaty or whatever. I've always been easily liked by most people. Always say hello, always held my head up high. I guess... I don't know. The way people respond to me just hasn't changed much. I can't say why. Maybe I had blinders on before. I guess for me the difference is/was... even now, I'm often the first to engage with people. If you're engaging them and you've got a smile on your face or whatever, it's hard for people to automatically ignore you. I have heard so much about people feeling as though they were "ignored" when they were at their biggest. I never really felt that. Maybe when I lose the next 100 lbs, I'll notice a big difference in how I'm treated by society/strangers/etc. But for now things are happily the same as they have always been.