Weight Gained Since Having Gastric Sleeve Surgery

[swizzly 901]

Well' date=' I'm pretty sure the strong CRAVINGS for sugar, the ones that have me constantly obsessing about it, squirreling it away, munching on it all day, are definitely dietary, because when I went on the super low carb high Protein pre-op diet they completely disappeared, and now that I'm taking L-Glutamine I don't struggle with that either. We have a food court in our office building, and there are all sorts of temptations, but they don't really call to me now. But if I have much in the way of sugars or carbs that can send me spinning down into a spiral of out of control cravings. Now, I still think of sweets as a comfort or a reward after a stressful day, or when I just feel like I deserve something, but it's different, because it's just the mental association of chocolate = rewards. I manage that, partly by working on the mental part of it, and partly with small amounts of substitutes that don't spike my blood sugar. It's easiest when I'm managing from both ends, but it's been a real revelation that it's not all "stress eating" or "emotional eating" - part of it really is my body wanting something because of an imbalance and that's where the supplements have made my life SO much easier. I feel like I can resist like a "normal" person.[/quote']

What is L Glutamine for? I have some, have not used it ever cos I can't remember why I got it lol. I haven't gained weight apart from normal fluctuations, and I dropped a couple kgs from going off wheat, but I've been eating too much chocolate I think...which is very odd cos I wasn't much into chocolate ever before.

[Escape_Pod 358]

L-Glutamine is an amino acid, and your brain uses it for fuel. It's present in a lot of protein-dense foods, so I think of it as producing the same effect as the initial experience of super high Protein / super low carb. For me, that means my appetite declines and my physical cravings for carbs go away. I still eat low carb high Protein, but I find the supplements make it so much easier. This site has a nice excerpt from Julia Ross's book, which explains some of it:

http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/dietcure.htm

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I tried it before I got the surgery, and no effect for me.

[TrumpetTinklers 196]

For me, it's about 1.5 lbs up, then it goes back down plus some. Thanks for the post!

[NtvTxn 1,262]

How are you doing? We were sleeved the same day. Do you track your food anywhere? I use myfitnesspal - I honestly think I will always have to track.

I'll be at three years this June. I think I will always track, I use fitday.com. Like weighing every morning, it's a game....and I'm always amazed at how quickly calories can add up, then some days, I'm under. This is my new life.....and I like it, a LOT!!!

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I have a really bad dessert habit, something neither me nor my husband really needs, so we're working on cutting it down from a daily thing to an occasional treat. I find I can work something sweet into the end of my day and still be within my calorie goals, particularly if I've gotten a good workout in. And, if I have a healthy treat I love, I'm not really tempted by the ice cream or whatever my husband's having.

At the moment, if I have dessert it's either microwave Protein pudding, or tofu pudding. I'm sure that sounds really weird, but the tofu doesn't really have any flavor, it just gives it body, and creaminess, and a boost of Protein.

Part of it's really the mental game. I'm not entirely ready to give up dessert entirely or have it become a holidays-only thing, so I need to find some options that I really enjoy that are still good for me and don't send me into a sugar death spiral. And, if I'm eating it, I'm really focusing on enjoying it. The other part I'm working on is really questioning why I still am so attached to sweet food as a comfort or a reward, something I "deserve".

I'm working on taking off some serious regain from the holidays, but at the moment I feel like I can do this.

I'm a grazer and I like sweets. Ugh, what a curse. I must graze throughout the day to get in all the calories I need to maintain, otherwise, I lose weight. Who'd have ever thought this would be an issue??!!! The thing is, now I do have SOME self control and I get more than enough protein in every day, so I'm not too obsessive about this.

[wondering1 103]

I have gained 12 pounds. I'm truly upset about it. My emotional need to eat has not gone away. I am 18 months out so I can eat much more than I did in the beginning but when I stick to Protein first, it seems I can eat a lot less. My real problem is I like to eat. I need to replace this behavior with something else. The other problem is I love to walk my dog outside and we used to walk 2 miles a day. Not anymore. The average temp outside for the last month has been 18. My husband used to walk with me everyday. He has developed RA and is having a hard time getting around. Excuses? Yes, they are. But it's really hard to get back on track because of my love of eating and these two changes.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I am having some problems figuring out how to lose a little(20) and stay there. I seem to be able to stay where I am right now.... I have gained 18 and am staying there. I log everything and exercise. I am experimenting at eating more for an extended time without gaining more. I was eating 1200 a day, exercising and NOT losing. I figured my body may be screwed up from not eating much for so long. I have added in about 300-800 a day more, depending on how much I exercise or not. I am staying the same at this.... not gaining from when I was eating 1200 a day. I am sort of following the TDEE plan, eating between my BMR(1600) and my total energy expenditure(2100) or around 1800 a day (which should be my energy expenditure at my goal weight if I continue the same exercise routine. I just think its crazy to weight over 190, exercise and only eat 1200 a day and still gain weight or stay the same! Im seeing if I can normalize my intake. This seems to work for some people who have trained their bodies to live on very little. I still have restriction, and the Protein first rule does work for me too. I am eating pretty clean, with planned Snacks and still vegetarian. I guess Im in maintenance right now, but hope to s-l-o-w-l-y lose back to where I was at the end of my "honeymoon" a year ago by eating more for a while,then cutting back a little bit to lose slowly. We will see! I am so happy I got the sleeve, but I am not happy having to go up one or two sizes after I gave away most of my larger sizes! PANTS TOO TIGHT!

[motochic 45]

My dr told me the first sleeve he did on a. Large man 7 years ago and he gained all the wt back

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[K33 87]

By accident, I did not eat dinner until 930 p.m. tonight. It was well balanced meal. And of course I am NOT craving any extra food or sweets. It may not work all the time, but it was a relief tonight. I too struggle with after dinner cravings and eating a snack right before bed.

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Motochic: wow, I have heard and read about people gaining weight back but what we don't know is, what kind of foods did this guy eat? Wish I knew.....I do know that i am hungrier now than before, I can eat much more, and my calorie intake is around 1300 calories or less. Now my DH wants to eat whet free. It has helped him with his blood sugar levels. For the past few days, his glucose levels have been in the normal range.......Yayyyyyyyyyy. So happy for him.....He has even dropped some weight also....

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

I'm glad to see more people joining this thread, who are not in their first year.

Everyone in the beginning seem to be so convinced that they have changed their eating habits so much, that they will never go back to their old ways.

I don't think it was until after I was 2 years post op that I really started to struggle with not being able to lose anything I gained if I went "off plan" for a few days.

In the beginning, I could go right back to Protein first and I would drop anything I had gained. Now, I have to be very careful because if I decide to eat something that I know will make me gain, I'll be shopping for new clothes.

[wondering1 103]

Things are better today. I'm trying really hard to stay focused and I'm walking again. Amazing how much harder it is now that I haven't been exercising for a while.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I'm glad to see more people joining this thread, who are not in their first year.

Everyone in the beginning seem to be so convinced that they have changed their eating habits so much, that they will never go back to their old ways.

I don't think it was until after I was 2 years post op that I really started to struggle with not being able to lose anything I gained if I went "off plan" for a few days.

In the beginning, I could go right back to Protein first and I would drop anything I had gained. Now, I have to be very careful because if I decide to eat something that I know will make me gain, I'll be shopping for new clothes.

I hear ya sister!

[former_vbg 198]

I have gained 12 pounds. I'm truly upset about it. My emotional need to eat has not gone away. I am 18 months out so I can eat much more than I did in the beginning but when I stick to Protein first, it seems I can eat a lot less. My real problem is I like to eat. I need to replace this behavior with something else. The other problem is I love to walk my dog outside and we used to walk 2 miles a day. Not anymore. The average temp outside for the last month has been 18. My husband used to walk with me everyday. He has developed RA and is having a hard time getting around. Excuses? Yes, they are. But it's really hard to get back on track because of my love of eating and these two changes.

You are not alone in your struggles! I have gained back 15# and I am a little more than a yr and a half out. I have gotten control from it getting worse and need to be diligent about exercising because it doesn't come off as quickly as it did before.

We all have stuff that happens in our life that can side track us despite best of intentions. I was recently laid off my job and I knew it was going to happen about 2 months before it did. I reverted back to some old habits which is the reason for my gain. Like you, it's not a good excuse- but things are what they are... I am going back to setting goals for me to get back to my original weight loss. It's a learning process, one I know will be life long.