Hey everyone,

I'm new here and I had my gastric sleeve surgery on 4/25/16. I've recently been struggling and I feel like my Dr. at BWH has been absolutely useless. I can't get an appointment and I just really need more support. My diet has been tumbling backwards and I've lost my self control around sugar. My portions are all still extremely small but I eat so many times a day and it's always unhealthy food. I don't even think I'm taking the right vitamins. I've lost a significant amount of weight but I'm afraid I'm going to stretch my sleeve and start to gain weight again. At this point I'm switching doctors and trying to go to an entirely new program.

Anyone have any advice or can anyone just talk to me? This surgery has changed my life in so many ways and I wouldn't change having it done but I'm scared I'm going to reverse all my hard work.

So sorry, how frustrating. I have heard about people re-setting, just going back to Protein shakes for a week and blended or soft foods, to get back into the groove of things. You have to keep retraining yourself, old habits try to take over and having surgery is nothing I want to do again, and I am sure you do not either. Are you under any underlying stress? take time to reevaluate why you are doing what you are doing. I know I am insulin resistant, eating carbs, though I like them, never makes me feel satisfied, and more does not help. High protein meals make me feel very satisfied and that makes it easier to resist carbs.

I started a new job that I love, got a new boyfriend, things are going really well in almost every other area of my life. I went through a brief phase of drinking a lot after surgery but I don't drink much anymore. Now it's jut sugar and junk food. Chips, ice cream, candy. It's gotten to a point when dumping has been a problem at work and even when I've been driving.

Schedule an appointment with a counselor that specializes in eating issues. If you don't know of one a nutritionist is a good place to ask. You can probably call any nutritionist and ask .

Make sure you know your insurance company coverage and how many visits they will cover before you go. My plan limits me to 14 visits a year so I go once a month and have two sparse for emergencies.

Another alternative is Overeaters Anonymous though you might have to go to a few meeting and different locations to find a group you like. I met a woman at OA that literally changed my life.

Aggiemae, where do you find an OA group?

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The best way to stop sugar cravings is to stop sugar (or severely limit) and carbs found in white stuff like crackers and bread. All that stuff is processed in your body differently, and causes spikes in insulin and cravings for more, more, more!

I'm almost 2.5 years out, and when I find myself off the sugar wagon like this past Halloween when I felt the need to finish the leftover bag of Kit Kats, I go strictly Protein (mostly chicken because it fills me up very quickly) and veggies and lots of Water for a few days until I feel the sugar cravings subside. Then I just continue with the non processed food, high protien diet that got me to goal and keeps me there. I always concentrate on protien first, drink lots of water, and that seems to help keep me satisfied once the cravings have subsided. It's not easy to get back on track, but very doable! You can do it!

St. Elizabeths in Brighton has a good program, try getting an appointment there so they can get you back on track????

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Brighton is way too far for me. I'm located in Groton MA.

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Ok, your title,said Boston, MA so thought you were closer.

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Oh, yeah. Sorry. I think I put that because that's where I had my surgery.

Aggiemae, where do you find an OA group?

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Google "find an OA meeting"

https://oa.org/find-a-meeting/?type=0&country=United%20States&state=MA&city=Amherst&sort=ASC&distance=75&lat=42.6057805&longit=-71.54865619999998&zip=01450&limit=100&submit=true

Nearest one to you is in Amherst, that's pretty far from you but they have phone meetings where several people group chat and in someplace on line that too.