Really struggling after almost 2 years post op, need emotional support

[Michelle920 66]

I'm having a very hard time getting myself back on track. I had RNY in June 2015, lost 70ish pounds (248-180) starting putting some weight back on in March/April 2016 after having emergency surgery for an eternal hernia, then putting my dog to sleep, which was devastating. I kept it at 185 for a while but falling into old habits caused the weight to come back slowly. I've been back and forth for months now. This morning I was back up to 203.5 and am worried. I'm working with my therapist and a new NUT to get to the root of why I eat. One huge issue is my history of going on and off diets. I'm used to either restrictive eating or binge eating and not much balance or maintenance. Now, since I'm back up over 200, I'm tempted to restrict again to get down to 185 by my two year follow up, and a lot of the posts I see here seem to be about restricting carbs, increasing exercise, more Protein and Water, etc. But I'm concerned that will just be me repeating old patterns, and will result in going off the rails again. My question is, can anyone relate? Or better yet, has anyone been through this and gotten out of it?? I'm kind of panicky this morning, and wonder what my day is going to be like. I have a crazy couple weeks coming up (in fact no end in sight until the end of the month) and that usually means no planning or prepping. And that is exactly what I need to focus on. HELP!!!!!!

[Tina727 48]

I heard that you have to go back and "reset" your pouch .. learn to feel it again and drink the 70 oz of Water a day.. don't drink an hour before and an hour after..

I came across an interesting article http://www.obesitycoverage.com/the-pouch-reset-losing-weight-after-weight-regain/

[Tina727 48]

http://www.bariatriceating.com/2015/04/the-48-hour-pouch-reset/

[linasg 26]

If this is important to you then you need to make the time to sort out your diet. The restriction is a tool. But you need to put some effort in. Work out what you can do. Perhaps a trip to the store to stock up on Protein Shakes and Soup and stick to that for a while?

[cptprkchp 5]

Hi!!

I am new to this forum but not new to WLS. I am coming up on the 10 year anniversary of my surgery on May 1- I have maintained a 100 lb loss (with a few ups and downs but nothing crazy) and I can totally relate to your issue. For me, what I needed to work on the most was the "all or nothing" attitude towards my diet. I remember being on a diet then having a donut and feeling like I blew the whole day so I would eat crap all day with the intention of "starting over" tomorrow. Now, I am not telling you to go out and eat a donut but I have come to the point where I can have a donut and not feel like I blew my diet. I have learned to incorporate different foods- for example, if I have a slice of pizza for lunch I will have chicken and veggies or a big salad with Protein on it for dinner. If you are a grazer like me I suggest eating cucumbers and tomatoes, fruit, or you can get the protein Snacks they sell on this site. Keep a food journal and write down how you feel so you can identify triggers and feelings. It's not easy but it can be done. You can do it!

[Airstream88 361]

I'm only about 6 months in but prior to surgery I was a grazer - ate all the time. The eating pattern I've been given for life is 5 meals daily - every 3 - 4 hours. I eat my Protein first (~3oz give or take) and then veggies and a multigrain or fruit (2 each per day, not at the same meal) along with 3 good fats (nuts, avocado, etc) I'm really doing well with this way of eating and feel I can continue this for life. Eating the protein first triggers my restriction and keeps me from getting hungry in between the meals. I won't lie, it takes some work to eat 5 times a day - I don't use Protein Shakes or bars, but I do use the Sargento Balanced Breaks, pre-portioned packages of nuts, and pre-sliced cheese to help fill out my meals. I bake a few chicken breasts on a cookie sheet along with onions and peppers on Sunday and then pre-portion out for weekly lunches and evening dinners (quesadilla with whole wheat tortilla or as a topping for salad).

[jhope71 105]

My surgery's not til next week but I'm trying to look at this as a new life, not a new diet. The way I eat and process food will change forever, so I might as well adjust my thinking along with it. Food will be fuel. My surgery is a tool to help me fuel my body more efficiently. Sweets and treats will be for special occasions, not pick-me-ups or for something to do when I'm bored. Best of luck to you in your journey back to health!

[blondie66 271]

Sorry to hear of your loss. That must have been tough with your dog ...at 2 years post op we can pretty much eat whatever. I think the best is to try and stick to basics and exercise. Don't over think the dieting. Everyone has coping mechanisms and bad habits we have to be conscious of them and find betting coping mechanisms. I know when I'm stressed the first thing I want to do is eat. I'm trying to find other ways to cope such as walking and having a bath. Also a warm drink helps such as diet hot chocolate and coffee.< br>

[summerset 5,265]

On 5.4.2017 at 2:21 AM, jhope71 said:

My surgery's not til next week but I'm trying to look at this as a new life, not a new diet.

This is less of a new life than you might think, considering that life involves way more than diet and exercise.

[Gail Engebretson 10]

I'm 13 years out and have had a few rollercoaster rides - also do to periods of loss in my life. But I've continued to overall maintain my 170 pound weight loss. I went through a similar struggle at the 2-year mark. It's common.

Good for you for continuing to try and to work on this. The diet mentality is a tough one to break but it can be very harmful. The idea of going back and doing a "reset" is a good one but I don't particularly like the one mentioned above. You can reset your pouch in about 3-5 days without going back to liquids and puree and soft foods etc. That uses a lot of "sugar-free" items which aren't great for you in such quantities and can trigger more craving. There a couple "back on track" programs out there that have you go onto basically only Protein - with some green veggies thrown in. It's not a diet, but it resets the pouch which is totally different. After 3-5 days of this you'll notice your capacity going way down. Then just go back to good nutritional eating, following the rules of the pouch.

The rules of the pouch are the most important actions you can take to ensure losing and maintaining. The 3 most important rules are #1 Protein first (dense protein like chicken, fish, eggs, beef etc.) #2 no liquids with your meal and don't drink for up to 2 hours after. #3 Eat your meal fairly quickly - eat until you are quite full but not overly full. You fill up faster and feel full longer if you eat quickly.

Cutting back (don't think of it as restricting) carbs such as grains (esp. wheat products) helps keep your cravings down which can be a constant battle for many of us including me.

We never need to diet again - it's counter productive. But I know that I absolutely need to follow the rules of the pouch if I want to stay successful.

Good luck!

[Sophiedofie 1]

I'm 13 years out and have had a few rollercoaster rides - also do to periods of loss in my life. But I've continued to overall maintain my 170 pound weight loss. I went through a similar struggle at the 2-year mark. It's common.
Good for you for continuing to try and to work on this. The diet mentality is a tough one to break but it can be very harmful. The idea of going back and doing a "reset" is a good one but I don't particularly like the one mentioned above. You can reset your pouch in about 3-5 days without going back to liquids and puree and soft foods etc. That uses a lot of "sugar-free" items which aren't great for you in such quantities and can trigger more craving. There a couple "back on track" programs out there that have you go onto basically only Protein - with some green veggies thrown in. It's not a diet, but it resets the pouch which is totally different. After 3-5 days of this you'll notice your capacity going way down. Then just go back to good nutritional eating, following the rules of the pouch.
The rules of the pouch are the most important actions you can take to ensure losing and maintaining. The 3 most important rules are #1 Protein first (dense protein like chicken, fish, eggs, beef etc.) #2 no liquids with your meal and don't drink for up to 2 hours after. #3 Eat your meal fairly quickly - eat until you are quite full but not overly full. You fill up faster and feel full longer if you eat quickly.
Cutting back (don't think of it as restricting) carbs such as grains (esp. wheat products) helps keep your cravings down which can be a constant battle for many of us including me.
We never need to diet again - it's counter productive. But I know that I absolutely need to follow the rules of the pouch if I want to stay successful.
Good luck!

[Michelle920 66]

My surgery's not til next week but I'm trying to look at this as a new life, not a new diet. The way I eat and process food will change forever, so I might as well adjust my thinking along with it. Food will be fuel. My surgery is a tool to help me fuel my body more efficiently. Sweets and treats will be for special occasions, not pick-me-ups or for something to do when I'm bored. Best of luck to you in your journey back to health!

That's how I felt too. It changes.

[Michelle920 66]

I'm 13 years out and have had a few rollercoaster rides - also do to periods of loss in my life. But I've continued to overall maintain my 170 pound weight loss. I went through a similar struggle at the 2-year mark. It's common.
Good for you for continuing to try and to work on this. The diet mentality is a tough one to break but it can be very harmful. The idea of going back and doing a "reset" is a good one but I don't particularly like the one mentioned above. You can reset your pouch in about 3-5 days without going back to liquids and puree and soft foods etc. That uses a lot of "sugar-free" items which aren't great for you in such quantities and can trigger more craving. There a couple "back on track" programs out there that have you go onto basically only Protein - with some green veggies thrown in. It's not a diet, but it resets the pouch which is totally different. After 3-5 days of this you'll notice your capacity going way down. Then just go back to good nutritional eating, following the rules of the pouch.
The rules of the pouch are the most important actions you can take to ensure losing and maintaining. The 3 most important rules are #1 Protein first (dense protein like chicken, fish, eggs, beef etc.) #2 no liquids with your meal and don't drink for up to 2 hours after. #3 Eat your meal fairly quickly - eat until you are quite full but not overly full. You fill up faster and feel full longer if you eat quickly.
Cutting back (don't think of it as restricting) carbs such as grains (esp. wheat products) helps keep your cravings down which can be a constant battle for many of us including me.
We never need to diet again - it's counter productive. But I know that I absolutely need to follow the rules of the pouch if I want to stay successful.
Good luck!

That's what I've been doing... getting back to basics. I know the rules, I just got away from them. I'm actually doing much better now... I didn't get notifications that I had any replies!!

I'm reluctant to do the pouch reset because the last time I tried it, I was overeating within a day. I may talk to my doctor about having an endoscopy to see if I've stretched my pouch. I used to worry about that six months out but I definitely get full with a small amount of food. My regain is from grazing and bad choices.