[sdgrrl]

I am having a problem I never thought I would encounter. As Lisa posted, I want food, and can eat just about anything! Here I've spent years not being able to eat hardly anything without dumping, I no longer have that boundary that keeps me honest. Even if I should combine fat and sugar, which used to ensure a megadump, I just get uncomfortable or maybe get the foamies.

I really don't eat that much, and try my hardest to make healthy choices, but I can eat......Easter candy, a couple of cookies, a small piece of coffee cake, an occasional ice cream cone, a small cupcake, a pop tart, of course not all at once, but I could go on and on.

After 2 1/2 years of doctors telling me to eat whatever because I have been underweight, the scale is moving and I am now like 3 lbs out of my comfort range. I am trying to increase my activity as much as possible, but I still can't exercise with the gusto the rest of you enjoy. I'm really scared that I'm going to gain the weight back! It's like I don't know how to lose weight anymore, the docs and my fam have been SO adamant that I work to gain weight. Last week I said something about needing to lose 5 lbs or so, and I thought she was going to beat me about the head and shoulders! (not really, of course) I just want to be comfortable in the clothes I wore last summer--I'm not going anorexic or anything.

Argggh! I know, get the bad stuff out of the house, but with 1 and sometimes 2 people also eating in the house who want those items, I am having real trouble. This is perfect fodder for the Accountability forum, isn't it? I confess I am really having trouble right now, and could use some ideas. Thanks for any caring suggestions!

I attempted to put this in the Accountability section and it told me I was not allowed access to the page...(??)

[TX2UKLea]

Hi,
First of all, don't panic. I understand about gaining a few extra pounds. I had to gain a little weight back also....I had gotten to where I looked really gaunt in the face...and felt very unhealthy. I purposely gained weight, which was very hard for me. There are days now that I feel "fat", but in fact, it's just water weight.

Remember, this surgery was just a tool for weight loss. Try to figure out "why" you want the "bad" foods. Are you eating for another reason than just "wanting" it? As far as exercise goes, just increase what you are doing by a little. You don't have to run a marathon or anything.

Start writing down what you eat...I mean EVERYTHING you put in your mouth, and as soon as you've eaten it. Maybe seeing it in writing will prevent you from eating too many bad things in a day's time. Also, write down your feelings before and while you were eating it. I hope that makes some sense.

Please know that we all struggle and worry about gaining it all back. I can pretty much eat what I want and not gain, although I still dump with certain things...but that doesn't mean that fear isn't there. I always wonder...is today going to be the day that I start gaining and can't stop? I just have to remember to take things one day at a time. If I gain a pound today, I'll just work a little harder and lose it tomorrow. Above all else...remember to BREATHE!

[AlabamaChick]

Donna, I don't have any sound advice to give you about the food issues because I am totally backwards from what my diet should be because of what I can and cannot tolerate. I have to eat something, right? So I eat what I can get down. But I wanted you to know that considering everything you have battled through, even staring death in the face not too long ago due to complications, you are a VERY strong lady and I have faith that you will figure this out too in time. Just drag out your determination cap and wear it with pride. You'll get there sweetie. I'm always here to support you dear. Take care and be healthy.

[Omaha Jim]

Donna,
Get the crap out of the house. Your partner should support you in this. If it is not there, then the heathier choices will be appealing. I think we as MO people, abusing ourselves with food for all those years, just too easily fall into the traps. "Well, there are 1 or 2 other people eating here, and they have the right to eat crap if they want to"???? TRAP - sweetie - get the junk out of the house. Your peeps love you and support you and will understand. I am sure they don't want the weight back on you either.

Be well and healthy girl!

[bridgetgirl]

Hey Ms lovely lady;

As I see it and have followed you over the years, your trend has been like this: Loose, Loose, Loose. Goal Weight, yeah baby! Complications, more loss, complication, some more loss-underweight-agh!, getting better, eat, eat, eat, back to goal weight, up a few extra pounds.... there is no maintenance period for you. You skipped it entirely.

What the easy thing for all of us, is losing... then gaining. We have a life cycle of it. But maintenance scared me! I didnt know how to just maintain. I think if you find some tools about maintenance, you will get right back on track with regard to the weight in no time.

I got a book about it, called something like, Now That You Lost It or something like that.
Also, you have been up on so many calories, if you go low right now, say 500-800 a day you will shed weight like crazy and be back at goal within 2-3 weeks! ( Remember me and the celery diet???)

Lil mama, everything is going to be okay, but I think you need maintenance support and tools! Love ya and miss ya like mad!

[Zenomia]

Hey honey...Right there with ya. Me, I had to give up Coffee...my beloved coffee was not only eating away at my pouchy...but keeping me from eating a breakfast and lunch...therefore I was piggin out at supper! Same junk, lose too much...gain it back....stop...maintain...gain...what the heck! It's a cycle. It sucks...but we can get in control. Just knowing there is a problem is huge. Now...go out there and EAT YOUR PROTEIN!!! (just like I am shouting at myself...)

[coptergirl]

Ummm...I had a piece of Texas sheet cake this afternoon. No savoring either...two bites. I swear. And no dumping.

I guess I say this to you Donna - you are not alone. I always heard it said that when you get father out you can tolerate more food and more variety of food, and I didn't believe it. But here I am having the sweet/carb crazies. I think the idea of writing everything down is a great one, and once we are approved for the accoutibility section, then that will prove to be an extremely useful tool as well. ((Hugs))) to you my sweet sister....

[paige52]

I have recently been exposed to F.A. and there are 6 people in the group that are post GBS. They had their surgery lost 100's of pounds and after the honeymoon was over promptly gained it back.

After they gained it back, they started going to food annonymous and all have lost their weight again and are maintaining...one lady for the past 11 years. They all said the same thing.... the surgery had nothing to do with their long term weight loss success. It had to do with them facing the emotional issues they have with food and maintaining is the same thing.

My first thougth was WTF.... IF having surgery is useless, why did you do it? Why do any of us do it? I wonder about the "mental evaluation" 99.9% of us had to go through before having surgery. Was that a totally useless excersize? I know my therapist didn't ask about food issues... just wanted to make sure that if I was bi-polar, I took medication for it.

Last night I ate a girl scout cookie okay 6 of them... I was upset, frustrated over work issues, and some damn new problem has cropped up with my bowels, I have personal stuff with finances that finally caught up with me..(trina I feel you honey). The worst part for me was that I knew it woudl make me sick and I just didn't care. So even the tool isn't goignto stop me from sabatoging myself.

Gettign in touch with whatever crap issue I have with food is the only thing that will alllow me to make good food choices in a daily basis. Like Donna and a few others here I was underweight...looked liek crap and so had to eat to gain. Grazing was so effective as I'm now at a solid 118. But i can easily see myself with a few more GS cookies and hittign first 120 then 125 on and on... not caring becasue the emotional relationship with food is so much bigger than my desire to be thin and helathy.

It seems so redundant to go to a program like F.A. when I have gone through all the pain and suffering from having this surgery...but I wonder all the time if that's what I need to do.

My point in this long ramble..... People that are successful at long term weight loss don't have sucess becasue they have their stomach stapled, are lapband or RNY... it's because they dug deep, pulled out and addressed what makes them want to eat in the first place.... people like Beth....

Boy do I admire her....

Donna, somewhere above you mentioned its hard to keep crap food out of the house because other people like to eat it. And someone else said it shoudl go because in love they should support your need to not have it in the house..... I agree. Michelle loves you and I bet if you explained that it's to much for you to have crap in the house, she will find a way to get the goodies away from you and temptation.

Random thoughts

[LyndasRoom]

AAAAAAAAHHH,
I so know your pain, Donna. I have spent the past week tossing the bad stuff from my house...even my son will not be allowed it anymore...it's time for ALL of us to concentrate on the healthy way...I'm trying so hard to be 'that woman'...you know, the one I admire because she feeds her family healthy meals, has her sh*t together, and a lovely ordered home, etc? I'm hoping that if I pretend long enough to be her, I'll become her...I think we're all in the same boat, and if we each grab a paddle, it'll make the rowing against the current a little easier...(((Donna)))

[LisaBoston]

Thank You Donna - and all the others. I posted my frustration and thank Donna for creating a new thread. There is no crap in my house, however that doesn't stop me from wanting to eat all the good things in silly quantities. Its like my crazy old head is back and I am ready to ship it away. Today was a little better, but the head thoughts of food are still there. I drank and drank (good stuff) all night long just to keep out of the kitchen and then spent a few trips to the bathroom. Its the lack of control and food feelings that are creeping in....makes me feel like a crazy woman. One day at a time, one meal and baby steps again. Oh my.