Getting Back on Track - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Suzanne-photog4fun · 05-18-2008, 09:44 AM

BACK ON TRACK TIPS
Your surgery hasn't failed, you are just not using your tool to its potential that is all. It is there still, you need to get back to basics though. Remember it isn't the surgery alone that makes us lose weight it is the lifelong lifestyle & behavioral changes we make that enable us to lose weight and keep it off. Dumping isn't guaranteed after surgery and may decrease the farther we get post-op....with that said:

You know the rules of the tool, (what you aren't doing)....So how to get back to basics? You have to just take one step at a time, it doesn't have to be all or nothing, that is old thinking! What do you feel you can conquer first?

Write down your goal for the week, then work on it, once you have one goal under your belt start on another, be patient and kind to yourself, no one said this was easy! It is hard and no one is perfect! But you can change. The negative habits didn't happen overnight so neither will positive ones! But they wont happen if you don't start somewhere! Asking for help and admitting the problem is a great first step! Get to a local support group at least monthly if available, this keeps you focused on what you are doing and accountable to yourself...Life will always be busy but you need to reprioritize health as a higher priority and taking care of yourself has to be more important than anything else! Here is how I'd break it down (not necessarily what to do first, just an example of the goals I'd set and work on one at a time!) some you may want to break into 2 parts also....

Goals:
a.. #1: part 1:Fluid: resolve to drink 64 ounces ( This will keep you full longer and tension on the pouch) of NON-carbonated-NON-calorie fluid a day. (water, crystal lite, diet Kool-Aid, diet V8 splash, tea) In other words don't drink your calories! Part 2: DO NOT DRINK WITH MEALS and WAIT 1-2 HOURS AFTER MEALS TO START DRINKING....(OR U WILL JUST MAKE YOURSELF HUNGRY AGAIN...SOONER!) we can all wait a while and eat again esp. if we drink soon after or with a meal....It is called grazing, we have a leaky drain and after a little time we have more room in the sink to fill so we can all eat a while after we eat, I know at a restaurant I can eat more as the meal is spread over time, if I eat at home I cant eat 1/2 as much as I eat in 20 min and then I'm full and I'm done.
b.. #2 Vitamins: resolve to take a multivitamin, and calcium 1,000mg a day. (just to give you some energy!)Maybe some B12 liquid/tablets sublingually to boost energy and metabolism!
c.. #3 Protein: resolve to get in 65 grams a day either in the food you eat or by supplementing with shakes. EAT PROTEIN FIRST!!! IT fills the pouch!(less room for carbs)
d.. #4 Meals: resolve part 1:to eat ONLY 3 meals a day over 5-20 minutes no longer, (and possibly one small nutritious snack of fruit or nuts etc...)....NO grazing. Part 2:Composition of meals: 50% protein leaving 25% of meal for veggies/fruit and 25% carbs (pasta/bread/rice/potatoes). This means most likely giving up McDonalds for a while or making better choices when you are there...It doesn't have to be 100% of the time but should be the way you eat more like 90% of the time!)
e.. #5 Exercise: resolve to exercise 30 min 3x a week, then increase to 60 min 3x a week or 30 min 6x a week, until you are exercising 30 min daily (or more)! It helps you cope with stress, so you don't turn to food, it will help the wt loss and also give you energy! You will feel better about yourself and be less apt to go for the carbs.
f.. #6 resolve to either get involved in a local support group monthly (weekly would be better but at least 1x a month) and or get into therapy to deal with your food issues and look at why you are sabotaging your happiness. We all have food issues/demons and we all need to face them eventually the surgery is a great help but the brain is a hard organ to change and unfortunately they didn't operate it when they shrunk our tummy! :-)
g.. #7 if above are overwhelming many go back to postop and start liquids for a few days, then advance to soft/mushys such as yogurt and pudding and cottage cheese, then onto pureed then solids, many say this retrains the pouch and our brains to snap back into it...Again it is all hard but just my 2cents/suggestions!
Good luck! Glad you are looking at the issues and wanting to deal with them! Be proud of yourself for that and you can do it, we are all here with you to help! Now is a great time to start, not everything but one thing....Do not put off to tomorrow what you can do today! Think this way if you wait you may have another 20# or so to work on after the holidays! Holidays and parties are always going to happen, we can always find an excuse to wait or a reason why we can't, search within yourself and find a reason why you can and do it (make this your gift for the holidays to yourself, nothing tastes as good as health and thin feel!)! Take care....
Jamie Ellis RN, MS, NPP
Lap RNY 10/9/02
320/166 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Dr. Singh, Albany, NY

"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've
decided to see beyond the imperfections!"

pummychal · 05-18-2008, 11:43 AM

Wow!! Thank you so much for that. I'm a newbie but my husband is a long term. I wanted to check out what you long termers were up to and this is great! It will help me to to stay on track. Also, my husband had his about 13 years ago. He lost all his weight, 200 lbs and then gained back about 100. He has now been trying to lose it with me and has lost 20 lbs to my 30. I am so proud of him. So, my question...it is possible to shrink your stomach back to the way it was when he was early out? I know what you mean about it being tougher for long termers in the sense that he can eat pretty much anything so has to use real will power. But can he get the stomach back to where it will be satisfied with smaller portions. He has been eating real healthy with me most of the time but it's difficult for him. He has been depressed. It seems easier for me right now because I just can't eat the other stuff. My tool is really helping me. But for him...you know what I mean. He said he thinks he feels his stomach changing. Will it? I am concerned for him.

fisher1000 · 05-18-2008, 11:46 AM

Suzanne,

This is a great post. I'm going to flag it and send it to Gwen to add to the Newbies thread.

It reminds me of the Mnemonic Device I created to help me remember the basics:

VIPROFLEX

which stands for:

VItamins
PROtein
FLuids
EXercise

I try to keep those four things in the forefront of all of my bodily decisions. Sometimes I slip and slide, but I KNOW what I need to do to stay on track.

Thanks for your post--it's quite useful!

-Mike

pummychal · 05-18-2008, 11:58 AM

That's excellent, Mike! VIPROFLEX. I'll remember that.

lealphachienne · 05-18-2008, 05:36 PM

Welcome back!

Dyann · 05-18-2008, 06:03 PM

I needed to read this TODAY!! Thank you for the reminder. That is why support is so important. It is nothing we didn't know, but hearing it again reinforces it. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

I could work on a few on that list.

pmenjivar · 05-27-2008, 12:55 PM

Wow! I read your post and felt like it was written just for me! It is what I needed. I am almost 4 years out and having problems with my eating and I have started to gain some weight back (about 20 lbs) and I need to get my life back to the basics as far as eating goes. Thanks for taking the time to write what you did and helping me and so many others. I am new to this forum and feel like I found it just so I could read your post........thanks.

april · 10-16-2008, 12:16 PM

Thanks! Ive been way off track lately and I think this will help!

kittens4 · 10-18-2008, 09:07 AM

Thanks for posting this! I've been off track for quite awhile now! I've developed a Starbucks habit....also like Martini's....Goldfish crackers..Taco Bell....all the bad stuff!! I have been slacking off and not going to the gym for the last few weeks.....I've put on about 15 pounds over the last 6 months..and I can feel it...it's gross!! So, I'm getting back on track TODAY!! I'm off to shower and head to Gold's for some treadmill time!!

witticizm · 11-12-2008, 11:32 AM

Great post. I've gained about 14 lbs back and I want to nip it in the bud.

Hey, does anyone know the name of that calorie counting site that gets mentioned here alot?