9 months post surgery - lost about 150 lbs
wak55
Posts: 3
I recently started using myfitnesspal when I started looking for my food diary book that I need to start for my next visit to the doctor. I had downloaded this app to my android phone a while back but never started using it. It is great! I have terrible writing, but can type very fast. I can also use the bar code reader in the app to instantly add food to my diary. The search functions are great for your exercise logging too!
For those of you that have not had the surgery, look for a Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery. The one thing you must know within is that you are not just looking for a short cut, but a life change. I had the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, I have had no complications - and I attribute that to the fine doctors at the SC Obesity Center at the Lexington County Hospital in West Columbia, SC. As I was saying, you must have your mind set for this to make it work.
Here are some of the things that I have changed in my life.
1. NO SUGAR! I do not eat any refined sugar - or at least nothing with refined sugar above a very few grams per serving. Many of the items you purchase so have small amounts of sugar, but read the labels and be careful!
2. Stop Eating When You First Feel Full! I find that I must stop when I first fell the least bit full, or I will have it come back in the most unpleasant way! I have problems eating chicken - unless it is ground, pork (ribs, ham) unless it is ground, even hamburger if grilled. I can eat chili made with hamburger, ground chicken, or ground turkey with little problem. I can eat small amounts of grilled fish. I can eat canned tuna. I can eat eggs. I can eat cheese. Actually, I can eat grilled steak - but it must be cut into very small bites and only a couple of ounces.
3. Get your protein. Because of my problem eating meat, tend to get my protein in several ways - Pnut butter, protein bars (I really like the variety and flavor of the Pure Protein bars from Kroger and Walmart), and the Carb Smart Yogurt from Kroger.
4. Take your vitamins as prescribed by your doctor. With the reduced food intake, you will have problems getting what you need in vitamins.
5. Drink water. I no longer have any desire for carbonated drinks. I do drink coffee. I drink milk. I drink water. I like to flavor my water with Mio, or Crystal Light, but I drink water!
6. EXERCISE! I joined Golds Gym the month before my surgery - just so I would not have any excuse. I was not able to use the gym for a few weeks following surgery. I do not do a lot of strength training, but I go to the gym 5 days a week and walk the treadmill, ride the stationary bike, and use several of the machines there to maintain muscle. I am now 57 years old, so I have no need to look like Mr. America!
7. Finally, keep your eye on the ball! Remind yourself each morning what you are doing and why you are doing it. Don't let yourself think that you are doing so good that you can slide a little and eat something you shouldn't. People all the time are offering me just a "small" piece of cake or pie or just one cookie. I refuse to eat any of them as once you do it and you start - who knows where it will end.
Can I keep this up? Well, I have for 9 months and still have no desire to change back to the old ways.
Best wishes to anyone planning on the surgery, and if you have had the surgery, don't give up and fall back into the old ways.
For those of you that have not had the surgery, look for a Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery. The one thing you must know within is that you are not just looking for a short cut, but a life change. I had the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, I have had no complications - and I attribute that to the fine doctors at the SC Obesity Center at the Lexington County Hospital in West Columbia, SC. As I was saying, you must have your mind set for this to make it work.
Here are some of the things that I have changed in my life.
1. NO SUGAR! I do not eat any refined sugar - or at least nothing with refined sugar above a very few grams per serving. Many of the items you purchase so have small amounts of sugar, but read the labels and be careful!
2. Stop Eating When You First Feel Full! I find that I must stop when I first fell the least bit full, or I will have it come back in the most unpleasant way! I have problems eating chicken - unless it is ground, pork (ribs, ham) unless it is ground, even hamburger if grilled. I can eat chili made with hamburger, ground chicken, or ground turkey with little problem. I can eat small amounts of grilled fish. I can eat canned tuna. I can eat eggs. I can eat cheese. Actually, I can eat grilled steak - but it must be cut into very small bites and only a couple of ounces.
3. Get your protein. Because of my problem eating meat, tend to get my protein in several ways - Pnut butter, protein bars (I really like the variety and flavor of the Pure Protein bars from Kroger and Walmart), and the Carb Smart Yogurt from Kroger.
4. Take your vitamins as prescribed by your doctor. With the reduced food intake, you will have problems getting what you need in vitamins.
5. Drink water. I no longer have any desire for carbonated drinks. I do drink coffee. I drink milk. I drink water. I like to flavor my water with Mio, or Crystal Light, but I drink water!
6. EXERCISE! I joined Golds Gym the month before my surgery - just so I would not have any excuse. I was not able to use the gym for a few weeks following surgery. I do not do a lot of strength training, but I go to the gym 5 days a week and walk the treadmill, ride the stationary bike, and use several of the machines there to maintain muscle. I am now 57 years old, so I have no need to look like Mr. America!
7. Finally, keep your eye on the ball! Remind yourself each morning what you are doing and why you are doing it. Don't let yourself think that you are doing so good that you can slide a little and eat something you shouldn't. People all the time are offering me just a "small" piece of cake or pie or just one cookie. I refuse to eat any of them as once you do it and you start - who knows where it will end.
Can I keep this up? Well, I have for 9 months and still have no desire to change back to the old ways.
Best wishes to anyone planning on the surgery, and if you have had the surgery, don't give up and fall back into the old ways.
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Replies
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Thank you for your post. I am in the early process stages of preparing for the RNY surgery at Ohio State. It is a Center of Excellence. My insurance mandates that I go through all the necessary testing beforehand and that I take classes and see my physician for 6 months prior to surgery. I began this process in August, so if all goes according to plan, I will be having my surgery close to spring of 2013. Your results are amazing after 9 months. I commend you for doing what you needed to do to obtain better health for yourself. I have taken all of my tests (psychological, stress echo, sleep test, and endoscopy). I was planning to do the vertical gastrectomy, but the doctor who performed my endoscopy (also the surgeon who will be performing my RNY) recommended RNY based on my endoscopy results. I am a little excited, but very fearful as well. This is something I must do for myself and am committed to do so, but there seems to be so much you have to give up. I am beginning my classes (one class per month for six months) this Thursday, so I am hoping they teach us all they can about nutrition so I am prepared and ready. I also picked up the book, Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies and found that to be very informative. Thank you for reading and good luck on your journey. You are doing fantastic! Keep up the good work!!!!
Jayne0 -
Jayne,
Remember, it is what you make up your mind to do. You will either succeed or fail in your mind, not in your stomach! Every day, look at where you are and look at where you want to be. After your surgery, and you start losing the weight, which you WILL!, Look back to where you WERE and tell yourself you do NOT want to be there again.
Those times when you think you are going to backslide, remind yourself, I CAN DO THIS!
One thing that really helps me is that we were told about how your system no longer handles sugar - that it can lead to the dumping syndrome. Every time I think about eating something with sugar in it, I tell myself - NO, it will make you sick! Then I laugh at the sugar and tell it that I am not going to make myself sick just for you! And I walk away.
One side note, I just came back from a quick trip to Florida. I have a greenhouse and needed some supplied from the distributors there. I stopped by Daytona Beach and drove my pickup on the beach, got out and literally ran down the beach. Do you know how long it has been since I RAN anywhere? It was a blast! I am in no way a runner. I walk a lot and ride a bike, but I actually RAN down the beach! Then I jumped into the waves and played like a kid in the water!
I could not have done that 150 lbs ago!0 -
Yes, great to hear about success stories, so many bad ones on the web. I can understand alot about what you say. If I even try to have too much sugar, I right away become nauseated and the next day am close to the toilet if you know what I mean. I have been turned off by many things due to this so I feel it is a great behaviour modifier.
The things I most struggled with were 1. mind hunger 2. not being actually hungry 3. cravings (also mind hunger based) 4. food variety 5. loss of food as a reward
Now, none of us would have weight problems if we didn't have an unhealthy relationship with food. It was never how much I ate but what I ate. My husband and I travel alot and also eat out a lot as we don't have children and I work shifts. Therefore not a lot of routine and alot of eating in front of the tv. I still struggle with slow eating and chewing regularly and my stomach reminds me with the oh so familiar nausea. However, this is usually self-induced so I can't really claim it as a bad side effect.
I have just started exercising again and am starting with water aerobics as I was almost 400 lbs so wanted to gain some muscle tone first. I am also going to start with gentle yoga. I have been told by other post surgery people that exercise is definitely important as soon as you are able.
Mind hunger is a tough one. I spent my first few weeks thinking I was hungry or craving certain favourite from presurgery days. Although to be honest, I could probably go for at least a full day without eating (and did to the detriment of weight loss) my mind told me I was starving. I would crave chips, chocolate and ice cream all the while knowing that my new stomach and system would not be happy. However, I am also a bit of a rebel so of course, tried to eat these things and suffered. This has become a great way to stop these cravings although I am certainly not promoting this because 1. i felt like crap and 2. its not really a healthy way to begin your weight journey nor a healthy coping strategy. I am happy to report that I now know the difference but feel it will continue to be a struggle at times, especially when the nausea thing goes away - I am currently working on much more positive strategies with similarities as the gentlemen below, calling it was it is and deciding I don't need it. I have been to counselling in the past with weight issues and realize that I will go again on my next stage - after all, we didn't get here overnight did we? Our brain is a miraculous thing - evil and good lol. One thing I have noticed is that my taste buds have definitely changed. All of those things I used to love and crave, just don't taste the same anymore - they are sometimes gross; which benefits me greatly. I am told this is common too.
Food variety is tough for me because I work shifts of 12 hours and struggle to get my protein in. I am never hungry as mentioned earlier and find that most portable things have a lot of sodium and I tire of easily. If you have any suggestions or things that have worked for you. I am open to suggestions. I need to get between 85 and 90 gms of protein daily. I too struggle with some foods that I can't quite get down such as dense meats, left overs and not a big fan of veggies.
My final struggle was during my 3-4th week. My reward system. I realized that I looked forward to and rewarded myself with eating out or treats that were of course, not good for me. I actually felt depressed and that I had nothing to look forward to anymore because no restaurants offered food I could eat and none of the treats I usually used worked. I had to realize that this was a poor coping strategy as rewards did not have to be food. I have a great husband, a great life and love my work. I really had to change my priorities and my rewards. This again is part of the journey.
I hear alot of people talking about things they have to give up, what I have realized is that you are not really giving up anything healthy or good for you. We shouldn't be so depended on junk food - instead we need to get our fix out of being happy and being the person we can be and are inside! Don't focus on what you have to give up, instead focus on what you are gaining. A life without the pain (or reduced pain), a life where you are not sitting on the sidelines watching other people enjoy themselves - be an active participant in your own life. Watch, I'm going to sound like a commercial "Break Free and Live!"
Now, I just have to keep this up for the rest of my life lol!0 -
How long has it been since you have surgery? I am a few months out, going through the steps that are required and necessary. I go to the psychologist this thursday and hope to see the surgeon soon thereafter. My goal is to have the surgery by my birthday on April 29th. I am so excited and wish it could be done tomorrow. Thank you for sharing.
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