The CRUEL FOOD DIARY & 2Yrs POST Weight Loss Surgery; anyone

dar4765

I'm about 2/3 year past my bariatric weight loss surgery. I actually had a "duodenal switch" type of bariatric for those in know of WLS land. At the my largest 325#'s and got down to 275 pre-surgery. At my lowest, 1 year post I was at 158#'s. Now currently at 167! So they say that there is a two year honeymoon period that everything about the weight loss is "easy" (basically because you can't eat!)....then you have the potential to start gaining again. So here I am, and looking to see if any others are too. Most of the WLS blogs and support groups seem to taper off from folks that are REALLY post surgery. There are no real structured "diets plans" to specifically help WLS folks even though our nutritional intake and needs are a little different. But the usual dieting "rules of thumb" can be useful. Frankly part of this is just finding some people that are going through the same thing. So here is my personal plan right now.....

For the first time in my life I'm going to keep what I'm going to call my "Cruel Food Diary or CFD".....as I tried to do this SEVERAL times in the past, but ALWAYS lied on it! Why? I just couldn't bare to look at it! So right now, my goal is to keep logging into my CRUEL FOOD DIARY, log in EVERYTHING I stuff in my mouth and try to exercise in some form everyday. Starting to "cut back" on calories will happen officially about 30 days, though I know already from looking at my food diary it will happen sooner....as the CFD will shame me into it! I'm 7 days committed to MFP and working hard to keep diligent. Love to hear from others! Thanks...

JustAmy

Welcome and congratulations on everything you have accomplished so far!!

waguchan

Hi dar4765!
I'm 1-1/2 years past my lab band surgery. After the initial post-surgery weight loss, I attribute most of my weight loss to the fact that I was honestly tracking my food and exercise on this site. And then I stopped tracking and didn't lose anything for a year. I just maintained my weight and kind of gave up the notion of losing more. I also felt a little invicible to gaining back weight, and I let my eating get out of control. I was famished by time I should be going home from work and kept eating all the candy and junk sitting around the office in the late afternoon. Then over the holidays, I gained about 13 pounds! I couldn't fit into my jeans! ACK!

I saw my bariatric nurse a week ago today who told me to get back to tracking what I eat on this site. She refused to give me a nother fill and she scared me with "you'll grow a second stomach if you keep eating large portions". So I actually obeyed her advice this time and came back to MFP.

I have lost weight this week and I don't feel hungry since I'm eating right again. The one thing she advised me that is helping the most is to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day instead of 3 large ones to keep my blood sugars level. Now I find that if I just eat a small protein rich snack ever 2 hours, between 100-200 calories, I can completely avoid the junk food table at work and my mood is better by the time I get home from work. I have been managing to eat between 900-1000 calories per day as she recommended. (Actually she recommended 800-1000 per day of mostly protein, and no more than 50 grams of carbs per day, but that's been difficult.)

My mom also had bariatric surgery ("stomach staple") about 27 years ago. Her weight still fluctuates like most people on the planet. But she still eats small portions and always gets back on track if she grows a size or two. I don't remember the last time I remember seeing her finish anything on her plate.

GOOD LUCK!

autumn13

Welcome DAR4765, I'm right there with u. I am a new fake member to MFP. I have been here since nov,.In hiding. When i started i thought, i will just log everything i eat and see where i'm at. I did this for two months. Let me tell u, I WAS SHOCKED. I WAS EATING 2500-3000 CALORIES A DAY. But that is something i needed to see. One MFP member said it best FOOD IS FUEL, NOT COMFORT. Words i have learned to live by. I hope u stick with it. Don't be afraid of who u are. u can always change. Good luck Now i consider myself blessed to be a MFP member.

dar4765

Hi and thanks for the reply! I'm just amazed in the couple weeks of my Cruel Food Diary...whew....seriously CRUEL! LOL. I can't believe most days I'm eating 3000 calories! YIKES! Of course I can't believe that I'm only supposed to 1200 to lose weight! ACK! At least I'm seeing it and trying to figure out how to make food work better for me. My big thing right now is really getting back on my exercise regime and my food diary. I'm feeling pretty good about that....just hoping I can make the next transition to cut back on the calories. I like your Food is Fuel thing. Thanks.