My Quest To Gain

Brahamh

Hello. My name is Hugo and MyFitnessPal has been a life-saver for me. I underwent a hardcore surgery in June of 2012 where my entire esophagus was taken out, along with half my stomach. A new esophagus was built out of the remaining stomach. I call it my stomaphogus. Basically, the stomach is stapled into a sausage-like tube and it is pulled up to the remaining piece of native esophagus near the throat area. So, it's a small stomach-tube. I can't eat that much food at one time. That's where MyFitnessPal comes incredibly handy.

I've worked out and stayed fit for the last 25 years. Now it is a bit more difficult to gain weight the way I used to, because I am limited to almost 2 cups of food at a time. MyFitnessPal helps me make sure that I get enough calories and protein per day. It does so much more that I know I am not using. . . yet. I do wish it allowed me to see how much I've gained. It only lets you know how much you've lost. Which I get. They want to encourage and not discourage. "You've gained 64 lbs" - doesn't sound cute if you're trying to lose weight. So, I get it, but I wish they had an option to choose to see how much one has gained.


I'm now taking it to the next level. I am no longer relying on eating EVERYTHING and ANYTHING you can think of; burgers, pizza, sugar, junk, junk, junk, along with SOME healthy foods. I am going to cut sugar and junk out of my diet. I had a good 8 month run of eating things like whole bags of Kettle chips at a time and marking it on MyFitnessPal's "Add Food". Back then, getting those calories in was a must. After the surgery, I was down to 133 lbs. I've hit my goal weight since; 172 lbs.

I was hoping that 172 lbs was achievable, but I just wasn't sure if my stomaphogus could handle it . It did. I know now that if I continue on MyFitnessPal, I can continue to put on more muscle. I don't have to fear that I will never gain extra muscle weight again if I want it. I know I can.

The reason I know that MyFitnessPal works is because I stopped using it for about 2 1/2 weeks and my weight plummeted - FAST - even though I thought I was eating enough during that time. Similarly, a friend who used it for the losing benefits stopped using it and the progress stopped. The numbers, the measurements, the exactness of the food nutrients, etc. is what keeps us in check. The logging of every meal helps us not go over, or in my case, to not go under my calorie/nutrient needs. And what about the awesome barcode scanner? Awesome, right?! I love that.

This is a big thank you to the creators of this app/website and some encouraging words to help you girls and guys out there to keep at it. Keep logging. Keep losing. And for a few out there, like me, keep gaining.

Peace.


Brahamh

darrensurrey

Welcome and good luck. My dad's got oesophageal cancer so I can empathise with the problems you've experienced.

I'd be looking at topping up food intake with the likes of Complan as you could drink that throughout the day. Also, full fat yoghurts and milk if you can handle that.

Brahamh

Thank you for your reply, the welcome, and for the suggestions.
I love yogurt and am starting to handle it well. Complan, I will have to look up. I need all the help I can get.

I empathize with you and your dad, as well. I also had esophageal cancer.

sijomial

You have a great attitude and strength of will Hugo.

My Dad had (and overcame) bowel cancer and major surgery at the age of 39 so your story strikes a chord. Wish you all the best for your continued recovery.

darrensurrey

Thank you for your reply, the welcome, and for the suggestions.
I love yogurt and am starting to handle it well. Complan, I will have to look up. I need all the help I can get.

I empathize with you and your dad, as well. I also had esophageal cancer.

Also look out for Fortisip and Fortijuice.

I guessed you had that cancer - not sure people have their tubes removed for fun. :-D Shockingly young, though, aren't you?

Oh, you may find the likes of tai chi and yoga good for improving breathing - from my voluntary work at a cancer centre, one of my students had a similar op to yours and could only take shallow breaths.

Brahamh

Thank you, sijomial, I appreciate your reply. I'm also very glad that your dad overcame bowel cancer.

Brahamh

LOL. Nope, didn't get the tube taken out for fun.

Yeah, 39 is young to be diagnosed with EC, I think. I was lucky to have had an ulcer and a hiatal hernia that was checked and biopsied. They found the cancer then. That saved my life.