DLCoggin

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I like Pure Protein and order it from Amazon.

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CTRose I cannot tell you how valuable I believe your willingness to share your experiences with us is. Your candor and honesty are themselves an inspiration. You write like you talk and you feel what you write. That's a gift. I sincerely hope that you will share your journey with us often in the coming days, weeks and months. Just from reading what you have shared so far, I truly believe that there is not the slightest doubt that you will succeed in your Quest and I am looking forward to following your progress and sharing ideas with you along the way. A very sincere "Thank you!" and welcome to the best weight loss surgery forum in the world. One that just got better with your membership!

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Perhaps the best advice I've ever read on portion control. Great post!

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I have mine set at 40%/30%/30% - carbs/fat/protein. Nothing magical about those ratios but they seem to be sort of a generic "normal" diet. Like many other bypass folks, I don't pay much attention to fat but monitor my protein intake daily to ensure I'm reaching or coming close to the 100g/day my surgeon recommends. Carbs are not often a problem but I'm a recovering "carb addict" so I watch them pretty closely. It can be frustrating and even self-defeating to be too focused on chasing the numbers/percentages. I watch protein and calories closely and the rest generally take care of themselves. MFP is a priceless tool and I'd be lost without it!

I was 61 when I had my bypass and would do it again in a heartbeat. Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, back and knee pain, hypertension, high cholesterol - all gone. Starting weight 285, maintenance weight 155, this morning's weight 152.8. Ulcer at the anastomosis at 6 months post-op. 90 days later completely healed with an increase in my oral medication (Prevacid) from one capsule a day to two. No other treatment prescribed or needed. Lovin' the new me!

It is an unfortunate truth that 5-10 year veterans like yourself seem to be few and far between on the WLS forums. I personally would love to hear more about your experience and lessons you have learned at the different stages in your journey. How much weight did you lose? How long were you able to maintain it? What were the keys to your success? What are your thoughts on possible causes of starting to regain weight? What steps are you taking to reverse it? Do you find the challenges you are facing now similar or different to the ones that you faced early on in your weight loss journey? There are a lot of compassionate and knowledgeable folks here at BP. You're in the right place!!

I read this thread today for the first time (tough to keep up sometimes). Like just about everything else with medicine in general and bariatric surgery specifically, everyone is different. So with absolutely no judgment of what works for others, this is what works for me. I've been logging in MFP since the day of my surgery and right up to what will be three years in October. It's no secret that I'm passionate about logging. I could write a book on the benefits - for me. Of all of the many advantages that logging offers me, one stands out above all the rest - control. Since reaching my maintenance weight of 155 lbs (just under fourteen months after my surgery), my weight has never been below 151 or above 156 (which is my personal "weight window"). Once I reached my maintenance weight, I started weighing pretty much every day and I continue to do so to this day. My weight this morning was 152.8. I manage my weight with absolute confidence. Logging gives me the real-time feedback that enables that weight management and the confidence that results from knowing I am in control. Like many others, I monitor Protein, carbs, sugar and fiber (ugh). But the metric that corresponds most directly to changes in my weight, up or down - is calories. My daily goal is 1600 calories. Do I hit that goal every day? Absolutely not. Do I stress about not hitting my goal every day? Absolutely not. The key for me is treating that goal as an average. Hitting any calorie goal every single day of your life is unrealistic, unsustainable and most importantly - unnecessary. Monitoring my weekly average calorie intake is priceless. If I have an 1800 calorie day, I simply make a mental note to reduce my calories by 100 to 200 calories for a day or two and I'm right back on track with my average. If I have a 1400 calorie day, mental note to increase my calories for a day or two and I'm right back on track with my average. I've done both many times. It works like a charm. I use the same principle in response to changes in my weight. If my weight is at or near the upper 156 limit of my window, I make a mental note to reduce my calories for a day or two and it comes right back down. If my weight is at or near the lower 151 limit (it does happen), mental note to increase my calories for a day or two and it comes right back up. There are many awe inspiring success stories in the weight loss journey. We're all different and we all find the strategy that works best for our individual lifestyles and preferences. The "best" one is the one that works best - for you. You guys have a terrific day!

Just excellent! Thanks Alex!!

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Thank you for the tip!

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I periodically experience hypoglycemia although not nearly as extreme as the lady in the article. I can invariably trace the cause to something that I ate but the pattern does not seem to be consistent. One day I can eat a high carb meal (for me) and have no problem. Another day I can eat something similar and hypoglycemia occurs two to three hours after eating. I did pass out once following a particularly stupid indulgence of holiday egg nog. But I was only out a matter of seconds and I knew exactly what had happened. Eating just about anything with sugar has me back to normal in about 15 minutes. I've become pretty good at quickly recognizing the early symptoms before they become increasingly problematic. I carry glucose tablets with me all the time and they are extremely effective at getting my blood sugar back up very quickly. For those that may be interested, here are two links to articles on post bariatric surgery hypoglycemia. The first link describes a study done at the University of Cincinnati and was published earlier this year. The second link is on a retrospective study done at the Gunderson Health System in Lacrosse, Wisconsin and was published by MedPage Today in May of 2013. http://uchealth.com/articles/hormone-action-likely-culprit-of-hypoglycemia-after-gastric-bypass-surgery/ http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AACE/38905

I just want to echo what Carol has said. There's nothing special about us. Or the countless others that have changed their lives following bariatric surgery. It's about commitment, hard work, determination and the realization that if you follow your plan, you cannot fail. We don't have any secrets. No super powers. Sometimes there are incredibly exciting victories - even when you've been in the maintenance stage for some time. And sometimes there are challenges, even when you've been in the maintenance stage for some time. Defeating the disease of obesity is a lifetime commitment. Winning the battle, the victory of a lifetime!

On the way!

On the way!