tiredmama

Thank you for the encouragement and advice- I will definitely check out all the "head work" resources- I didn't know that term.

Hi all. I just logged on to this site for the first time in years. Yesterday I went in for my annual check-up. I skipped it last year because I was terribly ashamed of how much weight I had regained. When I hit the 5-year anniversary of my sleeve surgery, I decided it was time to face my fears and scheduled an appointment. I've gained back more than half of what I lost after my surgery. In addition to feeling terrible about it all the time, having had to buy bigger clothes because nothing fit and being embarrassed whenever I reconnect with someone I haven't seen in a couple of years, I also now have a set of bloodwork results confirming what I deeply suspected- I have already reversed some of the health benefits of my weight loss. I cried during the appointment and the (new) nurse practitioner was very kind. I was honest with her and shared that I know exactly what I am doing wrong but I continue to turn to food emotionally, eat the wrong foods, and graze. I explained that the surgery helped me initially when I felt a lot of restriction but it did not in any way change my emotional dependence on food for self-soothing. I never found alternative coping strategies that were even close to as powerful for me as emotional over-eating and numbing myself out with sugar and carbs. I told her that I have a complicated and stressful life and, in addition, I lost my beloved father unexpectedly a few years ago and he had been the greatest source of unconditional love and acceptance in my life. The dog I adopted to help me through my grief was hit by a car and died in December. I'm in perimenopause and my hormones are all screwed up. I know intellectually that food won't solve any of my problems but the desire for comfort is much stronger than my willpower. This has been my pattern my entire life. The nurse practitioner listened. She reminded me that regain is extremely common. Not sure what comes next but I appreciate the chance to share my story with all of you.

179. Tough week for me. I am going to kick it into gear and have declared the month of August as a NO EATING TRIGGER FOODS period, which means zero candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, white breads or crackers, pretzels, or chips. Basically if it has added sugar or is processed, I'm not going eat it. August 31 will be my 40th birthday and I will be so happy if I can be at 175 by then, which would officially be not obese according to the BMI charts!

178

Recently had my one year check up. I would like to lose about 25 more pounds and I asked my surgeon for his best tips at this stage when I no longer feel a lot of restriction. He told me to up my Protein intake to 80 grams per day,be consistent about always eating protein first, avoid liquid calories, don't drink with meals, and drink lots of Water 45 minutes after a meal when I start to feel like I want to eat a little more, and no eating within 2 hours of bedtime. I am curious if any of you get advice from your doc at annual check-ups and what tips they have given you to stay on track.

Forgot to weigh in- CW is 179, goal is 175.

You might have hidradenitis supervita (guessing in the spelling) a good dermatologist should be able to help

I wanted to avoid dumping syndrome so I chose the sleeve.

Please add me. Current weight is 178. Challenge goal is 173.

I am also mostly vegetarian (I do eat some fish.) I am one year out and have 60 pounds but am not yet at my personal goal of 155, which I think would be size 12 in clothes. I lost almost nothing from months 6-10 but then I gave myself a big kick in the butt and have been able to start losing again by eliminating all sweets and walking 3-4 miles every day. Now I am losing about half a pound per week- slower than I would like for sure but steady enough to help keep my motivation high. The no sweets really is a key for me because my sugar addiction is fierce and as soon as I have a little having more is all I can think about.

Same shoe size here but much more comfortable in a variety of styles.

For me what your doc said was about right - I started at 238, lost 10 pre-surgery and was sleeved June 30, 2014. Next 40 pounds came off pretty easily in the first 4 months after surgery. Since then I have to work hard for every pound- I have lost 60 pounds total and am trying to lose another 15 but I only lose now if I am very careful about my eating and exercise ALOT.

I love the Chobani tubes- they sell them in the regular yogurt section but they freeze really well and are high in protein and low in sugar.

I am 10.5 months post-surgery and haven't lost anything in the past 4 months. I have really stepped up my exercise in the past month- I am walking at least 3 miles every day- and still the scale has not moved. I feel good and seem to still be losing inches but technically I am still obese. I am not willing to be more restrictive with my eating- I am making 80-90% good choices and treats are occasional and small- I had the surgery so that I could be a normal weight without having to always be on a super restrictive diet because of the smaller portions. Turns out my metabolism is so bad that the smaller portions aren't enough to get me to my goal. I am super demoralized. My doc's advice was to never eat to the point of feeling full. That requires way more willpower than I have!

Side garden salad from McD, Burger King, or Chick fil a- add 100 cal pack of nuts and go very light in the dressing and no croutons. Dunkin donuts has some good egg white options in a small tortilla or sandwich thin- can't remember exactly what they call it.