My epic fail, need help and support

[nprcowboy 533]

Long story short. Sleeved Nov 2014 at 308 hit LW end of March this year, at 171. Felt great looked great. Depression set in for many reasons and tried suicide twice end of March and end of April. Was put on meds including abilify which is notorious for weight gain. Have gained 53 lbs in 5 months. I'm now 224. I'm off abilify but damage is done. And don't know how to lose the weight or eat healthy anymore. I went thru hell post surgery with complications including feeding tubes and 6 hospital stays and when I hit 171 was all worth it. Was down to a medium from 3X shirts now back to XL.

Help. If I knew how to do it naturally to lose 50 plus lbs I wouldn't have needed the surgery. I try and diet and I blow it each time. I still can't eat as much pre sleeve but gaining 10 lbs a month currently.

Depression is coming back due to how I look and feel about this now.

Any positive advice and support is welcomed.

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[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I am so sorry to hear you are still struggling.

The only thing I could suggest are to: make an appointment with your NUT to talk about your goals and strategies for reaching those goals and go back to basics.

I don't consider this a diet.

What works for me:

Track my food.

Consume at least 64 oz of Fluid a day.

Make sure I reach my Protein target every day (for me that is at least 100 grams).

Avoid starches (bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes, etc), added sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup), and fried foods.

Take my Vitamins and supplements as directed.

Exercise.

Get enough restful sleep.

[Baxter66 2]

I'm pre-sleeve for sept. 21st. I also am on albilify and have gained 60 lbs with being on it for 1&1/2 years. I also have dealt with suicidal thoughts and cannot come of the drug because of it. I know it will still be hard work to lose even after surgery. You CAN get the weight back off again...baby steps, one meal at a time. Good Luck!

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[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

This is epic turn of events, not "epic fail." As my beloved internist once said as I left his office having wept for no particular reason, "It's too bad." He meant it's too bad that the universe pitches depression into the laps of some people: "You're IT!"

It's my non-professional but quite human opinion that managing the depression takes precedence at the moment. Of course I understand how the weight regain plays into the whole thing, the nasty cycle. That's exactly the basis of my opinion.

This isn't to say not to see your practice's RD, as already suggested. SInce I have no idea what a typical day is for you, I'll say that structure has an important role in succeeding. Tracking food intake not only lets us know how wisely we're eating, it fills some time.I also find that meal-planning tells me that I have control and choices. Attending the practice's support group meetings adds structure. So does any and every other activity that gives us, well, structure.

There's a new Bariatric Pal forum called "Regain [something-something]." It should be in your drop-down under Forums -- General Weight Loss Surgery Forum -- Regain... It doesn't appear in mine (I'm that special), but I was sent a link to it. I'll post now and come back to edit in the link for you just in case.

------------------------------

Here it is: http://www.bariatricpal.com/ forum/1261-regain-and-back-on- track-new/

Edited September 16, 2016 by WLSResources/ClothingExch

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Another thing I would recommend for both the depression and general health and weight loss is exercise. Are you able to exercise? My favorite form of exercise is swimming. For me, getting in the Water is good for both my body and soul.

[nprcowboy 533]

Thanks for the words all. Hard times for sure

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[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

@@nprcowboy, oh, yeah, hard times, but the fact that you came here to talk tells you that you're in. If it makes an iota of difference, remind yourself a hundred times each day. You got to them before, so you can get to those lower numbers again. You can do this.

@@Inner Surfer Girl is right on. Exercise is a great boost.

[northstar9148 82]

Therapy. Find a counselor that does EMDR Therapy. It's the only thing that has helped. A lot of people like me, have had a lot of child hood trauma. It stays in your subconscience and you eat to soothe those subconscience memories. Check it out. You have to fix what's wrong in your head 1st. Also a low carb diet helps

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[Frenchie1977 262]

After doing the required things for your depression ( therapy, changing your Meds as you mentioned in a previous pos) it's time to work on your diet lifestyle changes. Your sleeve is just a tool, and your honeymoon phase is over, now you have to work hard to lose weight and maintain the loss.

First, do you still feel a restriction from your sleeve? If not you mAy want to consider the 5 or 10 day pouch reset diet, you can do a search for it online and come up with allot of references to it, but it basically starts you out on liquids again for a few days and then you progress thru food stages again for 5 or 10 days. And it's like a reset for your sleeve. Don't get too excited it won't make you lose like you did right after surgery, it just a way of resetting your diet again and feeling the restriction of your sleeve again.

Next start tracking everything you eat somehow, I use my fitness pal because it's a free app and I always have it on my phone, once you make yourself do it for about a week it becomes second nature to track all your foods and myfitnesspal has a pretty good library of foods to search that gives you all the nutritional information of what your eating. And it will set your calories for you as far as what you should be eating in order to lose weight each week.

Next make sure you get back to eating all your Protein first everyday, shoot for 80-100 grams of protein a day, if you do this you don't have allot of room for much else except some veggies and your restriction keeps you from overeating too much. But sticking to your protein is essential for your health Nd your weight loss

Next avoid carbs, no Pasta, potatoes, chips, rice, crackers, candy, Cookies, ice cream, white flours, etc ( you know what the bad foods are by now)

Next get back to drinking all your Water at least 64 oz water a day, this is also essential to weight loss, if you don't like water flavor it with mio drops or drink crystal light or Decaf tea or power axe sugars free or Gatorade zero just make sure your getting at least 64 oz of sugar free calorie free caffeine free liquid daily

Last I know you mentioned in a previous post that you have to pay for an appt with your nutritionist but if you struggle with these guidelines it may be worth the money to get a plan together to get back on track.

The weight will not come off as quickly as did after surgery, it will be a little harder to take off this time, but if you work hard, if you do all these things and are committed to it, it will come off and you will be successful.i know you can do this, you have already come through so much, so reach down inside and find the strength to buckle down and follow these guidelines to change your lifestyle for life. These are not temporary changes, they are the things you will have to do to maintain your weight loss permanately, for some of us it is that way, we have to really work at it. But you can do it, make the changes and commit to making them your permanent lifestyle. Best of luck!

[nprcowboy 533]

After doing the required things for your depression ( therapy, changing your Meds as you mentioned in a previous pos) it's time to work on your diet lifestyle changes. Your sleeve is just a tool, and your honeymoon phase is over, now you have to work hard to lose weight and maintain the loss.

First, do you still feel a restriction from your sleeve? If not you mAy want to consider the 5 or 10 day pouch reset diet, you can do a search for it online and come up with allot of references to it, but it basically starts you out on liquids again for a few days and then you progress thru food stages again for 5 or 10 days. And it's like a reset for your sleeve. Don't get too excited it won't make you lose like you did right after surgery, it just a way of resetting your diet again and feeling the restriction of your sleeve again.

Next start tracking everything you eat somehow, I use my fitness pal because it's a free app and I always have it on my phone, once you make yourself do it for about a week it becomes second nature to track all your foods and myfitnesspal has a pretty good library of foods to search that gives you all the nutritional information of what your eating. And it will set your calories for you as far as what you should be eating in order to lose weight each week.

Next make sure you get back to eating all your Protein first everyday, shoot for 80-100 grams of Protein a day, if you do this you don't have allot of room for much else except some veggies and your restriction keeps you from overeating too much. But sticking to your protein is essential for your health Nd your weight loss

Next avoid carbs, no Pasta, potatoes, chips, rice, crackers, candy, Cookies, ice cream, white flours, etc ( you know what the bad foods are by now)

Next get back to drinking all your Water at least 64 oz Water a day, this is also essential to weight loss, if you don't like water flavor it with mio drops or drink crystal light or Decaf tea or power axe sugars free or Gatorade zero just make sure your getting at least 64 oz of sugar free calorie free caffeine free liquid daily

Last I know you mentioned in a previous post that you have to pay for an appt with your nutritionist but if you struggle with these guidelines it may be worth the money to get a plan together to get back on track.

The weight will not come off as quickly as did after surgery, it will be a little harder to take off this time, but if you work hard, if you do all these things and are committed to it, it will come off and you will be successful.i know you can do this, you have already come through so much, so reach down inside and find the strength to buckle down and follow these guidelines to change your lifestyle for life. These are not temporary changes, they are the things you will have to do to maintain your weight loss permanately, for some of us it is that way, we have to really work at it. But you can do it, make the changes and commit to making them your permanent lifestyle. Best of luck!

Thank you. I do have to go see nutritionist. I feel ashamed even to do that. They just put me on topamax which can aide in weight loss besides the mental aide. Any e hear of it?

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[Guest]

Definitely see NUT but get online and track food, trust me I am mood eater. I gained 20 lbs since June got too tired (work 7 days, heat) totally stopped tracking and it became a free for all. It is hard when you get depressed, I know. I think an app like fatsecret.com where you track, get a buddy online, talk, try and go to group (if your Dr. has post surgery group). Old habits (feeding the soul) are so brutal to change. Sorry to hear about complications.

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[nprcowboy 533]

Thanks

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[Guest]

Hope you are better.

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[Frenchie1977 262]

I take topimax for Migraines, I have never heard of it for depression though

[GACaldwell 112]

I tried topamax for my depression. It has the nick name "dope-a-max" for a reason. I couldnt function on it (but I was on a high dose!)

I echo what others have said about therapy and seeing your NUT. But on top of that, find something you can focus on that helps you. For me thats been yoga and mindfulness. It doesn't make it all go away..this is a serious condition but it has helped me. I journal...a lot..but I always did. And for my birthday this year, (pre-surgery) I had a semi-colon tat placed on the inside of my left wrist where I write the number of days Ive survived my worst days ever/lived in front of it when I need to. It helps me focus and remember that I have a 100% success rate of surviving so far.

Lastly..reach out..here, family, friends, whoever will help you. You don't have to do this/suffer alone. See if there are local support groups or even just a friend who wants to help. Go for a walk..grab a healthy lunch, join a gym together. Regardless, don't shut yourself off.