I am 3 years out with questions and problems...

 

I am 3 years, 5 months post op from VSG.  My starting weight consultation was 430 pounds.  Surgery date I was 387.  At 2 years out I was maintaining in the 240s.  The past year and a half I got married and adopted a 4 year old and also have a 3 month old beautiful girl. All of this is because of my surgery.  I am ever so thankful and never regret my choice.

Today I weigh 290 pounds.  As you can see the last year has not been nice to me because I have not treated my body well.  I am not drinking water like I should.  Instead I drink diet dew and coffee.  My wife came from a family of eating out so now I seem to eat out way more than I should.  On a good note, I am always taking leftovers home.  There is never a moment in the house where I can escape the temptation for some junk food.  Sometimes I don't think my wife understands it is not good  to have chips and chocolate around me.

I eat when stressed.  I am married with 2 girls under the age of 5.  I am a 911 Dispatcher who works the night shift.  I work 8 and 12 hour shifts.  I am stressed with the job as well.  Can you see what I am getting at here?  I need to modify my behavior NOW or I will keep gaining.

I would like to know what I should be eating and avoiding at 3 years post op.  Slider foods do not fill me up making me think my stomach has stretched.  However, on certain days when I eat protein dense food I cannot eat much at all making me still believe my stomach is not stretched and that I just need to modify my food choices.

My surgeon used a size 46 bougie so maybe my stomach has always been a little bigger than some.  I think I am going to go get some counseling.  Our weight loss department offers a psychologist who has a program for WLS patients 3 years and out.

 

Wish me luck.  If I am unable to do this then I don't know what my options are at that point.  I know I can do this.  I am going to the gym after I am done with work.  Its a start....

 

Steve

Hey you,

you basically answered your own questions. You KNOW how to make good food choices. You know your weak points and you know it has also to do with will power.

Think back on the day when you decided enough is enough and wanted and needed this surgery. Think back on how you felt at 430 lbs.

Make a meal plan for one week now, like today and stick to it no matter what, you absolutely know you can do this. You did it before so you have all the tools and know how to apply them.

Great idea btw to join a self help group and get counseling. All the best to you.

Hugs,

Rita

You know exactly what you have to do. You just need somebody to kick you in the ass to get it done. You have 2 wonderful children that should be your main focus . Soooooooooooooooooo.  Here is your kick in the ASS.  Now go get it done.   

Hey man, you can do this.  You've proven your ability to succeed and with your lifestyle additions you have even more reasons to be healthy.  I'd suggest a reboot and get to a protein-focused 800 calorie a day program.  Track your food intake and get active.  Counselling sounds like a good idea too.  Go for it.

Others have said it, but I'd like to add that you should really try and be active.  Give yourself 1/2 hour every day of good exercise.  These stresses you feel will become much more manageable when you give yourself some self improvement time.  The eating usually naturally follows suit.  You can do this!  As we age we face new challenges and we're not always able to handle them the best way right off the bat so when life gets the best of you, you have to take your life back.  You know what to do... be confident in yourself!

Hi Steve,

Just one thing.Start right now.The next thing you eat should be protein only.Eat enough and if you are hungry sooner than 3 hours,eat protein again.With a reset after this long for the first few days you should just eat protein till you are full and when you are hungry again,protein again.Get a chicken,take the skin off,and eat chicken as often as you need to.

I am saying this becaue experience have taught me that 1. It will keep you from having an excuse to eat something else and 2 after about 2 to 3 days you will lose your desire to eat carbs again.It will be easier then.At that point you can (I think you will find you dont want to eat as often though anyway) make it 3 measured meals (dont know how many oz of protein you should eat per meal at this point) and 2 measured snacks with your carbs under 30 if possible.

I also think once you get back into it you will be surprized at how quick the weight will drop.You are a man and you guys lose so fast compared to women.

And now,if you want to stress eat,protein!!!!!Chicken,beef strips,shrimp..solid stuff that you can still pick at but will fill you up fast.NO DEW! A couple of cups of coffee,no sugar, only.And start up by just doubling the water you drink now then add one glass per day,you'll be back into a pattern soon.

Others might say go back on the strict diet right away but I know for a fact that one is hungry for the first 3 days and being able to eat the protein helps you ease back into a routine.Your calories will come down drastically anyway.If you really need something sweet make protein pancakes and eat it with sf syrup.3 egg whites one scoop of protein powder a little bit of half and half makes great pancakes.Snack on that.

I worked nights for years and it sucks.Use to eat to stay awake...lol.Make those pancakes.Chop it up into bite size pieces.Eat it like a chocolate if you have to..lol

Good luck and good on you for stopping this right now!

Let us know how you are doing.

I'll add one more piece of advice - get a counselor who you can also do couples therapy with. Your wife needs to be fully supportive and on board with EVERYONE in the house not doing the junk food thing. She may not fully understand the impact of Oreo cookies close at hand.

My husband knows that the only "junk" food we have in the house is single packet microwave popcorn. No crackers, potato chips, cookies, etc. They aren't good for him either. 

Make sure you're taking care of yourself "spiritually" as well. Make space in your day for a walk where you can just stop and breath fresh air and appreciate nature, the sunrise, the sunset, whatever. We tend to rush from home to work to the gym to home and I'm a HUGE believer that a walk through the woods is worth 10 therapy sessions. 

Hang in there and keep us posted!

 

You've gotten great advice here. Just wanted to say that I know from personal experience that working nights is extremely hard on your body, and you've got that in addition to a job that is just normally high stress. What worked for me in the past is when I got home in the morning, I'd take my dog out for a walk before I went to bed. It was exercise and it helped me wind down from the shift.

Stimpy, as well as coming here for advice and support, pop over to the maintenance group:  http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/VSGM/discussion/

A lot of us old-timers hang out there, and many of us (me included) have gone through gains.  I'm still in the process of fighting a 30+ pound gain from two and a half years ago.

Good for you for getting a grip on this before it turns into something totally unmanageable!  And best wishes :-)

--Dorothy

^^^^^ Ditto !