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Sandra3

New whale...new scale...

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The last past months since October feel like it's been one setback after an other.

And with many issues pilling up, one that sub-stain hard and strong is weight regain. I feel like a whale again.

After I was done with months of prednisone, I was hoping in February to see my weight go down, like it did since the sleeve. One week of prednisone would make me gain like 5 kgs (5 months out) but 3 weeks later it was all gone! same thing happened when I was like 18 months out.Not this time.

Here, after five months of prednisone (+30 pounds), my surgery in March (+10 pounds in two days) it seems my extra bacon is here to stay. Like flies on a dirty dog.

Of course activity has been reduced to a minimum with my awful asthma until February, my surgery in March also got me stuck for 6 weeks.

So when the surgeon cleared me to start exercise late in April, I was pretty happy. But after just one week of walking and little cycling (all gentle and careful), I had some major abdominal pain (was not a stomach bug after all), and now it seems my GP thinks I have two or more new inguinal hernias

So I got a new really fashionable large black belt, the one women wear after a c-section. It had two different attachment so I can have it lose on the area of my hiatal hernia, and have it more tight on the other side, where the inguinal hernias are. So far it seems it stopped any new hernia to pop out..argh!!

But right before the new hernia story, the surgeon who was supposed to repair my hiatal hernia chickened out!! at first in December he said surgery in January, then he said one week of tests in Hospital. In February I was expecting to get my surgery date, and out of the blue he said I should get my gyn surgery first! (he had those results in hand since December! since all my gyn exams were done before I saw him the first time).

Yet, I was not suspicious (silly me!) but when I saw him in April, we were supposed to organize the date for May, he started to say I shouldn't have surgery before September (???what??), then he said July...and long story short, the consult took a weird turn and I just realized he was probably not knowledgeable enough to do that surgery that does require specific skills, and was finding excuses after excuses to delay it.
Repair the hiatus seems like a really big deal after a sleeve...I had no idea...anyway...now I know.

So I did contact my surgeon in Taiwan to have his opinion, and will see an other surgeon in Paris in two weeks. But if I can't find someone good locally, I might need to fly back to Taipei...this is ridiculous because that move would cost me a lot but whatever...it's been too long and I feel I reached the end of the rope here...can't take it anymore.
The pain was like constant stabbing in November and week after week it got kind of better but it's still painful (only when I breeze...what the heck, that is not really often during the day, why should I complain!).

In the middle of all that mess, I figured I was indeed really stressed, and for sure it probably did contribute to the weight sticking and not going away like before.
I tried many things since October, change of diet, supplements etc. I even started therapy in February. Nothing worked!
Tracking made it clear it's not about calories. I'm always under my BMR (except during Xmas, Easter etc) but that's usually one meal, and it doesn't affect my weight).

Two weeks ago, I was reading dr Fung's book about longevity, and got back to the obesity code I was reading right after the sleeve. I figured I wanted to give it a try.
I'm always "moderate low carb" so I went a little lower and tried to have longer fasts. Only meals, no more snacks.That's hard with reflux...but since fasting should be a good way to renew cells, it could help with all the joint issues as well...because arthritis is not really better either. Sometimes pain wakes me up at night, or I wake up with my joints completely locked and it takes me 20 mns to be able to walk..

I got a new scale "Fitindex" which is connected to my phone. Really interesting. From that scale's data my BMR is now lower than it was in January.

I decreased my carbs from 50/80 gr to 20/30 gr. Really hard too, I have to decrease my veggies!
So far after 2 weeks, I see some improvement. We'll see how it goes after several weeks . I only lost 4 pounds on and off but can see the fat % is going down and never up.
All good! But I only look at a victory when my weight is stable for 3 weeks, and so far it's been months since that happened. It's been up, up, little down, up up etc..but nothing is never sticking more than 2 weeks.

Also I think one culprit might be the PPI (Inexium). It's not well known to cause gain weight, but I did find one study where it says 1% of patients actually do gain weight. It's not well known like prednisone, but since I'm so sensitive to all meds...why not..
It could may be explain why I gained so much during last surgery since with the gas my stomach was really disturbed, I had to take 80mg for a few days, instead of the usual 40mg...plus I was not eating for 2 days and fasting does increase my reflux like crazy...

When I was taking an other PPI (Omeprazole) right after the sleeve, I was really nauseous and the weight was coming off really really slowly, and then when I was able to decrease the dosage then stop it completely, my weight loss did improve.
At that time I did put that under my new diet since it was at the same time that we moved and I was able to eat more protein and veggies.

Who knows...may be I'm just not losing because I don't sleep well since October.
May be I'm trying to find complicated explanations when the reason could be that simple...but since I can't get the surgery to repair my stomach in May, my sleep won't improve right now..

So, I will try to switch to H2 (ranitidine) next time I see my GP and see how it goes.

It does feel for months that I'm 100 years old, only thinking about health issues and not seeing the end of it even if I try very hard to find solutions, nothings seems to be working.

A friend who's 20 years older broke a bone last month and is already better.
Me??? younger and not really better after months...I mean....all things considered it is a little better but not to the point where I feel normal again...just hoping for back to normal....argh!!!!

Rant over for now...

Have a good day my lovely friends!

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Comments

  1. KiwiGal's Avatar
    Hey Sandra
    You have had an awful lot to contend with - and still have!
    It's really hard at times like this to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
    It seems though that you are trying things that are working which is fabulous.
    I wish I had something practical to offer but I don't so I will say hang in there, stay strong and we are always here for you to rant to
    xxx
  2. Christie13's Avatar
    Oh Sandra that really stinks. To have doctors be so incompetent is really awful. I am most successful with weight loss when I eat lower carb BUT I do a modified low carb. I am really only worried about avoiding sugars, flours, fruits, and really starchy/carby vegetables like carrots and potatoes. I do not worry about regular vegetables. I also do not worry about milk carbs. That seems to work really well for me. Just a thought. It might work for you. I hope you find a good surgeon soon who can help you. Sending you really big hugs my friend.
  3. Sandra3's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by KiwiGal
    Hey Sandra
    You have had an awful lot to contend with - and still have!
    It's really hard at times like this to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
    It seems though that you are trying things that are working which is fabulous.
    I wish I had something practical to offer but I don't so I will say hang in there, stay strong and we are always here for you to rant to
    xxx
    Hi Lisa!
    Thank you so much for your message and support! that's already a lot!!
    take care!
    XXX
  4. Sandra3's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Christie13
    Oh Sandra that really stinks. To have doctors be so incompetent is really awful. I am most successful with weight loss when I eat lower carb BUT I do a modified low carb. I am really only worried about avoiding sugars, flours, fruits, and really starchy/carby vegetables like carrots and potatoes. I do not worry about regular vegetables. I also do not worry about milk carbs. That seems to work really well for me. Just a thought. It might work for you. I hope you find a good surgeon soon who can help you. Sending you really big hugs my friend.
    Thank you my friend!!
    I've been following a moderate low carb for years, since during my long 14 months diet I discovered that if I was eating more than 100gr per day, whatever the calories, I wouldn't lose.
    Since the sleeve I was generally around 60gr per day, and did eat once a week a piece of potatoe or carrot, usually grilled or in a soup.
    I can't have fruit (except blueberry or watermelon)for months so that point is easy. When we lived in Asia I was sometimes having little rice here and there because....no other choice! but bread and pasta, I avoid it.
    Reading all books from Dr Fung plus the affect really low carbs can have to help with joint pain...I'm giving it a try...we'll see...so far in 3 days I got surprising results...
    Big hugs!!! take care!