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Had sleeve done November 2016, went from 333 to 210. Now clocking in at 225. I'm eating everything and anything, and I feel like I'm always hungry. The thought of gaining weight is making me eat more! Stressful job and pregnant wife isn't helping. Please advise?
I'm sorry you're gaining. I totally get the eating anything and everything and always starving. It's a hunger unlike anything before having wls. I know I eat more than I ever did before surgery. I've also gained about 15 pounds, but it happened last year after steroid shots and quitting smoking. I leveled out, and stay between 115 and 118 for the last year. I cannot lose it no matter how I eat now, but at least I stopped gaining. Maybe you'll do the same. Just breathe and allow yourself to decompress. Don't stress. You have a baby coming! Enjoy every minute of it. All the best to you, and hoping for a safe delivery for your wife and baby.
My advice - go back to the basics of when you were first sleeved. Eat how you ate then.
As far as stress goes... meditation, working out, journaling, screaming into your pillow, hot baths, etc. Find something other than food that will help with your stress.
I think going back to the pre op diet and trying that will help to reset your motivation. It's a slippery slope and you know you can do it, now is the time to get back on track with the new baby and all coming. You will feel better, have more energy and be in better shape if you follow the process set forth by your bariatric surgeon. You're early on and it takes time to "get the feel" for different eating, lifestyle; but you can do it and you must want to or otherwise you wouldn't have had the surgery. Journal the foods, add a little fitness each day and then add more, read how others did it when they slipped off the track. Is it "head hunger", stress, or a physical after affect and you should follow up with bloodwork etc. with the surgeon.
I work in a large bariatric center and don't know anyone who can eat around the surgery and still be successful. This is a lifestyle change and unless you "lean into it" you won't be successful. I wish you much success on your reset and congratulations on having a new baby!
Just try and keep your mindset like it once was. The power of the mind can do many things. That has been my fear as well that someday I will begin to gain weight once again. I'm just shy of 5 months post op so still losing but always thinking of what lies ahead?
Keep a positive attitude and just try and tell yourself you are not hungry it's just your mind playing tricks on you. Congrats on the new little one on the way. Tell yourself you need to stay lean for the little one when they arrive. Wish you the best of luck!!
Just go back to how you were taught to eat, protein first, then veggies, then good carbs if room. It works. I had a 4 pound gain after a two week vacation, and lost it in a matter of days just by going back to eating how I should. Protein at every meal just works magic for me. Fills me up and helps me maintain my weight loss.
There will always be stress in your life. That can't be an excuse. 15 pounds should not be difficult. Do it now before it becomes 25, 35, etc.
And congratulations on the new baby!
strofan, I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time.
I would propose that you address this situation from two fronts:
(1) Your eating and exercise behaviors (you're one only human being in charge of that, no matter what's going on in your life). You do know how to do this -- buy the right food, eat the right food, don't buy the wrong food, don't eat the wrong food -- you know what your right foods are.
(2) Learning how better to manage the ever-stress in our lives. Sraebaer is right that life will always deliver stress -- and sometimes it's higher than at other times. Many of those factors we cannot control. But to a great extent we CAN control our response to those stresses. I'm talking about things like getting more and better sleep (there's tons on the internet about how to improve our sleep hygiene), daily physical exercise (walking for only five minutes can greatly reduce your stress), breathing exercises (there's tons of information about this online, too), daily meditation and/or prayer, walking away from drama -- both physically and mentally -- and refusing to participate in it or even listen to it, counseling/therapy, and so other ways.
You're not a prisoner of your situation. You have incredible power. You can find it. You can use it to your own benefit. But this starts with realizing you are the greatest resource you have.
That's why they call it Self Care.
Very best wishes to you!
What Anne said times infinity! I too am recovering from a few years of stress that led me to make choices which caused a 62lb weight gain after losing 118lbs. I must have said 100 times that I was going to go back to basics but it never worked for me. It just wasn't the plan made for me anymore. I wouldn't lose weight, get frustrated, give up and gain more weight. Finally something in me clicked and I made a new plan, am sticking to it and seeing results. This is because I am in control of my choices. I am responsible for my gain and I am responsible for losing it. Don't let the stress control you. Remember that the only thing we can control in life is ourselves and, when you're ready, own that and forge ahead toward finding a new plan that works for you. It might be trial and error at first but with the right mindset and self care, you'll get there.
Good luck and take care. And congrats on the baby!!
Everyone has given sound advice. Go back to basics. Focus on hydration, protein and veggies. Lower your carb intake. Exercise. The more you continue to overeat the more you will lose that what full feels like sensation of being sleeved. Remember why you did this. Look at how far you have come. Don't derail all your hard work. You need to be the healthiest you that you can be for your upcoming new baby.
What Ann2 says....you can reclaim your control....
Haven't gained any yet, but have been stuck for a little over a month. Like you, I've had an extreme amount of stress and have gotten away from how I SHOULD be eating.
I don't know if this will help you, but starting tomorrow I'm going to try a re-boot of sorts and do only protein shakes for a week.
Like the others said here, just focus on protein first. It is difficult, I know! But we're all here to support each other!
Good luck!
Strofan, I am a child health nurse and midwife and so baby news is always exciting to me!I think this period in your life is one of the most precious, most important and always a great time to reevaluate a few things. This time is an excellent opportunity to have a health revamp. It doesn't matter what was happening yesterday or 5 minutes ago, you can start from now.
Fathers are a very important part of this new time in life. It is an excellent time to make choices about what kind of father you are going to be. What kind of influence you are going to have on your family. Active, engaged and healthy fathers make a massive difference to a child cognitive development. What you do will influence that child, grow their brain in all the right ways and even make your wife happier! Pregnancy can be tough and good fathers can really contribute to keeping the cortisol down in women while pregnant. Too much stress will pass all that cortisol on to the baby in pregnancy which does have effects later in life. I don't think weight gain is so much the problem, I think you can sort that out by concentrating on making your life less stressful... so sleep, good food, relaxation, exercise and a whole lotta love. If you are struggling with stress then go talk to someone. I cant recommend that enough. I work in Aboriginal health in Australia in a program to promote better health outcomes for families and babies. We do have very useful sidekicks around who take the fellas out fishing and what not ( every blackfulla loves to fish) and they chat about their stresses and end up doing a great job of learning to talk and deal with all kinds of emotions. These fathers contribute massively to the outcomes of these kids. I guess what I'm saying is ... you've got some big massive priorities coming up and maybe you can use that to spur you on to be the best and healthiest father you can be. The little nipper you end up with will benefit from that massivly as will any other kids if you have them already. You know what to eat. Take some steps on that stress, go find a mans shed or some sorta group (only if you want to!) and I reckon the weight will sort itself out. Many congratulations. I wish you the very best :-) Also you might know ALL of that already I just wanted to encourage you to use that new baby excitement in the very bet way!
I am right there with you.
That is why I joined this forum last week.
Sleeved in August 2015 and lost 110 lbs.
Gained 30 back within the last year as my addictions came back with a vengeance.
Gotta fix this and quick, because it can and will spiral out of control fast.
Are you at your goal weight or over it. For many of us we lost more than our goal weight. I went 15 pounds under my goal and everyone thought I looked too skinny. I loved it though!! After 4 years I did put on those 15 pounds, and am steady with my weight. I do watch very closely so I don't go over that amount. Of course I'm not in those super skinny sizes anymore, but I am still thin but look healthier. My doctors are happy and all my stats are good. I sure do miss the size 4 jeans. But realistically, I'm not 19 anymore and at my age size 10 looks better. I do exercise and go to the gym. I hope this helps.
I have gained 16lbs in the last 4 1/2 years. I switched from binge eating prior to surgery to smoking pot after surgery, which gave me the munchies (See my thread "Cross addictions beware") I got 10 lbs below my goal and I was too skinny. Now I am 6 above goal but I want to lose that and not gain any more. Since quitting pot the gaining has stopped but I do have to get back to the basics...whatever that is again :)