Gastric Bypass Surgery Support Group

Gastric bypass (GBP) is any of a group of similar operative procedures used to treat morbid obesity, a condition which arises from severe accumulation of excess weight in the form of fatty tissue, and the health problems ("co-morbidities") which result. If you are considering gastric bypass or have had it, join the community where we share our experiences and find support.

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18 months post op & Really Struggling

Lkorzen
Lkorzen
I had gastric bypass in January 2012, so I am about 18 months post op and have done really well. I went from 316 lbs on the day of surgery and today I weigh 109, which some people say is too much weight loss.

I have been following the diet and have even started running. I ran my first 5k just a month ago and have signed up for a Spartan Race in mid September. I have also started hiking and have even climbed Mt. Washington.

I really wanted to succeed and to change my life but in the last month I have been cheating and eating whatever crap I see or want. I feel like I am now hungry all the time, not just hungry but ravenous. I am so scared I am gonna put the weight back on. Part of my problem is that I am starting to feel "entitled;" that is to say that I have been cheating based on the fact that I will run later or I have a big hike coming up. So I know I need to change that mindset. But I just feel hungry all the time. I am drinking well over the 64 ounces, some days even doubling that amount.

My surgeon is no longer practicing so I can't call my Dr. office and I live way up in the sticks where they do not have a support group. I am wondering why all of a sudden I am so hungry. I don't think I have over stretched my pouch as I still eat only a small percentage of what I had been eating but I do wonder if I might have stretched the funnel that leads to the intestines. Would this make me hungry all the time?

Any ideas as to what might be going on?
Lcat4
Lcat4
Congrats on your awesome success! You body does need extra calories to be as active as running a marathon and climbing mountains but not at other times. I just celebrated my 3 year surgiversary and I have to say that this last year has been the hardest so far. Now we have to apply our new eating skills in earnest. I am not sure about stretching anything but I wonder if you have taken on what people say about you having lost to much weight and made it personal. As in gaining for acceptance or whatever. Just a thought
rubymama
rubymama
I would recommend you find a nutritionist to talk to. My teenage son recently lost about 50 pounds and then started running cross country. I felt like he was eating like a bird and that he needed more in order to sustain his running habit. I found out that our health insurance offers six free visits a year with a nutritionist/dietician. I found one who is knowledgeable about the nutritional needs of athletes and we met with her together. She laid out a plan for him based on total calories in a day and then broke it down meal by meal in terms of how much he should be eating. It is all very clear. (Coincidentally, she is also the nut I met with for my weight loss surgery.)

Anyhow, right now you're guessing at what you need. Normally, I'd say the hunger is because you're eating too many carbs. But I know from the meeting with my son, that runners need carbs. So I think it would be worth your time to sit down with someone who can help you plan things out. Obviously, you can stick to a plan. You just need a new plan.

Good luck!