New Member, old battle

Hello everyone,Please allow me a moment to introduce myself. A friend brought me to this site after a conversation regarding my never ending battle with my weight and some of the new issues I have been facing. He thought that perhaps I could find support and suggestions here in reference to my particular battles. Please allow me to tell you a brief history. I have been heavy all my life, obese even by the age of 4. Of course it never got better only worse and finally in 2005 I began my journey into health by having the Gastric By-Pass surgery. Now, before you think "she cheated and lost the weight easy, she doesn’t have to be here", that couldn’t be further from the truth. Truth is, it’s a struggle. Yes I lost a huge amount of weight in a short time, but I have yet to reach my original goal or meet my "ideal weight" and even have gained 20 lbs in the last year. It all comes down to choices. No I may not be able to eat as much portion wise as the next person, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t found ways to sneak in those high fat, bad for you calories. Trust me, I have. I need support and with the new issues I am facing, support, tools and advice are greatly needed. In the last 2 months I have developed some medical problems. While last week my gallbladder was removed, my Surgeon fears there is more going on and since my original complaints have not stopped, I fear he is right. When I eat, I get pain, yet I am starving and the pain is not so bad that I cannot suffer through it. It doesn’t matter what I eat, the ache is there, so at this point, my calorie intake is far below what it should be simply due to medical reasons. I hadn’t been able to eat or drink anything for 2 weeks prior to my gallbladder surgery and as a result quickly lost almost 20 lbs, and of course I suspect I will continue losing due to my current condition. My fear, my question, is about the "starvation mode" that my body will kick into very soon. Is there anything I can do with my current condition to slow this down or prevent it? Or do I just have to deal with a possible weight gain after I get "fixed" and work even harder to remove that weight? I hear so many terrible things and yes, my Doctors are helping me to resolve this and maybe weight should not be on my mind, but its deeper then that. For me, this condition and weight is not just my outer body, but my health in general. It is very important to me to regain as much health as I can, and worry this may be a huge set back. Has anyone here dealt with anything similar and who may have suggestions on how to get through this in as healthy a way as possible? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Making a friend or two who would understand would be welcome. Thank you.

 

Hello and welcome to Calorie Count!
I cannot even imagine the struggle you are going through right now.
I do realize that even with the surgery it does not suddenly become easy.
I am glad you found the site and I know you will find the support and encouragement you seek.

I would recommend you spend some time in the Health & Support forum.
It is a wonderful forum with some very informative threads.

If you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Again, welcome to CC. I know you can do this!

MCDerin,
Volunteer Moderator

Thank you so much for the suggestions and the welcome. I feel better now knowing that I am not alone and that I am welcome here (I have to admit I was a bit worried considering my situation).

 

I look forward to getting to know others, supporting others and receiving support as well. It will be a long hard journey, but one worth taking. Thank you again!