I'm confused - Al Roker just confused me [Archive]

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Sandie_Zitkus

01-10-2006, 08:14 AM

I'm up (don't know why) it's 9:15 am - I'm watching the Today show. OK so there is Al doing a diet segment. He's back up to 240lbs. and he wants to lose 20.

Am I mistaken? I'm confused.

Didn't Al have WLS??

What's the deal???????

Jane

01-10-2006, 08:16 AM

I have a friend (post WLS) who is back up to 450.

ThatFatGirl

01-10-2006, 09:19 AM

That tiny little pouch of a stomach they give you can get stretched back out... it happens to many.

* waits for a moderator to move this to the WLS board. *

toni

01-10-2006, 12:21 PM

WOW, I can see someone really has it in for WLS :shocked: :rolleyes:

TraciJo67

01-10-2006, 12:45 PM

Sandie, I'm going to assume that you are not being sarcastic, and are genuinely confused.

It appears that you don't know that people who have WLS can regain weight. It is particularly common about 2 years out from surgery. People can and do regain.

Al is still far, far (FAR) from the weight he once was. You can see that he still looks quite trim -- as of December 2005 - by looking at his online journal, which provides photos.

Bounceback weight gain is very common. Most people regain at least 15-20 pounds. Most are able to keep at least 50% of what they lost off permanently, as per statistics published.

Miss Vickie

01-10-2006, 03:01 PM

WOW, I can see someone really has it in for WLS :shocked: :rolleyes:

It's a hobby. What can I say? ;)

toni

01-10-2006, 03:15 PM

obviously :p lol

olivefun

01-10-2006, 03:21 PM

I understand that 100% of people who die as a result of WLS do not regain any of the weight.

Miss Vickie

01-10-2006, 03:36 PM

That tiny little pouch of a stomach they give you can get stretched back out... it happens to many.

* waits for a moderator to move this to the WLS board. *

I asked about this because the increase in what we can eat is so common across the board, and often 6-12 months out. My doc said that actually the stomach grows back all on its own, regardless of how much a person eats. What overeating will do, though, is stretch the stoma (hole) at the bottom of the stomach, which allows food to then slide on down, so the person is hungry all the time. This is one reason why the DS is a superior surgery, in my opinion; it preserves the sphincter muscle at the bottom of the stomach, so there's no stretchy stoma to worry about. OTOH, there are significantly higher rates of malabsorption because so much more of the intestine is bypassed.

Wayne_Zitkus

01-10-2006, 04:36 PM

I understand that 100% of people who die as a result of WLS do not regain any of the weight.
How true.

:doh:

Sandie_Zitkus

01-10-2006, 04:56 PM

WOW, I can see someone really has it in for WLS :shocked: :rolleyes:

No Toni - I am asking a genuine question. But you can read it any way you choose. ;)

Sandie_Zitkus

01-10-2006, 04:59 PM

I was being seruious Traci - thanks.

I did know people gain weight back after WLS - I did not know Al would be back on TV so soon touting a new weight loss book after having WLS.

So if you still have to diet after WLS - then I really don't get it.

BUt whatever. I hasve it IN for WLS!! LOL like I have the power to stop any of it! LOL

Sandie, I'm going to assume that you are not being sarcastic, and are genuinely confused.

It appears that you don't know that people who have WLS can regain weight. It is particularly common about 2 years out from surgery. People can and do regain.

Al is still far, far (FAR) from the weight he once was. You can see that he still looks quite trim -- as of December 2005 - by looking at his online journal, which provides photos.

Bounceback weight gain is very common. Most people regain at least 15-20 pounds. Most are able to keep at least 50% of what they lost off permanently, as per statistics published.

TraciJo67

01-10-2006, 05:45 PM

Sandie, people who have WLS very definitely must watch what they eat, or they will regain weight. It's not a magical cure, it's just a tool that helps people to lose a lot of weight rapidly. I was told that a lifetime maintenance diet for me would be 1200 calories, which is quite a severe caloric restriction. Fortunately, my metabolism seems better than that. I can eat significantly more without worrying about weight gain - around 2000 calories, which is an average intake for an active female. In the past two months, I've gained 16 pounds. I've since lost 3 of them (though I am not dieting - I think it's just that some of that weight is fluid retention).

Still, I am never hungry. Never. I'm lucky - most people regain that hunger mechanism within a year (and some never lose it at all). That is a very powerful diet aid. I failed so miserably in the past because I was hungry all the time - stomach rumbling, physically uncomfortable, "I can't stop thinking about food" hungry. I am not, at all.

Second, there is still an aspect of malabsorption to my caloric intake. I can't handle a high volume of fat or sugar. My body just doesn't process it. I'm with Vickie in that I don't think malabsorption is the horror it's often made out to be. Americans as a whole absorb far, far too many fat, sugar and carbs. My lab values are normal. I'm absorbing enough. I'm lucky.

Third, I'm no longer 150 lbs overweight. Psychologically, it is far easier to shed 10 extra pounds. I felt overwhelmed and defeated when I had that much weight to lose. When the despair reached an intolerable enough level, I'd sometimes muster the willpower (and self hatred) to go on a starvation diet, and I'd shed 25-50 pounds. Ultimately, I'd fall off the wagon, and I'd regain all that I lost (and then some). I have a powerful incentive to keep myself in check so that I do not ever get back to the point where I'm 100+ pounds over my ideal. Early on, I sought counseling for my eating disorder. I am now a member of a weekly support group. I am determined that I will not go back to that unhappy place.

Fourth, I can exercise now, because I no longer have pain in my weight-bearing joints, back, legs & feet. In fact, I like to exercise. In the summer time, it is very easy for me to stay active because I love riding my bike, roller skating, going on nature hikes, swimming. It is more difficult in the winter, because I do not like going to the gym or using my treadmill, and those are the only real exercise options open to me. In any event, exercise was not a viable option for me when I was heavy. I can remember working in downtown Minneapolis and making excuses to eat lunch at my desk, rather than go out to eat with my friendly coworkers, because I could not keep up with them when they walked to their regular restaurant, which was 4 blocks away. How my life has changed since then.

Sure, I can understand how my choice would not be palatable to many people. Eating restrictions aren't fun, nor is it much of a picnic when I get sick. Possible complications are always looming in my future, and I have to be hyper-vigalant about my health. My supplements are very expensive -- about $60 per month, and it's a hassle to remember to take them daily. The surgery experience was itself very painful. Believe me, I understand that it's not an easy choice & not the best one for many people. There's plenty of medical evidence that *should* give people considering it a lot of pause. I just don't think that it should be completely dismissed as an option; however, I would agree with you that it should be an option of last resort -- as defined by one's primary physician/unvested medical professionals (not bariatric surgeons, who do have a vested interest).

fatlane

01-10-2006, 05:51 PM

He started putting it back on after he got blown over in Katrina. He figured if he was gonna cover another hurricane, he was going up against the storm on more equal terms.

olivefun

01-10-2006, 05:53 PM

I am sorry, I was kidding about the surgery. It was my lame way to deal with worry about this option for people.

A dear friend's mother died as a result of complications of WLS.

I understand how tempting this might be for people and have no interest in making light of it.

Sorry for my clumsy attempt at lightening up the topic, which for me is very very serious indeed.

I have weighed way more than I do, and way less too. I have finally found a spot where i like my big belly and my size a lot. Would I take a magic pill to lose weight, if there were no consequences? I wonder.

Miss Vickie

01-10-2006, 06:46 PM

What Traci said, 'cause she's so damn smart. WLS is a tool, one that can easily be used and abused. In fact, I've already found ways to work around it (drinking with meals is one, milkshakes are another). I still have to be careful about what I eat but the difference is that I'm not continuing to gain weight while being vigilant about what I eat. I like to actually see some success from my hard work.

Olive, I know you were kidding. The joke was in poor taste, but I wasn't offended -- believe me I've heard much worse (lately, in fact!) And yes, WLS is dangerous, and people do die. I'm in no way sugarcoating it or blaming the patient. Even in the best hands, crap happens and people die. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's mom.

And you're right -- this is a very serious topic. People's lives are hanging in the balance, which is why I feel it's so important to tell what I feel is the truth about it.

Again, my condolences. :(

Santaclear

01-10-2006, 07:41 PM

Is it so wrong to want Al Roker to eat pizza?

Miss Vickie

01-10-2006, 07:44 PM

Mmmm. I love pizza. And I'll bet he enjoys it too.

toni

01-10-2006, 09:51 PM

No Toni - I am asking a genuine question. But you can read it any way you choose. ;)

Sandie, all of your "genuine" questions seem very sarcastic in nature. :D

Santaclear

01-10-2006, 10:04 PM

Hmmmmmm....so is Al Roker God and is it wrong to feed Pat Robertson pizza while barking at the splendor? :confused:

Santaclear

01-10-2006, 10:06 PM

Sandie, all of your "genuine" questions seem very sarcastic in nature. :D

She's a crafty one, that Sandie. :p

Tina

01-10-2006, 10:06 PM

Mmmm... yummy pizza with a white sauce, spinach, zucchini, red onions and artichoke hearts, with lots of cheese.

Thanks, Russ, now you've got me hungry for pizza! :p

Sandie_Zitkus

01-10-2006, 10:09 PM

Sandie, all of your "genuine" questions seem very sarcastic in nature. :D

No that's how you're reading it - not how I asked it.:)

Sandie_Zitkus

01-10-2006, 10:11 PM

Hmmmmmm....so is Al Roker God and is it wrong to feed Pat Robertson pizza while barking at the splendor? :confused:

Not wrong but I think it might be a Pagan Furtility right.:doh:

Miss Vickie

01-10-2006, 10:37 PM

She's a crafty one, that Sandie. :p

Particularly since her husband already has all the answers about WLS. You know, how everyone gains their weight back and all. I should have gone to him with my pre-surgical questions, not my greedy sumbitch of a doc. ;)

Miss Vickie

01-10-2006, 10:39 PM

Mmmm... yummy pizza with a white sauce, spinach, zucchini, red onions and artichoke hearts, with lots of cheese.

Thanks, Russ, now you've got me hungry for pizza! :p

Oh great. Now you got me hungry. You had me at the white sauce. Can we have garlic on it? Puhleeeze.

Side note: I made a weird dinner tonight. It was basically chicken fettuccine alfredo, but with shells, not fettuccine. Then, I mixed it all up, tossed it in a baking dish, and sprinkled it with shredded parmesan cheese, pepper and paprika and baked it until it got a nice cheesy crust on it. Oh. My. God. It was lovely. So it was like mac 'n cheese. Alfredo. With chicken. I told ya it was weird.

Santaclear

01-11-2006, 02:03 AM

Oh great. Now you got me hungry. You had me at the white sauce. Can we have garlic on it? Puhleeeze.

Side note: I made a weird dinner tonight. It was basically chicken fettuccine alfredo, but with shells, not fettuccine. Then, I mixed it all up, tossed it in a baking dish, and sprinkled it with shredded parmesan cheese, pepper and paprika and baked it until it got a nice cheesy crust on it. Oh. My. God. It was lovely. So it was like mac 'n cheese. Alfredo. With chicken. I told ya it was weird.

Yessssss! The white sauce in Tina's post is what got me too! Soon as I got to it I started looking around the room, like "where am I gonna get this now?" And I wasn't even hungry. BOTH of these dinners (the pizza and yours tonight) sound really good!

moonvine

01-11-2006, 08:27 AM

Would I take a magic pill to lose weight, if there were no consequences? I wonder.

I would. In a red hot second. And I'm healthy as a horse. I just want to be able to date more and have a bigger variety of men to choose from.

Tina

01-11-2006, 09:03 AM

Oh great. Now you got me hungry. You had me at the white sauce. Can we have garlic on it? Puhleeeze.

Absolutely! How about some mild roasted garlic? And how's about you, Santaclear and I go out for pizza together? :D

Vick, that dish you made sounds fabulous! Bet it would be good with some mozzarella or provolone on it, too. Did you make the alfredo from scratch or use jar stuff? I'll have to try making it that way some time -- maybe with the whole wheat pasta.

Miss Vickie

01-11-2006, 09:32 AM

I make my own alfredo sauce -- basically a white sauce with shredded parmesan in it, as well as pepper, garlic and a dash of paprika for color. I sauteed the chicken in olive oil, onion, pepper, garlic and some white wine.

Mild roasted garlic on pizza is the best. Heck, I'll put it in anything. ;)

Tina

01-11-2006, 10:12 AM

For mine I used cream, butter and flour, salt, pepper, parmesean, and just a dash of garlic powder. Never tried paprika, though, not a bad idea. :) The chicken sounds great, too. :eat2:

ThatFatGirl

01-11-2006, 10:37 AM

I love that this discussion on weight loss surgery has turned into a conversation about pizza and creamy alfredo sauces... rather apropos to this site :)

Miss Vickie

01-11-2006, 10:43 AM

I know, I was thinking the same thing. It just goes to show that you can take some of the fat off a girl's ass, but you can't take away her love of food. Not mine, anyway. ;)

Tina, I love paprika and put it in lots of things. I just like the warmth -- in color and taste -- that it adds. I've never added heavy cream to white sauces. I use 2 tbs butter, 4 tbs flour, and then 1-2 cups of milk and a dash of white wine. Then I'll add whatever spices I like -- pepper, garlic (powder or mushed up roasted), paprika, sometimes mustard powder, it just depends. Without the heavy cream it's probably not as yummy as yours, but it's a little more cholesterol friendly. ;) I use the same sauce to make mac and cheese, too. I just add in lots of cheddar cheese instead of parmesan.

Tina

01-11-2006, 04:35 PM

Heh. Good point, TFG. :)

Yeah, that heavy cream definitely makes it more fattening. Sometimes I use half & half, but I've never tried it with milk, because I was afraid it would be too thin. It's okay that way, huh?

chocolate desire

01-12-2006, 11:44 AM

He started putting it back on after he got blown over in Katrina. He figured if he was gonna cover another hurricane, he was going up against the storm on more equal terms.

haha thats to funny.I really enjoy your posts.

FitChick

01-12-2006, 03:03 PM

Sandie_Zitkus

01-12-2006, 03:34 PM

FitChick

01-12-2006, 03:39 PM

If I were you - I'd duck!!! LOL:shocked:

LOL! But isn't what I said TRUE?

TraciJo67

01-12-2006, 03:43 PM

I don't understand....if WLS patients need to carefully watch their diet AFTER surgery, why not just learn how to do it BEFORE it and save all the health risk and expense???

I mean, if they are able to do it afterwards, that means they should be able to do it before as well, right? And if so many end up gaining all their weight back, then evidently the WLS did not cure the REAL problem (which is obsessive eating), but simply put a Band-Aid on it.

I've spent a whole lot of time explaining exactly why WLS is a viable option for some of us. Did you even read what I wrote? Because I think it was quite thorough, and it answered your questions. I'm not going to answer them again. There comes a time when you realize that people who don't want to be convinced aren't going to let a few pesky facts bother them :rolleyes:

Sandie_Zitkus

01-12-2006, 03:54 PM

LOL! But isn't what I said TRUE?

Well yeah but that won't stop the attacks. Been there done that you're on your own honey - God Speed!! lol

LarryTheShiveringChipmunk

01-12-2006, 04:14 PM

*chases the fit one on the bike* WHEEEEEE

toni

01-12-2006, 04:27 PM

Well yeah but that won't stop the attacks. Been there done that you're on your own honey - God Speed!! lol

OMG!!! Who attacked you? :shocked:
D-R-A-M-A!!!! :eek:

Sandie_Zitkus

01-12-2006, 04:37 PM

OMG!!! Who attacked you? :shocked:
D-R-A-M-A!!!! :eek:

Oh no - someone has no sense of humor! LOL

LarryTheShiveringChipmunk

01-12-2006, 04:39 PM

YAY! Drama on a board! FIGHT FIGHT!

Sandie_Zitkus

01-12-2006, 04:51 PM

YAY! Drama on a board! FIGHT FIGHT!

Oh Chippy - you're so funny. You know what's the best thing about these news boards?? The IGNORE feature. No more drama!! LOL:doh:

TheSadeianLinguist

01-12-2006, 05:37 PM

Great, revolutionary new idea: Do whatever the hell you think is right for you.

Miss Vickie

01-12-2006, 05:55 PM

I don't understand....if WLS patients need to carefully watch their diet AFTER surgery, why not just learn how to do it BEFORE it and save all the health risk and expense???

Okay, one more time. Because for many of us, even with watching our diets and exercise, we STILL continue to gain weight. I ate a whole foods diet of 1500 calories a day and weighed over 300 pounds, and was gaining close to 10 pounds a year. With exercise (that is, until my mobility was compromised by... you guessed it... the weight).

I mean, if they are able to do it afterwards, that means they should be able to do it before as well, right? And if so many end up gaining all their weight back, then evidently the WLS did not cure the REAL problem (which is obsessive eating), but simply put a Band-Aid on it.

I'm able to do it now because my stomach is roughly the size of a golf ball. I can only eat about 1/2 cup of food at any given time. That means that I can eat within the "means" that allow me to lose weight (less than 1000) calories a day. I also can't absorb all of the fat and carbs (and nutrients, unfortunately) that I could before, which ALSO led to weight gain.

Make sense now?

And no it's not curing the fact that my body wants to be fat and will gain weight, given any opportunity; I leave that to the geneticists and endocrinologists. However, it is a tool -- as we've all said numerous times -- to help control our weight when it takes extreme measures to do that.

Capische?

Miss Vickie

01-12-2006, 05:57 PM

Oh no - someone has no sense of humor! LOL

Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

Toni, any vigorous defense of one's ideas is, in Sandie's mind, a personal attack. Get used to it. I know I have. :rolleyes:

Because, you know, it's alllll about her.

So how's the weight loss going? You liking your band?

Miss Vickie

01-12-2006, 05:58 PM

Oh Chippy - you're so funny. You know what's the best thing about these news boards?? The IGNORE feature. No more drama!! LOL:doh:

Would that that were true. Some people just don't seem to be able to post without high drama. It's a hobby, I suppose. Oh well. After years of it, in many different venues, I'm used to it. I'd use the ignore feature but it's actually pretty amusing to me.

And Larry, I love your radio station. It rocks!

TraciJo67

01-12-2006, 06:01 PM

All the drama!

I gotta say, I'm digging it too. What that says about the excitement level in my personal life .... well, I just don't wanna know :D

toni

01-12-2006, 07:35 PM

Oh Chippy - you're so funny. You know what's the best thing about these news boards?? The IGNORE feature. No more drama!! LOL:doh:

Is that a threat? I did not know I was soooooooo special! :wubu:

toni

01-12-2006, 07:51 PM

Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

Toni, any vigorous defense of one's ideas is, in Sandie's mind, a personal attack. Get used to it. I know I have. :rolleyes:

Because, you know, it's alllll about her.

So how's the weight loss going? You liking your band?

I just don't get it, every backhanded comment is cloaked a joke or a question. I feel we have been very diplomatic in our defense of WLS. We have listed the pro's and the con's in every post. The opposing view has done nothing but spew horror stories with little more than personal opinion to back it up, YET we are the bad ones and we are attacking. I JUST DO NOT GET IT!!! :doh:

ANYWAY, lol

I actually had the RNY not the lapband. It will be one month on the 14th and I am down 32 lbs. I feel great!!! I had such little pain after the surgery, I am still shocked. I go for my labs next week and just keeping my eyes out for anything that feels weird.

Tina

01-12-2006, 10:50 PM

LOL! But isn't what I said TRUE?

No, it isn't, and you obviously have not been reading the posts in this thread, Anita. If someone like Vickie can GAIN weight on 1,500 calories per day, while getting plenty of exercise as a nurse and mother, then further help is needed. Willpower can only go so far, and hunger pangs can only be ignored for so long. If your stomach is smaller, you are able to get by with fewer calories and not feel that hunger.

FitChick

01-13-2006, 05:45 AM

No, it isn't, and you obviously have not been reading the posts in this thread, Anita. If someone like Vickie can GAIN weight on 1,500 calories per day, while getting plenty of exercise as a nurse and mother, then further help is needed. Willpower can only go so far, and hunger pangs can only be ignored for so long. If your stomach is smaller, you are able to get by with fewer calories and not feel that hunger.

I wonder if what happened to me then, is similar to what happens artificially to WLS patients? Because after I trained myself 5 years ago to get by on less food, I find that if I do try to eat more NOW, I can't, my stomach gets really sick and it feels like a hiatal hernia sometimes. Maybe my stomach shrunk just from not being used as much?

olivefun

01-13-2006, 06:02 AM

All I know is that one never knows.

I am fully aware of how simplistic and naiive that sounds but it is true for me.

I cannot imagine why WLS is right or not right for someone else.
Hell, I have a hard enough time deciding on whether this muffin is good for me.

We learn as much as we can and make plans as we see fit.
Sometimes we make the wrong decisions.

Oh well.

Sometimes we make a series of mistakes.

Sometimes something that is so easy for us is very impossible, or merely difficult for someone else.

Is riding a bike hard?
Well, for some people yes, for some people no.

LillyBBBW

01-13-2006, 07:42 AM

I wonder if what happened to me then, is similar to what happens artificially to WLS patients? Because after I trained myself 5 years ago to get by on less food, I find that if I do try to eat more NOW, I can't, my stomach gets really sick and it feels like a hiatal hernia sometimes. Maybe my stomach shrunk just from not being used as much?

I've heard that before and have experienced it myself a time or two in my innumerable attempts to lose weight. I'm not sure if it's scientifically sound to call it that but it is definitely a common phenomenon. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to last very long. Sometimes a bad spell through your time of month can turn you into a fiendish monster looking for salty sweet comfort foods and then your "shrunken stomach" is history. I tend to be a very disciplined kind of person so it was very easy for me to follow a program or a system and get to that point. I blame my weightloss failure on the office Christmas party, the vacation I took in Florida, the wedding I went to in August and other such things. You go to these places where there is all this temptation, stuff you've never tried, etc. I remember a time I went to a party and resisted everything, following all the rules they teach you on how to avoid overindulging at parties, and the next day I was so mad with myself because I was the only poor sap who didn't try the apple crisp. Everyone was talking about that thing saying it was the best apple crisp they'd ever had in their lives. :mad:

If you break the cycle even once you can just about kiss your months of hard work and discipline goodbye. After a while you just get tired of living like that. Tired of worrying all the time about food: who's got it, who's going to give it to you, what you're going to eat when you get there, what if there's ice cream there, and all that stuff. I craved things I never even liked before, my stomach growled in church and I always had a metallic taste in my mouth with breath that was simply ghastly. Some people can endure this wretched existence, I'm not one of them.

I am not in favor of weight loss surgery personally. But I can understand how one would be compelled to consider it if they absolutely *had* to lose weight or else.

Tina

01-13-2006, 09:35 AM

Tina

01-13-2006, 09:36 AM

Is riding a bike hard?
Well, for some people yes, for some people no.

Riding my stationary bike gave me heel spurs -- one of the most painful experiences of my life.

olivefun

01-13-2006, 09:43 AM

I have gotten them in my heels, shoulders and in my fingers too. The doctor injects cortisone into my joints and I SCREAM from pain, and then it is hard for a while. I so try not to by taking pain killers and valium..

I feel your pain (literally)

:eek:

Miss Vickie

01-13-2006, 11:17 AM

I actually had the RNY not the lapband. It will be one month on the 14th and I am down 32 lbs. I feel great!!! I had such little pain after the surgery, I am still shocked. I go for my labs next week and just keeping my eyes out for anything that feels weird.

Duh, I'm sorry Toni. :doh: Musta been that brain damage caused by my RNY. ;) I thought you got the band for a minute there. I'm glad you're doing so well. I was surprised about how good I felt, too. I had very little pain and no real sickness to speak of (and how lucky I was/am, I know -- I figured I'd have every side effect in the book).

Now if I could only get my "girlie business" under control, I'd be unstoppable.

Miss Vickie

01-13-2006, 11:19 AM

I cannot imagine why WLS is right or not right for someone else.
Hell, I have a hard enough time deciding on whether this muffin is good for me.

Bra-voh.

Is riding a bike hard?
Well, for some people yes, for some people no.

I think individual experiences are a beautiful thing. How dull life would be if we all did/thought/said the same thing.

olivefun

01-13-2006, 11:23 AM

Duh, I'm sorry Toni. :doh: Musta been that brain damage caused by my RNY. ;) I thought you got the band for a minute there. I'm glad you're doing so well. I was surprised about how good I felt, too. I had very little pain and no real sickness to speak of (and how lucky I was/am, I know -- I figured I'd have every side effect in the book).

Now if I could only get my "girlie business" under control, I'd be unstoppable.

sorry would you do a bit of translation for me?
RNY? Band? Girlie biz?

Sorry, I feel a little lost since I lost the vocabulary sheet.

Olive

Miss Vickie

01-13-2006, 11:37 AM

sorry would you do a bit of translation for me?
RNY? Band? Girlie biz?

Sorry, I feel a little lost since I lost the vocabulary sheet.

Olive

Oops, sorry.

RNY - Rouey en Y (my spelling is bad but I've been up for .. um... too many hours to count, so sorry 'bout that) is the fancy pants name for the type of gastric bypass surgery I had which involves bypassing a certain (variable) amount of intestine, creating a "y" shape; I know I'm not explaining it well -- sorry. "Band" is the lap band -- an adjustable silicone band they place around the top of the stomach to control how much food can be eaten, an alternative to the bypass.

"Girlie bits" is shorthand for my never ending, 30 plus year love hate relationship with my uterus, which seems to think it's a good idea to bleed -- any time, all the time, for copious amounts, particularly as I've a) gotten closer to menopause, and b) lost a bit of weight, which has kind of messed with my hormones. Right now it thinks it's winning but I'm getting the upper hand. I tell ya, if it hadn't helped me give birth to three fabulous kids, I'd be giving it a stern talking to right now. ;)

moonvine

01-13-2006, 12:04 PM

I craved things I never even liked before,

Isn't that strange? I had the same thing hapen to me. I remember being on one diet or another and HAVING TO HAVE a hot dog. I mean claw your eyes out have to have one. And I HATE hot dogs.

Now that I allow myself to eat what I want, I never have food cravings. It is very freeing..

Jes

01-13-2006, 01:42 PM

Not sure why I'm posting here, but:

sometimes, I really, really crave McDonald'scheeseburgers (I'm not opposed to them, but they don't make up a staple in my diet). I'm convinced, now, that I'm really just craving salt, and my mind tells me it's the McD! I could be wrong, but...

Miss Vickie

01-13-2006, 02:36 PM

Cravings are funny, aren't they? My hubby and I are in disagreement about whether they're the body's wisdom (my idea) and some sort of psychological desire (his). I think when I crave chocolate that I have a chocolate deficiency. Strangely, he disagrees. ;)

Strangely, since my WLS I crave salt like I never EVER did before. In fact I used to have a huge aversion to salt; I never salted food and only sometimes salted my cooking (at my hubby's request, who'd finally convinced me that yes, indeed, it did enhance the flavor of food). But since WLS? Oh. My. God. Pretzels, crackers, salted hard boiled eggs, salted soft boiled eggs, salted french fries, just SALT. Got to have SALT. LOTS of salt. It's very weird.

My other craving? Ice. I chew ice incessantly, always have. Come to find out, it's a form of pica and is related to iron deficiency. Go figure, since I've been chronically anemic since adolescence. Huh.

And I tell you, I was never so "hungry" as when I was dieting. It's weird how i could go from "food, take it or leave it" to "gotta have it NOW! Lots of it! Gimme!!!"

FitChick

01-13-2006, 05:15 PM

Isn't that strange? I had the same thing hapen to me. I remember being on one diet or another and HAVING TO HAVE a hot dog. I mean claw your eyes out have to have one. And I HATE hot dogs.

Now that I allow myself to eat what I want, I never have food cravings. It is very freeing..

I call it "The Garden of Eden Syndrome". Adam and Eve were told, "You can eat any fruit you want EXCEPT the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil". So what did Eve say? "Hmm, that ONE TREE seems pretty good to eat from!"

Its why diets don't work....the more you are told you cannot have something, the more you want it. Once you feel you CAN have anything you want, the desire usually leaves. Its why even though I have IBS and should not eat average to large amts of dietary fat, I still DO eat SOME, because if I tell myself I can't have ANY, I may splurge and get sick.

LarryTheShiveringChipmunk

01-13-2006, 05:34 PM

hehe yeah ignore buttons are fun. i put one on my site too and it helped ALOT.

and thanks Vix for the radio compliment (:

LillyBBBW

01-14-2006, 07:49 AM

I once spent $15 for a baloney and cheese sandwich. One afternoon at work I wanted a baloney and cheese sandwich with Miracle Whip SO badly, and I wanted it to be made with the bookends of the bread loaf. I ran around and bought a loaf of bread, some cheese and baloney at the deli counter and a jar of Miracle Whip. I made two sandwiches and the rest of the stuff went into the fridge till I finally threw them out at the end of the week.

I don't know where this craving comes from, I never eat that. But like a bolt of lightening I just had to have this sandwich. I get this particular craving once a year, sometimes with a can of Campbell's Tomato soup to go with it. I won't eat it ordinarily if it's placed before me but out of nowhere this craving will come and I'll start running.

Tina

01-14-2006, 12:18 PM

*sigh* See, I never eat this, too, but baloney with Miracle Whip (I usually only eat Best Foods/Hellman's), on white bread only (something I never eat any more) is one of those things for me, too, and now I want one. THANKS!!! :p I like lettuce on mine, though. I also do this with liverwurst, and also fried Spam sandwiches -- want it made the same way, with the same VERY infrequent frequency. What's with this craving for, as a friend says, snouts and asses? And yeah, where the heck does it come from? Odd.

olivefun

01-14-2006, 12:25 PM

I call it "The Garden of Eden Syndrome". Adam and Eve were told, "You can eat any fruit you want EXCEPT the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil". So what did Eve say? "Hmm, that ONE TREE seems pretty good to eat from!"
.

Hey that is really brilliant!

Thanks for that.

Yeah, saying I cannot have something is the best way to get me to really yearn for it. It is more than reverse psychology.

Miss Vickie

01-14-2006, 01:38 PM

Mmmmmm. Miracle Whip. Nectar of the god(desse)s. For breakfast today I had half an onion bagel smeared with Miracle Whip and creamy horseradish, piled high with rare (gotta be rare) roast beef, and covered with sharp cheddar. I slapped that bad boy in the microwave until it became a gooey mess of yumminess.

It was divine. Not the healthiest thing on the planet, but oh well. It fed my soul. ;)

Tina

01-14-2006, 01:53 PM

Wow, that sounds great, Vick. I still haven't eaten yet -- about to go in and get something, but I'm not sure what.

FitChick

01-14-2006, 03:48 PM

Hey that is really brilliant!

Thanks for that.

Yeah, saying I cannot have something is the best way to get me to really yearn for it. It is more than reverse psychology.

It applies to LOTS of things, not just food! I personally think a lot of the problems humanity has can be traced back to that syndrome.:D

My one addiction is to diet Pepsi. I really want to go without it, but the more I try, the more I crave it (esp. with pizza or Mexican food). I want to avoid it because of the phosphoric acid (leaches calcium from bones, and at my age I need to hang onto whatever calcium I've got!) I try to drink only water and lots of it daily, as I did a few years ago. I found too that when I drank lots of water all day, my desire for food went way down. I felt better too!