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I wrote a blog a year or so ago about Splenda and how it affected my belly (symptoms were like I had an ulcer). Well, it's not just Splenda. Over the course of the last year and a half all was well but then Truvia started bothering me. I thought it would be safe because it was 'natural' but I started having the exact same symptoms as Splenda caused. So I looked at the ingredients and found this info about Truvia. Extremely interesting and enlightening:

Let’s take a look at those three ingredients that make up Truvia:

1) Erythritol: A sugar alcohol which is made by processing genetically modified corn; this is the primary ingredient in Truvia. Sugar alcohols are notoriously known for their unpleasant side effects. Our bodies do a poor job at digesting sugar alcohols (which is why they are lower in calories), but because they aren’t completely digested, they hang out in our intestines where they are fermented by colonic bacteria. The by-products of fermentation include gastric distress, diarrhea, cramping, gas and bloating. Yuck. That’s ingredient #1.

2) Rebiana: Half of one percent of Truvia is Rebiana. The truth is that the only reason Truvia can mention anything about Stevia is because Rebiana is derived from a Stevia plant. But again, don’t be fooled. Rebiana is certainly not the same thing as Stevia. It is a molecule of the stevia plant. Furthermore, Rebiana is actually 400 times sweeter than sugar, but you’ll notice that Truvia is only twice as sweet as sugar. If you do the math, you’ll see that if a container of Truvia was divided into 200 parts, 199 of them would be Erythritol and only one would be Rebiana (which, again, isn’t even Stevia, but a mere molecule of the Stevia plant). In conclusion, Truvia is mostly Erythritol with a touch of a molecule of Stevia. Ingredient #2.

3) Natural Flavors. What does that mean? That’s a good question, and your guess is as good as mine. As you may already know, the term NATURAL is not FDA-regulated, therefore there are no standards when using this word. Maybe this is why you’ll find the word NATURAL all over the packaging and promotion of Truvia—on their products, website and advertising campaigns. This is a perfect example of how the term NATURAL is used to deceive consumers, as nothing about Truvia is natural. The makers of Truvia are incredibly good at stretching the truth, along with other types of marketing deception such as using pictures of leaves and the color green on Truvia’s packaging and website, making it look NATURAL and oh-so-similar to Stevia. It’s no wonder that when most people learn that Truvia and Stevia are two dreadfully different products they feel as if a bomb was dropped.

So yeah.....I'm done with Truvia and all the other sweeteners that contain sugar alcohol. I hunted thru every single Stevia product at the grocery store and found only ONE that is actually Stevia without some form of sugar alcohol in it: Sweet Leaf. It's ingredients are Insulin Soluble Fiber and Organic Stevia Extract. The first ingredient is from vegetables....a good thing. So far I've had none of the symptoms and I've been using Sweet Leaf a couple days.

So what is the lesson? Gastric bypass issues can pop up/continue at any time. I'm over 8.5 years out and my body just started reacting to something it never reacted to before. WEIRD is an understatement. But I'm still not sorry I got the surgery. :)

I totally forgot that it was my surgery anniversary until ObesityHelp sent me a reminder email. That says a lot....and not in a good way. The fact that I forgot means I haven't been using my tool. It means I regressed and am doing exactly what I was doing before surgery. It means I've forgotten what I learned...ignored the signals my body sends me. Translation? I've gained a few pounds. Not insurmountable, don't get me wrong, but still....a few pounds more than I like. I'm 5'8". Before surgery my weight was 264. After surgery my absolute lowest was 129, which was WAY too low for my height and bone structure. I fluctuated around 135 for years. Then it crept up to 140...145...150. Still not a big deal because before surgery the nutritionist wanted my weight to be 155. I hit that 155 and it still kept creeping up slowly. Right now I fluctuate between 165 and 170, which I DO NOT LIKE. I can't wear some of my clothes now and the ones I cram myself into, I shouldn't. It's very upsetting but I know it's 100% my own fault. I don't have much to lose, but it's not as easy as it was 7, 5, even 3 years ago. It's a struggle to do the right thing, eat and drink the right things, get off my ass and MOVE. The latter I haven't really done at all since my surgery. I know if I exercised it would help keep the weight off, but ultimately it's what I'm putting into my mouth that's making me gain/not lose. I know that I will never EVER get to where I was weight-wise before the surgery, but I don't like where I'm at. I don't like the lack of self-control. I don't like what I look like, what I feel like. HOWEVER, all that being said, I know that I still have that magical tool. All I have to do is start paying attention to it and go back to the basics. I can feel the 5-Day Pouch Test coming. I also may try to do one of those 'cleanse' things that I keep hearing about. Time for this girl to stop struggling and regain control!!!

After experiencing something randomly over the last 4 or 5 years I FINALLY figured out what the heck it's called: Reactive Hypoglycemia. It's been so random that I never associated it with anything. Symptoms were always the same: shakiness, heart racing, sweating profusely, but it wasn't due to not eating, so I wasn't sure if it was my blood sugar. A few months back I got a blood test kit so that if this ever happened again I'd see if it was actually my blood sugar. I measured my blood sugar at 110 when I was having no symptoms. Last night these symptoms happened at home so after eventually finding the kit and testing myself, my blood sugar was 60! WOW. So I immediately ate a few things and within minutes the symptoms went away. Hunting around the internet I finally saw something that associates the low blood sugar to gastric bypass patients and it's called reactive hypoglycemia.

"Reactive hypoglycemia is common after gastric bypass surgery because of the lack of a pylorus. Following gastric bypass, food passes through the pouch via the stoma. In many cases, this can occur relatively rapidly, leading to quick absorption of carbohydrates in the small intestine. Under normal circumstances, the pylorus gradually introduces food into the small intestine. Following gastric bypass, the mechanism for moderation is removed, and food is “dumped” into the small intestine. This is the same mechanism behind dumping syndrome."

So basically when I eat nothing but junk (last night being Chinese noodles and a couple junk snacks) the body reacts. It takes hours but when it happens it happens VERY FAST and there's not much you can do but ride it out. Very scary but thankfully I know what it is now and I know how to avoid it: eat what I'm supposed to eat. I know that's a big DUH but you get lax and forget. This is my body's not so gentle reminder that I can't eat like I used to once upon a time. I kinda like it. :)

Cannot believe it's been 7 years since I had my gastric bypass! Time truly flies. Nothing really exciting has happened this year...same old struggles: not exercising, eating a few things I shouldn't, snacking, eating more than I should, not drinking enough water, carrying around a few more lbs. than I'd like. HOWEVER, on the positive side, Mark and Dr. Lord are thrilled that I've kept off over 75% of my weight, consistently. My weight really has been about the same for a few years. I don't like where it's at when I consider where I was a year or 2 after surgery, but when I compare it to 7.5 years ago, I'm thrilled. It kind of makes me sad when I see people 5 years out, 10 years out, 15 years out and they've gained back a bunch of weight. It makes me sad. I definitely don't want to be one of those statistics and will do what I have to do to stay under a certain weight and maintain that 75% weight loss (or more!).  Would I do it again? Definitely.

This year has been a challenge in many ways. As far as my eating habits I must say they have been CRAP. It's so easy to forget that you're supposed to stay away from the bad stuff, especially when you can eat it with no repercussions. At least, not at that moment. The repercussions of eating what you want and eating too much (because you've ceased listening to your body), is weight gain. I haven't gained alot, but enough that my clothes are tight. And it pisses me off. REALLY pisses me off. SOOOO, a couple weeks ago I started drinking my water again, trying to watch my portions, listening to my body. I'm still not doing great at these things, but I am trying and I'm steering away from the junk food. I also started doing more protein again, either the shakes or protein bars...trying to do that as a meal replacement daily but that's going to take getting used to again. What's weird is that I still have no hunger pangs...ever.  I crave various things but it's not hunger...I just eat because it's time. Stupid excuse to eat. Habits...they never really die, they just hibernate. Anyhow, I refuse to weigh more than a certain amount so I am determined to stay focused and lose that pesky 5 lbs I put on this year.  Funny isn't it? I'm worried about gaining 5 lbs. Guess we have to keep things in perspective. It's an awesome problem to only need to lose 5 or 10 lbs vs. 130.

WOW! Can't believe it's been 5 years since my surgery! I've maintained my weight for a a couple years. I go up and down a few pounds either side of 150, which is no big deal. When I gain weight I usually know exactly what I did...ate too much bread products and didn't drink enough water. If I watch the bread and don't snack on junk I usually can lose 10 lbs in a couple days. It's crazy. I used to have such a hard time losing weight and now it's a piece of cake, it really is. What's cool too is that when I lose those 10 lbs I always have someone who asks if I've lost weight. Someone can actually notice if I lose 10 lbs? I remember back when I lost 20, 30, even 40 lbs and nobody noticed. Having a gastric bypass is still the best thing I ever did for myself and I'm incredibly happy with how I feel, inside and out. :)

I have 4 words for you "5 Day Pouch Test"....AWESOME!!! I started seeing my weight creep up because of crappy habits I let myself get back into. Random munching on crap, eating more than I should, not drinking enough water, not paying attention to what I ate in terms of getting enough nutrients...you name it I was doing it all.  And doing it all WRONG. Definitely down a path of self-destruction and self-sabotage. My low weight once upon a time was 129. Keep in mind that the nutritionist at Sacred Heart said my goal weight was 150. 129 was only for a minute. I stayed at 135-139 for 2.5 years then magically one day the weight started going up. Very slowly. I didn't mind being at 145 or so because all my clothes still fit and I actually looked GOOD, not like I was too skinny. Then it crept up to 150...155...then at the doctor's a few weeks ago it said 160. I was like "OH HELL NO!!" I had read online about something called the 5 Day Pouch Test (http://www.5daypouchtest.com/) and had thought about doing it but not enough to DO it. Well, 160 was the motivator. It's very simple really...it forces you to do what you did in the beginning after surgery, going thru the stages in a few days, ridding your body of the need for sugars and carbs and reaquainting yourself to your insides again...if that makes sense. After surgery I always could feel when I had too much and never ever overate. I always drank my water and stopped 30 min before I ate and didn't drink again until 30 min after. The 5 Day Pouch Test forced me to do all that again and it's amazing how on-track I am now, even a week after I completed it. Anyhow,  I started it a week and a half ago. In 5 days I lost 12 lbs. Yeah...crazy shit. Anyhow, it's a week or so later and I'm still sitting at 148. My clothes fit again and I REFUSE to get back in the bad habits again. I'm drinking more water, less caffeine, trying to eat more protein, eating only 6 oz, listening to my body, weighing myself regularly again, and not munching! If I feel the need for something munchy and crunchy I'm picking high protein choices...nuts and protein bars. Right now I feel amazing and back on track...like I have control again. And it only took 5 days. It's crazy how I still have instilled in me that "you've gained weight lard-ass...so what's the point, you're a failure, you'll always be fat" voice and the hopelessness/helplessness that goes along with it. That's what kept me fat before. It is not happening again because that voice and what it's saying is full of crap. I am a strong person and I've come too far to let myself go back. Repeating the overused phrase "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels". Those words are so true. :)  I'll never give up and never go back!

When everyone tells you that WLS is not a magical fix, believe them. It is definitely an awesome tool that makes you drop the weight...fast. BUT, after awhile the old habits, the unthinking eating when you aren't hungry, come back if you are a normal human being. I tell you what....IT SUCKS. I have never, since day one of my surgery, been hungry. I have never felt a hunger pang...seriously, yet I still snack. I still eat when I'm not hungry. WHY? It is very frustrating to fall back into old ways of doing things, it really is. But it isn't hopeless. Yes, I've gained some weight. More than I like. I've gained enough that some of my clothes no longer fit me or are very tight. However, I'm actually at a weight that looks good on me. I've gained enough that my face has filled out some and the wrinkles aren't so noticeable...so that's a great thing! But still....I'd like to lose about 10 lbs. That sounds silly doesn't it. Remember the day that we had to lose at least 50 in order for anyone to even notice we'd lost a little? Now I want to lose 10 and people tell me I shouldn't...that I'll look to skinny. Kind of comical. So yeah, I guess I'm whining about gaining some, but I don't want to keep gaining. So I've started exercising. I'm starting out slow. I go to the gym M-F and do some light cardio...I have to work up to the sweating my ass off stuff. I do Nautilus machines to help build muscle. And I'm enjoying it all. I am also trying to consciously force myself to drink more water. That is something I have a hard time with. I know for a fact that if I do these 4 things I will get back to the weight I want to be: 1)  Exercise, 2) Drink lots of water, 3) stop snacking, 4) listen to my body. At the beginning, after you first have surgery, you are so in tune with your body. Now, I ignore when it tells me to stop eating...because I can. If I slow down, listen, and do what it tells me to do, it'll be a piece of cake to get back to where I want. I know I'll do it because I NEVER want to be fat again. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

The human body is an amazing thing...it learns to adapt, even if we don't want it to.

Negatives: I can eat alot more than I could 3 years ago; I can eat pretty much anything; weight is creeping up...weigh 152

Positives: I can't eat nearly what I could 4 years ago; most 'bad' foods I can only eat a couple bites of; current weight is still less than what the doctors/nutritionist thought I would/should get to.

Personally speaking, I lost waaaaay too much weight and looked bad. Tracy, the nutritionist when I was in presurgery mode, wanted me to drop from 264 (my high) to 155. I told her that I wanted to get to 145, which is perfect for my height. My low was 129, which scared the crap out of me. When I hit that weight I freaked out, called Tracy, and she gave me her innocent and sweet "you need to try to get in more calories". How the heck can I get in more calories when I can't eat hardly anything!?! So I started forcing myself to eat things that were higher in calories (not a good decision) and forced myself to try to eat a bit more (also not really good). In hind site I guess I did the right thing to stop losing weight, but it started me on a path of eating things I shouldn't eat. I love empty, high calorie snacks like chips and carmels. I know this so I try to stay away from them now. My current weight is about 151 or so, it fluctuates. My weight is actually perfect for me and I am not even slightly overweight, but I know what I looked like 15 lbs ago and what clothes fit like, and that makes me sad. I also know I have to STOP the weight gain...right NOW. I have to get off my ass and go to the gym and do the work it's going to take to keep it off. I am trying to consciously not eat as much, which should be easy to do. I mean, seriously, I STILL TO THIS DAY AM NEVER HUNGRY. I eat out of habit, because it's time to eat. My head thinks it's hungry so I eat. I have not felt a hunger pang since surgery. I know I'm blessed with that little side-effect. Anyhow, trying to do the right things...eat small portions, stay totally away from empty/high calorie foods that I shouldn't be eating, get some exercise in, drink my water. But it is tough. Old demons are right there knocking on the door. They will never go away, apparently, I just have to learn to live with them and control them. This surgery was still one of the best decisions I made in my life and I don't regret it for a second. The gastric bypass is truly just a tool. At first that tool is out of control and has a mind of its own...you lose weight no matter what you do. But now that isn't the case and I need to learn how to manage that tool to my benefit. And I WILL!!

in my opinion (based on watching other people try to use all the suggested products/vitamins/minerals) there's not a dang thing you can do about the hair loss thing. It's your body reacting to a serious shock. It will stop eventually and it WILL grow back, it just seems to take forever. Mine still is not as thick as it was before my surgery, but that's not a bad thing....it was EXTREMELY thick before. After my hair started falling out (about 3-4 months post op), I had my hair layered to kind of mask the thinness. It's still somewhat layered so I have a hard time judging just how thick it is now, but it is thinner. I know it came in with alot more body/curliness. Don't sweat the hair loss and regrowth....it will happen. Just focus on your eating habits, drinking enough water, taking your vitamins, and making sure you get in the protein!