My brother had gastric bypass last year. He lost over 120 pounds very quickly and now he is lucky to maintain and I believe he might even have gained a few pounds back. I just got back from a visit to his family and I witnessed first hand his eating habits.
First off, he eats a tremendous amount of protein (high calorie sources). I know you need to eat protein after this surgery, but how much?? He says he eats 4 or 5 bananas a day that he smears peanut butter on. He drinks a protein shake every morning, etc.
Secondly, I tried to guestimate the calories he was consuming and it was way more than he needs to lose weight. He is a constant "graze" eater and does not eat 3 meals a day. He eats small amounts constantly. When he was driving me around, he kept a big jar of chocolate covered almonds and would eat one or two handfuls each time (like 190 calories per serving). Constantly eating fruits with peanut butter in addition to any other foods at meal times. He likes to cook and eats things as he is making food and I'm sure he isn't counting for those calories.
He complained several times when I was there that he was feeling ill and even that his heart was racing a bit (like an anxiety attack).
I'm afraid he is going to regain the weight he has lost unless he learns to stop this grazing behavior and to stop snacking between meals. Its a touchy subject because I don't want to tell him what to do and I'm sure he would take any of my "suggestions" as criticism.
Maybe its none of my business. I just don't want to see him regain it all by eating the same way before. Is there is a delicate way I can suggest to him how to continue to lose weight?
WOW! Yep, he is on the road to regaining! Does he have a good nutritionist and a good therapist? I'm not kidding about the therapist.....why is he eating constantly....comfort, boredom, habit, anxiety? He needs to work this out. The small meal thing is okay, but from experience...if you eat a GOOD, HEALTHY, small portion, yeah. But, if he is eating lots of carby, high caloried crap....then....A calorie is a calorie! Show him this thread. He might or might not be ready to see for himself, that he out-eating his surgery and will be right back up there, miserable and unhealthy. But, at least you have given him something to think about. I don't think that there is a delicate way to tell someone that they are killing themselves. Chances are that he already knows all of this but hasn't come to the point where he will deal with it. Maybe you can jump start him. If it were my brother......I'd better be able to outrun him......LOL!!!! My biggest fear is that I will regain....I don't ever want to go back there and neither does he!
Chocolate covered almonds...some good fats, but carby, sugary. Fruit.....carby, sugary. Bananas....carby. Peanut butter....some protein, but lots of fat and sugar. Tasting and eating when he is cooking is one of my biggest problems......tell him to chew gum.
My personal note to your brother: Hey, big boy....your brother is here to help you and we are also. You are not alone in this; I fight the same fight everyday and I plan on LIFE! Go see your nutritionist, a therapist and get back to the basics, like right after surgery.
Ditto's to what Nan said. Maybe he doesn't realize what he is doing... maybe he's thinking he is eating small amounts but like you said.. all day long is NOT good. You sound like a great brother and I'm sure he would rather hear from you then anyone else.
wow. all of us battle this, but i'm truly stunned that he can consume all this only a year after surgery. reminds me of the guy who walked into the support group 2 months after his surgery, and proudly announced that he'd' gone back to work two weeks earlier, and his first day at work, HE ATE A DONUT!! they'd stopped at dunkin donuts for coffee, and the donut was free - SO HE ATE IT!!!! and he was proud of it!!!
we all have food demons to battle - you've been there [i can see from your stats]. surgery doesn't get rid of them. and i'm truly astonished that your brother can eat so many carbs and not be dumping!!!!
Personally, it's come as a huge surprise to me that when i feel like eating, i'm actually THIRSTY, and drinking something takes care of it. my beverage of choice is TEA. sometimes herbal. sometimes just plain black tea. fake sugar, about 2 teaspoons of milk. as few calories as possible. flavored water works well too.
we ALL have to set up rules - like no eating in the car. carefully portioned snacks. planned meals. grocery shopping for success [sound familiar??? i'm sure you've done it, too!!!]. and I, for one, have pretty much stopped cooking. i live alone, and i simply CANNOT cope with even the smallest amounts of food leftover.
it's all a head game. i SECOND, THIRD Nan's suggestion that your brother get to a therapist with experience with eating disorders.
It seems to me the worst bit of WLS is lack of follow-up especially emotionally. It sounds that your brother still has all the old bad habits he probably had before the surgery. I don't have any suggestions, it is a tricky situation no matter what you do but you are a good brother to be so concerned and willing to help him out.
It might be a good idea for your brother to track his food online; Fitday/livestrong something like that
so that he can really see what he's eating and get the wakeup call while he's still in the honeymoon phase
Jen I feel there needs to be mandatory psychological followup post wls but ins generally won't covr it!
"grazing" after gastric bypass
