You're definitely not the only one! I think many of us do so well with our surgery, and kind of forget that obesity is a medical condition that requires lifelong treatment, not a one-time fix. That's what happened to me, at least. I'm back on track now, and feeling excellent, though I still have a long way to get back to my "old" (post-surgery) self. Just knowing that I'm back on track is really helping.

My tips:
1. Use your food journal. Do it every single day, and whenever you can, post your meals before you eat them, not afterward. Then you're actually taking charge of what you eat, rather than just reporting what happened.
2. Never let yourself get hungry. Don't graze--but make sure you eat three meals and two or three snacks every day, with no more than two or three hours between them. HUNGRY PEOPLE MAKE DUMB FOOD MISTAKES.
3. Don't diet--that is, make sure that what you're doing to lose weight is exactly the same as what you'll do after you've lost the weight. You want to be able to continue eating this way for the rest of your life, so start as you mean to continue.
4. Have realistic expectations. Ten pounds in a week? Unrealistic. Two pounds in a week? Possible. One pound in a week? Very doable, and if you were to do that for a year, you'd lose 52 pounds.

I had a friend on MFP remind me of some aspects of post-surgery eating and it has helped.

1) no water 1/2 hour before or after solid food
2) high protein
3) no refined carbs! (sugar, candy, ice cream, cake) - nothing - even if low calorie - they pack on the pounds.
4) drink at least 8 glasses of water daily
5) limit slider foods (pasta, potatoes, rice, etc.) these are carbs that do have some nutritional value, but slide through the pouch very easily whereas lean proteins take more to digest.

Hope this helps some! We're all doing this together and we can!

Laurie

Thanks so much for posting! I am right there with you. 285 prior to surgery, lowest 145, current 176, goal 125. I feel like I'm never gonna get there. It is nice to know I'm not alone. I feel like the more I work out the more I eat and therefore the more I weight. Endless battle. But I'll keep fighting

Mindo1960: Which type of surgery did you have?

I have found the number one thing that sabbotages my weight loss is drinking with meals. It started out quite innocently. I would eat a bit too much and found that taking a sip of water would relieve my discomfort. Unfortunately, after the discomfort went away, I would eat more and repeat the cycle. I believe this is what caused me to gain weight after my RNY gastric bypass. I gained about 75% of my weight back (started at 331, got down to 158, back up to 270). Now that I've gotten back to basics, I find it much easier to lose weight. Still not fun, but do-able. I've lost 35 pounds and am feeling much better.

Mindo1960: Which type of surgery did you have?

I have found the number one thing that sabbotages my weight loss is drinking with meals. It started out quite innocently. I would eat a bit too much and found that taking a sip of water would relieve my discomfort. Unfortunately, after the discomfort went away, I would eat more and repeat the cycle. I believe this is what caused me to gain weight after my RNY gastric bypass. I gained about 75% of my weight back (started at 331, got down to 158, back up to 270). Now that I've gotten back to basics, I find it much easier to lose weight. Still not fun, but do-able. I've lost 35 pounds and am feeling much better.

Congrats on losing the 35 of your regain. That's not easy! You go girl!

I had a friend on MFP remind me of some aspects of post-surgery eating and it has helped.

1) no water 1/2 hour before or after solid food
2) high protein
3) no refined carbs! (sugar, candy, ice cream, cake) - nothing - even if low calorie - they pack on the pounds.
4) drink at least 8 glasses of water daily
5) limit slider foods (pasta, potatoes, rice, etc.) these are carbs that do have some nutritional value, but slide through the pouch very easily whereas lean proteins take more to digest.

Hope this helps some! We're all doing this together and we can!

Laurie

GREAT reminders!!!
Sometimes I forget what it was like in the beginning (nearly 10 years ago). I feel like if I hadn't lost these rules somewhere along the way I might not have gained anything back. Thanks for posting!!

I know I have a TERRIBLE time remembering to drink water. I am a teacher and if i drink too much at the wrong times, I have issues needing to use the restroom. Any suggestions on how to get in the water i need and still not drink prior, during, and right after I eat?

I had my RNY in 2005. My highest was 265 and my lowest was 163 (was wearing a size 5/6). Today I am at 199 and down from 211. My goal right now is to lose 20lbs before my 40th birthday, which I think is an attainable goal. The weight gain has been very frustrating but a majority of it has been my fault because of eating and re-introducing sugars and bad carbs back into my diet. I went for a good two years with eliminating my sugar intake (cookies/candy/etc) and then one day I ate some M&M's and that was all it took for the downward spiral. Same with the chips and snacking type foods. It is so easy to eat them and when you eat them, you can eat a lot of them because they slide right through the pouch. I know my RNY still works because when I do eat the dense protein and follow the recommended foods, I can only eat maybe a cup of food at a meal. I know the doctor has always said to me, "we will fix your body but we can't fix your head".
One thing that I have found that seems to be helping me be mindful about my activity is my Fit Bit ($77.00) at Target. I keeps track of how many steps you are taking and my goal right now is to try and get 10,000 steps per day. It tracks how many flights of stairs you climb, and tracks your sleep. Fit Bit also syncs with My Fitness Pal which is awesome! My husband and I have also made a commitment to quit eating out for three months. I am mortified at how many calories, fat, and sodium are in most of my meal choices. I have also began drinking just plain water (4-6 glasses a day). I honestly think that it is helping curb my appetite.
This is a New Year and a new beginning to begin good habits and I believe we can all get back on track with our goals if we all put in an honest effort. Good luck to all of you!

Not sure as to what our caloric goals should be. I've just been keeping mine this week, as a trial between 1200-1300 a day. So far, it has been working for me. I'm just a little concerned if I dropped it below 1000.

I have also wondered about what our calories should be too.