Hi there!!

I was sleeved in Jan of 2013. Welcome back!!

You can definately do this!! Log all your food, eat your protein first then vegies. Keep moving as best you can. Drink water. Be mindful of your choices and try to make the best ones you can.

You can do this!! If I can...you can without a doubt. If you stick to the basic rules it will self correct and things will move in the right direction. I have approached this from the beginning as changing the way I think about myself and not to stress about things not moving as quickly as I would like. It will all work out in the end. You can dew it!!

Good luck!! You can always add me as a friend , if you would like support...

Suz

Good start on your way back. My doctor's office has a "Starting again" group for folks who have started to regain, but I don't think you need something like that yet.. You are catching this at 3 pounds, so good job! It's way too easy to go back to old habits and even with most of your stomach removed, you can still out eat this surgery and regain you weight. You know what to do, you have the tools. After 2+ years and still working on losing the rest, I can honestly say this is more a mental and attitude issue, than physical. If we do everything right with the food and exercise, we will lose it and keep it off. It's making that decision daily to do what we need to do, that's what I mean by mental and attitude issue.

Check with you hospital/Dr to see if there is a support group meeting. Some stop going after the mandatory 3 pre-op visits but would be better served by attending post. You learn and gain encouragement from those in teh same boat as you.

Carbs are a trigger that I need to limit. It sounds like we may have that in common. You are already implementing the tracking, support groups and exercise (which are GREAT!). This post is in addition to all that.

My doctor & nutritionist taught us an eating style (and had us show we could lose weight on it) before allowing surgery. I lost 40# pre-op and learned what is described below. This is a mis-mash of their instructions and my lessons.

#1 VITAMINS - our bodies need nutrition to avoid cravings. Add TWO daily multi-vitamins (twice a normal dose), three CitriCal daily, and one B12 weekly.

#2 PROTEIN - Bodies need protein for growth, energy, strength, repair, etc. And again to avoid cravings. Preferably 80 grams per day, but a minimum or 60.

#3 FLUIDS - Fill you up. flush you out, essential to life and so much more. Preferably 8 glasses daily, but a minimum of 6. My choice is water but also count my almond milk, Crystal Light, etc. I avoid juice because of the calories. Alcohol is worse.

#4 CALORIES - Pre-op weight loss phase 1,200 daily maximum. Post-op weight-loss phase 600-800 day. Post-op maintenance: will depend on age, sex, size, exercise, etc. I'm expecting 1,200 but suspect it will be more if I'm active.

#5 FATS - They are needed to absorb vitamins but have 40Cal/tsp. So be careful to stay under limit. Nuts, olives, avocado and olive oil are good sources. Low-cal non-stick to cook (but I use a smear of olive oil).

#6 FIBER - Helps digestive. Try for at least 5 grams per meal. Vegetables are good.

#7 SUGAR - Limit it to 5 grams per meal. Fruits are good.

#8 CARBS - Preferable under 30 grams daily, but don't exceed 90 grams. For those of us with carb addictions; this is critical. You go off the wagon, it's hard to get back on, and it escalates out of control.

#9 PRIORITIZE - Eat food in this order: protein, vegetables, fruits. Note that beans have protein & carbs. If there is room left (see "stay full' below) add "clean" carbs like potatoes, corn, etc. Try to stay away from overly processed starches and sugars.

#10 GETTING FULL - The surgery gives us a small stomach. That is all. But if we fill it with the things we NEED first, it will stop us from getting to the things we don't need. Such a gift! Stop when you start getting full. Don't eat till you're uncomfortable. Don't stretch it out and lose this advantage.

Also, drink fluids faithfully, it also helps with getting full. But do not drink with a meal - it will flush nutrients before they are absorbed. Stop drinking before starting your meal (but preferably 15-30 minutes before). And wait at least 1/2 hr (but preferably 1 hour) after meals to start again.

#11 TRIGGERS - Not everyone is addicted to carbs. But many of us have triggers. For some it can be salt, or crunchy texture, or stress or hormones, etc. If it's a food, the more you stay away from those, the easier it will be, and vice versa. For emotions, stress, etc. MFP has great support forums. Think about what might be a trigger. Think about what you can do. Be aware. And good luck to us all.

#12 RESTART - Getting back on track can be so hard. Willpower, exercise, diversion (staying busy elsewhere), detox (stopping "bad" foods) and support groups are all good tools. For me it's a liquid diet.

#13 LIQUID DIET - Liquid diets are often required for surgical procedures. I found that these interrupted my eating pattern. I decided if I can make myself do that for a surgery, I can put forth the effort it takes to use it to save myself from obesity.

Switch to liquids for 5 days to a week. It is VERY important to include one or two protein shakes daily for energy. All non-alcoholic liquids are okay : juice, milk, broth, strained-soups. Foods that become liquid at body temperature are okay: (sugar-free) jello, popsicles, pudding, kefir. No pureed solids. There is no calorie limit, but avoid added/processed sugar. Take vitamins.

Do not eat something if it is one of your triggers (for instance ice cream). The purpose of this is to kick those foods.

When you resume eating, do not go back to your old habits. Being done with the liquid diet does not mean you can now have whatever you want. It means you can start fresh with a healthy lifestyle and hopefully without your cravings.

Best wishes.
Paula