I'm not doin so good...crap.

I'm totally slippin', and as such, I'm furious with myself. I don't take my vitamins, I eat utter crap, and my portion control is for the birds (I can eat a whole sandwich - yikes!!!). Part of it is depression, I know, but the rest is just stupid me. Then there's the fact that I'm a home mommy now, so I eat whatever the baby leaves behind (old mentality kicking in: thou shalt not waste when there are others in need...sigh). I need support to help me get back on track. As such, I vow to get on this dang board every day and follow my regime. Anyone have any suggestions on how to get my dumbass back on track (motivaters, etc.?). Anyone live nearby and want to exercise with me? I'm in Glendora, CA. How much water is everyone drinking daily now? How much protein are ya getting, and from what sources? Are you still doing 3 squares and no snacks, or are the snacks back in? What is your usual intake/menu for a day? I need to hear what you're doing so I can model myself after you successful folks! Your success will motivate me!!! Any new and wonderful finds in the low carb/high protein market? I found new low carb bread mixes from Krusteaz that don't make me sick. Pretty yummy, and a fun project to make with the kids. I also LOVE celery stalks with Chevre cheese...it's low fat and if ya mix a little garlic and basil in, it's DECADENT! Help me to help myself, please...please...please... Thanks for listening!!! Gina Milligan 5/17/05 - 96 lost - 43 to go!

This is me kickin' you in the hiney! Eat that protein, drink tha****er, take those vitamins, exercise them muscles. Do it, do it now!! How is that? Do I sound mean enough to travel 1,000 miles to enforce it? Join us everyday on the What are you eating post and the gym is open post. Send me an email with your phone # and I will call you each night to see if you followed the rules or you can email me and let me know how you are doing. Just let me know how I can help! You really must do those things for your health, not just your weight. Seven

Hey, Gina! I try for 60 oz of pure water a day in addition to whatever else I drink. My insulated water bottle is 20 oz so I shoot for 3 fillings. I go to the gym most days and take a bottle of propel there which is 16.9 oz. As for protein, I'm a bit different than most. My surgeon is big on protein shakes for life and I have been doing 3 shakes (scoop and a half which is 34 g) a day for several months. These are in addition to my meals. I personally do not replace a meal with a protein shake. I was doing 3 meals a day and an occassional snack but since I've been working out regularly I'm experimenting with adding an additional snack and sometimes an additional protein shake (about 23 g). I lean towards the philosophy of not counting the calories I intake from protein shakes - not that I really count calories at this point anyway. My typical day is: Pre-B: Protein shake B: A couple of eggs, deli meat/cheese, tuna salad, chicken salad or something like that. 1 cup of coffee. L: Is usually protein...deli meat/cheese, leftovers of some sort (earlier this week it was turkey chili and today it was pork dijon. For on the go type foods, sometimes hubby will stop at Chick-Fil-A and get me the chicken sandwich and I throw away the bun and eat the chicken. I can eat the whole cutlet. Or he'll stop at Boston Market and get me the caesar salad w/ rotisserie chicken on it. I skip the croutons and eat all the chicken and a good part of the greenery. S: Protein shake and lately I've added celery sticks w/ peanut butter D: More protein of some sort and usually green beans, cauliflower, brocc or something like that. S: Yes, you guess it...another protein shake. I basically eat something every 3 hours or so. This seems to work well with my blood sugars. I eat based on the clock and not on hunger. I stop when I feel that... "Enough" feeling even if there is only a bite or two left. I know not to push the envelope. I know that many eat quite a bit less than me. But this seems to work for me. I weight 170 (with a glimmer of 16something there, I wear a size 8) at 5'7.5" and basically I consider myself very close to goal. Don't know if this helps but it's my schedule! Kathy

Hi Gina, You and I have the same re-birth date. My new favorite saying is that "weight loss surgery is not a get out of diet and exercise jail" free card. We still have to work this! I've lost a little more than you, but, I have more to lose. I exercise 6 days a week. But, really struggle with trying to keep down the calories. I still record what I eat in fit day. Even though, it ain't always pretty! I'll be damned if I fail at this...you too! We gotta do this! We risked too much not to do it right! Keep coming back. Post to the "what did you eat today" and "gym is open" post each day. Be honest. Put what you did or didn't do there. It will help keep you accountable. Hang in there. We are here for each other! Lori 384/255/168

What an excellent, excellent saying, Lori. I love it!

Hey Gina! Recognizing that you need to get back on track is half of the battle! And for the record, 96 pounds lost is excellent! Anyway, I take Prostat protein syrup in the morning for 30 grams of protein and the other 30 I get in through food. I eat three meals and one planned snack between lunch and dinner. I struggle with compulsive urges to eat and graze and I am planning to seek professional help with that - I just started trying to find a Christian counseling center that deals with eating disorders. Here are some of the things that have helped me. If I want a salty snack in the evening, I will have one of those 100 calorie mini bags of microwave popcorn or I will have a delicious garlicky pickle. I've also started chewing s/f gum again to help control my eating compulsions and it helps tremendously. I know some surgeons say gum is a no-no because of the risk of swallowing it, but I'm not going to swallow it. (Of course, if I do swallow it and wind up in the hospital, I will fully expect you all to say "I told you so!!"). I also allow myself a treat twice a month - usually every-other weekend. By a "treat" I mean a one-ounce single serving bag of Cheetos or Lays, etc. They are $0.25 at the supermarket. I don't buy big bags of snacks because I know myself too well, I will graze until the whole thing is gone. I don't each sugar at all and have no intention of ever opening that can of worms. I guess basically, what I am trying to say is that I think we can enjoy treats in extreme moderation. But, yes, grazing is a problem. Here is something else that helps me fight the urge to graze. After Dennis Franz (the guy from NYPD Blue) lost some weight, he was being interviewed on Entertainment Tonight and I just happened to be watching it that evening - please note that I don'****ch ET ever but I think it was divine intervention that caused me to have the TV on that night. Anyway, the interviewer asked Dennis his secret and he said that whenever he feels tempted to eat something bad like a krispy kreme or a handful of chips that he stares it down for 5-10 seconds then he is able to walk away from it. I can tell you that on the occasions that I've tried it, it really works. I'll reach for the saltines, stop myslef and just stare at it for 10 seconds, then the urge is gone because I feel empowered. Exercise is key, key, key!! It may be a drag in the beginning, but I promise you WILL come to enjoy it. You know that endorphin rush we all used to hear the fitness buffs talking about? It DOES exist and it's amazing. I know that you probably don't have a ton of free time being a fulltime mom and homemaker, but I am sure you can think of some ways to incorporate more movement into your daily routine. Why don't you take to kids out to the park or for a nice walk each day as your exercise. You'll kill two birds with one stone by getting the kids out of the house while getting in some exercise for yourself at the same time. Personally, I like to use exercise videos and DVD's at home. It's really like having a personal trainer and I can workout whenever I want in the privacy of my own home. I don't have to worry about driving to a gym or paying gym fees and most importantly, I don't have to worry about how I look to everyone else while I am working out. (Yes, I still worry about things like that!). I suggest trying one of Leslie Sansone's In-Home walking tapes. You can start out at one mile and slowly progress from there. You never know... in a year, you might be up to Leslie's five-mile in home walking tape. Plus, the weather is always nice indoors! I hope this is helpful. Best of luck to you, Sweetie! Hugs, Tracy

Gina, hang in there. You can do this, we all can. You know what you need to change, so start with baby steps!

Hi Gina , It is much harder for a stay at home mom then those of us that dont have small children at home. You cant just go to the gym anytime you want ,and Im sure all of us older moms remember when we had toddlers. My advise is get more h20 in ,it truly helps me from overeating .The carb cravings are probably because you need the energy . Ive recently started the oatmeal with protein (approx.3/4 to a cup )for breakfast and it helps keep me satisfied longer ,If I couple it with ww toast then Im good a long while. I do the old fashioned cooked oats and sometimes add a bit of sf vanilla coffee creamer or a little banana(If I do the toast then I cut the serving of the oatmeal. I eat 3-5x a day .I did notice that I was eating more at each serving too and I bothered me but Ive come to the conclusion that it is normal . As for water I was being careful on how much I would take at a time ,like right after surgery ,then I read a post that you could drink alot of water and you can . So once I was able to drink more at a time it helped the pouch feel satisfied on less food. When I had my psych. exam prior to surgery it was advised to make sure you had a hobby, even better 3 hobbies .The lady told me that it was one of the most important things to help us be sucessful in keeping the weight off. I find it to be true ,if Im involved with a hobby then I do better with my eating,drinking exercize all of it. good luck,take some time for yourself . miki

Refer to Jem's post from last week "Slipping (long winded)" (http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/05-2005/postdetail/16435.html?vc=0) You are not alone in your lapse. Take care, J