Slipping...and getting back on track

I have started to slip back into some bad habits. I'm snacking on the wrong foods, eating too late in the evening, not getting enough water in, and almost completely abandoning my exercise. I KNOW I need to get back on track. Funny thing is, I had been holding my weight for about 8 months, even through the bad eating days and everything. So I guess my thinking was, 'well, if I'm not gaining weight, then I'm ok'. I know that's not true, but I think there was a part of me that was trying to get away with something - trying to eat some of the same foods, and tempt fate. That's not why I had surgery. During the first 9 months after surgery, I did EVERYTHING by the book. About 1 year out from surgery, around May or June of this year, I noticed I started eating things I hadn't had since before surgery, and I started slacking on water and exercise. It's spiraled a little out of control ever since. I still have good days, but more often I'm eating things I shouldn't and letting go of the goals I promised I would keep. When I stepped on the scale on Monday, I saw I was up 4 pounds. Now, remind you, I had held my weight for 8 months solid - after losing 120 pounds from surgery, I was weighing in at 227.5. Even during these months of slacking off, I maintained that weight. But on Monday, the scale said 231.5. Uh oh! I realized that all of this slacking off is catching up with me. So I'm nipping it in the bud right now! I immediatley started upping my water intake, back to high protein and low carbs, and trying to cut my snacking down to only good-for-me-foods. I'm going to get back to exercising too. My original weight loss goal was to loose 140 pounds, which would put me at 205 - prior to surgery, I was 345. I haven't gone down below 227.5 - that's the weight I held for 8 months. But I would really love to get down to my goal. Now, since I've gained 4 pounds, I have even more to loose to hit that goal. But I CAN do it. I have the tool, I just need to make it work again. I need to get back on track, re-focus, and stay true to my weight loss aspirations. For those of you out there who may also be struggling like me, any advise you can give me to keep my motivation up? They always say that the last 20 pounds is the hardest to loose. Maybe that's why I still haven't made it to my goal weight...I never did loose that last 20 pounds, and now I'm up 4 pounds on top of it. Ugh. It's depressing, but I'm doing my best to get it under control.

Tiffany, Congrats on your weight loss...and on recognizing old habits. I too am really struggling with these same problems. I have recently gained back 7 lbs and it is freaking me out. I am still below doc's goal of 170, but not close to my goal of 150 and at one time I was only 5 lbs away from my goal. AGHHHHHHHHH

For me its really been about finding balance. I still eat some of my old favorites and have 'treats' and whatnot but keep them limited and always work them into my daily nutrition. I know this doesnt work for everybody but its worked for me. If you tell me I cant have something, then I want it. Over the past 1.5 years I have never said I couldnt have something... however there are many foods I no longer *choose* to eat... if the day comes I want it, Ill have it and move on. Way I look at it is this - you have about 18 months from surgery to lose weight... you can, of course, still lose more after that bu*****pically becomes more work since your body adjusts to its new plumbing. I am below surgeons goal, below my personal goal and still am trying to lose a little more. My NUT said I could go as low as 145 but no lower so that is my new goal. Figure if the 'bounceback' hits me I have more wiggle room What I found works for me best... sticking to my meal plan. I have 3 meals and 1 snack every day at around the same time. I keep junk out of the house and pre-portion out things so I dont eat too much (like with nuts, crackers etc). I never leave for work without knowing what I am eating for breakfast and lunch and by the time I am heading home from work whats for dinner is already in my head. If I dont plan is when I get hungry and am left wondering what to eat... grabbing the first thing/quickest thing usually means grabbing something not so good. I make sure not to graze/snack but some days I am more hungry than others so I keep a few healthy snacks on hand at home and in the car (stay away from the evil snack machines!). I have spent a lot of time educating myself about nutrition and reading each and every label before I purchase a product. I also limit my eating out to 1 lunch and 1 dinner a week and that is it. I look up nutritional information at resturants prior to going so I know what I am eating. Every day I drink a gallon of water, if not more. I am not perfect... I have slacked on the exercise but starting the beginning of next year I am going to get back on it (I have surgery this week for my gall bladder so now isnt a good time to start)!! I still have times where I eat pretty bad... but each day is a new day and I move on. I am keeping my fingers crossed that how I have been doing things so far will keep this weight off and I dont start to see the numbers on the scale go up.

Hey Tiffany I too have recently slipped and and I am sick about it. I had surgery June12 like you and started at 345 as well so our stories are quite similar I went down to 207 lbs and at about a year out I noticed that I didnt get sick on anything so I constantly pushed the envelope and hardly ever dumped. I also managed to maintain the 207 for a long time regardless if what I ate.To make matters worse I started smoking again at abour 2 weeks after surgery and quit Jan 1st of 08. So since then I have had an insatiiable urge to eat all the time. I went from a size 52 in jeans to 36 and I have been noticingthat lately they are getting more and more snug. I have made all kinds of reasons like I just washed my jeans and thats why they are tight but I know deep down inside I am filling them in more than before. Last week I saw my mom for the first time in like a month and the first words from her were you are gaining weight. Again I was like not really but I knew better. At work one of my employees came to me privtely nd tole me to be careful as he would hate to see me get back to the 345 I used to be and he had noticed I was gaining. So this week I finally went on the scale and I see I am up to 218 so I have gained about 11 pounds. I am shattered and was in shock eventhough I knew what I was doing all along. So I hope your struggle is under control If you have any tips you can share I would greatly appreciate it. We did not go through the struggle to end up right back where we started. Good luck to you !!!!!!!

Hey Tiffany, I am replying to this way after you posted, so I hope u read this. I to have started to gain some weight back - surg. date was 6/19/06 - maintained same weight of 190 for about 7 mos. now am at 199 & not happy at all......from what I read it is not unusual to gain a few lbs. at this point in our journey - it doesn't make it any better for us - but, my feeling is CATCH IT NOW - before we go back up - I have lost 80lbs. and wanted to lose another 20-that was when I weighed 190 - now its 29lbs. I don't want to be skinny, just comfortable & we do have the tool to do it!!! It's been several months since you posted, and I would love to know how you are doing - and if you have any tips.