Please help!Not loosing

Hi, I am 22 months out. I weighed 296 and now 200 on the dot. I have started to eat bad things. I find myself snacking on chips and drinking diet soda way more than often. I am also eating a regular size hamburger if I haven't eaten all day. I am going crazy. I am trying to loose about 35 more pounds and don't know how to get back on track. I can eat sugar just fine and never dump.. Someone help me on getting back on the right track so I can start loosing again! Thanks, Tosha

Start exercizing and try to stop the sugar and snacking! I know that it might be hard to do, but you had the surgery so now you have to live with it forever. The only person that can chage this is you. You have to make better food choices. Good Luck Tiffany

Tosha- I think most of us go through the snacking stage at some point. I have found myself snacking, too. For me the only way to stop is to get the snacks out of my sight. If I am around chips I WILL eat some. So, I have to keep away from them....not an easy task. I am 5-6 lbs above my lowest weight right now and would like to get back down but, I haven't gotten rid of the snacks...yet. I keep telling myself that I am not going to eat any - and I can get through my work day ok (usually) but, then I get home and there are the chips and crackers...... hard to resist! I guess I am not of any help but, just wanted you to know you are not alone in your struggles. The only way to avoid the chips and diet soda is to not buy them - kind of hard when the rest of your family eats and drinks them! LOL! Take one day at a time and start each day telling yourself you will make it through the day without "snacks" - you don't need them. Think of some things you could substitute for the chips - like carrot sticks or cucumber slices. They are crunchy at least. I know....I know.... easier said than done. Good Luck, Tosha. I know you can do it!!!! Teri

Sounds like "several" of us are in this "same boat". It also sounds like we all know what the answer is too!! GET RID OF THE SNACK FOOD!!! And, it is easier said than done, but NOW we have this tool to help us. Think of how much better we are doing than BEFORE surgery!!! We CAN ALL conquer this "grazing thing". I just know that we can. We just have to find some "alternative" activities to eating. Like someone else said, "easier said than done", but it CAN be done and we MUST do it. We have been through tooooooo much and feel toooooo much better now to go back!!! Let's all keep in touch and encourage one another to do better. I REALLY BELIEVE that we can do this!!! Hugs, Pam

Hi Tosha I have been there and done that! Below is a post I posted for the September 2005 board members since they are having the same difficulties as you! ********************************************* Hello Everyone Let me begin by introducing myself. My name is Marianne, I am 50 years old, and just now recooperating from my Tummy Tuck surgery back on June 27th. I had my weight loss surgery on September 21, 2004 and understand that some of you here have concerns about your weight loss. I decided to come over here because Donna Mae extended an invitation to all of us on the September 2004 boards, so here I am! First off, keep in your mind that WLS is ONLY a tool! Take it from someone who learned the hard way. I originally lost 115 pounds only to gain back 25 because I discovered that ice cream, chocolate, doritos, chips, all stayed down without making me dump. I went from 150 pounds to 175 in just one year! This really upset me because I again became a junk food junkie, I needed my fix everyday and could not stop cold turkey. There is a happy ending to this story! As a result of my TT surgery this past June which my WL surgeon did, he asked me what kind of a diet I wanted to be on while in the hospital. I told him to put me back on the original post WL diet just as if I had just had the WL surgery for the fiirst time--why?? because I wanted to break the insanity and I figured what better place to have a JUNK FOOD & SUGAR withdrawl than in the hospital where I could not get it. IT WORKED! As of today I have not had any SUGAR or JUNK FOOD since June 27th. I watch myself very closely and weigh myself daily to keep myself in check. I am proud to say that I lost 15 pounds of excess weight and 10 pounds of excess skin. So, I am now back down to 150 pounds and DO NOT PLAN ON LEAVING WHERE I AM NOW! I would like to lose another 5 pounds to get to my original goal weight but if this is where I am to stay then I am perfectly happy! I refuse to try any sweets other than the little bit that is in my fruit, I am back to reading labels, watching my portions and stopping at that first full feeling, drinking all my water, taking my protein requirements as well as all prescribed meds and vitamins, and following all of our RULES. I feel wonderful! My smaller clothes now fit comfortably again without feeling tight and with plenty of room to spare. My point to all this is DO NOT GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION! Once you discover what your body will allow you to get away with you will continue to try more and more! My motto now is: In every fat person there is a skinny person waiting to come out--and in this thin person is a fat person *****members! Stay on the wagon--we are ALL JUNK FOOD JUNKIES, otherwise we would not be hanging out on these message boards. I know it is only 2 months since I have been "clean" but I never want to go back to gaining the weight back. I worked too hard to get to where I am today! We will continue to have ups and downs and this will be for the rest of our lives so we just need to get over it and deal with it. This is the lifestyle we chose for our own personal reasons and we should never forget from where we came from! I hope this helps and if any of you would like to drop me a line feel free! If I can be of any help I am there for you! Good luck and keep the faith! Hugs Marianne

Hi tosha. My name is Amy. I am going through much of the same. I am 3 yrs out in September and I am doing the same things. I have to buckle down and do this. I weighed 320 and now weigh 170 but in the last couple months I have gained about 15lbs. I was in a rehab for alcoholism and they served alot of carbs and fat due to the reason that alot of people come in malnourished so foods were a problem. I can also eat olot of things I shouldnt without dumping and sometimes I fell like I can eat more than I should. I am upset but coming back to this website has helped already. good luck I will pray for you! Love Amy By the way I have 35 lbs to go before I hit my original goal weight so pray for me too!