i need YOUR help old timers..and newbies too i guess.

Thanks Julie! it does help to know im not alone. i see so many people that just have this surgery and the rest is a breeze for them. Unfortunately, it wasnt that way for me and im glad to know it isnt that way for some other people. Whew. I really hope the doctor has some insight because i track my food and for the most part.. MOST DAYS...i eat great. i get in about 1000 calories a day. on bad days tho that could double. so it seems one extreme or the other with me. i need to find a good happy medium i guess. I need to start saving extra for that elliptical so i CAN exercise and maybe that will do the trick! I think we can ALL do this together :)

I know how hard the exercise is, especially if you don't have the equipment at home.  I have a home gym in my basement, and my husband works out with me, so it makes me accountable, and I don't have any kids left at home--I know how hard it is with young ones especially when you are single....that was my life for many years.  Try dancing in your living room-get the kids involved....also, run sprints in the backyard with the kids "race" them....

We are all here for each other, and we will all have our share of mountains to climb.  I am comforted knowing that you will all be here for me as you always have--no judgement, just support!  Love ya all, and couldn't make it without you!

Kim

Hey Hilary,
I feel the pain in your post and all I can say is DONT GIVE UP! Go to the Dr, own up to what has been your part of it and ask how he can help. That is what he is there for. I get to where I just want to eat the bad stuff and snack all the time and then I go back to the dr and get motivated again. I am lucky in that I can increase my retriction with a band adjustment.....however....like Julie said we are food addicts. Even when I have good restriction I sometime eat the bad stuff instead of what I know is right. We comfort ourselves with food.
One thing I would recommend is seeing a counselor. That helped me tremendously deal with some things that I thought I'd dealt with in the past but had only burried deep down. I went for two years after surgery and it has made all the difference in the world to me and the way I deal with things and people instead of eating my problems away. I'm not there yet, by no means have I arrived but I do have tools that help me. 
You hang in there and keep looking for the thing that will motivate you. Then be ready to change to something else when that don't work anymore. 
You are a beautifull person with a wonderful son. You are worth the work that it's going to take to get back on track!!!  

This is what i have been missing on the Bama Board, supporting each other. I am so glad to see theses posts, it often seems like I am the only one struggling, that everyone else is doing great, reaching goal and keeping the weight off. This the kind of support oldies and newbies need, the newbies need to know that it won't always be easy and the oldies need to know that they are not alone. Thanks, Hilary for getting it started and thanks to everyone else for chiming in.
Now Julie about that lazy river, I need one of those too, I could walk around in it,lol.

My heart goes out to you as what you are describing is very familiar.  Please don't stop talking to everyone.  If the responses tell you anything it is that you are NOT alone in this.

You will be in my prayers as you go to the doctor.  I would hope it is a person of compassion who is on your team and says "okay, this isn't working like we'd like so lets come up with a plan."  Truly that is what is needed, not a lecture.

Hang in there!

Janice

You know Hilary...no matter what, you are such an awesome help to others.  Start that "what did you eat today" thread again.  Let's all be honest, and by doing that, either we will post exactly all the mess we eat each day or post what good things we ate.  I need that and so do others.  It really helps me to stay away from the mess I shouldn't eat because I have to post honestly.  I still need to lose.  I have never reached my goal.  I really want to get there. Don't beat yourself up so badly.  The first thing you need to do is forgive yourself.  You have not done anything that most of us have not done.  Most all of us have messed up at one time or another.   We can all do this together!!!!

Carmen you are right. I love the whatcha eating today post.. but if i ever stop posting for more than a day or two, normally im eating like crap and embarassed to post. So i dont. Im always honest when i post that thread so if i do horrible, ii just wont post it. Sometimes life gets in the way for a day or two and i just cant do it, but if i ever stop for a whole week it normally means that weeks been CRAP. I will start it again.i try to have plans for my day, and do not detour from my plan. SOMEDAYS are harder than others tho. I dont really know whats good and bad. I see other people eating them and think "well man that must be ok" so i'll eat it... what i fail to realize is that they are at their goal weight or happy with where they are, so of course its ok for THEM to eat it. ugh. i have to get my mind back in the game.

Hi Hiliary
I ,WE all can relate ,,, THe first thing is DO NOT drink your calories ,, IF it isnt calorie free dont drink it .. Let me back up and say , ( THIS IS JUST MY OPINION AND WORKED FOR ME ) 
I never do the protein shakes,  Never have and wont start. MY Dr said to always get the protein from food, As food lovers we like the chewing sensation and if you drink it you still wont more .,,'Has been true for me .
Next , get you some of the Leslie Sansone "walk at home " tapes .  Get the 5 mile one as it saves you and only do one or two miles if that is all you can do to start,  Get your child involved too .
When I get home from work EVERYDAY unless I am sick or something , if I dont go to the gym,  I do one of the tapes for a min of 30 minutes which for me is 3 miles as I do the hi impact ones .
ANYTHING walk outside , do a tape, something you can stick to..
Anything you do if you do it long enough will become a habit ,,,
Life has a way of being to busy but YOUR LIFE and happiness depends on your health . Exercise also is a mood lifter.  I can have a tough day and be a GRUMP , do my 30 minutes and it changes the way I feel ..
I used to never do much of it ,,,Now if i miss 2 days I feel so out of sorts ..
Being busy all day is not the same as doing 30 minutes of a fast paced heart racing type of exercise as you know.
It is tough I tell you .  I used to think once I had surgery that I would never have to worry about weight again.  WHAT A JOKE. Granted it may be easier in some ways for some, but unless a persons mental attitude changes , well you know the rest ...

THis is a typical day for me..
Breakfast ...1 pack of weight control oatmeal made with water , small amt of toasted nuts and MAYBE a banana tossed in  or 2 eggs with cheese 2% lowfat small amt
Mid morning ...a 180 calorie PB PURE PROTEIN BAR 
Lunch ... one pack of tuna in water made with light mayo and some whole wheat crackers
or some meat left from supper with some veggies   ( green ones )

Mid afternoon  AN APPLE with peel on everyday almost  
Dinner Meat of some kind that is dense   veggies
I seldom if ever eat white potaoes or corn etc
I alway make everything with Splenda or sugar free
Late night some nights I have 94 % popcorn  Kettle Corn in microwave
The thing that works for me is that I eat something small and try to stay lowcal every 2-3 hours .
I choose things that have 200 cal or less for in between meals and things that are healthy as possible.
I drink all day ,,,unsweet tea with Splenda , at least 80 oz water either plain or with Crystal lite
coffee and sometimes diet drinks..
Sorry so long but just trying to give you an idea what works for me ..It kinda gives me something to look forward to by having something every couple hours .
THANK GOD things with real sugar make me sick ,,, as well as any milk stuff.
I do eat the lowfat cottage cheese as a snack or the cheese sticks but i never eat anything but 2 % fat cheese .. The fat free is YUK to me .
It isnt easy and I feel for you ,,,It is tough and each day is a journey.. I have NEVER been to a support group meeting ..  I guess the shame of needing help stopped me in the beginning as society looks at people with weight problems as being less than ..
I am going to pray for you though as well as all of us as it is a hard journey ..
Sending you some hugs and understanding this am

Great post, Shirley! I love getting details of how someone is sucessful, bu hate to ask, but it really helps to know exactly what someone else is doing to stay on track.

Thank you for your post. I use to be able to go to the gym and it felt so good. BUT when my gym partner backed out on me, i wouldnt go. She was like my security blanket or something. i was so scared of walking in alone. like everyone was looking at me. Now, i cant go to the gym. I dont have anyone to watch J while i go. So it will have to be something at home. I'll check out those tapes

I feel like i do pretty good when i plan my days. I too have to eat every 3-4 hours. i get the shakes if i dont. I also get really bored with food and sometimes i feel like i eat the same thing over and over again because i dont know good variety.

I sometimes feel like i HAVE to have my protein shake in the morning, if i dont, i do bad most of the day. i love my protein shakes in the mornings but sometimes... i do get burned out. I have some weight control oatmeal  at home, i will try that too. Dinner time is what gets me. We're always on the go so normally its somethign fast food or a protein shake. I need to start cooking again on Sundays for the week or cooking at freezing portions for me. Its just me and jayden and jayden eats at my aunts before i get there to pick him up so i feel as it isnt important to go hom and cook for just me.

thanks for your insight. it really is helpful!!!!