Need help getting back on track!!!

Good Morning All! It has been quite some time since I have been on the boards, lots of new faces!  I had my RNY 12/22/05 and lost about 98 pounds, in the last year I have slowly been gaining some of the weight back and as of today I have gained about 20 pounds.  I am totally freaking out about this, I do not to get back to where I was before.  I start out every morning with good intentions to get protein in, and stay away from the crackers, breads and sweets, but by evening that is all out the window.  I realize that this is more of an emotional issue than a physical one, but I need something to get me started back on track.  I have given myself more than one mental butt kicking, vowing to not return to my old ways, stay on track for a day or two and then fall off the wagon again.  Sherri, I think you may have posted something a while back about what to do when you are at a plateau.  I was thinking maybe I should start there, if you could send that to me again.  I work about 60 hours a week and go to school in the evenings so it's very hard to get in much exercise, not to mention that I am exhausted by the time I get home!  My schedule also tends to give me some problems keeping on track, I leave work at 5pm and go to school until 8pm.  I try to eat a cheese stick, or have a protein shake, but when I get home I still feel like I need to eat dinner and by then it's going on 9pm.  If anyone any suggestions or ideas please let me know.  Please be honest with me I need help!!!!..Thanks!

Julie, Wow! Sounds like you have ALOT going on in your life. I have the Plateau Buster on my profile. But...it sounds to me that it is getting back to basics that you need more than anything else. Yeah...that old PEW (protein exercise water) that I'm always preaching about.  Here's a few suggestions off the top of my head that may help: 1.  Get rid of all the breads & sweets in your house unless they are low cal (I get wheat bread that is 35 cal a slice) or sugar-free. Get low fat crackers. 2.  Stock your fridge with healthy snacks..fruit, celery, carrots. Don't like them plain? Get fat-free dip..we like Kroger's brand. 3.  Pack your meals & snacks and bring them with you. Lean Cuisine/Gormet has some excellent 'meals'.  If you have your meals & snacks with you, you are less likely to buy that bag of chips from the vending machine. Which reminds me...leave all of your change and $1's at home. People are alot less likely to stick a $5 bill in a vending machine for a bag of Dorito's. 4.  Say no to pop, say no to caffiene. Water is the healthiest drink around! Get at a MINIMUM of 64 oz in per day. I keep 25 oz bottles in the fridge..the kind with the pop-top so I don't have to mess with a screw-top lid. I like our tap water if it's COLD...so I just refill the same bottles and stick them in the fridge. I typically drink 5 of them a day (125 oz). 5.  Become a label reader. Do not buy ANYTHING unless you look at it's label & it's competitor's label(s). Stick the one in your cart that has the lowest calories. Often, it really IS the one that is 'fat-free'...sometimes, it's the 'low carb' or 'sugar-free' one. So read the labels. 6.  Contact your dietician. Ask her for a guideline for you for how many calories (probably 1000-1200), fat (~less than 30 g), protein (~55-80 g), and carbs (+100 g with at least 30g of fiber....which is non-digestible carbs..make these 'good' carbs though. Remember to go darker..yams are better than potatoes, brown rice is better than white, whole wheat pasta is better than white.). 7.  Be accountable. I have a strong preference toward SparkPeople.com for this. You can set your goals there, including your weigh****er, and all of your nutritional & exercise goals. It can recommend menu's & exercise (and it has demo's on how to do the exercises properly) or just track what you eat & drink and your exercise. There's an educational section for mind/body/and soul to help you with every aspect of weight loss. There's also community type pages (message boards, email, etc). Once you get your personal profile set up in there, it's pretty easy to use...so I would recommend it even for a busy gal like yourself. Oprah had a guy on yesterday that is promoting weight loss by changing your lifestyle. Hmmm...sound familiar? I've been trying to get that message out. During the honeymoon stage, it is SO easy to lose weight. After that first year though, if you hadn't made some lifestyle changes, you will regain it. You just have to take charge of your (eating) life, that's all. You can make it easier on yourself just by tweaking what you bring in the house to eat. Eating at 9 at night probably isn't as big of an issue as what you are eating. Make a lifestyle change that dictates that meals eaten after 6 pm will only contain meat and vegetables. No carbs. Also, keep those meats high in protein (fish, seafood) and low in fat (beef) as much as possible. I try to limit my beef to being sure that I don't have it 2 days in a row. In fact..usually, it's once a week, maybe twice. Be aware of those hidden calories (condiments, salad dressing, etc). You CAN do it! You still have your weight loss tool..it's just a matter of using it again. You may want to track a normal day or two in SparkPeople...and then start making your changes. It will help you to see where you can do better. I know there were foods I went cold turkey on when I saw how much fat I was putting in my body. I can see where with your busy lifestyle it would be hard to fit exersice in. Sneak it in. Park in the furthest parking spot rather than the closest. Every step more that you get in next week than what you would had last week, is an improvement! Remember, you aren't alone in this. People who are trying to lose weight statistically lose more weight when they have a good support system in place. You have it here! Sherri

Sherri said it all.  I can just bolster what she said.  We all have fears of going back.  Habits need to be kept that are positive. I also worked full time and went to school full time and it is a schedule that is rough. I am 9 months out and can pretty much eat more then I should.  I am getting away with that for now because I am walking 6 miles a day and when the temp is above 45 riding my bike for 40 miles a week. I will tell you when I am the most tired I force myself to walk or ride and I do feel better after doing that. It is very hard to make yourself do it but it will work. This is all about burning more calories then you consume.  Portion control is an answer.  Weigh your food.  I am still surprised that what I think is a serving by just looking at it turns out to be 2 to 3 servings by weight. Carbs will grab you and you will feel full for a short time and then be even more hungry.   Try getting protein in by making a 3 bean salad with vinegar and oil rather then a shake.  The brain sees this as food and you can chew, I will even add a few walnuts or pecans for more of a chew. Praying for you E

Julie, HUGS to you! Sweetie I totally understand how you feel.....as we get farther out it is harder to lose and maintain our weight. I find it really helps me to keep the Pure Protein Bars I get from Wal Mart on hand. If I get the hungries they really satisfy and are delicious not to mention they have 19~20 grams of protein each and about 180 calories. I keep them at work , in my purse and at home for that quick ready to grab goodness for my body. I am trying to get back in the saddle from the holidays and I know it is hard but so necessary for us. I usually eat about the same things every day and I don't mind that and it helps keep me in line. :o) it is the grazing that haunts me  and chocolate of course :o) Even as time doesn't always let me post here as often as I like I do pop on to keep in touch daily for my little pick me up. So...don't be a stranger anymore :o) we are here for you and know how hard it is to maintain, but you can do it! Take the words from our Queen Sherri...no better thoughts have been ever given :o) And apply them! I hope to see more of you on here! HUGS! Marianne

Craving chocolate is also often an indication of a lack of certain nutrients such as iron, copper, magnesium and potassium. Let’s see what other foods you should be eating to make sure you get enough of these nutrients. Iron – eat brown rice, whole wheat, liver, dates and beets Copper – eat nuts (especially cashew), sunflower seeds, chickpeas, liver and oysters Magnesium – eat peanuts, tofu, broccoli, spinach and soybeans Potassium – eat apricots, bran wheat, raisins, figs, and baked potato with skin I understand that sometimes you just have to have chocolate and the idea of eating some tofu or a slice of whole-wheat toast just won’t work. Grab a small piece of quality dark chocolate and savor it. Take your time, really taste the chocolate melting in your mouth and enjoy it without feeling guilty. This should take care of your craving and keep you from binging on a box of Hershey’s bars.

NUT basicly told me about this.  I found it on a web site doing a google search.  I do not crave choclate so can't attest to this working.

 

 

Thanks for the tips! I think mine love for chocolate goes back to infancy! :o) I have learned to eat the dark as it only takes a little to satisfy and is healthier for you. I am doing good on all my nutrients and my labs have been excellent so far. The best thing about this surgery is with the portion control it does not allow for any type of binging and I have learned to re adjust my thinking ot keep "guilt" out of my eating concept. It is amazing when you eat healthy and do occasionally allow "treats" in moderation it is so much more enjoyable to do so without the heavy guilt I used to associate with these foods.  hugs! Marianne

Search the 5daypouchtest. Worked for me!

Thanks to everyone for your tips and encouragement!  I am really trying to stay on track need to get this 20 pounds off before summer, can't afford to buy any more clothes!!!