18 months post RNY & need to get back on track

Hello folks! 
I am looking to get active with an OH community again...I have been off OH for months...and am now off track with my eating...I need to get off the carbs and start moving...please help!  I would love to add some new friends from Michigan if you are interested...

Hi my name is nick I have not had WLS yet but I am in the process  with DR. English he seems to be a pretty good doctor I have had the public day, education day, psych eval, and one nutrition meeting and my second is next week if you have any advice for me in my journey that would be great feel free to ad me as a friend thanks nick

Welcome back!  I too find so much information on this forum and the support we give each other is the BEST.  I am onlyi 3 weeks out from my RNY, so I don't have much to offer you at this point but encouragement and support.  Spring is a great time to get back on track!  I'm glad you decided to return and get the support you need! 

Welcome back!  I believe the very first step of getting yourself back on track is saying it out loud -- asking for support and declaring your intention.  And of course, being here on OH helps with that first step and all the steps that follow. 

I think we all have a different idea of what "back on track" means to us.  I wrote out my list and have it on my blog here: 
http://pamtremble.blogspot.com/2009/07/back-to-basics.html


Back to Basics

We hear it often -- "Back to Basics" -- but what does it really mean? Sometimes folks get off track with eating and exercise after WLS or during any weight loss plan and we need to get ourselves back on track with some basic rules and guidelines. Sometimes we find ourselves just eating poorly, or ignoring exercise or even seeing a slight weight gain... so getting back on track is important when we find ourselves lost a bit.

Back to Basics Guidelines   

1.First, find a good local support group. Then … DO NOT MISS ANY support group meetings. Make it a priority, put it on the calendar and don't let other stuff interfere with this important part of being successful. I attend 3 per month and believe that they keep me on track and focused on my journey.
 
2.BACK TO BASICS -- you know the rules, you know how to use your tool, so do it. 
** Protein first and always (80-100g/day). 
** Moderation with carbs (no white stuff - focus on veggies, fruit and whole grains to get your carbohydrate needs of about 100-120g/day and enough fiber to keep the digestive tract working properly)
** Get enough good fats in your diet.
** Get all your water each day - 64oz min
** No drinking with meals or for 30-90 minutes after meals
** Track every morsel of food that passes your lips. You can't know how to adjust your intake unless you know where you are starting from. Figure out where your calories need to be and stick to it 90% of the time.
** Plan your meals and eat on a schedule. I still follow the hour-by-hour schedule that Hurley gave us before surgery. 3 meals, 3 snacks pre-planned and eaten at specific times during the day and water intake between to curb hunger and grazing tendencies.
** Be a religious fanatic about your vitamins and supplements.
** Exercise your butt off. If you're not sweating like a pig, you're not working hard enough.

3. If you haven't had labs drawn recently then get that done. Some vitamin deficiencies can actually cause weight regain, so eliminating that as a culprit is important. (there's a list of recommended labs on my blog)

4. Lean on others for support when you're not strong enough to do it on your own. Eventually you will become strong enough and then you can be the support person that someone else relies on down the road.

5. GET HELP -- if you need to deal with the mental struggles that we all face of food addiction and disordered eating, then make an appointment with a therapist. A psychologist recommended by your surgeon's office is often a great resource. You don't have to do it on your own.