Lost 150 lbs and regained 50 - here to get back on track!

Hello, everyone!

I was sleeved in December of 2011.  My top weight was almost 370 lbs. I lost about 150 with vsg and my lowest weight was 220.  Now as a 5'6 female i was still obese, but friends let me tell you that I felt a million miles better at 220 than 360!!!

I've regained 50 lbs and now weigh 270. I could give you a lis of reasons (excuses) why... I had a baby.  I had my thyroid removed.  I had foot surgery that put me in a cast for a long time.

but...The number one reason, the real reason, for my regain is simple. Grazing!  

My sleeve is still there, nice and tight and doing its job.  But I'm not eating 3 or 4 times a day. I'm eating all day.   I do it for comfort. I do it out of boredom. I do it out if habit. I do it carelessly and continuously. 

Lack of exercise doesn't help. But, honestly, in the calories/calories out equation what I eat plays the most central role. 

Basically, I'm eating too much and I'm getting fat(ter) again. 

I have joined obesity help to get back on track. My sleeve is a gift.  It is a second chance.  I cannot throw that away for mindless careless grazing.  My first goal is to simply get the scale moving in the right direction. My second goal is to get back down to 220.  Only once I'm at 220 will I decide the next goal.

anyway - hi everyone!  I'm glad to be here. I'm excited to be getting back on track and I hope to get to know you all better in the days,  Weeks, And months ahead.  Anyone newly sleeved or considering it - please don't be disheartened by my regain! This isn't a failure of the sleeve.  It was my own failure!! The fact is, I still get full on a small salad.  I can still go most of a day without eating and nit be hungry.  Grazing is my problem.  If I can end that,I know the weight will come off.  The sleeve is still the best thing I ever did for myself (other than getting married and having kids!!)

so you can see me as a cautionary tale , if you like...  But please know that the sleeve is still ( In my opinion) a wonderful and powerful weight loss tool . 

Sorry for typos.  I'm on a phone with a sleeping baby I my arms. 

Life is good but it could be a lot better. My back on track plan is going back to basics.  Protein Shakes and veggies!  At least until I break the grazing habit. I plan to do this until I hit 250 and then reassess if I feel ready to add some real food to my diet.  First couple of days have gone well.   Praying for a good weigh in on Monday!

Sorryfor or long rambling intro.  I really just wanted to say hi!!

sooooooo.... Hi!!!  :)

Sounds like you have the right attitude and that's the biggest obstacle!  Good luck.

I'm so glad you are here on the forum, and that you are committed to getting back on track. 

I think grazing is the biggest threat to sleeve success.  I fight it all the time.  Just last night, I had humus and crackers as a midnight snack because I was sleepless due to stress.  I've had too many sleepless nights and late night snacks recently, and I'm gaining weight, as well.

Are you avoiding carbs?  As I'm sure you know, carbs can cause huge cravings that make it hard to stay on the plan. 

best of luck

Carol

Grazing is certainly a problem that many of us fight.  I try to find high protein low calorie snacks to graze on, like low fat cheese or jerky.  But I feel your pain as I struggle with my grazing habit every day.  Good luck to you!

Thanks for your responses! 

I think ink my grazing is at it's worst when I'm tired.   My baby keeps me up a lot some nights, but I also struggle with insomnia.

when I am tired I sometimes eat and eat as if it will give me energy.  I also am just more thoughtless about my eating in general due to being tired so I'm not being mindful.

i do pretty good avoiding sugar.  But popcorn is a vice!!  I can put away half a bag of skinny pop like its nothing. (Yeah... It's not really "skinny pop" if you eat that much! Lol)

i think I really need to focus on eating 3 meals a day plus one snack.  I need to eat them within a small window of time too.

i read in some sleeve book that taking longer than 20-30 minutes to eat a meal after bring sleeved is really going into grazing territory. 

Thanks again for for the welcome!

I have had some success and then backslid a bit and also some regain. I have also had to refocus. Maybe we can help each other. It's always good to remember this is only a "tool" and not a fix!

Hi and welcome!  I hope you get good advice and ideas here.  :)

Congratulations on making the choice to turn things back around. I am relatively new to WLS so I don't have much advice. However, I can already tell what a problem the grazing demon can be. For me it is most evident when I am home on the weekends and just eat things that the kids leave out. On weekdays I'm at work and it's pretty easy to stick to a plan.

Good luck!

Laura