I'm back...weight gain in tow!

Sadly I'm back. Three years out and I've regained 25lbs and know it's will be 30 quickly. It's the same story you've heard a thousand times about the hunger has returned. I was so happy for two years with no cravings, weight was effortlessly failing off. Now it's like I can't stay on a "diet" for over a day. It's like I've forgotten how to even stay eating correctly for a day much less a week. I'm mortified I have failed at this and scared I can't get a handle on my weight gain! So I have some questions that maybe those of you that have regained and have lost back to your correct weight might answer. Do you loose the regain by dropping your calories drastically or did you loose by going back to dense protein, veggies and then fruit? Do you measure and weigh food again? After surgery I remember taking vitamins but quickly stopped taking them. I can't even remember what I'm suppose to take or what kind (before you ask, I don't have a doctor anymore; he's gone and I can't afford to start with a new one). What vitamins do you use and why. Also is there a forum that is best for loosing the regain weight with lots of sharing and support. Thanks to all that answers!

I have had many weight regains and lost it again.  There is only one method that works. 

• Eat less protein, less vegetables, less fruit, less fat and less carbs. 
• Drink more water
• Do more exercise

It is not easy and I wish that there was another way, but it works every time.

Regain happens but finding why it happens is key. Doesn't do any good to beat yourself up.  Go back to basics.  Track everything you eat in MFP or like app or on paper.  Find out how much you are eating.  Reduce the calories until you start losing.  These are the eating goals I aim for:  

Measure everything you eat.

Track everything you eat or drink.

100 oz water (at least)

100 g protein

< 80 g carb

Eat dense protein first.  Avoid liquids with meals. 

Consciously Eat slowly.  Take small bites. Chew.

Stay away from trigger foods, crap food

Weight everyday

FEED emotions with emotion food, fix your head (therapy)

I take a regular adult vitamin because the expensive bariatric vitamins often do not even meet min. standards.  I hear good things from the people here taking the patch.  I take iron and calcium citrate as well (not at the same time).  Your PCP can do vitamin levels to see where you are.  

Stay on these boards and participate.  It helps keep you focused on where you should be. 

I'd suggest cutting out the carbs.  Carbs cause huge cravings for me. Perhaps cutting carbs will make the diet more manageable.

Even in maintenance, most of my meals are like the ones during weight loss.  I eat 4 ounces of dense protein per meal with all the healthy low carb veggies I can eat.  I avoid grazing - grazing is disastrous for me.  I eat 3 or 4 meals per day. 

Its hard because I am often hungry.  But it is worth it. 

I think maintenance is even harder than the weight loss.  But you can do it.  You'll find a strategy that works for you.  Just keep the faith.  You've got this.

Carol

Introducing carbs into my diet meant increasing hunger for me.  Even so called good carbs like starchy veggies, fruits, or high fiber grain products (bread, pita bread) don't work well for me. 

Dense proteins + healthy fat, plus non starchy veggies....

Changing one thing at a time works best for me.  Changing what I ate first - then work on limiting calories once the hunger was more manageble. 

I.e. I would pick "safe foods" to eat - then allow myself to eat as much of it as I wanted - was hungry for: that list included: cooked, baked or grilled meat, fish, eggs. Non starchy veggies like cucumbers, SF pickles, califlower, broccoli, Cellery, etc... Up to 1 avocado per day (good fats), olives ...

When I was hungry '- I "allowed myself " to eat as much as I wanted but from the list. Very soon I could determine what was real hunger - I would eat the darn chicken, and what was cravings - when I wanted something sweet...or different. 

First 2- 4 days decarbing was tough- but after the first few days my hunger was either not that bad, or gone... 

Unfortunately - some artificial sweeteners make me really hungry (aspartame) so using that (in diet drinks, Crystal light) is out for me.  

Milk and yogurt have sugars so when I was decarbing - I kept them out of my list of foods I can eat. 

Taking multivitamin - at least that - is recommended. Pick an adult multi - like a Centrum or equivalent. 

My motto is "one day at a time - one meal at a time". When I give to cravings at one meal - I don't wait till next day, or next Monday - I "reset" the very next meal...

If I have food in the house that is my trigger food - I.e cookies - I either hide them or toss them. "Trashing" a bag of "cookies" is less expensive that trying to see a doc or a nutritionist to ask for help with regain... 

Sounds like you could benefit from a program like Overeaters Anonymous. I had a 90 lb regain and have lost almost 70 of it. 

My method is not the usual approach but worked for me. I completely abstain from recreational (added) sugar, white flour and personal binge/trigger foods. I eat 3 meals with 2 optional snacks. I do not touch food any other time. I plan my meals in the morning so that way I don't have to make a choice when life is crazy. I tend to eat more protein and veggies but still eat rice and potatoes (they are not main staples in mydiet though). 

I believe tracking and measuring food is a critical tool but I've managed to lose the 70 lbs without doing it only bc I spent 5 years straight doing it and have a very good working knowledge of appropriate portion sizes and nutrition. Had I not spent so many years doing it, I would absolutely need to do it in order to lose weight. For me though, I had to stop obsessing over calories in order to lose bc obsessing triggers diet mentality for me which in turns leads to a cycle of restricting then binging and repeat over and over. Even though my diet is quite restrictive it does not trigger diet brain bc I make an empowering choice every single morning to abstain and follow my plan. I live day to day instead of worrying about what's down the road. 

Congratulations on the 70 pound regain loss!!!!!   What if anything did you do for exercise?  

Walk. Lots of walking and hiking. I'm training for a 1/2 marathon so I walk 4-7 miles a couple times a week. 

In addition to all the good suggestions above, I suggest reading "Refuse to Regain" by Barbara Berkely, M.D. and "Ultimate Gastric Sleeve Success" by Dr. Duc C. Vuong. Full of good information about how to keep your weight in check. 

I gained 10 pounds this summer, and I wasn't even at goal yet. Now that I'm back to eating healthy, with the emphasis on eating lean protein first, my sleeve is still doing a great job and curbing (but not eliminating -- I still have to work at it) carb cravings.

Good luck!

psychoticparrot

Regardless of calories, you should go back to "dense protein, then veggies." That's what we need to do for LIFE, more or less.

Start with a multi-vitamin, a store-brand of Centrum or something similar will work fine. Many folks add on calcium and iron in addition.