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

Like those before me I would suggest getting back on the program that made you successful:

Meal Planning and tracking - Myfitness Pal app is a popular one

weighing - do you have a food scale?

I stick to dense protein and veggies as I can.

I would also suggest doing the 5DMT - 5 day meat test. I just lost 6.4 pounds last week by eating a meat only diet. the week and a half prior I went off plan while on vacation and I paid a dear price. I feel it might be worth a shot to start it as it will give you some quick positive results and will help get your mindset back where you need to be.

 Edited to add - The link for the 5 day meat test is on Sparklekitty Julies signature page.

You have already taken the hardest step by saying enough is enough and now I want to get back on track.  Here are some steps I hope will help you. They helped me... 

Planning/Preparing

Remember when we were preparing for surgery?  How many meetings, classes and such did we attend?  We were told the more prepared we were the better our chances were for success.  And they were right. Go through the house, car and work place and get rid of trigger foods.  Stock up on foods that will keep you on track. I removed every bad carb/sugar temptation and replaced it with lots of protein, veggies, grains and fruits.

Journaling

Get back to journaling.  This will help you identify when you feel like eating, stress factors and any triggers in your life.  Once you identify these factors, this will help you put tools in place to keep you from eating.  It became clear I was not taking time for me anymore. I worked my day job and then spent the rest of my time caring for my husband.  It was easy to reach for fast, prepackaged food.  Since I purged my home I have to eat clean as there are no other options LOL

Use a tool to track you're eating and exercise like Getting Started with Health Tracker.  Once I started to track ever bite and drink it became clear why I had gained.

Goals/Rewards

Make a list of goals for yourself.  Make them realistic and small.  Some of mine were move more, purge all junk from my home, eat more protein.

Food

In general, a long term post-weight loss surgery eating plan includes foods that are high in protein, and low in fat?, calories, and sugar. Important, vitamins and minerals are provided as supplements. (if you had a different surgery adjust this to your food plan).

Water

Water is our Best Friend. I have to say I never went back to pop or any bad drinks, however I was drinking tea like crazy. What is wrong with drinking tea?  I was either using sugar or 3 equals and 3 sweet n lows per 32 ounce glass.  So I was either pushing to be diabetic or get cancer.  I found once I started carrying a bottle of water around 24/7 (yes had one at my bedside) I lost the cravings for the sugar and I KNOW those artificial sweeteners are not good for me. Look I am old and if you add up all the artificial sweeteners I have consumed I am sure I am at the rat in the lab getting cancer threshold.

MOVE!

I can't say enough about how key this was for me. The reason I kept my weight off for almost 10 years was no matter what, I kept moving.  If I could not go to the gym I would walk. I loved Zumba, bootcamp workouts, lifting weights. When I stopped, the weight started coming back.  So for me I am starting slow to avoid injury by walking and using some of the workouts on my Demand TV.  Find something you love to do and it won't feel like a pain in the *** to do daily.

Support

If it's an option "run" don't walk to a support group.

Keep me posted on how you are doing.

The vitamins I am taking and was told to take are the following:

1.) Multi vitamin - I take Alive Women's energy - 1 a day

2.) Calcium Citrate - I take petites  - 2 caplets twice a day

3.) Vitamin B12 -  1 a day (solvuable) sp?

This could very from person to person, but I was told today by my Dr. these are all good along with the amounts.

Good luck to you

You are not alone. There are many of us that struggle with weight gain. Once the honeymoon period is over from our surgery and great weight loss, life becomes real. Bad habits and food triggers slowing a merge. Look into a twelve step program to try to get to the root. We have addiction to flour, sugar and wheat. Check out OA, FA, or FAA. Find a support group. Once again you are not alone. I am in the same boat. I know what I need to do, yet I can't seem to make it through a day without screwing up. People tell me One day at a time. I believe  it's more One Meal at a time.

Go back to basics. Jump start by doing the pre op diet.  STAY POSITIVE and get back on program.

I'm once again on a yo yo apparently. At one point this summer I was 21 pounds up from my lowest. This Monday it was 13 pounds. I've found that if I follow the suggestions above...eat protein, get rid of carbs, log, exercise, the weight comes off. Avoiding carbs is so very hard for me. But, I'm doing better.

i take more vitamins than it sounds like others do. I don't remember every day but I try to take a multivitamin, vitamin c, iron and fish oil in the morning. Calcium, d, magnesium in the evening. I take b12 three times a week and sometimes biotin too.