WEIGHT GAIN!!!!!

I had my VSG on 05/23/16 and had lost a total of 64.2 lbs, but have now gained 8.2 lbs over the past 2 months. Now I have NOT been eating properly for dinner on any given day over the past 2 months and have also gone back on the birth control pill exactly 2 months ago. I need help to get back on track as I never reached my goal weight and am now gaining. I need to lose 26 lbs and I am struggling. The only exercise I do on a regular basis is walking during my lunch break. HELP!!!!!

You can do this! You still have your tool in place. What things are you eating that you know you shouldn't? What was your eating like when you were actively losing weight?

Over the past 2 months, I have been eating out a lot for dinner because we were away for a lot of the summer. I am still not eating tons of food, but my choices have not been healthy ones.

You are experiencing the bounce back regain that is part of the weight loss surgery for almost everyone. What is going on with you is normal. Most people find it easy to lose right after surgery, but much harder to stick to losing as time goes by.

Surgery is considered successful if you lose 60% of your excess fat.

People who lose 100 pounds generally gain back 20 pounds by year three.

There is only one way to lose that regain and lose any additional weight. That is by strictly counting calories. To lose one pound a week, you need to eat 500 less calories a day. To lose two pounds a week, decrease by 1000 calories a day.

The problem with weight loss is that the less you weigh, the less you get to eat to lose weight and to maintain the loss.

I have tried every trick out there. Exercise, low carb, low fat, and low calorie. The only thing that has ever worked for me is low calories.

Thank you! I have to get back on track!

Post what you are eating daily for starters.

How is your fluid intake?

How much protein are you getting daily?

Are you tracking your calories?

Do you take your vitamins daily?

Remember weight loss or gain is guided by how much or how little you eat. Yes exercise is good to keep your body healthy, but does not need to be done to lose weight. There are several folks on here who never exercised and they made it to goal and have been able to maintain it.

Hi, thanks for replying. I will start posting food intake again. I stopped and don't know why. My fluid intake is good and is only water and 16oz of coffee in the morning. I still take all of my vitamins. Am not sure that I am getting enough protein since I stopped tracking my food intake :( . Thanks for the advise. I know this is what I need to be doing, I guess I just needed to be told again.

It seems like you know what you're doing wrong, which is a good thing. It's a good start at least.

I recommend that you begin getting back on track by weighing/measuring and logging every single thing that you put into your mouth. Use something like MyFitnessPal to track and ensure that you're getting the right mix of macronutrients. You can't know what you need to tweak in your way of eating if you don't know exactly what you're consuming.

From there, work on getting back to your basics. Here are my basics, yours might be slightly different.

1. Prioritize protein and water
2. Deprioritize carbs, especially the refined and processed ones
3. Make the most of healthy fats
4. Eat three meals a day with no snacks
5. Avoid liquid calories (protein shake for breakfast is my exception since I've never liked putting solid food in my stomach first thing in the morning)
a. Don't drink with meals or for 30 minutes after eating
6. Weigh portions and track/log what you consume
7. Eat mindfully and with no distractions aside from real live people
a. Try to eat at a table
8. Move as much as possible
9. Weigh yourself daily
a. But focus on the trend of your weight, not the day to day fluctuations
10. Be kind to yourself

You CAN do this. You just need to refocus and get your brain back in the game.

This is EXACTLY what I needed!!!! Thank you!!! I am feeling so motivated now and so ready to get the scale moving back in the right direction. Thanks again for the basics!!!!

I'd say, back to basics. Protein, protein, and more protein. Did I say protein? Cut out carbs and do 4oz meals of dense protein and veggies only.