I'm back and need help :-)

It's been a looong time since I've been on this forum!

I'm five years out and dealing with regain. I want to go back to basics, protein and veg, but I'm breastfeeding and my supply is VERY temperamental. I'm struggling as it is.

I am stuck in a bad eating pattern, terrible habits. I have a 7-month-old baby, am in the process of buying a house, and work long rotating shifts in an emergency department. My body is absolutely sleep deprived and it's affecting my self control! I'm still up 15ish lbs from my prepregnancy weight.

So, any and all tips welcome, especially from women that have struggled during breastfeeding.

Hi MAchick! Congrats on the new baby! That's exciting! Your life sounds hectic, for sure. I can't give you tips on how to get through breast-feeding, or managing life stress, but I am five years out and have 25 lbs of regain to lose and I took a lot of time to look at what was going on when I regained. And for me, it was simple. I stopped weighing my food on my food scale, I stopped logging it in MyFitnessPal and I stopped weighing myself daily. I was eating normal food like normal people, and I thought I could eat smaller portions of normal food and be ok and nope, I am not normal, won't ever be normal, and can't pretend to be normal, when it comes to food.

Sadly, my food addiction is just that, and when I am not vigilantly weighing and tracking my food, I gain weight.

So I personally don't recommend a "pouch reset" or "liquid diet" or anything. I recommend eating like your surgeon's office told you after surgery, although with larger servings of course. Prioritize protein. Cut the white carbs (SO. HARD. I know). Meal prep on your day off. I am doing this and while the weight is slooooowly melting off, at least it's going in the right direction.

Currently my meals are a mixture of:

Boars Head Ever Roast deli chicken and some cheese (4 oz and 1 oz, respectively) everyday for breakfast, after my coffee with 3 measured tbsp of half and half and sugar-free Torani syrup [thinking I was normal, I had been using flavored creamer like my normal-weight BF uses, nope, no more]

Lunches are things like grilled chicken, chicken sausage, ground chicken spicy meatballs, 2 hard-boiled eggs mashed up with 3/4 cup cottage cheese and Everything but the Bagel spice on top, tuna salad that I mix with feta cheese, artichokes, roasted red pepper, diced red onion, and olives, rotisserie chicken from Costco

Dinner is similar to lunch

For snacks I have been having mini cucumbers and mini colorful peppers that I dip into fat-free greek yogurt with ranch seasoning, or a small serving of popcorn, or string cheese (though I tend to eat more than my allotted two so I may have to stop buying these).

Good luck, MAchick - we have both been on here for about the same time and regain is the pits! It's so common but not fun at all!!!

Cutting carbs is so hard. But I remember that once it was done, it got easier and I felt so much better.

I think part of the issue is definitely meal prep. I used to do well with packing and prepping my own lunches and snacks. Now, I have to lug all my pumping supplies and milk cooler everywhere, so I rarely bring my own meal because it's too much. I need to just suck it up and do it! I'm worth it right?

It's way too easy just grabbing crap at the cafeteria. I tell myself i'll just get a salad, then I end up with chicken fingers and fries because it's quick and easy.

Yup, chicken fingers and fries are quick and easy...and good! As my MIL always says, "fat tastes good!" lol. You are totally worth it, and doing the prep takes a bit of up front time but it will help you immensely! Maybe pick a day that you devote to the prep. You can make a lot of stuff and freeze it, to be eaten later in the week. Personally, I make a food plan for the week. Breakfast is easy since it's always deli chicken and cheese. But then I map out what we are having for each dinner, and I normally make enough for leftovers which are lunch the following day. I just got back in town Monday night and my plan for the week for the two of us is:

Tues: Grill 5 chicken breasts, 3 with BBQ and 2 with taco seasoning. Dinner is bbq chicken (plus a baked potato for BF) and broccoli

Wed lunch: Use leftover bbq chicken in a low carb wrap as a sandwich, chips for BF and side salad of cucumbers and mini peppers for me

Wed dinner: Use leftover taco chicken to make fajitas, with onions and peppers, and cheese and sour cream, tortilla chips for BF

Th lunch: egg salad and tuna salad (the ultimate easy lunch since you just have to open a can and hard boil a few eggs)

Th dinner: BF grills salmon for his dinner and his Fri lunch, I broil crab with some mayo and Old Bay for my dinner and my Fri lunch

Fri lunch: leftovers

Fri dinner: taco night with the kids

Really, once I set my mind to it and make a cohesive plan, it makes the shopping and prep SO much easier! And no chicken fingers and fries can sneak their way in :)

Welcome back!

I agree that part of the first step should definitely be just to get back in the habit of measuring and tracking your food. From there, I'd recommend turning to your medical professionals - talk to your surgeon's office and your ob/gyn for advice on food and breastfeeding. Also, try to go easy on yourself - you've got a lot going on and some of it is temporary.

Thank you, good point! It's a very difficult transition going from obesity to weight loss then to pregnancy and now breastfeeding. My head tells me, "Ok, time to lose weight now" but I know my body is serving another purpose at the moment. I'm worried it will just get to be too much, but I suppose awareness is a good thing at the moment and will help.

Hi MAchick

It's good to see you back but not for the reasons you are here. We all have been through it. Get back to the basics and you will get those pounds off.

Here are some steps that helped me and I hope they will help you too! You may have several starts and stops but don't give up, don't beat yourself up. IT WILL CLICK!!! Our tool works if we work the tool and get back to the basics.

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. If you didn't make a Weight Loss Surgery bucket list when you first had surgery do it now. GREAT reminder of all the things you can enjoy in life after losing weight.

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. I found once I started carrying one of the metal bottles of water to keep it cold I drank water all day.

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. Grab a cart and walk all the isles at your local box store. 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. Come here on OH daily for support and participate in one of the food threads. It helps you be accountable and also great ideas for food prep.

Keep me posted on how you are doing.

Thanks so much!! It's amazing what you forget, but luckily I'm remembering. I think I will make a goal list. I've already noticed how easy it is to forget "me" now that I have a child. I need to be the best ME for HER!

So I've been going back to my old posts for meal ideas. Yesterday I did a grocery shopping trip and bought lots of proteins, cheese, and veggies.

Today I made: sausage with onions, roasted cauliflower, and a big batch of chicken veggie meatballs. I like to coat in buffalo sauce!