Help me get back on track!!

I have not been around here in a while. I had the sleeve in May 2010 and lost 110lbs. I have gained about 40lbs of that back and I need help getting back on track. I have also had two children since I had the surgery, one in 2012 and one in 2013. When I was pregnant with my first my OB was worried that I wasn't gaining weight and requested me to eat more fats..well....that led to bad eating and fats, sugars, carbs and here I am..gaining weight and not happy!

I guess I am looking for support and the best thing I can do to get back on track. I am an emotional eater and also eat out of boredom and need help with it all..

Thanks!!!!

Connie

First congratulations on the two babies.

None of us can help with emotional eating. I found a therapist that helped me a lot.

Getting back on track means first finding out how much you weigh. About 40 pounds says that you are not weighing regularly. You need to weigh daily and always be aware of your weight. Get rid of the carbs, bread, sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, chips, cookies, candy. Eat solid protein first. Track everything that you eat or drink.

Download My Fitness Pal. It is a great app for a smartphone and you can also use it with your computer.

Get a fitness tracker and wear it. Losing that 40 some pounds will probably take about one year. There is no quick fix that lasts. It gets easier every day and with every pound lost.

If you don't get a grip on this now it will get harder and harder.

Hi Connie

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... Also, be sure and join the Back On Track Together group link in my signature area.

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!

Regards,

Kathy

Member Services

Unfortunately I'm an emotional/binge/compulsive eater and there is no easy cure. I have started seeing a therapist who specializes in eating disorders and it seems to be working. I stalled out on my weight loss for months, and now I'm back to losing weight daily.

Until we deal with our head issues, the unstructured and emotional eating habits we have will unlikely go away.

Thanks so much for your help and encouragement!! You all make me feel so good and that I can do this!! I don't want to EVER go back to where I was. I will do this not only for myself but for my children as well. The first thing gone is all the bread, potatoes, sugar..gone today! I don't have a lot of time to work out at a gym due to work and family duties but I can start walking on my breaks at work and I will invest in a good workout DVD and do that in the mornings before everyone is awake. I'm making a plan and WILL DO THIS!!