gaining weight back , aprox 15/20 pounds over a year. can you start regaining if your not getting enough protein? I jog /walk 3 to 5 miles a day. thank you

You start regaining when you eat more calories than you burn. It's pretty rare that we eat too much protein. The extra calories you've been eating are almost certainly carbs.

Hi!  I am a runner too and I am currently training for a full marathon.

I have PCOS and I am very carb sensitive. Bascially, I only eat carbs (i.e complex carbs) on my long run day (i.e. 10-17+ miles). I eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup oatmeal (Old fashioned oats NOT instant with protein powder mixed in) for breakfast pre-workout. My "sports drink" is Hammer Nutritions HEED which uses cyclodextrin for its carb (it is complex carb not gatorade). Every mile I eat ONE date. ONE.  At miles 6 & 9 I will consume baby food (i.e pears+ cranberry or bannana + oranges).  On long runs over 12+ miles, I take Hammer Perteum protein tabs [ you need to eat protein when your runs are in excess of 3 hours). 

After the run, no more carbs. None.  I go back to steak and broccoli. Fish and spinach.

Gotta watch the bread, bagels, and noodles. Remember food is fuel. 3-5 miles isnt burning much. I read somewhere that those calorie counters based on our wrist HRM can be as much as 20-40% off!  So one thinks, I ran 5 miles, and I burned 500 calories!!!  But if your body is off from their metric, it may be that you only burned 300 calories NOT 500!

I am having the same issue and hungry all the time... I finally found something to help and starting to lose a little weight. So curious as to what others are saying,,,

Hi wdwgram14,

I have shared this and it seems to help.  You can do it, just 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.

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

Well my dear, let me share something with you -- I'm also 3 years out and have regained WHILE exercising.  And there is only one reason...because I've allowed the crappy carbs and diet soda back into my life. Period. End of reason. I can exercise until kingdome comes but I'll never out-exercise a crappy diet. And I'm not talking high calories either, just ****ty choices. 

And now that I weigh a lot less it doesn't take very much excess food to put the pounds on.  Nobody ever talks about that, do they?  When I weighed 250 lbs. I had to eat a LOT to gain 10-20 lbs.  At 130-150 lbs., not so much