2 year out struggle

Hello
So here is the story.
I am two years out of having the GBS.  Since November however I have really been struggling.  I gained about 12lbs from November to February (which made sense to me with all the drinks and snacks I was having going from party to party between weddings, and Christmas, and so on)  Since February I have managed to solidly lose about  4 of those pounds and yo-yoed with the rest.

Recently however I have found myself stress eating constantly.  Like I'll have 1/2 a cup of food but I am eating about every hour or 2 because I feel 'hungry.'  It's not unhealthy food but it's still unnecessary.

I'm not sure if I should go see a therapist or start wearing an electric collar (kidding) or try anti-anxiety medication but I was hoping someone had some suggestions.

My motivation just seems to be hiding somewhere.

 I would really appreciate any help (tips or tricks).

The two year mark is where it starts to get real. I gained 10 real quick, but did cut back and lose it. Make a schedule and follow it. Remind yourself that hunger is not an emergency. Try to keep busy so you are not eating out of boredom. Remember how far you have come.

Track your food, protein firs****er, vitamins, exercise, etc. Sounds cliche, but you know what to do, now you just have to do it.

Define "not unhealthy foods" . just because something is "healthy" it does not mean it is good for us post op RNY. 

I have to stay away from grains, higher sugar fruits and other starches.  Most protein bars are really glorified candy barbs, and the so called "low net carb bars"are often just a company marketing strategies to sell more of those.  I used to gain weight trying to eat the so called low carbs protein bars, had many sugar crashes, hunger, cravings, etc. Removing that from my diet - and concetrating on real food - meat-fish-eggs and non starchy veggies helped me to lose some of my regain and stop being hungry.  I eat real food and stop when I feel just getting full.  Sometimes that is 1/2 cup ..and sometimes a whole cup of food.  At 8 years post op I know that real food is the best for me...

I still eat some snacks...so I don't lose too much weight... Not drinking with meals, but drinking lots in between meals keeps my pouch happy... 

Examine what you eat. Too many fruits or slider foods may leave you hungry with cravings...identify foods that do that and eliminate them. 

So I would say a typical day for me recently would be:

1/4 cup cottage cheese or 1 poached egg with a handful of spinach

handful of carrots

100 calorie pack of almonds

coffee

lunch varies- sushi/ salad/ pasta/ a taco/ ect

some leftover lunch

a piece of toast

dinner: fish/ chicken/ and 2 tbsps. wild rice and veggies ( brussel sprouts/ squash/ kale/ ect)

And depending on what time I make it to bed usuall 1 or 2 more snacks and they tend to be sweeter (dark chocolate, banana and pb, ect)


That's like about 8 'small' meals a day which is double what I use to be eating...

I'm also a little over 2 years & am still finding the right balance to maintain right now & all I can say is that you'll have to keep doing what you did earlier when you was in weight loss mode, but it'll be a little slower. I know I can't really go back to 800 calories & stay there for a great amount of time.

I think your foods are a bit heavier carb wise & light protein wise. Cottage cheese is really more of a slider food, so you won't stay full for very long. The rice,toast,sushi, salad, pasta etc, heavy on the carb side, protein side light, you need to reverse that.

It might help to up the water too. I know whenever I get a hunger pang I drink more water, if I'm still hungry an hour later it might be real hunger & I'll eat dense protein, if no hunger pangs I figure its just head hunger. Sucking on calcium chews kept my mouth busy for when I just had to have something in there. I got a bit of a sweet tooth. lol 

Sounds like you are grazing.  And on high carbs that make you want to graze.  I bet if you could track your blood sugars you would be on the low side when you are "hungry" again.  Vicious cycle.  Also I bet the bed time snaking adds up to more than you think with the sweets and fats combo.  I have had recent gain.  I am going back to they way I ate when I was loosing.  I Do know what to do.  Just got to get back on track.

It sounds to me like you are not eating enough food at your main meals to fill you up so are then snacking again before you should. My 3 meals are usually one cup of food and then I have a smaller snack before bed to keep my sugar from crashing over night. Some days I'm not able to eat the full cup of food but at 4 years out most days I can. I don't eat any bread,rice,potatoes or pasta but do eat steel cut oats with protein powder added some days for breakfast. I rarely eat fruit and if I do it is berries. Usually eat dense protein and non starchy veggies like green beans or broccoli or cauliflower. I got over 20 pounds below my goal and have weighed 118 to 123 for 3 years now. It is definitely work to make smart choices but it is doable.

do you use myfitnesspal? Looks like your carbs would be quite high with what your eating

I'll try the lower carbs, higher protein!
My surgeon emphasized eating whole grains (steel cut oats, colorful fruits, legumes and grains, ect) so I have been eating along those lines and cut out white bread and sugary watery fruits.

Yea... In theory that sounds really good. But for you it clearly does not work, since you get hi try and you feel like grazing all the time. 

I get hb eggs, side of bacon and a few bites of raw veggies.  I skip grains...and eat meat and non starchy veggies. Banana used to make me get low BS after - RH, same as grapes... If I eat fruits - that would be berries with a side of some low carbs nuts...I eat nuts but stay away from highs carbs nuts like cashews, or pistachios. I would eat pecans, almonds, macadamia, brazil.. And since I tolerate them well - even peanuts..