Getting back on track

It has been nearly 8 years since my surgery.  Up until a year ago, when I ruptured my ACL and discovered other issues within my knee that prevents me from having a corrective surgery, I had maintained a very successful BMI and weight.  When I started my journey in 2008, I was 355 lbs.  I had gotten down to 155 lbs and successfully had my beautiful daughter about 20 months later.  I came right back to pre-pregnancy within 4 weeks.  However, I also have not been back to the gym.  I was never really able to juggle it in as a single mom without sitter support.  I maintained no higher than 190 lbs until the injury last August.  Now, I have ballooned to 254 lbs and am back on here seeking the same type of support that kept me motivated the first time around.  My biggest weakness is carbs.  I have allowed them back into my life.  However, I have been doing a great job at least curbing the bulk of them.  I have already succeeded in getting down from 265 to 254 in the last 8 weeks.  Not great, but it is the right direction!  Anyone else who has been through this - your advice is welcome!

Hi there!  

You're in luck because exercise is the smallest part of weight loss, so your knee will not prevent you from getting back to where you want to be!  But I feel the need to ask - have you done physical therapy?  I assume you've seen an orthopedist based on your post.  If you haven't done physical therapy, I'd recommend that you do that.  A physical therapist should be able to give you a home plan to help with your knee rehab.  

Options to the gym - resistance band sets are pretty cheap and you can do a wide range of exercises with them to build strength.  That might be a good option for your lifestyle?  You can also do a lot of things that involve your daughter :)  Walking, biking.. swimming if those are challenging for your knee.  Even just walking around the park while she plays on the jungle gym would be good for movement.  You might also consider something like yoga or pilates classes for yourself - a good instructor will be able to modify based on your knee problems.  And there are "mommy and me" yoga classes that exist :D  

But.. like I said, exercise is a small part of weight loss.  It's great for your BODY and your health and your mind, but not the main thing for weight loss.  That, as already know, is eating. :D

So first, start tracking everything you put in your mouth using something like MyFitnessPal and your handy-dandy kitchen scale.  This will let you see what you're consuming so you can course correct and, I think, it also acts as a means of accountability.  Sometimes the knowledge that you have to log your suboptimal choice will cause you to choose more optimally, eh?  

From there, work on getting back to your basics.  Here are mine, yours might be slightly different.  For me, it was useful to figure out what my basics were and to write them down, since it gives me something to refer to.  

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
      a. Do not drink while eating or for 30 minutes after eating
5. Avoid liquid calories (breakfast protein shake is the exception)
6. Weigh portions, log everything consumed
7. Eat mindfully and with no distractions aside from real live people
8. Move as much as possible
9. Weigh myself daily
10. Be kind to myself

Last, but not least, I highly recommend that you seek out a therapist if you don't have one already.  (I assume you don't, since you didn't mention it.)  It's important for all of us to remember that the surgery is only on our stomachs and not on our minds.  I know that, for me, the surgery gave me the breathing space I needed to do the work that my mind needed but, even know, my mind still screws me over in unexpected ways.  Therapy has helped me with that.  

You CAN do this!!

Amanda, you know what your issues are - carbs.  And even though you think that the injury caused the weight gain - it is not so much the activity...but the eating that gets us, and drinking...drinking with meals, drinking calories, etc. 

"Curbing the bulk of them" is a good start... But you know what you need to do - get rid of the carbs. Focus on proteins and fat and some non starchy veggies.  You May need to de-carb -  "white knuckled" .the carbs.  2-4 days limiting all carbs... Focus on proteins and fats.  Then once the cravings get better - you could try to reintroduce some non starchy veggies back to your diet.  

Some people used "five day meat diet" to re-carb.  But for me - that would leave me hungry and constipated. 

When I m0need to re-carb - I use proteins and fat...and some non starchncwggies as " fillers"..

When I'm de-carbing- first 4-5 days I don't limit quantity of food I eat but I have a very short list of food I can eat, and I don't deviate from it. 

My list include: any type of meat or fish - baked, saute, grilled, cooked with or without fat... (even fried - no breading) , eggs,  olives and avocado , mustard and spices with no sugar. I add unlimited  non starchy veggies like cucumbers. Pickles (no sugar added - NSA) , celery, califlower...

I even allow low sugar mayo...but not ketchup or other "sweet" type condiments.  I don't use dairy - and yogurt and milk would be out for me, but cheese may be a good option as a small snack. Bu****ch for cheese - hot is more like a slider food for me and it has a lot of calories. I can eat 4 oz of chicken and be full for couple of hours but I can eat cheese non stop...

When I get hungry - I eat those items only.  Dense proteins fill me up. And keep me full. Cucumbers and pickles add to the flavor. Avocado and olives - add the fat that is healthy.  Lettuce could be good also, but my body does not tolerate it. 

After 3-5 days my body naturally limits my cravings and appetite.. After the cravings are out I can concetrate on limting calories by limiting portions or frequency of my meals. 

When I was re-losing some of my regain I monitored and journal what I ate and how much.  

I had a "cheat" day or a meal every 2-3 weeks. During that day - I allowed myself almost anything and everything... And initially I really would eat things that were not good for me.  And got sick. So after a while - I realised that my body craved more fruits... So my "cheat day" included more fruits like berries, peanut butter (NSA), almond butter... Some nuts with my berries... Maybe an occasional one (really 1) bite of dessert when we were out... Or a handful of popcorn.  But that was on the one designated "cheat days". 

Knowing that I have a day I can eat anything -helped me feel like I am not have a complete restriction.  But more delayed "gratification". 

Now - at goal - I practice similar things... When the scale show number in the upper range - I am very strict with what I eat and how much...but it the number is low or below my min weight - I eat more things..like fruits...or nuts... 

Check the daily " what are you eating " post on RNY forum. Join...start puting things down... Even if you can't seem to "get it" and follow the plan - it is a great start. 

When I had to put down in writhing " I ate a bag of M&M... " in my daily post... Next time I was stressed and reached for it - remembering that I need to write it down ...helped me to stop..and pick blueberries, or even an apple or an orange - still carby...but I knew I could justify eating that...

Good luck.,