9 yrs out and gained back 80 lbs since 2015

First of all you are not different than anyone else who has weight loss surgery. Surgery makes it easy to lose weight for a few years. But the body is smart and learns how to overcome the effects of the surgery.

You get hungrier and eat more. The more you eat the more you want.

Many people lose 100 pounds. Half of them have gained back 50 pounds by year 5.

A good percentage have gained it all back by year 10.

After the first few honeymoon years, you only keep weight off by dieting and exercising. Every year it gets harder. You can eat less every year and gain back easier.

The only way to lose the weight now is to go on a diet and exercise program. It did not come on overnight and it will take time to get it off. With extremely hard work, you can expect to lose one pound a week. It will take you close to two years to lose it all.

If you don't do it, the two years will go by and you will still have the extra weight and more.

gain and regain is all about calories and what foods you choose to put in your mouth.

Exercise, while overall good for us, does not promote weight loss. I lost 122# with NO exercise and have maintained the loss for nearly 8 years.

what does a days menu look like for you?

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Way too many carbs and sweets. I think my portions for the most part are good just the wrong foods. Went grocery shopping today and bought meat and veggies. I plan to do 1 or 2 protein shakes to get started back on track.

I would say - don't "think" the portion sizes are good - KNOW. Weigh, measure, and track everything you eat and drink to see what your intake looks like. It may seem time consuming at first, but the routine becomes natural after awhile. Staying accountable and honest is important!

You have already taken the hardest step by saying enough is enough and now I want to get back on track. I maintained 118-125 for over 10 years after losing 200 pounds. Due to a personal tragedy I gained and hit the 190 mark a year ago. After several starts it finally clicked and I am back to goal losing 70 pounds of regain. 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.

You are not alone like Amy and White Dove says. I had my surgery also in 2008 - one month before you. I like you was good for 7 years... then gained 40 lbs from stress over next 2 years. currently working it back off since last Spring surely but slowly you can do it. Go back to basics. I even recently bought 3 different tubs of good Whey protein powders. Really up protein that way. Filling and satisfying. They taste way better then the ready made protein drinks or what I had when I was my first year out. Someone here had asked what was best and I ran with one of the answers.

I have had a lot of success coming here daily and reading, filling up my well, getting better informed. Ideas of what to eat. Also helping others. Support is so important. Something my hospital did not offer.

It is not easy, believe me I know been living the life. I do feel when I lose again everything it will be that much sweeter. This has been a lot harder with stops and starts along the way. Especially with holidays. Stick around .. fill up your well... soon your mind will be back in the game and time will go by ... you can do it.

Regarding exercise all went to hell when I fell away from it around 7 years. Last Spring I read from someone here (Halab or white dove possibly ??) do one thing first ... just one thing ... but do that one thing good... get that under your belt. so I concentrated on the food only, no exercise. Back to basics of all junk gone, Whole Foods, high protein low carb and cut calories at first to about 1200 -1300 and by January I cut to 950 to 1100. Getting water in, vitamins.

The first of this year I went back to exercise. It worked well taking that advice of one thing first. I like my elptical but it took 3 weeks for it not to not feel like a chore. I have 15 lbs more to get off.

Take care and forgive yourself... you can do this.

I would ditch the shakes. Eat food. Eat meat. Eat dense food that fills you up. Write down what you eat.

For me I eat the same thing over and over. Meat,eggs,and yogurt with bran.

Over the past couple of years my weight loss stalled and then I began to gain. Scared me! I began to not like myself again. (Normal feelings you are having!)

I finally downloaded My Fitness Pal app on my phone, started tracking my calories, eating lots of protein, veggies, and fruit within my daily calories. I allow myself just a few carbs a day and try to stay away from sugary foods. I had lost 80 pounds with weight loss surgery. Gained back enough to add stress to my already stressful life.

Since starting to track my food intake, drinking half my body weight in water every day, adding healthy and nutritional probiotics along with my vitamins to my daily diet, I am now only a couple pounds from my realistic goal of 155. (I have secret goal to reach 145 which would officially make me a 100 pound loser, but I'm happy as I am, though. I will be 60 years old in August and do not see the need to fit in a bikini anymore. ;) Oh, and I recently started back to the gym and walking outside when the weather allows.

You can do this! We are all cheering in your corner. Just keep checking back here for support. Hugs and happiness!

(((()))) I know coming out of denial really hurts. You?re very brave and thoroughly deserve speedy success losing the regain.

Please re-read if you can your surgeon?s/bariatric nutritionists post o-p eating recommendations. The fact is its very easy to stray and justify .. first just a bit.. then later a LOT from the food plan that keeps us at a stable and healthy under 25 BMI ( so no longer obese) weight.

Most of us after we?ve emptied out a bunch of fat cells crave fat ... or rather the empty fat cells crave refilling and unless they?ve been removed through plastic surgery they do send out extra estrogens and hunger hormones that make us hungry for fats...cheese, butter, even fast foods.

Justifying making these a regular part of our diet because we ? left off the bun? leaves us many pounds heavier and far unhealthier than if we?d followed our surgeons recommendations and largely stuck to the list of Weigh****chers 200 ?free foods? .

I basically eat only that list( I was very surprised to see it contains beans and lean sources of protein, not just fruits and vegetables ) - though I occasionally stray - last week I ate some Brie and fresh bread at ONE meal.

I find I stayed the same weight ( 135-140) 19.9 BMI and ridiculously healthy 8 years post op.

I have had virtually no regain and haven?t had to count calories, limit snacking, limit alcohol or had to exercise.

Actually my habits were far better pre-op but hopefully I?ll eventually get over this childish rebellion lol. But I cant tell you how glad I am to have flat abs and a sexy body that doesnt hang over my skinny jeans ... when i do choose to put on clothes rather than pajamas :)

((())) Good luck