I'm Back for Good and Ready to Start Over

Hi All! I had my sleeve surgery almost 6 years ago and after a very rough start because I was bleeding internally I lost 100 pounds. I felt great and was so grateful that I had the surgery and was the smallest I have ever been at 130 lbs and a size 2. I then found myself pregnant even though the doctors told me after my second child that I couldn't have anymore because my endometriosis was so bad. I struggled to eat enough but forced myself so that I had a healthy baby. I gained 30 lbs back due to my pregnancy. I then developed non-cancerous tumors in my belly and slowly gained another 30 lbs due to inability to move much and depression didn't help with healthy eating choices. I had surgery to remove the tumors and ended up with complications again and now almost 4 years later I can finally exercise and focus on eating right to get this weight off. I need OH for the support, I am sticking around for the long haul. Also, made an appointment for therapy because I know I need all the help I can get. Today is Day 1 and I'm not going to give up until I reach my goal again. I did it once, I know I can do it again. Thanks for letting me share my story! Look forward to talking with everyone!

Welcome back! It sounds like you have had a rough road with health problems and complications. I'm glad you're well enough to focus on movement & nutrition again! I hope things go well for you!

I'm rather new here (I'm 9 months out) but how wonderful you have been able to battle through all the good & bad changes in life to be ready to focus on your health. It sounds as if you've already made the mind battle victory. You will do wonderfully.

I'm 66, and the best thing post sleeve has been the health improvements. I'm glad you're back and ready to go.

Glad you're here. A lot of us have had regains for all sorts of reasons. I've had two big ones myself due to eating more calories than my body used.

It is completely possible to re-lose the weight. It takes more time than we all wi**** did but it can be done. Do you have a plan in place as far as eating and such?

I'm just going back to eating the way I should have been this whole time. Protein, protein, protein! Low carb and the least amount of sugar I can. Plus drink tons of water which I am horrible with so have to force myself. I'm good with planning out my meals and making good choices my problem is not sticking with it. I don't have much support at home bc everyone is thin so no one gets what I'm going through so I need OH for daily support and def seeing a therapist to push me through.

Yes! Whenever my weight isn't going in the direction I want, it's always because I'm eating more calories than my body uses. I can point to things that happened that in my life that led to me making those choices but, ultimately, I'm the one who controls what I put into my body.

So sorry to hear all you have been through....

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.