Gaining weight!!
There are no "tricks" it takes diligence and awareness and will for the rest of your life. I have used myfitnesspal.com to track my intake because it tracks more than just caloric intake, it also tracks other "nutrients" like sodium, fiber and the like. You should also be measuring and weighing your portions, thinking you can eyeball the portions got you to where you were before the WLS and will get you there again, despite the WLS, if not careful. I thought I could eyeball them until I actually measured out 3/4 cup of Raisin Bran and 1 cup of milk. It was then I realized that up until that time I was probably eating double portions of both. One more thing I would suggest, allow yourself the occasional junk food. If limited to once per week and controlled intake, a serving or two of ice cream per week won't kill your other plans.
I'm in the same boat -- 11 years out from surgery, and wanting to lose some regained weight.
I've regained about 25 pounds. That's a far cry from the 146 pounds I lost (and needed to lose) prior to weight-loss surgery, and I want to drop the weigh again, for myself and my health.
What I've recently started doing lately is eating as closely as possible to the way I ate in the months immediately after surgery -- high protein, low carbs (no more than 10 or 12 a day) and healthy fats. I've been having a protein drink or scrambled eggs (with no English muffin) for breakfast, usually some refried beans with a little salsa (no tortilla) for lunch, and usually a turkey burger (in the dish/no bun) with a vegetable side and maybe a little bit of unsweetened applesauce for dinner.
I've just started this but quickly lost six pounds. I'd like to keep it going, but know I'll soon have to also get back on the regular, fairly lengthy exercise regimen that I also followed daily in the immediate aftermath of surgery.
My experience ( 9 YRS post op maintaining 135 at 5,9" ) is that not all calories are equally fattening . I'm totally addicted to fresh vegetables and fruits and making extremely low fat and usually no sweetener tasty food hacks out of them.
I eat at least 20 suggested servings of fresh veg and fruit every day ... it's by far my biggest food category ( and my fridge is FULL of such )
second biggest is fat free dairy in all the forms I can find it ( cheeses ricotta fat free half n half fat free powdered milk fat free or extremely low fat ice cream bars.... fat free sour cream cottage cheese plain and Greek yogurts .
I basically buy only very lean meat pork loin chicken breast and 93 percent lean ( at the minimum ) ground beef and beef eye round for recipes .
I always read packages and choose very lowfat choices to buy . It's way too easy to get sucked into ... it's three grams of fat a serving it's not so bad. Usually the servings are ridiculously tiny (35 in sa box I'd eat half of lol) If you add the calories and fat for the whole "low-fat " item together half the tome you get a Big Mac lol!
I also exercise usually first thing in the morning and walk everywhere I can ... especially during work lunches . I make a point of gardening and doing athletic things socially like sailing and hiking and of course avoid fast food like the plague ( it makes me feel terrible ... even a single cheeseburger . Much healthier and tastier to cook creatively at home with fresh ingredients . ((((())) good luck ... you still have your tool use it :)
