7 Years Out & BIG Weight Regain - HELP!

 A good start would be changing your fast food to KFC only and just the chicken.  No sides.  A month of that will probably take off 15lbs.  Still quick and easy but you will lose.  Peel off some of the breading but it's not that big of a deal.  And one of their breasts is about 60 gr protein.  The KFC diet will always take a few pounds off me.

I don't know how you have managed to not cook.  Look for a way to manage the rhinitis.  Cook with a clothespin on your nose or one of those swimming things that keep water out of your nose if necessary but you are going to have to change how you eat.  Chicken and tuna salad are easy to make and you can get chicken in cans too so you don't have to cook it.

What do you drink?  A hard and fast rule for me is nothing with calories.  But I have figured out I lose weight much better when I avoid Splenda/artificial sweetners so I limit my diet soda and drink mainly plain iced tea.  If you like mint tea, drink it!  You will lose.  Works every time and I have yet to see it fail for anyone.

What's in your house that's full of sugar and carbs?  Get rid of it and put a bucket of chicken in there instead.  The idea is to make it easier to eat right than wrong.

Keep track of what you are eating for a couple weeks.  Each and every bite.  You will know what caused the gain and what to avoid.  There's no great mystery to it.  You have to go back to basics.  Your DS will still work if you do your part.

There are two types of DSers.  We both end up having to learn the same things...just at different times.  You were in the effortless loser category.  The weight just fell off like magic.  Time passed and you have run out of magic.  Now you have to learn to live by the rules.  You aren't bad and you didn't do anything wrong.  Your DS did all the work for you and now you need to do your part.

The last fast food meal I had was yesterday lunch, and I had KFC. I did have a biscuit and mashed potatoes and gravy with it, but next time I will skip them. I wonder if the cole slaw would be okay?

Not being able to cook much has been really rough, for my husband as well as for me. It's weird because sometimes I can cook something and smell it cooking and it doesn't bother me. The following week I can cook exactly the same thing again and the smell makes me sick as a dog and I can't eat any of it. We have existed on a LOT of deli meat sandwiches, and I do make a lot of tuna salad and chicken salad.

As far as what I drink - some diet Coke, a lot of water with sugar-free raspberry flavoring mixed in. I've had about 67 oz. of water so far today (it's hot!). Some days I do better than others. I am using a lot of artificial sweeteners - I had coffee this morning with lots of Splenda, and I had a small container of plain Greek yogurt with Splenda, a splash of vanilla and some fresh strawberries sliced in. I love iced tea but it jacks me up so if it's not decaf, I don't drink it.

I have pretty much cleared out everything sugary/carby in my house, except for uncooked white rice and uncooked macaroni. We only eat Sara Lee whole grain white bread. I started on a big M&Ms binge a couple of weeks ago - I have substituted seedless red grapes, fresh strawberries and sunflower seeds instead. Today I went to lunch with a friend and had hibachi stir-fry with lots of shrimp and crab meat. There was sugar in the sauce, but I skipped the ice cream and desserts I sometimes have and had a little cantaloupe and fresh pineapple instead.

So since my post yesterday when I was desperate, I have already made some changes. Now if I can just stick to them :) but I am feeling better already. Maybe it's just because I'm feeling hopeful again?

This is what I've eaten today:

Half-caf coffee (about 3 cups) with splenda and heavy cream
small bowl of Rice Krispies with 2% milk (uh oh, Rice Krispies! CARBS)

Hibachi stir-fry for lunch, diet Coke to drink with it. Half a fortune cookie and some fruit.

Maybe a half-cup of sunflower seeds (shelled)

A cereal-sized bowlful of seedless red grapes

A small container of plain Greek yogurt with a splash of vanilla, some Splenda and a large fresh strawberry cut up in it

Almost 70 oz. of water with sugar-free raspberry stuff in it

For dinner I'm fixing this fresh salmon fillet I bought at the store, and I got a bag of salad and some fresh mushrooms to slice in. Also some Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. I also got some Texas Toast croutons (arghh, I know I should avoid them but it's difficult). Then I'll probably have some cereal or something before I go to bed. I have to take 6 rounds of vitamins a day and I have to eat at least something before I take them.

This time last week, I was mostly skipping breakfast and just drinking coffee with lots of cream and Splenda

For lunch I was eating a McDonald's double cheeseburger meal or else eating at our local all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet (white rice and sugary sauces etc). Sometimes I would get KFC or Steak & Shake, etc. etc. All crappy fast food.

Lying around in the afternoons taking Xanax, eating M&Ms and drinking milk while I read my Kindle (I was under a LOT of unrelated stress last week, but the situation has been resolved now, thankfully)

Eating random stuff around the house in the evening, a sandwich or whatever, eating cereal and milk, and drinking peppermint Schnapps (which I hate, but my nerves were getting the best of me - I am not a drinker)

Taking Ambien to sleep (it's since been disposed of because that stuff is poison to me)

Sorry this is so long - my chronic diarrhea seems to have transferred itself to my keyboard! - but I thank you for the words of encouragement. It's so hard not to feel like OH NO, I'M DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN, I'LL JUST KEEP GAINING AND GAINING WEIGHT BEACAUSE DIETS HAVE NEVER WORKED FOR ME, THAT'S WHY I HAD SURGERY IN THE FIRST PLACE WAH WAH WAHHH. I am glad you reminded me that I still have my DS and it will still work for me if I will just work with it. Not necessarily diet, but just be mindful - and above all, remind myself that it's WORTH IT to spend the extra money on healthy food and that it's okay - I'm not splurging by buying expensive meats, it's something I need to do for the rest of my life (it's that self-esteem thing - because I've always thought that cheap fast food is good enough for the likes of me, even though I wouldn't even feed that stuff to my dogs because it's not good for them, duh!).

Oh well, live and learn, and learn, and learn :)

Thanks Patty!

Morganna

 Morganna,

Grapes, cantaloupe and all the fruit you are eating are all full of sugar.   KFC's cole slaw is high in sugar also.   Start counting carbs.   Keep it to 20-30 a day for a few weeks.  I guarantee you, you will lose weight.   Remember, you are absorbing 100% of the carbs you ingest.  That bowl of cereal you eat right before bed?   You absorb every single calorie.   Plus, I swear, they put stuff in fast food that makes it addictive.   It's a good thing I hate 99% of it - I swear I taste the chemicals in it.   

I'm almost six years out.    I have had pretty minimal rebound (ten pounds, and I'm looking to lose five of it before my daughter's wedding in July because I have a REALLY form-fitting dress)   I am kinda sorta watching my carbs (just cutting out sugar and candy and I avoid most white flour anyway) and this is what I ate today:

Breakfast-   Low-carb almond meal pancakes
Lunch -        Mexican fried cheese, low-carb burrito, and about two tablespoons refried beans, fresh veggies and dip
Snacks -        Popcorn, nuts
Dinner -       Salmon patties and one slice of an asparagus/ricotta tart made with puff pastry, which is relatively low-carb compared to crackers, bread, etc.
**    I'll have some Greek yogurt before bed tonight, mixed with DaVinci caramel syrup and a handful of pecans. 


Yesterday, the only carbs I ate were three corn tortillas and a square of super dark chocolate.    I do not routine eat fruit, so when I am in the mood for it, I don't feel guilty about eating a small bowl of fresh pineapple.    Also, a lot of people have lost rebound by consciously adding in a couple of protein shakes a day.    It seems to lower their cravings and the extra protein jumb-starts their weight loss.   

Hi Julie -

I guess I did substitute one kind of sugar for another by eating fruit instead of M&Ms! Oh dear :( I will try to limit it to a few strawberries a day (if I remember correctly, on Atkins they did allow berries in small quantities). I've got this terrible sweet tooth and I need to get it under control.

I thought I was the only person on earth who suspects that there is some hidden addictive additive in fast food! Our local McDonald's is open 24/7 and the double-lane drive-thru is lined up around the clock! And I noticed that for awhile there it did feel like I was actually addicted to McDonald's and I had to get my fix at least every other day. I think I'm finally getting over it though, I haven't been craving it at all lately.

You are so lucky to have only rebounded 10 pounds. I was still losing without any effort at all when I was four* years out - I thought I had this SO beaten, I got used to being able to eat anything I wanted and still losing weight - in fact, I was constantly being encouraged to eat because I got too thin. I never dreamed I would regain so much weight :( I haven't had a protein shake since I was about a year out, because they made me feel really sick. My stomach is not as touchy as it was then so I will try that again.

I would be happy just to get down to 150 lbs again *sigh*, but I have still got my "skinny" clothes stored away in case I can get this really under control, I'm crossing my fingers (and throwing out the rest of the Rice Krispies I have in the house!)

Thanks for all the great advice, I appreciate it!

Morganna

EDIT: *Three years out, I mean!

Hello Morganna;

Sorry you're having a difficult time.  I think it's all relative really.  I'm just over 6 years out and only got down to 240lbs.  Now I realize there are some that actually HAD the DS because they weighed 240 or 250lbs, but I'm estatic with the loss because, though I'm still overweight, it's a far cry from my starting place of almost 500lbs.

I've fought weight my entire life and I'm almost 100lbs smaller now than when I graduated high school.  I know, even if I were able to get down to my "dream" goal of 180lbs and had the luxury of having plastics to address every area that needed it, that there is no chance that my body will ever be as though I had never gained the weight.  That's simply an unrealistic impossibility.  But I also know that my life is so much more than just my weight and appearance, even at 240lbs, I'm living it to the fullest.

So is yours, there is so much more to your life than the pounds, so don't define yourself by them.  Remember that the DS is a tool . . . a powerful tool, but a tool, nonetheless.  It doesn't negate the need to watch your intake, eat healthy, hydrate and exercise for optimal health.  It just means that the rules are little different for us in how we do those three things.  You can have the top power screwdirver ever made and your house will come apart if it stays in the toolbox.

Yes, you've gained a good deal, you've gone up and down and up and probably down again, but guess what . . .  so has EVERY SINGLE PERSON up and down the street where you live.  But you STILL HAVE A TOOL and I speak from experience when I say, start using your tool again and you will lose the weight.  Stop worrying about what everyone else thought, thinks or will think and do what you need to do to be happy and healthy in your life.  Let them live their lives and you live yours.  If you need to talk to a counselor, psychotherapist, etc. . . . then do it.  If you allow what others think so much power in your life, it literally can paralyze you in your own life.  Don't worry about getting down to the lowest weight, I mean, in a perfect world, I would LOVE to be below 200, but it's not gonna happen and that's okay.  Concentrate on being healthy and happy.  We've all got hills and valleys, once perky sisters hanging like tennis balls in the breeze, etc., but that's nobody's business buy mine.  I don't love it, but I'm able to see the beauty in it because it represents what I've overcome.  Do I show off my bat wings?  No, but I'm not ashamed of them either.

Our culture as a whole has deteriorated into this really unrealistic idea of what beauty is.  Pump women full of chemicals, move natural stuff from over here to over there or from up top to down below, ad fake nails with french manicure, hair extensions, makeup and air brush them to death and put this up on a pedestal as the ideal . . . . it's an illusion and we live in real world.  Why stress about being the ideal when being real is so much more fun?

Don't let it get to you.  Get back to basics, learn DS-healthy eating habits and cut yourself a little slack and you'll be just fine.  I wish you all the best.

JoAnn

Thank you so much, JoAnn!

With you starting at almost 500 lbs, I would say you've done GREAT! Congratulations!

There is so much about your message that I really needed to hear - I've had bad keyboard-diarrhea lately, so I'll try to keep this short and just say - thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my cry for help. To be honest, even though I'm heavy I am still within a couple of pounds of my surgeon's goal weight for me, and physically I am feeling wonderful - especially compared to the way I felt when I was down to 117 lbs and looked like I just had a leisurely vacation at Dachau :( After all the great advice and encouragement I've gotten here, I am doing much, much better - not perfect, but I don't think you can go from auto-pilot eating to perfect in just one or two days. I doing better than baby steps, but not pushing myself to be perfect because for me that is self-defeating.

So, I am eating much better and more mindfully. My baked salmon fillet and salad dinner last night was a big hit with my husband. Tonight we're having grilled steaks and salad and maybe a couple of small baked potatoes.

So before my keyboard runs away with me again, I will close and say - thank you, hugs to you, and wishing you all the best as well!

Morganna

Well, I think you know what you NEED to do, it's just making it happen.

We aren't too far out in terms of surgery dates - I'll be 7 years in July.  I, too, went lower than I wanted - around 123, and I'm 5'7".  I did have bounce back, and now hover between 135-145, honestly depending upon how and what I eat.

There have been times my weight has creeped up when I've become lazy about my choices, but a few weeks of back to basics and I find myself back where I need to be.

You've got to find alternatives to food.  I'm not going to tell you what they should be, because obviously you have to do what is is right for you.  But honestly?  Your DS WILL STILL WORK.  Just give your body what it needs (protein, supplements) and lay off what it doesn't.

Good luck.

Sharon

Thank you Sharon! I'm amazed at how much better I feel just having laid off the nasty fast food. The weight isn't coming off yet (and compulsive weighing is another issue of mine, blechh) but I am hoping it will happen soon enough.

Your signature line made me laugh :) Congrats on being at goal!

Morganna

With all due love and respect: ditch the cereal, milk, fruit and bread for awhile.

 I've been reading your replies and honestly, it sounds like you need a carb detox.  This serves multiple purposes.

1)  You will drop a lot of weight and prove to yourself the DS does still work.

2)  You will be a LOT more careful and aware of carbs, at least for the near future.  You won't take them for granted.

3)  Eating carbs makes you crave more carbs.  Your(everyone's) body is lazy and wants to eat what it can most easily convert to glycogen and fat...carbs.  You need to break the cycle.

I have to do this at least a couple times a year.  I always start with at least 10 days of no carbs.  The easiest way to do this is buy a turkey, cook it, and eat it.  For 10 days, that's it.  Turkey.  Chicken and tuna work too.  But the turkey is easy and cheap.

As a DSer, you need meat/protein.  Cereal, fruit, bread, milk, anything with sugar/grains does little but make you fat.  And make you crave more carbs.

After the first 10 days or so, I will add low carb veggies back in.  The cravings for carbs will go away after the first 4 or 5 days.  I was the opposite of you, a poor loser from the get go and this is pretty much how I have to live if I want to be thin.  I make this tolerable by having a cheat weekend once a month or so.  Dates I actually mark on the calendar.  I do try to make them coincide with holidays or parties.  For that weekend I can eat anything I want.  As much as I want.  I can shovel M&M's all weekend long.  Donuts, cake, ice cream, whatever.  I think of this as control without deprivation.

Come Monday morning...the turkey goes back in the oven.  As a matter of fact, I'm buying one today.