weight gain getting scarred

hi i have been lurking for about a week now and reading everyones post i don't like admitting that i have started to gain , not alot just a little but i am scarred that i am heading back to being fat i need some help i have had i hell a year i had my surgery on 6/20/15 and i did very well i started this journey at 320ish and i lost a total of 155 so i was down to 165 but i have had a lot going on in my life sinse around sept 20th on sept 20th my 7 1/2 month old grand baby was killed by his moms boyfriend (she and my son broke up and she got with this jerk and he got upset and shook dakoda and threw him on the floor)my whole family felt like we died that day to especialy my son his dad. we delt with it then in jan i had surgery to remove a shunt in my back and that went ok till i got staph infection and ended up having emergency surgery to remove the parts he left in there i did real good with that to then we moved and then wqe had a very bad flood here in conklin and lost not alot but enough wasnt enough for fema to help .. now for the past 3 weeks my weight has started to creep up i am now at 173.2 and i need help i cant remember how and what to eat in the beginnig to start loosing this weight again i havent lost anything sinse about april and i was holding good but now for some reaseon it is creeping back up any one got any ideas and if yes please post so i can get back on tract im sitting here debating if i want to send this out so if it sounds weird or hurried its because i am hurring so i can send it i need some food ideas please helppppppppppp hugs in advanced lisa

Oh Lisa.... I don't even know where to start to tell you how sorry I am for all that your family has been through in the last year. I'm usually not at a loss for words, but your story took my breath away. I have so many questions regarding the fate of the evil SOB that took your grandbaby, but will hold them for (perhaps) another time. The fact that you came on here and posted at all.... you get a huge round of applause and kudos for your courage. Dealing with weight/food issues in the midst of everything else you have been through... I must say that I don't know that I would be strong enough to even care about it. You have my utmost respect that you are so conscious of your own health through all your adversities. The only advice I can give you is to try and get back to the basics. For me (dealing with my own weight gain) the first thing I had to do was write it all down... things I'm doing right/wrong, etc. and slowly work to turn things around. I have also been diligent about writing down everything I eat during the course of the day. It doesn't matter that it might have been the three pieces of carrot cake I had the other day, or the salad I had for dinner last night.. whether it was a good choice or a bad one, I still wrote it down. Seeing it in black and white makes me feel much more accountable. Starting with little goals and one step at a time is the best way (in my opinion) to get yourself back on track. None of us who have gained weight have failed in our attempt at weight loss surgery.... we have just suffered some minor set-backs. And we all know that human beings are fully capable (and do!) bounce back from all kinds of set-backs! We can all do this together! Please stay on this board and keep in touch.... our peers are our best allies in this journey!! Big hugs to you! Kristi

Lisa, I think in times of stress it is just SO easy for us to gain back some weight. I know there are some people on here who don't gain, either they are lucky or just "perfect". I however am not perfect and I like to eat. I think you are wise to have caught the weight gain so soon and that you are willing to actively do something about it. I wasn't really ready to commit until I gained back 80lbs of the 110 I lost. So, you only gained about 20, right? That's not bad and you can break that into small goals. I would reward myself for losing 5lbs, then another 5, then another 5, then that last 5. If you weren't at goal, by the time you drop this 20lbs back off you'll be on track to get all the way to where you want I would suspect. For me, the weight is coming back off by doing 3 things differently. The biggest and HARDEST for me is not drinking with my meals. That is so hard for me, but I am doing it as of the last 2 weeks. You know what, I have lost about 7 lbs. in these last 2 weeks too. Not bad. The second thing is making sure I do drink at least 8, 8oz glasses of water. I have these small glasses that I measured exactly 1 cup of water into the glass and then added about 6 pieces of ice. Now, I know exactly what 8 oz looks like in that glass and I sip them throughout the day, but not within 30 minutes of eating and not until about 2 hours after eating. The last thing I have changed, which I have only really started this week is protein. I still have a few crackers with my tuna or bread with a turkey sandwich at one meal a day, but for the most part I am eating fish, chicken, ground beef, steak, or deli meat with some type of vegetable. I am not really counting carbs to limit them, but I am keeping a food journal to observe my patterns. I'm trying to get as much protein in as I can from tasty food, with as little calories as possible. For instance, I can eat an 8oz ground beef patty with some A-1 sauce or something. That has about 650 calories. If I were to choose 8oz of grilled chicken breast, it would be less than 300 calories. Still, I like the beef better, so I sacrafice calories at other meals. I really haven't had the energy to exercise again yet. I know I should, but I have walked the dog for 20 minutes and vacuumed vigorously. I live in Texas and it is SO hot during the day. I know I could do a yoga DVD or aerobics if I crank the AC on high, but I just haven't started that yet. I do recommend exercise if you are able. It also releases chemicals in your body that calm stress, so it would be great for you right now. There are several of us in this forum battling this issue, as you said you read. Jump on with us. I'm certainly not judging anyone or scolding anyone. Heck, just last night I had to tell my kids to drink the last can of cold Dr. Pepper I found in the fridge. I begged them to drink it fast and pour what they didn't want in the sink QUICKLY because mommy wanted it and couldn't have it! lol They understand I had some surgery a long time ago and that I am not suppose to have sugar, so they try to help. Just do your best. This is a great place to sound off everyday if you wanted. We'll be here for you. Angela