Hi All, I am New Here

My name is Erin Crane. I had my surgery October 25th, 2005. I have lost 169 lbs. but have put about 8 lbs. back on. My pants don't fit any tighter. I don't look any heavier, but I eat like a cow. At least it seems like it. I don't eat a lot in one sitting, but about every hour I am putting something in my mouth. I want to lose more weight, but at this rate, I will gain more. I never get enough fluids in. Could this be the problem? Should I drink nothing bu****er all day long and see if maybe my cravings go away and I start losing again? I think if you are dehydrated, your body stores fluids and makes the numbers on the scale rise. So maybe if I water load, I will start to lose again. Any help would be appreciated! Erin

Welcome Erin!! First off, congratulations on your success!! You should be very proud of how far you have come! What a difference a year can make, huh? You should also be very proud of yourself for recognizing your pitfalls and knowing the potential problem they can cause you in the future. All too often, we get sucked back in to old habits and before we know it, the scale has creeped back up a little bit! The good news is that you are conscious of what you are doing, so with a little discipline, you should be able to get yourself back on track! The only advice I will offer is what works for me. In this forum, we all share common hurdles; therefore we rely on one another for tips to get through the rough spots. Hopefully, others will give you some helpful tidbits of information as well!! Grazing is definitely something many of us find ourselves doing, especially 1+ years post-op. Grazing is defined as "any unplanned snack/food" consumed during the day. For me to avoid grazing, I must plan all my meals and snacks for the day, otherwise, I find myself doing exactly what you described - eating something every hour on the hour! And that always leads to weight gain for me! Try planning your meals - even if it's one day at a time - stick to what you plan and avoid anything not on your menu for that day! Drink, drink, drink!!! Can't say it enough!!! Water is essential to weight loss. If you have slacked off on your water consumption, that should be the first goal you try to introduce back into your daily routine. Water will help with cravings - provided you are adequately fueling your body with good protein and low carbs/fats during the day. Do not starve yourself - the body will hold on to any fat it can if it thinks you aren't going to fuel it on a regular basis!! Upping your protein consumption will certainly help with the grazing as well as with cravings that you might be struggling with. Concentrate on dense proteins - chicken, turkey, tuna, etc. or incorporate protein supplements f that works better for you. The bottom line?? Getting back to the basics we followed when we were newly post-op..... that is where we should start when trying to get back on track with our eating habits!! Best of luck to you!! Keep us posted on your progress and feel free to post often!!! Hugs! Kristi

Kristi, You know, after reading your reply to this post a lightbulb went on for me. You know from my previous posts that I struggle to get the protein in, stop the snacking, and stay under my calorie goals. Well, I never thought about pre-planning my meals. As simple of an idea as that is, I never thought of it. I am always trying to journal my foods as I eat them or right before I eat them in a state of mind where the craving has already taken over. I think I will try your plan. I think I will plan out a day or two worth of meals and snacks that fit my goals and stick to it. It might be easier to overcome a craving or snack attack if I can see the next planned meal ahead. Thanks for the advice. Angela

Angela - Your choice of words..... "It might be easier to overcome a craving or snack attack if I can see the next planned meal ahead."..... couldn't have put it into better perspective!!! If you are new to the meal-planning deal, a brief word of advice..... just plan small at first - a few meals, maybe a day or two, etc. Anything more than that can be very overwhelming at first and easily sabatoged because we have a tendency to THINK we will want to eat a particular food three days from now and then not want it when the time comes. That hiccup leads to eating poorly or snacking (for me, anyway!) Watch for the unintentional pitfalls provided by others.... "Hey, let's go out to eat lunch today," or the morning donuts in the breakroom, etc. If you have the will-power, stick with YOUR plan, as difficult as it may be!! Good luck and let me know how it goes!!! Hugs! Kristi