Help

Any suggestions on how i can get on track and lose some of the weight i put back on since the surgery? I'm over 2 years out and i can eat and drink just about anything i want.occasionally i have to take a pause because i sometimes eat too fast. I would like to know if anyone has a guideline for me to try to follow and drop 10 lbs.I had lost about 85lbs originally and have put back about 20. I find myself eating salty crunchy foods alot.Any ideas.also any ideas for some light excercising.                                                                        JM

Good luck climbin back on the wagon there, Junior.  My diet of choice is the 1200 calorie A.D.A. diet. Check it out.

Johnny, First- Welcome to The Men’s Board! Glad you found the place. The most creative and dramatic cure for – "That Ice Cream in the freezer, calling to you late at night?" came from here- "****** it, and toss it out!" Some less memorable suggestions? * post above- and- For "salty snack Cravings?" Some catch themselves with a full out cracker binge going on. Best to "adjust" body chemistry (or total body pH.) With higher alkaline veggies/fruits- (The pH scale is from 0 to 14, with numbers below 7 acidic (low on oxygen) and numbers above 7 alkaline.)An acidic body tends to respond with salt and sweet cravings.) Try to keep the place overly stocked up on low-cal-high alkaline stuff- I usually keep a tuperware thing full of "free" veggies: Radishes, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Grape tomatoes, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Mushrooms, and green onions on hand. Also keep some sort of "High-Protein Dip" 1 part Nonfat sour cream-1 part no-fat-cream cheese, with a pack of Knorr Veggie Dip Mix in the fridge. That, or red pepper or black olive humus. Those crunchy things curb my urge to chew, they provide a low calorie alternative to "bad" choices, and they work to raise the Ph level of the body, which in turn turns down the cravings. I used to rely on such stuff a lot, but eventually It’s just habit now. I eat ‘by the clock’ and don’t find myself wanting to snack or graze like I did between year on and two post-op. Distraction with alternate activity is also helpful. Make the deal with yourself- "I’ll have something- When I get back from this walk…When I finish clearing through these papers, when I …whatever. Most "urges" last about 10 minutes. Get past that 10 by substituting an activity And you’ve got the big part beat already. The "just general snacking? If not "chemically inspired" by low Ph balance, It could just be that the old "Food to Emotions" connections made over a long period of time Are still functioning quite well. Could be "Emotional Eating." Scrap up some $ and spring for a therapist. A little ‘talk therapy’ aimed at giving you coping mechanisms and ways of breaking old patterns / connections of thought. In the meantime? Scour the house of all things "snack-able." And don’t just "toss ‘em in the trash." When no one is looking many have felt the call of an un-opened box of crackers, Calling from the kitchen trash…. Destroy the potential. Crumble the crackers! SF Ice Cream down the garbage disposal! (or **** in it first!) Same with the cheese- Flu****! And then go about distracting thoughts from thinking about it. It’ll feel like a huge waste of money, waste of value, But just pull out the bill for the surgery and some plus sized clothes and keep adding up the costs of tossed snacks… One can sling otherwise perfect food into the garbage disposal At an alarming rate, for quite a while Before even scratching the surface of the additional costs of being Obese. Yes? Get a nice counselor who can help you figure out what triggers your snack-urge And they will have or will help come up with, ways to overcome the urges. I’m sure there will be plenty of suggestions in this thread… The "Exercise Gurus" have plenty of info to share... Distract, stock up on better snack options, clear out temptations, etc... For those who have a mental connection with food and stress comfort (as do most Obese) Working on the "Head games" is the ultimate way to finally get past a struggle to maintain. I’ll throw some old- Re-posts above. Glad to have you here… Hope some of this is useful… Best Wishes- Dx

You always have great comments!  I really appreciate them.  Keep em coming! -Mick

A protein bar and a bottle of water. Get your 64+ oz of water a day and your protein intake going again. I find I like baked tostitos and salas alot but it really slows down the weight loss, or so it seems.  I don't like them enough to mess up my weight loss.   I fill in between my three portion control , highly focused on protein centerd meals with  a protein bar or two, or fruit (espcially a banana for potassium), or beef jerky chunks (but too many make me ill).  I also knock out two bottle waters or (it its earlier in the day) a Sobe Lean Energy drink between meals and before bed.  A SF or Splenda fruit smoothie (with or withour protein supplement) is good as it gets warm out.  Nothing 2 hours before bed unless its water. Back to the basics.  It keeps me losing at 9 months.  I read about others that backslide or had a set-back that are trying to get going again.  The advice I keep seeing, is get back to the basics of the initial program.  If I don't stray too far, it continues to work for me. Sorry no magic answer. Walking is the best simple exercise I know.  Start with 15 minutes and work up to 1 or 2 hours at a time. Find someting physical you enjoy and do it at your own pace, then push to do it better, longer. Best of luck.  Don't be a stranger.  Keep us posted on your progress.  We all need some support and encouragement.  Its what makes this Board so delightful.