Question

Hi... I will be 5 years out on Jan. 8th... I  started at 257lbs and got as low as 153.  I never reached my Dr.'s goal, nor my own.    I now weight in at 163 and I"m afraid that it's gonna to continue to climb.  I started out a bing eater now I have become agrazer ever since my husband underwent triple by pass surgery in Feb.   What should I be aiming at calorie wise??  I'm 5'3 and 42 years old.  I don't want to do anything drastic like only protien shakes.. I just can't do that again. How do I break the grazing cycle and get back on track?  I dont' want to be 257 again but I'm afaid fo getting there if Idon't do something now.. Thanks Tammy

First of all, you are to be congratulated in maintaining the majority of your weight loss!

If I were you I would go back to basics for a while, and take a look at you present habits.If you are drinking with meals, stop. Eat your protien first. Cut out any simple carbs if they are in your diet. Start back exercising if you are not doing so. Try tracking you intake for a while to see how much you are actually taking in. There are several free web sites that are helpful with that.  Spark people and fit day.com are two that I know of. You can get back on track.  Best of luck Sher

Hi Tammy, Grazing is not a healthy way to eat. You may put more calories in because you never really sit down to a meal. It's not a good diet plan for your husband either. Here's my suggestions: - Make your health and your husband's health a priority. We all have busy lives, but make time to sit down and have 3 meals per day. It's so important. - Remove the snacky foods from your home. Don't buy them. - Cook lean meats, eat plenty of vegetables and salad, and use fruit for dessert. - When eating rice or noodles, choose brown rice or whole wheat noodles. Also buy whole wheat bread. - Exercise, Exercise, Exercise. I don't know if you already have an exercise program, but you need to exercise at least 3 times per week for 30 minutes. - My calculation of your calorie intake should be somewhere between 1300-1500 calories per day. If you are exercising a lot, you can increase the calories. But this is a good startign point. - Start a journal. Journal the things you eat and how you feel. For example, "I ate some ice cream for a snack tonight. I had one scoop and it tasted good. I don't feel guilty about it because I controlled my portion size and ate it as a treat. I don't eat ice cream everyday." Or, it could be something like this: "I ate a salad for dinner. It was all vegetables with some chicken and almonds. I don't feel satisfied. I feel hungry and I want to eat more. I have a craving for ..." Or, "I ate a few slices of turkey on whole wheat bread with one tablespoon of mayo and tomatoes. I also had a yogurt, carrot sticks, and an apple with crystal light lemonade. I feel good about what I ate. I am not hungry and I feel I nourished my body. I had a craving for something sweet so I chewed a slice of gum. I feel very good about myself." ----- this way you are journaling what you ate and how you felt. You can easily remind yourself how good you feel when you eat a balanced meal. - Keep posting - let us know how it's going - we can support you and come up with new ideas as you go through this. You are NOT going to gain your weight back. You WILL get back on track and get control. Sara Nejat-Bina, RD, CNSD, CDE eNutritionCare.com

Thanks Sara. I'll try and keep a journal.. but I will count my calories and water intake.  So I should stay at about 1300 caloires right??  By staying in that range I should start to drop again plus exercising?   Thanks for your advice.. I always found it hard to ask for help.   Tammy

Tammy, Well, glad you found us and feel comfortable asking for help. Weight loss is difficult and hard to do alone. Yes, keep a journal for now, and stay in the 1300 range. Give or take a 100 or so, you know. Doesn't have to be perfect. That should allow for weight loss. Do this for one week and let me know how it goes. Either re-post on this forum or send me a personal message. I'm happy to help you. Good luck. Sara