Hi everyone

I had a RNY 3+ years ago. Started in at 356lbs, and got down to 198 (I am 5'10 and was lookin fine! lol)

then... I got pregnant.

I am now 250 pounds, still looking ok.. but am feeling out of control.

I tried to do the pouch test, and tried intermitting fasting, ive tried everything.

I have broken the rules for so long, and I am spiraling out of control.

I cant seem to get back on track and lose weight!

ugh, I know its because I am eating and drinking at the same time, and snacking in the evenings.. but I feel helpless. This is awful.

HI! You may look ok, but you have acknowledged that you are NOT ok. And that is the first step.

Does your surgeon offer pre and/or post surgical groups (aka where patients learn about the surgery)? If so, it may help to go back to those "pre" courses even if you have finished. Towards end of years, when stress for me gets high and I want to binge and not follow the rules, I MAKE TIME to go to those classes. Why? Because I see MO people. I see where I was. I see them cry and tell their stories. It "refreshes"/makes real the reasons why I CHOSE my surgery, It also shows where I will end up if I continue to backslide.

Also, a gal on meetup.com created a local meetup for ANYONE post-op, regardless of the surgery. We do things that are NON-food related. For example, we went to a tea house and sipped tea and soaked our feet twice. We are going painting. We are also going to a salt cave to "detox" and we are going on a nature walk. If you dont have such a meetup group, maybe you should start one? You aren't in the boat alone. So many of us have struggled with various amounts of regain.

-Skinny

I am almost 4 years out and maintenance is sooo much harder than the honeymoon period of losing that is the 12-18 months out of surgery.

You are not out of control. You can totally control your future. Here are a few suggestions. Maybe you can try to incorporate one of these things every few days so it doesn't feel as daunting.

First of all, STOP drinking with meals. Do not drink while you eat or for 30 minutes after. Drinking with food and right after flushes the food out of your pouch, thus meaning you are hungry again sooner. This is just pointless if you are trying to lose weight. And this is an easy win!

Get a digital food scale if you don't have one already and start weighing your food and logging them into something like MyFitnessPal. Sometimes I put a big pile of tuna salad/chicken salad/whatever on my plate because all these years later my eyes are STILL bigger than my head. By weighing it, I know I am putting 4 oz on my plate. And while it may look small, most of the time I am satiated from eating it.

Prioritize dense protein. It will suck the first few days because let's face it, Wheat Thins and Doritos taste better than grilled chicken. So jazz it up a bit. Make ground turkey or beef and season it with taco seasoning and then douse it with cheese. Saute up some shrimp and add a curry sauce. Weigh the meals out, put them in little containers, and put them in the fridge and freezer. I am way more likely to eat well when I have food prepared that I can grab. If I open the fridge and gaze in, wondering what I am going to have, I often make the wrong choices.

I actually plan my food the day BEFORE, and put it in MyFitnessPal. That way I can adjust. I may be planning 3 meals and a snack and then I realize I can afford some more calories so I can include popcorn. Or maybe I realize the carbs and calories are pretty high, so I exchange one snack for another.

Find substitutes for your snacks. Are you a sweet person? Buy ricotta cheese and add splenda and cinnamon. Or get sugar-free jello. You like crunch food? Keep dill pickles on hand. Buy turkey pepperoni and nuke it til it's crunchy.

Only you can lose this regain, and sadly it's harder than the first time around. But do a few of these things and you will feel the weight come off again. I am sure you want to be healthy for your little one, and hey it doesn't hurt to like what you see in the mirror and have your clothes fit again :) There are plenty of vets on this site who have battled regain multiple times and WIN.

I also recommend you join in on the daily What are you eating today thread on the RNY board. There are supportive people to help cheer you on. You may get some good meal ideas too.

Good luck!

That is some excellent advice. Listen to her. She is wise.

I am two years out, I had a little weight gain, but got back to a regular post RNY menu quickly and the weight came off. I will give you an example of my daily intake. I hope it helps.

Breakfast: coffee with cream/sweetener

greek yogurt, berries, sweetener and sesame seeds (all measured)

Lunch: homemade chili

decaf tea with lemon and sweetner

Snack: banana, sesame seeds

Dinner: chicken breast, broccoli, onion with soy sauce

Snack: chicken broth with spinach

I drank 70 oz water in total.

I hope you get back on track. Best wishes on your continued journey.

I am sorry you are having a rough time. You have been given some sound advice already but I just wanted to offer some support. I think it's great that you are reaching out, in my opinion that is the first step. You can do this.

I got way off track after getting pregnant, too. It's hard-- I'm still struggling with it, too!

Your best bet is to get back to basics. That means:

• Log everything that goes in your mouth, including nibbles and tastes
• Protein first and foremost with as few carbs as possible
• Get the crap that you shouldn't eat out of your house completely
• Check in with your doctor to look at your blood work
• Take your vitamins
• Get any exercise you can, even if it's a 10 minute walk a few times a week

Honestly, logging and being accountable is the first step. You can see where you're at, and make adjustments accordingly.

You can do this!!