Need help restarting my weight loss

 

On May 5 I will be 5 years from my surgery date and I never reached my goal weight. This past year (2012) I ate anything and everything I wanted. My sleeve did its thing but I gained 15 pounds putting me 15 more pounds away from my goal weight...which I was already 20# away from. Now I am 35# away and more bummed than ever. I need help. I need suggestions. I need support. I am a VSG failure and that makes me sad. Any suggestions on how I can jump start my weight loss again? I have looked at supplements but with a tiny stomach I am afraid that might be bad.   Thoughts? Tracy in Texas  

 

Hi Tracy in Texas, I'm Cindy in Arkansas.....

I'm a little over two months out and struggling to stay on track.  I just wanted to encourage you.  5 years is a long time and I just pray I can maintain only a 15 pound gain in that amount of time.  Good luck as you get back in the groove.

I am 2 1/2 years out. Try just doing a protein shake for one meal and go back to the basics of eating protein first before anything. Soups are also a great tool with the sleeve a bowl really is filling. Are you exercising?

Don't be sad, be dedicated. You have to want it. Just think about how good you'll feel when you hit your goal & you'll be able to tell us all about it & have that much more experience. I have no doubt in my mind that you can do this Tracy. So get going... I bet you'll be back on here in 3 months & you'll be at goal...

I don't handle losing bets well. You've got this.

XO,
Hilary

Thank you...your words were just what I needed to hear.

P.S) I also agree with Cindy. 5 years out & only 15 pounds isn't that bad. I wouldn't be sad over that. I know what none of us want to regain any of the weight we've lost but you can change this. You don't have to keep this weight on you. Choose to make better choices. It's really that simple. Mind over matter!!!

Hilary

Girl! You are not a VSG failure!!  5 yrs and only 35 lbs from goal?  Sure its not your ideal but you are still a heck of a lot better off than you were before you had the surgery! You need a reward, something you really, really want,  thats gonna keep you on track (Mine is a pair of Louboutins heels! ;D)  You can do it, you just have to set your mind to it! Check out Elina's profile, she is inspiring and always posting yummy recipes on her profile.  I have faith in you that you can do it.  Do you have a friend or family member you can recruit for a work out buddy? I know for me, being held accountable by others helps me stay on track, cuz I know my family is gonna say "are you supposed to be eating that?" Or "Whens the last time you worked out?"  it maybe sounds harsh but it definitely give me the figurative slap on the back of the head I need sometimes! :) 

 

Kari

Tracy,

I'm 5 1/2+ years out, so I do understand the challenges you are facing. You are not a failure, but you have made some bad food choices that have caused you to regain without reaching your goal. You absolutely can restart your weight loss, but there is no "easy" answer to this one. My suggestions would be:

Go back to basics. I don't know what you're eating, but if it were me, I would eliminate all  "white" carbs (anything with flour, rice, pasta, sugar, etc), starchy vegetables, alcohol and even fruit. Eat only lean protein and non-starchy vegetables. This will be difficult in the beginning but will get easier after a few days. Eat 3-5 meals a day, focusing on lean protein (3 ounces or so) first. Supplement the meals with veggies. Use veggies (raw or in soups) as snacks if you are hungry. You could consider going back to protein shakes...You will find that after a couple of days, your cravings for carbs will diminish and the protein will keep you more full..

This sounds really strict, and it is tough in the beginning, but it does work!

I truly hope that helps--we are here to support you...

Lizanne

You said every single thing there is to say.  You have always been my mentor, my inspiration and my truth. 

To the OP, follow what Lizanne has said as it it the ultimate truth as I know it and will lead you out of the woods and back to the real trail.  I am almost four years out now and I understand your plight.  There is no shortcut, no supplement, no crash diet.  There is only what Lizanne has told you.  If you hear her, if you open your heart and take in every word she wrote, you will succeed.  I would add only one piece of advice.  I would strongly encourage you to start journaling every bite you put into your mouth.  Go back to eating under 800 calories, under 40 grams of carbs and over 70 grams of protein.  Go back to the beginning and fight for what you want and deserve.  You are not a failure, a failure is someone who stops trying to find the path and gives up for the moment.  Even than, all it takes to stop being a failure is to be willing to try again.  You are waking up, starting again and reaching out for help.  You, friend, are a fellow warrior on this quest.  I believe you can find you again and make it happen.  I believe it is doable and you can do it.  Prove me right, do it and post back about it.  Hugs to you, and please know that anyone who is out from surgery even a few years, will understand and deeply sympathize with you.  I hope that you do not feel judged, just supported and surrounded by understanding and wisdom.  Welcome back.

Hi Tracy,

You need to track EVERY bite of food that you put in your mouth without any changes to your current diet.  myfitnesspal.com is an excellent site for tracking.  Most every food is already in the data base so it's easy to track.  There is also a mobile app. so you can track on your smart phone as well.  It's vital that you get an accurate count of what you are eating, including the quantity and portion size and the breakdown of carbs. and protein.  I would suggest doing this for at least one full week before you even think about "dieting."  Include everything, meals at home and meals out.  Count everything, including gum, mints, single bites, coffee creamer...everything.  You can only modify your diet if you know exactly where you stand. 

After you have done this, use the report feature on myfitnesspal.com to graph you intake.  You can generate reports that show calories, grams of protein, grams of carbs, etc.  There is also a feature for net calories, I would suggest NOT using this feature.  Track true calories and grams of carbs and protein only.  DO NOT take credit (in calories) from exercise.  DO NOT take credit for general daily activity.  When you set up your profile, mark yourself down as sedentary with no exercise.  This strategy will keep your calorie allowance low.  If you take credit for exercise and daily activity you are allowed more food and that is self defeating. 

After you have done all this, look at what your intake is and start tweaking it slowly.  You don't want to feel deprived and hungry.  If you do, you'll get discouraged and quit.  If you are eating 2500 calories, cut it back to 2000.  If you are eating 200 grams of carbs, cut it back to 150.  Try to increase your protein to 80 -100 grams or more. 

If you make these adjustments slowly and you are faithful to your tracking, it's easy to fine tune.  Eventually, you should get yourself to ~ 1000 calories, less than 100 grams of carbs, and 100 grams of protein.  When you get close to your goal weight, you will probably have to cut the carbs even lower because it gets tougher to lose.

This IS DOABLE, and if you do it right, it shouldn't be that painful.  There are many inspirational stories recorded on the site.  I wish you success!

Greg