I've gained almost 40lbs and I don't know how to get back on track.

Hi there. I hope you all are well.

I'm here because I've been struggling. I've gained almost 40lbs and I have tried everything to get it back off and I just keep gaining. I've tried restricting calories, diet meds, you name it.

Do any of you have any advice on how I can get back on track? Id really hate for this surgery to have been a waste. I'm sad and struggling right now.

First what happened to you is normal. After weight loss surgery you put your body into a starvation mode. The weight comes off effortlessly, but your body feels like it is being starved and it fights back by learning how to hold on to more of the calories that you do feed it. Most people do great for two years but then gain back 20 or 30 pounds in year three after the surgery.

There is only one way to loss that weight again and it is by eating less calories than you burn. The formula is pretty easy. Decide what you want to weigh and then multiply it by ten. That is the number of calories to eat every day until you are at that weight. When you are back to your goal weight, you may need to add more calories to stop losing.

I have lost about 35 pounds that way but it took me two years. I went to daily online Weigh****cher meetings and got a lot of education and inspiration from that group. It was expensive and took time and work, but it accomplished what I needed to do. Exercise is great and following some diet plans can be healthy but only reducing calories will get that weight off again.

I can tell you what worked for me and why I don't think I needed weight lose surgery in the first place. First, I started walking every day for 45 minutes to an hour. Second, I stopped eating sugar and flour, then I gave up all processed foods and only eat fish, meat, eggs, dairy, veggies, nuts and seeds. I also drink or eat a fermented food each day like Kombucha, Kimchi or plain Greek yogurt. I also do intermittent fasting with only eating 2 meals per day during a 6-hour window. I also make a huge pot of bone broth and drink it when I am hungry. After 1 and 1/2 years I lost 80 pounds, got off all medications I was taking for severe hypertension and depression. I no longer have fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, nearsightedness and reseeding gum disease. I feel better and have more energy than I did when I was in my 20's. I am 68 years old, wear a size 6 jeans and most people tell me I look 20 years younger. My skin has never looked so good, and I sleep like a baby. Was it hard to give up all those unhealthy habits, you betcha?.........But the rewards are so great that I never look back. All of these methods for weight loss and improving your health are backed up with scientific studies. I did not go on a diet; I completely changed my lifestyle. I truly believe if I knew about processed carbohydrate addiction, insulin resistance, metabolic disorders and the solution, I would have never needed weight loss surgery. I wish you the best.

Best Regards,

Ginamarie

Thank you! Very inspiring!