No advice. I am in a very similar boat. 8 years out-- had lost all EWL. Heart condition developed last March and one of the drugs to manage it has rapid weight gain as a side effect. Between that and not exercising gained 60 pounds with no end in sight and I need to figure out a way to get a handle on this. I know what I need to do for sure- back to basics and get exercising again. If you check my blog posts somewhere in there I wrote up what the back to basics part means in detail. Now it is a matter of implementing it. Will be asking the cardiologist also if there might be a drug alternative without the rapid weight gain part for me as well.

Every time you feel hungry and it's not mealtime, drink a glass of water. That will probably keep the hunger pangs away for at least a half hour. Plus, it's great practice for after surgery, when you will need to get in lots of fluids.

I assume you're allowed diet jello. It only fills you up for a short time, but it feels like you're eating something and gives you something to do.

Welcome back! I'm back - for the same reason. My stumbling block was that I retired. And sat down. As long as I was working, I moved enough every day that I lost weight - slowly but steadily - never quite reaching my goal. But when I stopped just normal daily activity - the weight crept back on. I just damn refused to go to the gym! This past spring I tried to walk - doc said: Don't worry about the gym. JUST WALK! Within 2 weeks I was back at the doctor's office with a bone spur in my hip and tears in my eyes. I was on a walker. I was in pain. It took 2 months in physical therapy to get rid of the walker (and the limp!) and I was advised NOT to walk! It's the stationary bike for me. I set my own goals, go when it's convenient, and just try to do better than last time. Sometimes it's all I can do to just show up. The weight is coming off again - slowly. Everybody is different. For me it's not the food so much as the exercise. It improves my stamina and my mood when I go to the gym. I just turned 70 and I'm doing better than I have in years.

Just keep looking for what works for YOU. The only thing I did that I have never let up on is I no longer do bubbles. I was a Diet Coke-aholic. I put off the surgery for years because I didn't think I could give up bubbles. I gave up bubbles for 6 weeks prior to my surgery and never looked back. I'm not perfect. I drink more coffee (and tea) than I should. Maybe I'm being superstitious but I believe that's the reason my GERD is gone for good! I never thought I could live without the little purple pill, but it is also gone for good. I drank a wine cooler one day and thought I was going to DIE! (Dummy me didn't know they were carbonated!) ? And I drank a beer once. (Same!) ? When there is absolutely nothing else available I drink lemonade. Even if it has sugar, I just sip a little. But NO bubbles!

Okay. One day I was just dying for a Diet Coke. I gave in and chugged back a big, refreshing gulp! I'm glad I did it. I nearly gagged! That stuff tastes like a bunch of chemicals and I will never think about it again! ???

I was thinking about your situation this morning, and came up with a few suggestions that might help you not only lose weight now, but be better prepared for surgery.

Get small plates (about the size of a saucer) and bowls (about 1 cup). These will be really helpful after surgery (they're one of the few things I bought for WLS that I actually ended up using). Research shows that smaller plates help you eat less.

When you feel hungry and it's not mealtime or snacktime, drink a glass of water (or other low calorie beverage). This will help you naturally eat less. Also, after surgery you will need to drink a lot of fluids, so this is good practice. Currently, your stomach holds some fluid in reserve which your body can draw on when needed. Surgery removes that portion of the stomach, so you will need to drink fluids more often to stay hydrated.

Don't drink with meals. Drinking with meals causes the stomach to empty more quickly, so you will feel hungry sooner. This is true even for people who haven't had surgery, but you will need to stop this after surgery.

Record everything you eat. There are apps for this. Popular apps include myfitnesspal.com and cronometer.com. Personally, I recommend cronometer. Analysing what you eat will help you identify small changes that you can make that will help you lose weight without feeling deprived. If you bring detailed records of what you eat to your dietitian, he or she will probably have great suggestions for you.

Identify your food triggers, and think about better ways to respond to them. For me, the biggest trigger for unhealthy eating was being tired after work and wanting something quick. Many people deal with this by meal prepping so that they always have a healthy meal ready to heat up. If I'm honest with myself, I know that I am never going to have the patience or skill required for cooking, so instead I searched far and wide for healthy prepared foods. This means that once a week I drive to several different markets to get the best options. Another common trigger for unhealthy eating is stress. Before surgery I made a list of non-food things that I could do to comfort and treat myself.

If you make a mistake, start fresh with the next meal. Don't wait for the next day.

One of things many people miss most right after surgery is salads. I highly recommend you enjoy them while you can. It's about 4 months or more before you'll be able to enjoy one. Other than that I'm not sure what you're allowed. Only 3 meals and just those items or are other items like dairy allowed too? You can always just drink broth. It's generally allowed on any diet as it so low calorie, low fat, and low carb.