Getting back on track works

I don't normally post to this board because I am not a "graduate" of anything but weight loss.  I haven't had WLS but I am finding that the issues are all the same when we are 2 years "out" from our journies, regardless of where that journey started. Back in July of 2005 I was 352 pounds.  I lost 137 in about a years time and ended up hovering between 215-217.  I had my brachioplasty and from thereon I just started taking liberties that I would have rather died than take when I was early on.  From September, 2006 until I had my next surgery on March 27 (LBL) I successfully  gained up to 237 pounds.  22 pounds from my lowest weight.  At one point after my LBL I got to 247 (water gain and such).  On Monday of this week I was at 237 pounds.  I had been there for the better part of a month, eating relatively well as long as you weren't counting what I ate BETWEEN meals.  I won't even justify and say it was "only" 90 calorie bars or too much of something, I was eating out of control.  I also couldn't go back to exercising because of the surgery, so that was also a deterrent.  So I decided to get back to basics.  Back to basics for me basically means Phase 1 of South Beach.  Of course I had tried this before, many times in the past 8 months or so, but it didn't last past a day.  I guess after dropping so much money on the LBL and brachioplasty, knowing I still have one more plastics procedure to go, and just really beating myself up for being so stupid, I knew this time it had to work. I started strict on Monday morning, all carbs cut out, my days consisted of high protein, vegetables, water and vitamins.  I didn't "weigh" my food but after doing this long enough, eyeballing is a wonderful thing.  I weighed in on Monday at 237, this morning I was at 228.  It DOES work again.  I thought my weight loss days were over and I was doomed to hate this weight.  It does work, and it wasn't all that hard.  Thinking of all the reasons I HAD to do it were enough to bring me to the place where I COULD do it.  In the 4 short days I was also to break my carb cravings.  That in and of itself is a miracle. I have read a lot of posts on this board about finding it hard after regaining.  We are all such strong women, regardless of what we've done to lose our weight or the steps we have taken to get here.  I decided I was important enough to make it work for myself.  It's just food, in the end it's JUST food. Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

This is so encouraging to hear right now.  I went to my surgeon last week for other issues and found I had gained 12 pounds since I saw her last 3 years ago (I am currently 4 1/2 years out from open RNY).  She wasn't too concerned about it, but I am!  I had gotten down further than what her records showed when I saw her last, so to me, I have gained about 15-16 pounds.  I know this doesn't sound like too much, but I never hit my target weight. By reading your post, this gives me hope.  I have been contemplating "going back to basics" myself, and see what happens.  I am the only one who can control what I put in my mouth, I just hate the fact that I actually get hungry between meals now.  Then I snack, and if I am not properly preparted, I grab bad things. I read an article last night about calculating how many calories you need to sustain your current weight, and I don't come any where near consuming that many calories, so I can I gain weight?  I am so confused. Have you had any experience with protein drinks or powder?  I want to find one that tastes good, and I can supplement a couple of meals a day with this until I get back on track. Thanks for your posting, and good luck to you! Connie

Connie, I know that the personal accountability is far worse than anything anyone can say.  I asked my b***hy sister LOL if I looked like I had gained weight.  She doesn't care what people feel so I knew that she would tell the truth.  She said I didn't look like I had, but I knew it, the scale doesn't lie.  You know, you say that you hate that you get hungry between meals.  I love feeling hunger.  How sick is that?  But honestly I was eating so much that I wasn't feeling hunger.  At first I justified that it was only 90 calorie bars, or 90 calories granola bites, or an extra cheese stick, etc.  The only person I was fooling was myself.  But truth be told, I had tried a few times before this to get on track.  I think it was the LBL that did it for me, and realizing I was going to undo 8 hours of surgery and many weeks of healing.  For what, icecream????  No thank you very much!!! It's like a challenge to me, in my head it's all about winning!  And I'm going to beat it this time.  Like you I never got as low as I wanted.  Right now I am aiming for 215, but then I am going for 200.  This is almost like the beginning for me and I am going to take full advantage of it! No, I never tried the drinks or powder because I truly never had to.  I did some bars, but more low-carb than high protein.  I think I should definitely supplement because I know I am not getting enough calories.  I'll have to look into this, but in the meantime I'm sticking to what works!  And yeah, about that whole how many calories you have to eat to maintain or lose, I don't buy it either!   I think, at least for me, I'm flawed. LOL  I just go with what works for the most part.  Those counters make me confused! Good luck.  Just think, 12 pounds, compared to what, 100?? That's how I looked at it.  This is a breeze!!!