4 years out and starting eat like the old days!

I had surgury 4 years ago and am finding my sugar addiction returning in full force.  I have f=gained about 40 lbs back and don't know how to deal with it.  Help!  I'm scared and don't want to be fat again.  Now that the rambling is done, I just need some people to help me ground myself and take one day at a time.  I am going to writie my calories and start with 1200 calories a day for a week and then revisit to see how I do.  Any support would be appreciated!

 I am having a similar struggle and I am only 11 months out.

Sugar is a tough demon..I watched my ex-husband try and give it up and he literally had the shakes and withdrawls..To me that makes it every bit as hard to get off your back as alcohol..

I treat it like alcohol too..I can't do sugar in moderation at all. I can't just have a cookie. I'll eat a whole batch before I can stop! I have to say no to anything with refined sugar in it period..that's what works for me. The trouble is that everyone in the world is a sugar *pusher*. They're offering cookies and saying "just one couldn't hurt." but they don't know...it does hurt. You don't offer a recovering alcoholic a beer, right?

Good luck..you can control your addiction..it's just hard but you can do it!

The secret to keeping from being hungry is to concentrate on getting in lots of lean protein, to STOP drinking for at least 30 minutes after meals, and to avoid simple carbs.  Forgetting any or all of those three rules will lead us right back to obesity.

One of the things that helps me a lot is to make my own cookies using sugar free and low carb ingredients.  It is not exactly the same, but having a dozen of my own cookies in place of a meal gives me the same amount of calories and lessens my feelings of being deprived.  I want them low enough in calories and high enough in nutrition so that I can eat the whole batch without feeling guilty.

This only works for me if I also avoid the real things. 

Look at low carb websites and especially at the Eggface recipes.  Find what cookies you really would enjoy and then plan to bake those for yourself.  Whey Low is a sweetener that looks like sugar, bakes like sugar and tastes like sugar.  Nobody has ever complained of any sweetener taste when I have baked with it.  You can use it in any recipe to reduce the calories and replace the sugar.

Here is a quick and easy one to try

1/2 cup Heart Smart Bisquick Mix
1 small package any flavor sugar free instant pudding mix
1 large egg

Mix together and drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet for 12 cookies.  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

Each cookie has 30 calories and 1 gram protein.  Eating the whole dozen for a meal will set you back about 360 calories or what is in one small iced brownie or a small meal.  Sometimes I mix some sugar free cool whip, cocoa powder and a bit of fat-free cream cheese to make a frosting for the cookies.  With chocolate pudding mix, that is similar to a brownie and I can eat 12 without guilt.  I also love these made with pistachio sugarfree pudding mix and a vanilla glaze on top.  I make vanilla glaze with sugarfree cool whip and some splenda or powdered whey low.

I'm so going to try that with carbquick when I get home tonight..I've been so whiney about cookies this christmas..I also have a package of sugar free chocolate chips too..I'm thinking carbquick, vanilla instant pudding, egg and a couple of sugar free chocolate chips and I'll be in HEAVEN! Thanks..

Thanks for the recipe!  I will try it.  I am trying to look at food from the perspective of not NEEDING to eat but rather enjoying the experience.  My panic comes when I feel the need to eat and nothing else will do.  Addiction, I'd say so!  Calmness and being grounded in the idea that I am okay no matter what and I can do what ever I want to do.  I am in control, the food is not!

Me too. I had my surgery about 6 years ago and just in the past year I have gained 30 pounds. I feel like I never even had a surgery.
Connie

I try to keep in mind that I am still 100 lbs lighter than I was before my surgery.  That is a big deal!  I was very surprised that my dr told me that after about 2 years, the effects of the surgery don't help you in maintaining weight loss anymore.  And my third year I gained 20 lbs.  I still eat way less than I used to (except at Christmas when I was dropping buckeyes like they were sugarfree gum!) but I still need to eat less to keep from gaining weight.  I also HATE to exercise!  I know I need to do it anyway.  I feel good doing it but find it boring.  Any suggestions would help on that too! 

Keep smiling.  I am trying to change those negative voices that tell me what a loser I am.  I really just tell them to BE QUIET!

Nov. was my five year mark and I've hd the 10% regain.  And I know why.  I love sweets.  So I'm doing the low-carb thing again, and like so many working on my New Year's resolution to get the weight off.

I am still a weight-loss success, but I just have to pay attention to my eating habits.  I won't be fat again because I am taking action now rather than waiting for yet another gain this year.  You are smart about getting support from people--build your network of people and strategies. 

One of the weirdest things for me is to take 1 pound seriously--either gain or loss.  I'm so used to thinking in terms of 50, 100, 150, etc. pounds to lose that I can be disappointed with "normal" weight loss.  Or not pay attention until that 1 pound is ten!

Good luck with getting your 40 off this year.

Thanks.  I forgot about the 1 pound importance.  I remember telling someone discouragingly that I had been dieting for a week and only lost 4 lbs!  She responded by telling me to go to the store and looking at a package of ground beef that weighs 4 lbs!  Made a difference in how I thought about it again!  I am working on eating well and keeping it to 1200 calories a day.  I am in day 5 and am still feeling strong and positive!
Thanks for the kind words and thoughts!