9 years post-op and I've gained 70 lb.

I am incredibly discouraged by my weight regain after RNY. I've regained 70 of the 170 pounds I initially lost. I am grateful to be 100# less right now, but if I keep up like I've been doing...

Right now my clothes are so tight. I am refusing to purchase yet another larger size. This has to be a breaking point for me to start eating healthier. I have a torn meniscus and recurring Baker's cyst that make exercise (and sleep and even sitting) painful. I have to do something.

I've thought about the 5 day liquid diet. Before I had surgery, my surgeon required a 10 day liquid diet, and I was able to comply with that. If doing this will help reset my pouch and give me a boost, wow - that would be wonderful.

I feel so alone with this problem. I would love to have a buddy to be accountable to, or attend a true support group. How does one go about finding one? Anyone have any suggestions?

I am full of sef-disgust for what I've allowed myself to become, for all the emotion-related eating that I do, and for not being disciplined with eating. Having good health is important to me, and I am not taking the steps to work towards this.

I think a lot of us (to some degree) take advantage of it when we first have surgery and the pounds just melt off.  (I know I did, anyway).  I could eat any and everything I wanted and still lose a lot of weight.  I was a lot more strict then, because I really wanted it to work.  Now that it's been so long, I've gotten married, had 3 kids, and I've become sort of complacent.  I need to look into a support group in my area (but I live out in the sticks, lol).  I can't believe after all I went through to have this surgery, how strictly I was adhering to the after surgery foods, and how successful it was, that I've let myself "fall off the wagon" so to speak.  A lot of this, too, is that I KNOW I can lose the weight (at least I hope I can!!) but it's just like before surgery--going on a diet is extremely discouraging because I LOVE food, and feel like I'm depriving myself when I don't eat what I want.

I also feel discouraged.  I have gotten so far away from the original principles that I don't feel it is possible to loose weight again.  I guess the first thing I need to do is get on the scale and get that sad event over with and then maybe it will shock me into STARTING over again with the basics which would be the 5 day pouch test.  I also will start the journal again.  I know that really works.  I used Fitday.com (I think that is the name of it) to keep my journal before.  Good luck to each of you *****sponded to my message and thanks for your encouragement  and sharing.  Will check back soon.

Just read some posts in here about people re-gaining weight after surgeries.  Same here out seven years and now at 160lbs and steadlity gaining for about 2 and a half years.  about a pound a week on average more or less.  But I am writing to let you all know that I personally know of two people who have kept the weight off completely .  The first person is a relative who is about 8 or 10 years out not sure.  But he has not gained one single pound back since his surgery.  He is still going strong with maintaining his weight.  And the other person is at least 5 years out and he has not gained any weight either, he goes to my support group at Uiv of Chicago.  So, you see it can be done!  That is very encouraging to me to know these two people.  I take a lot of comfort in the fact that these two people are keeping it off and so can I,  right?  But I must say they are the only two people i know of personally who have kept the weight off so far.  the other long timers at the meeting don't come anymore to the support meetings because they felt like they didn't receive any support.  They all regained some weight but the meetings did ot support their issues with it.  So, now they longer come the meetings and I rarely go either for the same reason. 
   I just keep trying to watch what I eat and exercise, exercise, and try to live a more active lifestyle.   

It *is* possible to relose the weight, though I have little grasp of how to keep it off.  I am 6 1/2 yrs post RNY...surgery weight 353 lbs, highest weight 386 lbs. Over 2 yrs time I lost to 150 lbs, regained to 247 lbs over the next 14 mos., lost to 133 lbs in about a year, now have regained to 209 lbs.  Yes, the quintessential 'all or nothing' personality.  And that is why MO is a disease.  But I'm still fighting the good fight and hope to take off the excess once again.  I have not done the 5DPT, but the back to basics of H2O, protein, very restricted cals will cajole my body to give up the the lbs.  It's not easy to lost the weight, and it's demoralizing to put it back on. What can I say...soldier on, comrades!  Ms.O 
  

I can completely relate to this post.  Sunday was my 8 year anniversary of my surgery and I'm now back up to 230 lbs after getting down to 149 about 18 months out of surgery.  :(  I can NOT seem to get motivated even though I'm starting to actually feel this weight gain.  My clothes don't fit, I get easily out of breath and other more personal effects are starting to rear their ugly heads.  I need to stop this and I need to do it now.  I don't know what the 5 day pouch test is but I'm going to go research it.  I have to start somewhere and that seems like the place to do it.  Let's all stick together and keep ourselves accountable and on track!  We did it once, we CAN do it again!  

Clearly you are not alone in this.  Maintanance is as hard if not harder than the weight loss process.  And relosing weight is not as "exciting" because it doesn't melt away at the fast clip it did just after wls.  I'm five years out and regained about 20 lbs. of a 240 lb. loss.  Like many posters here, my problem was grazing--especially sweets. 

So here's my thoughts.

Why do you graze?  Boredom?  Emotions?  Stress?  Hunger?  Most of us have an out of wack relationship to food, expecting something from it that it really isn't designed to give.  This is not a medical  or nutritional problem, it is a thinking/behavioral problem.  I like "Beck's Diet Solution" book as it deals with just that--changing your thinking to change your behavior.  Or check out your area for an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.  Something that will help you address why you are grazing and help you develop some strategies.

What are you eating?  Are you eating a satisfying diet?  If you like the Mediterranean diet, www.drgourmet.com has a ton of information, convenience food products reviews (like Lean Cuisine meals), menu planning, recipes, etc.  If you like low-carb, check out Atkins or South Beach.  www.kayln'skitchen.com has a lot of South Beach recipes.  Truth is, you need to focus on protein and healthy carbs.  The 5 day test won't address your lifetime diet.  And that is what we need to wrap our heads around, that we will be "dieting" the rest of our lives.  Just like most other people who are not overweight or obese.  While there may be a handful of "naturally" thin, most people have to pay attention to their diet.  WLS didn't change that for us, it just made it so that it would actually work!

I have been doing low-carbs since the beginning of the year.  It is slow going, just 5 lbs. so far, but that is still 5 lbs.  And with 20 lbs. to lose instead of 200, not a bad start.

I would check with your doctor before doing any weight loss pills--how would they work with your system. 

Good luck to all of us who are in this ongoing process.

Thanks for your words of wisdom.  I am so glad to be back on OH for education and support.  I appreciate all of your comments and transparency.  This is so very encouraging.