I love that someone in this thread said remember that your tool still works!

I had my surgery years ago on 3/8/2001.  I remember the exact date because I celebrate it as my second birthday.  RNY was still pretty new back then and I was so sick and tied of being sick and tired I jumped right in.  As you can imagine, being 13.5 years out from my surgery I have gone through the same struggle you are.  I actually became so into physiology and nutrition that I am not a Wellness Consultant and help people get the most from their calories and keep their bodies in balance.  If it's ok I'd like to share with you a few things I have found to be key.

1.  Nutritional Cleansing - we come into contact and actually unknowingly eat toxins every day.  Fat cells trap toxins in and when you burn fat the toxins release into your body.  We have to flush them out and let our liver focus on clearing out our system.

2.  Low glycemic - Keep your meals low glycemic and continue to eat small meals throughout the day with a good source of protein being the feature.  I'm sure we all know about the insulin roller coaster of cravings.

3.  Gut flora - There's a lot of info that goes into this but try to eat so that your good and bad bacteria in your gut stay balanced.  When you have too much bad bacteria you crave sugar and carbs almost uncontrollably because the bad bacteria feeds on sugar and yeast and sends signals to your brain to feed it.  This was a big problem for me.  I would feel hungry or just want to eat but I didn't know what and I would try a little bit of everything until I figured it out even though I knew it wasn't my stomach talking but it was such a strong compulsion I couldn't control it.  I learned about the whole gut thing and got myself on a system focused on dense nutrients, protein, pre and pro biotics and nutrient timing that straightened me out in about a week.  I knew that I was back in balance because I could think about food as fuel and all the cravings were gone and I could make better decisions.  

4.  Eat Clean.  Stay away from artificial sweeteners at all costs!!  Avoid gluten even if you don't have an intolerance. 

5.  Finally, and most importantly, weight comes and weight goes don't let it get you down.  Remember that you have the power and tools that you need to get where you want to be.  Refocus and fight on!   

Laura, first of all congratulations on the weight loss. It's hard and a lot of work. On surgery date I was 335 pounds I did gastric bypass. My ideal goal is 145-150 pounds, but many tell me it's not realistic hope to be around 200 -210 pounds. I am hoping to be under 190 pounds that's be great. But I am hoping to reach that 145-150 pound mark. Is it too unrealistic? I am 5 weeks out from the surgery and have lost 30 pounds and had a stole for two weeks not loosing anything then started again on the fifth week. 

I am 7 years out.  Lost 135 pounds, regained 45, lost that plus more, and now maintain a 141 pound weight loss.  I love to encourage people who find themselves in this situation. Know that your tool still works.  "I am so addicted to food."  Yup, me too.  I work the 12-step program of Overeaters Anonymous to deal with the emotional/spiritual aspects of the disease of Compulsive Overeating.  I used a dietician to find a workable Plan of Eating that I can live with.  I attend (and help lead) a WLS support group.  "I eat to make me feel better."  How's that working for you?  I feel like I can eat anything and in huge quantities as well.  I can eat 2+slices of pizza in a sitting, or several cookies, or a 6" sub and chips -- but I choose not to.  One of my mantras is:  Just because I CAN eat it, doesn't mean I HAVE to eat it.  I use measuring cups, spoons, small plates and a food scale to keep my portions within my dietician's recommendations. 

I was just speaking to someone last night that my dietician referred to me -- that alone is pretty awesome.  I told her that you don't just wake up one day and thing, "Okay, today I'm gonna get it all right!"  It's not a diet anymore.  We don't start tomorrow, or Monday, or January 1.  We start with the next bite we put in our mouths.  Again, I highly recommend OA and working with a sponsor.  My sponsor is my lifeline, and with her help I can say that I have over a year of sane eating.  Track your food to see where you might want to tweak things.  Think about the basic rules.  Do you have a protein requirement? Fat limit? Sugar limit? Are you drinking water?  Are you eating and drinking together?  [please don't.] Are you taking your vitamins? Are you eating 6 times a day?  Pick one thing - one habit - one food - one meal - one SOMETHING - and commit to making a change... commit out loud, to another human being. 

Feelings are not facts.  You are not a failure.  You have a tool... a gift, really.  You just need to use it correctly.

Hi there, I don't have advice for you as i'm going through the same thing. I just wanted to tell you that your not a failure because you haven't given up. The first thing for me is coming back to the boards and going back to basics, we can do this, we have the tool we just need to remind ourselves on how to use it. Sending good thoughts your way.

Do you even have a clue how lucky you are to even have this surgery? Yes you would be wise tool low instructions and take advise. I'm 14 yrs out. I've yet to hear of anyone told to eat pork rinds and bread so early on. I think you are actually joking right? Who was your surgeon? Dr. Kevorkien? Seriously, you are joking? And you are angry at us? Why? Because we respected our surgery and our health and ourselves not to disregard and trivialize this gift we have been given. Back when I had this surgery more people died waiting and wanting the surgery than were permited to have it. You have been given a second chance at life , some were not so lucky , don't waste it on pork rinds and bread.