Advice for 16 mos out and trying to get back on the wagon?

Forgive me father for I have sinned.  It has been 4 to 6 months since I was last on this board.

Hi to all the long time regulars and nice to meet all the new faces.  Judging by some of the posts, it looks like lots of great accomplishments have been made, milestones have been hit, and lives have changed.  That's awesome.

I am now 16 months out from surgery.  I lost 130 but have backslid about 20.  My discipline slowly declined and I started picking up some of my bad habbits again.  I've recently decided to rededicate me to my health and fitness and good habbits.  I've started adhering to my dietary rules again and am using fitday again.  A friend reminded me of this forum and I felt I should come back.  My goal is to lose another 49 lbs by my birthday (Cinco de Mayo) which is definitely a stretch goal.  That would put me at the "healthy" BMI.  

So, my question to any veterans out there is: got any advice for someone like me?  Any tips for someone trying to move from a small backslide back to weight loss and then hopefully successfull maintenance?

cheers,

Aaron, you and I are on the same boat.  The trick is going back to basics.  Protein first, drink all your water, take those vitamins and do some exercise.  We can be accountable for each other if you want... whatever works.

My back on track starts tomorrow morning with a protein shake for breakfast.

Good luck, hon!

wellcome back!! it seems that we all are getting back on track all together. yeii!!!.
keep us posted!

see ya around
mariana.

Hi Aaron, I hear your pain! I am just a bit over 2 years out and over the last year gained about 15# back... I have FINALLY taken control with the aid of the new year and have gone back to the basics...blah,blah, I hate when people say that...but I am restricting carbs to 20g/day and making sure I get minimum 30 min of exercise in each day...also my doc perscribed me Phentermine, a percribed appetite suppressant... I could tell a difference the first day I took it! It's slow release so it stays in your system 12-16 hours... I make sure to time it so the night monster doesn't come out! I think this is a great supplement to the whole getting back on track plan because my whole problem to begin with-was hunger coming back...with a vengence!! Good luck! I never hit my goal of 160, my lowest was 197 last Nov, and I am about 215 today-By May 1st, my b-day, I plan to be at the original goal of 160! Watch me go! Good luck and take care!

Thanks for the responses!  Yep, pretty much what I already knew and what I've already started.  Getting back to things like counting calories, increasing protein, decreasing carbs, lots of water, etc, etc.  Just thought I'd make sure that while I was gone no one figured out a magic cure all .

I actually took phentermine a couple years before the surgery.  It was to try to lose weight of course to help reverse some liver damage.  It was somewhat effective.  I think having that documented was part of what helped me get approval so fast.  I've read chromium can have some of the same effects.

What I really need is to get in the exercise habbit.  It's the one habbit I never developed well in the year after surgery.  I have a condition in my legs called chronic compartment syndrome which causes pain, but had surgery years ago that reduced the pain grately.  I think I use that as a crutch or an excuse.  I have been saying for a while now that I'm going to join the local Y and start swimming because its an exercise I can do with low impact on my legs.  I've been resisting b/c I don't want to be one of those millions of people who join a gym right after new year and b/c my job is kind of tenuous with this economy and I don't know if I should spend the $$.  But those are both more excuses!  

cheers,

aaron, I am somewhat of a newbie to the whole weight loss process, so I can't speak with experience, but after reading the post and responses, I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in, just incase it is helpful.
I would say there are two things I would look at if I was in your position:

1. Take an honest assessment. What is hindering you most? What are you doing well? What have you never really gotten into? What did you use to do which has kinda slacked off? Knowing those things helps you angle your goals for sucess

2. With regards to exercise, try to brainstorm what all the possibilities are and what you like. and try try try them out. I hate hate HATED exercise before my surgery, and after it I realized that I want to have competition, but I hate being at gyms and I hate the time it takes to get ready. I ended up getting Dance Dance Revolution- they grade me, which is enough competive feedback, and I can do it in my room whenever I want and I don't waste any time getting ready for it. It's been amazing how dedicated I have been since. So try stuff. Something will work. Also think outside the box.

3. Having someone join me is also a big motivator. I don't use it for all of my exercise, but it's great to have friends that call me and say, "hey- wanna go play tennis?" or "I feel like walking, you down?" That gets me out a lot of times that I wouldn't have scheduled it otherwise. In my house, most of the other girls are pretty healthy eaters that has helped too because I'm surrounded by things that influence me for the better.

good luck on your goals

Ann

Hey Aaron welcome back to the bored no time like the presnt to come back and get back on track. I am not post op yet (only 26 days away!!!) but like everyone has said back to basics. and water water water and excersize. I do water arobics and I LOVE it. I also go to the gym and walk on the tred mill and life there are many arm machines that you can do. And my personal trainer told me that when your workin out you are workin out everything even if you are workin your arms your still using calories so your burnin fat and burnin it everywhere. I am at Snap fitness and I love it!! and depends on insurance but some companies help pay for it. (I only pay a dollar a month) and some clubs are pretty reasonably priced. I hope that the new year finds you well and that you get back on track you can do it you've been given the tool now take it with both hands and work it!! you did it once before you can do it again!!
~Valerie~
P.S. Remember relaps is a step in recovery!!