So off track!

 So I just wanted to check in quickly to hopefully gain some perspective and get my butt back on track. Basically, I'm stuck. I've let myself get into old patterns of behavior. I'm 18 months out, have lost 155 pounds and am stuck at 185. I have not gained but I've stopped losing and I totally know why. I've let the carby snack monster move in and she is a pain in the rear to kick out again. What's most discouraging is that I sometimes feel a bit out of control, almost like pre-op and find myself eating things I know I shouldn't. For example, the other day I went to Wendy's for lunch and had a grilled snack wrap and only ate the chicken. That would have been fine but I also decided I'd get a small fry and just have a few. What am I doing? Have I learned nothing from this process? I need encouragement from you wonderful people who know what I'm going through please. 

Thanks so much!

I know what you mean-the cravings sometimes take over. That's how I gained over 20lbs and never made it to goal. But you live and you learn. You fall off the wagon sometimes but you have to get back on the wagon, immediately, each time. I try to have way more good days than bad ones. And by doing that I have lost 12lbs toward my goal-30 more to go for me (don't tell my doctor-he says 50 more pounds). I found it important to immediately start over again doing what you know is right-following the rules. I used to make a bad food choice and then say "oh well, I messed up so I might as well eat whatever I want for the day and start again tomorrow or on Monday". I stopped doing that. If I make a bad food choice now, I immediately start over and I do extra excercise to make up for it! After a while the extra exercise wasn't worth it so I stay on track. Good luck!

DC Giril - Welcome - I'm glad you've chosen to join us   I hope you find this site as helpful as I have.  Don't think you'll ever find a group of folks more caring, supportive, understanding and accepting than those here.  I call them my angels in disguise as humans   I don't think I could have gotten back/stayed on track without them.

We've all been where you are or we wouldn't be here.  I'm 3 1/2 + yrs out from my lap band surgery.  At about 2 yrs out I gained 30-35 pounds.  I'm happy to say I'm at my goal weight again and maintaining. 

One thing many of us have found helpful is to read (really read, not just look at the words) the guidelines Cathy has posted at the beginning of our discussion page.  It is so easy to let some little (but important) part of compliance slide by.  Others have found doing the 5-day pouch plan helpful for getting back on track. 

One way to start is to set 5 minute goals - even we can resist temptation for 5 minutes - and celebrating at the end of each 5 minutes (in a non-food way of course LOL)   We all know that on some days 5 minutes of compliance is a far greater accomplishment than 24 hours of compliance on other days.   De-carb your house.    Neither you nor your family will perish for lack of carbs - at least for a few days.  If any of your family needed to do without carbs for their physical and/or mental well being, you would clean them out of the house in a heartbeat.  Why?  Because you love them - so, please love yourself that much

Remember:  Hunger DOES NOT = an emergency.  We wouldn't admit it (maybe even to ourselves) that we believe if we feel hungry we MUST eat.  But, our actions speak so loud we can't hear our words.  I have never known anyone to die overnight because they didn't eat when they were hungry (our problem is barely .01% physical, but is at least 99.99% mental), but I have know people who died from obesity.

Go back and WRITE DOWN all the reasons you were so thrilled to be able to have this tool of bariatric surgery.  Celebrate them   You still have your tool - it may be a little "rusty" from disuse, but bring it out and use it again.  It will still serve you well

If you feel comfortable, don't be shy , post often and allow us to share you journey.  Let us know how we can be helpful to you.   When we  each other, we also help ourselves.  

WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER - YES WE CAN 

Again WELCOME   You've taken the hardest step on your way back, you're off and running toward goal now 

Have a fine BOTT day  

I find myself in that situation more times than I like, but there's something I tell myself when it happens... when I catch myself doing it.

So you had 5 fries. You realize exactly what's happening and look at the fries. You feel angry, guilty, frustrated that you let it happen. You now have a choice.

A - You keep eating the fries, say screw it, you'll try harder tomorrow...

OR...

B - Listen to your body, take a minute and really sit and listen. Are you actually hungry anymore? No? Then all you have to do is take charge, stand up, throw them away, wash your hands (get off that salty fry smell) and leave. 

You don't HAVE to eat those fries just because you bought them. How much is a small fry at Wendy's anyways? Like pocket change, right? Its a dollar menu item! Its not wasteful... its not the end of the world. Throw them away, take a sip of water and move on. Start getting back on track right NOW, instead of leaving today to the wind, doing whatever, and staring over again tomorrow.

Its so easy to start off again in the morning, and so EASY to get back off track. Break up this routine, you've been through it a billion times and seen it fail. Get back on track in the middle of the day. In the middle of the week, don't wait till Monday. Do it NOW.

That's the mindset I've found to be really successful to me. I hope you can find it helpful!

NOTHING FEELS AS GOOD AS THROWING AWAY SOMETHING THAT IS TRYING TO RULE YOU........................... 


I THREW AWAY SOME COOKIES THE OTHER DAY AND OH BOY IT SURE FELT GREAT.... I DO HAVE TIMES WHEN I FAIL BUT I HAVE LEARNED JUST LIKE SION TO GO AT IT AGAIN IF I FAIL AT BREAKFAST I MAKE SURE I SUCEED AT LUNCH AND DINNER ETC.,,,,,,,,,,,,  I TOO RECENTLY FOUND THAT POWERFUL MOVE IN OUR LIFESTYLE WAY OF LOOKING AT OUR EATING HABITS............IT REALLY BRINGS A FREEDOM TO ME... ANYONE AGREE WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?????