Struggle?

Has any body tried number of times to get back on track?  I just feel like I am always starting then not finishing.  I need help!!!!!!!!!!!!  I wish I could wake up as if I had surgery again, with out the surgery.  You know now hunger.  I know that my hunger sometimes is stress and other times it because it time to eat.  I really want to take this extra 30 lbs off. 

Has anyone out there gain back and lost again?  How did you do it? 

Sorry for rant and raving, I just so ugh at myself. I am ashamed. 

Jenna, don't feel hopeless! Abandon that "all or nothing" thinking you've got going on right now. You didn't fail because you had pancakes, or binged, or whatever. Let it go instead of feeling guilty. It's just another step on your lifelong journey toward better health.

I would try mixing it up a bit--try a new kind of exercise, or run farther, faster, try the elliptical machine, check out swimming--anything to move your body, every day if you can.

As for food, there are tons of low-cal foods out there that contain vitamins, minerals, and taste great! They're called vegetables. They take a long time to chew and are terrific for weight loss. MAKE yourself have a salad with lots of colors in it--red cabbage, carrots, radishes--and measure a couple tablespoons of your favorite dressing--once a day for a week. See how GREAT you will feel!

Veggies keep your blood sugar stable, your bowels clear and your spirit feeling extremely VIRTUOUS. Trust me, the longer you eat well, the less appeal the sugary foods will have.

Remember the old saying:
Fall down 7 times, stand up 8!

Hi Jenna,

The path to getting back on track and staying on track can be frustrating.  It isn't a straight shot.  There are lots of detours, speed bumps, and other obstacles.  It also doesn't mean perfection with our food choices.  To me, it is a commitment to make healthy food choices many more times than I don't.  Also, the key is when you don't make a healthy food choice in a single meal, you get right back on track.  You don't allow a detour from a less than healthy food choice derail you for the day, week or longer. 

The most important day when you go off track is the very next day.  You don't allow one day off track to compile into many more.

You can do this.  You lost weight before and you can lose the 30 pounds.  You are so much more than those 30 pounds or any food choice. 

I regained weight a few years ago and took it off.  It was VERY frustrating.  When you've been out of surgery (RNY) for a period of time, you don't lose weight at the same rate that you did after surgery.  It takes longer.  For some BOTTers (ME!) that was frustrating and caused me to give up.  When I realized that getting regained off was going to be more like the rate of 1-2 pounds per week, I had to adjust my expectations. 

Hang in there with all of us.  No reason to be ashamed as we are in this with you too.

Cathy

Jenna - We've all been there and done that or we wouldn't be here.  You have absolutely NOTHING to be ashamed of.  It's simply a matter of being a human being.  Humans aren't perfect.  Humans make mistakes, Humans can correct their mistakes.  Humans can learn from their mistakes.  It isn't realistic to think for the next 100 years we will NEVER eat anything we "shouldn't" or eat more than we "should"  We will - and that's a fact.  But the day we break compliance is not the important day - the important day is the next day (the next day = our first day back on track).  And here you are starting your next day.  Do be ashamed - be proud - celebrate.

Everyone is different.  What works for one of us may not work for someone else.  Try other's suggestions, but do what works for you.  Cathy has posted guidelines at the beginning of our discussion page.  Many of us have found it helpful to go back and read - really read, not just look at words - that and get back to basics.  Write down ALL of the reasons you were so anxious and excited to have the surgery in the first place.  We would all like for surgery to be the magic wand, but, in fact, it is a tool.  Just like a hammer is a tool to drive a nail, just having a hammer won't drive any nails at all.  We have to chose to use that hammer.  So it is with our surgery, our tool is still available, but we have to chose to use it.

For me, I MUST plan my food at least one day ahead - preferably two or three days - and I MUST write it down.  I can't relyy on "hunger" to know when I have had enough - I count calories and limit carbs.  I still MUST do this even though I'm now on maintenance.  In fact, I believe it is really more important now than it was when I was losing for this is the first time in my life (and I've had a weight problem since 2nd grade and believe me that was a LONG LONG LONG time ago LOL ) that I've kept the weight off for even a month before I began to regain.  No one ever tells us when we are dieting that maintenance is FOREVER.  So it isn't surprising that after we've lost our weight after surgery that old way of thinking sets in and we tend to think/act like we can go back to our old way of eating.

So.............forgive yourself for being human, try some suggestions you'll get here, and if you are comfortable, post often and allow us to share your journey.  Agin, I'm so glad you have joined us WELCOME

WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER - YES WE CAN

Jenna,

i "start over" almost EVERY day!

i have regained about 60lbs from my lowest post-op weight (which was higher than my goal weight.)
i have lost about 10 of that by going back to a very limited diet of protein shakes and high protein, low cals and limited carbs.
(after following the plan about 10 days, it is not so hard! i think my stomach has gone back to rejecting some foods and i am not as hungry as often.)

i also look at this forum EVERY day!!! (even if i don't post)
it is good f or me to see others who are years out of surgery who are still being sucessful.
(i am 6 years out)

the important thing for ME to remember is that i can "start over" the very NEXT meal!
i do not have to wait until next monday...or even the next day!

i am trying to remember that the RESULTS will be cummulative!
one meal will not make or break me!

there really is NO "finish line".
it really is a journey that you walk forever.
even maintainence is a journey!
i just WISH i could get to THAT part of my journey a little more quickly!!!

being ashamed will only make it harder for you to get "back on track".
try to be kind to yourself and chalk it up to lessons learned!

take care,
teresa

Wow you've gotten some great advice here, I can't see myself giving anything better. I just want to say welcome and stick around.... you'll see, it can and will happen!