Recent Posts

I haven't posted here since Dec. 15.....besides the holidays, a lot has been happening in my life.

My brother in law passed away on Dec. 17....I had known him since I was 2, so I have spent quite a bit of time with my sister.  Everyone came for the funeral and 17 spent at least two nights at my house at that time.   Then on Dec. 26, they all came back for Christmas and I hosted 35 or so for three days. (Only 17 spent the nights, the rest were local)......

I hadn't done ANY Christmas shopping or cooking until Monday before Christmas because I had two different strands of flu from the week before Thanksgiving until around the 15 of December.  You would have thought I would have lost a couple of pounds, but no I did not !!   

After Thanksgiving and then again after the funeral, a lot of my family got the flu so between the funeral and Christmas, I thoroughly cleaned and sanitized my house......if it could be bleached...done, sprayed Lysol disinfectent on every thing I couldn't wash....scrubbed everything........washed ALL bedding !!! I was one busy lady !  But I guess it helped because no one got sick after Christmas.  

this year's resolution is to organize........quit the weight loss one years ago !!

I hope all of you have a successful 2015 !!

Hi Botts,

Here is what I posted on the main board. But you have the more detailed version in the stick post above.

I am 10 years out from RNY and have turned to stress eating for the first time.  Getting back on track and wanted to share with you what has worked for me in hopes it will help you.  If you had a different type of surgery you know what your basics are, but I think we all know what our basics are to be successful.

Knowing I needed to get back to the basics, I compiled a list of what worked for me.  What "I" needed to do to get back on track.  There is a very detailed doc in the group Back On Track Together in discussion section, as a sticky post....

Planning/Preparing
Remember when we were preparing for surgery?  How many meetings, classes and such did we attend?  We were told the more prepared we were the better our chances were for success.  And they were right. Go through the house, car and work place and get rid of trigger foods.  Stock up on foods that will keep you on track. I removed every carb/sugar temptation and replaced it with lots of protein, veggies and fruits.  

Journaling
Get back to journaling.  This will help you identify when you feel like eating, stress factors and any triggers in your life.  Once you identify these factors, this will help you put tools in place to keep you from eating.  It became clear I was not taking time for me anymore. I worked my day job and then spent the rest of my time caring for my husband.  It was easy to reach for fast, prepackaged food.  Since I purged my home I have to eat clean as there are no other options LOL

Use a tool to track you're eating and exercise like Health Tracker.

Once I started to track ever bite and drink it became clear why I had gained.

Goals/Rewards

Make a list of goals for yourself.  Make them realistic and small.  Some of mine were move more, purge all junk from my home, eat more protein.

Food

In general, a long term post-weight loss surgery eating plan includes foods that are high in protein, and low in fat, fiber, calories, and sugar. Important vitamins and minerals are provided as supplements. (if you had a different surgery adjust this to your food plan)

Water

Water is our Best Friend. I have to say I never went back to pop or any bad drinks, however I was drinking tea like crazy. What is wrong with drinking tea?  I was either using sugar or 3 equals and 3 sweet n lows per 32 ounce glass.  So I was either pushing to be diabetic or get cancer.  I found once I started carrying a bottle of water around 24/7 (yes had one at my bedside) I lost the cravings for the sugar and I KNOW those artificial sweeteners are not good for me. Look I am old and if you add up all the artificial sweeteners I have consumed I am sure I am at the rat in the lab getting cancer threshold

MOVE!

I can't say enough about how key this was for me. The reason I kept my weight off for almost 10 years was no matter what I kept moving.  If I could not go to the gym I would walk. I loved Zumba, bootcamp workouts, lift weights. When I stopped, the weight came on.  So for me I am starting slow to avoid injury by walking and using some of the workouts on my Demand TV.  Find something you love to do and it won't feel like a pain in the *** to do daily.

I am 10 years out from RNY and have turned to stress eating for the first time.  Getting back on track and wanted to share with you what has worked for me in hopes it will help you.  If you had a different type of surgery you know what your basics are, but I think we all know what our basics are to be successful.

Knowing I needed to get back to the basics, I compiled a list of what worked for me.  What "I" needed to do to get back on track.  There is a very detailed doc in the group Back On Track Together in discussion section, as a sticky post....

Planning/Preparing

Remember when we were preparing for surgery?  How many meetings, classes and such did we attend?  We were told the more prepared we were the better our chances were for success.  And they were right. Go through the house, car and work place and get rid of trigger foods.  Stock up on foods that will keep you on track. I removed every carb/sugar temptation and replaced it with lots of protein, veggies and fruits.  

Journaling

Get back to journaling.  This will help you identify when you feel like eating, stress factors and any triggers in your life.  Once you identify these factors, this will help you put tools in place to keep you from eating.  It became clear I was not taking time for me anymore. I worked my day job and then spent the rest of my time caring for my husband.  It was easy to reach for fast, prepackaged food.  Since I purged my home I have to eat clean as there are no other options LOL

Use a tool to track you're eating and exercise like Health Tracker.

Once I started to track ever bite and drink it became clear why I had gained.

Goals/Rewards

Make a list of goals for yourself.  Make them realistic and small.  Some of mine were move more, purge all junk from my home, eat more protein.

Food

In general, a long term post-weight loss surgery eating plan includes foods that are high in protein, and low in fat, fiber, calories, and sugar. Important vitamins and minerals are provided as supplements. (if you had a different surgery adjust this to your food plan)

Water

Water is our Best Friend. I have to say I never went back to pop or any bad drinks, however I was drinking tea like crazy. What is wrong with drinking tea?  I was either using sugar or 3 equals and 3 sweet n lows per 32 ounce glass.  So I was either pushing to be diabetic or get cancer.  I found once I started carrying a bottle of water around 24/7 (yes had one at my bedside) I lost the cravings for the sugar and I KNOW those artificial sweeteners are not good for me. Look I am old and if you add up all the artificial sweeteners I have consumed I am sure I am at the rat in the lab getting cancer threshold

Support!

If it's an option "run" don't walk to a support group.

MOVE!

I can't say enough about how key this was for me. The reason I kept my weight off for almost 10 years was no matter what I kept moving.  If I could not go to the gym I would walk. I loved Zumba, bootcamp workouts, lift weights. When I stopped, the weight came on.  So for me I am starting slow to avoid injury by walking and using some of the workouts on my Demand TV.  Find something you love to do and it won't feel like a pain in the *** to do daily.

Hopefully, some of what helped me will help you.  

Love the crossroads reference. It really is a choice isn't it.  I guess put our head in the sand or take an action to change.  Congratulations on choosing to take back your life.  The later is like sleep walking through life  So happy that you have made the decision to care for yourself.  I support your efforts.  

My thoughts: That's easy for her to say. 

The rest of us have a different reality. Angela Taylor lives in her world, in which she is lovely by every measure and standard. I live in my world, where I'm verging on hideous. Sure, I've got beauty inside, but to be realistic, my outside is simply not beautiful. I do get tired of people making those sweeping pronouncements based on **nothing**. They do not make me feel better; they make life worse. Stop it, Angela--or was I not meant to eavesdrop on your pep talk to the top 5% crowd? 

Thank you so much for posting, Kathy! I'm new to your group, and excited to be a BOTT -- we'll do it, together, indeed! I think routinely connecting with this message board will be a good resource. :-) Take care of yourself and you can better take care of your husband. Like you, I also look forward to fitting back into my jeans again, and have been too nervous to step onto a scale... my clothes tell the truth anyway, there's no denying that! 

We're having guests for supper tonight so I'm in the middle of baking/cooking... but am sipping my big tall glass of ice water with lemon, and planning my "before dinner drink" (V8 juice) to keep my hands busy.