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Good morning Ladies,

Thank you for the responses, it seems a lot of people who are out several years disappear from these forums. I love to hear how others are doing and love to stay in touch with everyone! I think the struggle for me is getting enough of the right things into my diet...morning usually starts with coffee, eggs with spinach/veggies, lunch is usually protein and salad/veggies, dinner grilled lean meats and veggies again...now to keep the bad out :) 

Just went back to the basics & increased exercise as weight loss made it easier.  Also, I use My Fitness Pal to record everything I eat without fail.  Helps keep me accountable.

I had regained a very large amount of weight (see signature below).  Last January I got myself back in control & back on track.

 As of today I have taken back off 120 lbs and am officially in onederland.  

Good morning botts

It is snowing in Wisconsin this morning.  I am going on vacation for some sun next Tuesday.  I need to follow the plan until then.  I will bring my Mayo Clinic food pyramid check off sheet to keep me on track while I am gone.  Have a healthy day everyone.  Tri

My meal plan today:

B: Perfect 10 bagel

S: veggie soup and nsa carrot muffin

L: chicken thigh and veggies

S: Greek yogurt and frozen fruit smoothie

D: chicken and veggies over brown rice

S: Protein nut bar, salad with 1/2 avocado

16 Ways To Get Back On Track:
1. Eat dense lean proteins first. When you eat lean protein, it stays in your pouch longer and gives the satiety that lasts longer so you don't get hungry as quickly.
2. Foods to avoid and eat in moderation. Avoid processed foods, foods with high sugar, fried food, fast foods (also known as "junk food"). In moderation, eat complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs are plant based, whole grain foods such as oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, or as an ingredient within a food such as whole grain bread or pasta. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, beans, peas and lentils are also complex carbs.
3. Be aware of your liquid drinks. Calories in liquid drinks can add up so check for nutritional info and serving size. Due to the nutritional value, liquids such as protein drinks are a better choice than apple juice or a mixed coffee beverage. After some procedures, alcohol is absorbed quickly and you will feel the effects faster which can cause you to become intoxicated on small amounts. Alcohol beverages contain calories but provide minimal nutrition.
4. Eliminate grazing and emotional eating. Grazing is the habit of eating small amounts throughout the day. Grazing is usually mindless eating compared to planning out your food for the day. Emotional eating is when you turn to food as an emotional response. This could be for uncomfortable emotions, to self-medicate what you're experiencing or feeling happy, celebratory or reward yourself. Avoid emotional eating by distracting yourself until the craving passes. Grazing and emotional eating are causes for weight regain.
5. Eat mindfully. Eating mindfully allows you to fully savor what you're eating. Ways to eat mindfully are eating slower, chew thoroughly, paying attention to the flavor and textures of food, and putting your fork down between bites. Mindless eating is the hand-to-mouth pattern when you've consumed food without being aware of how much you've eaten and aren't aware of your fullness level.
6. Portion control. Portion control is an important component to weight loss and getting back on track. When you plan your meals, you are able to visually determine the portion sizes right for you. When you know your portions, you won't as easily succumb to portion distortion.
7. Drink water. Have you replaced drinking water with different beverages or high caloric fluids? Our bodies need water to stay healthy, vibrant and energetic. Water has a critical role in every system of our bodies. Make a goal to drink at least 64 ounces of water per day to keep hydrated.
8. Don't drink with your meals. Think of your surgical tool as a funnel. When you eat, the food is at the base of the funnel which causes satiety. If you drink fluid with meals, the food gets flushed through your pouch so you have minimal satiety. Without the sense of satiety, we will become hungry within a short period of time.
9. Exercise and stay active. Exercising is an important component for a healthy body. There are many reasons to exercise such as more energy, burn calories, improve your mood and self-esteem, and increase your health. Find an exercise or activity that you love and enjoy so it feels less like "exercise" and more like "having fun."
10. Vitamin supplementation and lab tests. Taking vitamins after weight loss surgery is an absolute must for anyone that has had weight loss surgery. If you've been off track and neglected your vitamins, start taking them now. If you haven't been to your surgeon or doctor in over a year, make an appointment for a physical and lab tests. Vitamin deficiencies can occur, and make you feel lethargic and the cause of low energy. You may have physical symptoms of deficiencies but don't recognize them as vitamin deficiencies.
11. Sleep. The recommendation for duration of sleep for the average adult is eight hours. When you're tired, fatigued or don't get good quality sleep it impacts our decision-making and impulse control, i.e. food choices. When you're rested, you feel better, more apt to be active and exercise plus make healthy food choices instead of reaching for comfort or fast foods.
12. Get logging. You can use ObesityHelp's Health Tracker to track your nutrition, activity, body measurements, and create tickers and reports. Tracking your food gives you accountability and an overview of what you are, or aren't, doing. In addition to accountability, tracking is a good way to bust out of the complacency rut.
13. Be active within the bariatric community. When you are active on message boards, not only are you giving support to others but to yourself as well. Make sure to stop by your surgical procedure message board to check in with other OH community members that have the same weight loss surgery procedure as you. For extra support for getting or staying on track, consider joining the Back On Track Together OH Group.
14. Attend regular support group meetings. Support group meetings are composed of other WLS'ers. While our stories and bariatric surgery procedures may be different, we share the experience of being morbidly obese, pre-op's and living as weight loss surgery post-ops. We are with others that understand and appreciate the weight loss surgery journey of each support group member.
15. Create small goals. Getting back on track can be broken down into achievable goals. Maybe you need to get back to a couple of the healthy habits in this article, or maybe you need to get back to most of them. When you create the momentum of being on track, you're less apt to go off track again.
16. Keep your head in the game. Getting back on track is a mindset. Make the commitment to yourself that you're ready and follow through by your choices and actions. Being on track isn't a diet but it is a lifestyle. If you have a meal or a day that you've eaten off track, get back on track and continue on. Don't let one day turn into one week or one month. Keeping your head in the game of being on track will carry you through the challenges and reach the success you want from your weight loss surgery.
Bariatric Surgeons Weigh-In
Dmitri Baranov, M.D., PhD, F.A.C.S. explains that, "It is important to follow-up with your bariatric surgeon not only to ensure your well-being, but also to check your blood vitamin levels, as they are not routinely checked by primary care physicians. He recommends that bariatric patients follow 4 simple dietary rules, 1) eat 3 solid, protein based meals/day; no meal skipping 2) do not eat and drink at the same time, 3) stop drinking 30 minutes before the meal, and resume drinking 45-60 min after the meal and 4) avoid liquid calories such as soda, milk, and juices. Dietician for Dr. William A. Graber's practice, Evelyn Mariani, MS, RD, CDN shares her three favorite tips: 1) Portion Control: Bariatric surgery is the best tool for portion control. The more solid the food is, the less you'll eat of it, therefore the portion control falls into line. 2) Stay Active & Exercise: There are countless benefits to exercise and stay active such as to build muscle that will make a difference in how you look. A patient weighing 180 lbs with more muscle mass versus 180 lbs. with more fat mass will look different and likely fit into different sized clothes. 3) Get Support: I recommend OH and any/all support wherever a bariatric patient can get it. Support is a huge factor for long-term success. Guillermo Alvarez, M.D. 's shares his four back on track guidelines, 1) WLS is not a guarantee. Surgery goes a long way to avoid simple carbs. Avoid simple carbs and maximize your results, 2) have an accountability partner to exercise with and share simple low carb recipes, 3) the secret to maintaining weight loss long term is to avoid bread, pasta, rice, white potatoes and processed foods. Eat whole natural foods for life and 4) follow up with your surgeon and keep in touch. Every day is an opportunity for you to recommit to your weight loss surgery healthy lifestyle. When you get off track, the basics will be your guide to getting right back on track and staying the course to life a healthy, fulfilling life after bariatric surgery.