Failing, or falling off...

Well, after a cuccsessful VSG surgery in briliant Ipsilanti, overn two years ago.. I was doing great. Lost over 116 lbs, was agetting into arelly good shape and all that good stuff. Somewhere along the way i fell off the positive wagon and started to  gain weight... i only gained about 20 lbs, but it scares a crap out of me.
 Now my weight fluctiuales some 3-4 lbs overnight and I can't seem to  get back into a good routine. I am paranoid that I will gain more weight... where should I  start? What can I do to  get back on track. Any ideas?

W

Start tracking your food and cut out the bad carbs. Start exercising again, if you have stopped.

 My best advice...

Get back on track NOW, don't wait until 20 becomes 30.

I'm sure you know what to do. Water, protein, exercise, ditch the carbs, journal your food.

Whatever you do, do it now. Sure losing 20 pounds will be hard, but losing 30 will be harder. You did it before, you can do it again! Start right this second!

If you want more specific advice, I can tell you the 2 things that help me these days with hunger and cravings are hot tea and raw cucumber.

Awesome, thanks!
I  might be retaingin water too -  its so damn hot here... and I am drinking about a boatload of liquids.
Exercise - hard sets of tennis every other day. I know way tomany  carbs... sigh...
Thanks
 I will get at it.
w

Hi Wahoo...

What ive read is about 80 percent of patients will have regain common is about 10-15 percent... and no your not a failure, failing is giving up and not trying..

what i think is some of our programs fail at informing us or giving us the coping tools if regain starts to happen... everything online tells you go back to your team and surgeon... well for some of us, that is not possible.. I for one cannot afford the 900 dollars to fly back to san diego

people will tell you and i have been guilty of it myself.." get back to basics"... but really   what does that really mean?

the person  feels lost and alone and like they are failing yet again... yet we tell them get back to basics.. what they are really wanting to hear is how many calories? what type of plan to detox?  or how do i stop from starting the day right and then falling of later that day or the next day? and is this happening to anyone else?.

you can clean your house out and get rid of the junk the most obvious stuff .. but you also have to look at what have you changed and why are you gaining... is it old habbits slipping back in? or new habbits your going to have to learn to deal with?...  what was it that was working for you that you have stopped doing?

I also think what we forget when we lose all our weight, is we have a disease, and we can have re-lapses just like with every other disease and lots and lots of people do relapse ... but you have taken the first big step and that is knowing that it is happening and now its turning it around..

my advice is:

find a support buddy or some one that you can be accountable with, one that will go exercise with you, or a class you can attend..

find a support group that you can go and get support from, where you feel comfortable talking about your regain and how it happened, you might find others going through the same thing as you... also get your family and friends on board to support you in helping you by not taking you out for treats or bringing it into your house..

If it is possible put a call into your surgeons office and ask them what plan to start back on, how many calories and for any oher advice or tricks they might have..


For me going back to basics meant getting really drastic... i do not advocate what im doing for anyone but for me  i needed to shake up everything,i needed to feel like i was back in control, and impliment what worked for me the first time around ,...so i have gone back to the start of my program and im doing it again... im on day 5 of my re programing and 5lbs  down.....

if you need someone to talk feel free to msg me.....

Be proud of your self for having the guts to front up and say hey this is happening to me...
..

Well said, Linda!  

 Mini Me, I think your response is very wise and probably much appreciated by many 
of us who are on this board.  Fear of failure runs deep and to hear how someone has
re-taken the reins to stay on track is very inspiring. 

This is a very, very wise and thoughtful response. I'll bookmark it, and keep it for future reference.


Gail

 Gaining weight is such a fear for most of us and I think we can go into overdrive around shame, self-blame and retreat.  

I think the earlier post says it very well - if we're gaining weight it isn't that we suddenly don't know how to eat well and have no idea why we're gaining.  I tend to believe it is in those coping habits that contributed to our starting weight in the first place.  I know that I use food as an emotional regulator and living without that go-to friend/drug/whatever is the real focus for me.  If I gain I also know it will be about that need to comfort myself.  

I struggle with being accountable to only myself.  I am lucky to have many good friends but I have one who, while caring, tends to be that Tell It Like It Is friend.  Makes her a horrible counsellor (grin) but an excellent accountability person.  When I'm really in need of setting a goal I get really clear about what I'm saying I'll do and then I make the promise to her.  She doesn't hound me about it but I also know I don't want to disappoint her by saying I didn't make it.  Which also means I make the goal realistic - the last one was no chocolate until my birthday.  

I am not saying this will necessarily be the path for you but as has already been said, it is about sorting out what's underneath the weight gain and providing yourself with the supports you need.  And be gentle with yourself.  Yes, you are accountable and responsible for your choices and you are also acknowledging your weight and facing it head on, which is hard to do so congratulations.  

The only piece of advice I have is to suggest you pay attention to those times when you are most wanting to eat or craving foods that aren't in your plan (or however you monitor your food intake).  Is there a time of day or a situation that makes you more vulnerable to eating? That information might help you focus on where you are most likely to struggle and to put some supports around those times or situations.

I'll be rooting for ya...and sweating along with you in Ontario....off topic for a minute - these temps are insane.  I was just thinking about skiing the other day and weeping a little...how I hate the heat....bring on the snow!!  /ducking while the rest of the country throws rocks/ 

Start couting calories. Make sure you get adequate protein and fat and you can fill the rest of your cals with protein/carb/fat. Carbs are not what make you fat. Too many calories do. Either reduce calories or increase your activity (if you want to lose weight).