49lb weight gain

Hi everybody. I had Roux- en- y  June 29, 2007. At my highest weight I was 351lbs and in a size 32/34 dress. By summer 2008 I was 224lbs and in a loose 18/ tight 16. Well, fast forward to now after a year out of work, finally got a new job,2 injuries and absolutely no regular workouts for months, I have gained 49lbs back and  I am now in a 20/22.

I said all that to give background. I really need some practical tips for getting back on track. I have no energy at all because of the weight gain. Trying to work out has been an uphill battle.  I know weigh 272lbs. so I want to lose at least another 100lbs. HELP!!

Hi Sherry

Coming here a month ago was the best thing that happened to me.  Deb posts her plan every morning.  Molly is frequently here with great inspiration.  Hala is the carb queen.  Many, many of us are 40ish pounds away from where we want to be.  I could lose almost 100 lbs. and still be a normal BMI, but I am aiming for 40 lbs.  None of us are doing the same thing.  Read past posts and hopefully something will click for you.  If you're not exercising, I'll bet you are eating around 2700 calories a day.  Does that sound right to you?  To maintain 220 lbs you probably need to eat 2200 calories.  As you surely know if you eat more one day you need to eat less the next day or exercise more.  Generally speaking many people think they eat less than they do and think they exercise more calories than they do.   My diabetic educator gave us a food diary of a typical thanksgiving day and it totaled 4200 calories.  It was very similar to what my family normally eats at a holiday meal.  I swear by the OH health tracker.  It is amazing how fast calories add up!  I think we all know how to diet from years of practice...we just have to do it.   

My tips:
1. log food and exercise
2. limit or eliminate alcohol
3. move more (clean something, lay down on the ground and stand up during every TV commercial, spend 30 minutes taking a shower and fixing your hair without sitting down, never ask someone to fetch something for you)
4. donate or toss everything in your house that contains white flour, sugar, fried foods, white rice, white potatoes, trans fats
5. sleep 7 to 8 hours
6. drink water
7. take vitamins
8. have patience and be persistent.
9. Aim for lifestyle changes rather than scale changes because "scales lie".  Sometimes my scale doesn't move but I know what I ate and how I moved was healthy.  Eventually the scale catches up.
10. Never give up.  We haven't failed until we give up.  

Thanks a bunch for your tips. And I will check out the past posts as you suggested. I am going to be 40 in January and I am more determined then ever to get where i need to be. Thanks again!

Hi Sherry!!!
I also gained 49 pounds. I also turn 40 in March 2011. :)

Luckly, by coming here and just reading posts, it got me a bit out of my funk and helped me focus a bit more on what I was eating.  I also went on an anti-depressant, after many, many years of depression.

What has helped me the most is tracking my food intake each day. At first I didn't cut back but took an honest accounting of what I was doing...and boy did I get an eyeful! Then I slowly cut back on portions and I dropped those food items I definately had problems with- like they triggered overeating or had little nutritional value (pasta was what I cut out). I use an app on my iPhone called Tap& Track, but there is also Fitday.com which is free online.

I hafe lost 12 pounds in the last two months-- 8 of them in November. I have not increased my physical activity. My calories range between 1000-1400, so that hasn't required an uptick of activity on my part, but I *will* need to go back to my 2 or 3-mile walks (5 days a week) and so on in December to keep this up.

Start taking short walks where you can. Little adjustments can mean big rewards at the beginning which is a huge motivator when you have been down about your weight.

Hi Sherry!
Welcome to BOTT!  Everyone has given you some great advice.  I'd suggest that you read the Welcome to BOTT post from Cathy at the top of the forum.  It really is about getting back to basics.  I realize that it's not as easy as it seems.  I'm 10 yrs. out and have managed to get back on track.  It's taken me all this time to realize that:
I need to exercise,  
I need to post my food for the day and 
I don't need to eat between meals! 
You CAN do this! 
Stop by and post on the daily Cafe/Cardio.  It really does help!
Deb

Thanks Deb! I appreciate the advice and the support.

Sherry, how about setting up goals for December? Check my post - we have a new December challenge. Reading others' post may give you idea what to aim for.
I would start with small goals - small changes - and try to incorporate them every day.
You may start with making sure you get enough water in week one. Then week 2, make sure that you are getting all the vitamins + water.
Week 3 - you may find out that you snack less, and you can start journal everything you eat and see if you need to change anything. i.e. making sure you get enough proteins and enough food (too much or too little is not good). Then - once you figure the small things - you may find out that you - would lose some weight - without a lot of effort.
Once you eat at least 5 small meals - with good proteins, you may want to attach the exercise. Even walking little bit more every day - will make a difference.
At the end of the month - you may find out that almost effortlessly you get enough water, vitamins, proteins and you also move more. And new month may bring more challenges - that you will be ready to attack with passion - and not be overwhelmed were to start.
If nothing else - try to cut simple carbs from your diet and if you need some sweets - eat fruits - low glycemic fruits.