Question:
I'm feeling like such a faliure and want to know if anyone else feels this way?

I am 13mo post-op have lost 130+ pounds and have less than 5lbs until goal. I read everyones Q&A's and I see how bad I am doing now. I have food issues again. I eat fat, sugar....whatever I want and when I want. I gain and lose the same 5lbs over and over and I just want to hit goal. How do I go back to eating healthy again after eating all this good food that I love and gave up for almost a year? I keep trying to go back, but then I have food behaviors LOL. Has anyone else gone back to eating normal? Thanks for the help!    — Sandy M. (posted on October 24, 2003)

October 24, 2003
First, you are soooo not a failure, and you should smack yourself right now for even thinking it. To lose 130 in 13 months and get within 5 of goal is awesome. Many, many post-op'ers are not as successful so be proud of your accomplishments. Now you will have some that will simply tell you to cut out all bad stuff and eat good food all the time, load up on protein drinks to cut cravings, blah, blah, blah,etc, etc. Frankly, I find that unreasonable and not how I want to live the rest of my life. While I do eat whatever I want and whenever I want (mostly), I have made some conscious decisions on what it will take to maintain my loss. Bottom line - it is work but what is the alternative? Going back to being fat? Giving up my treats? No thank you. The break thru point for me was realizing that no one was going to stop me from eating bad stuff and only I had the control to keep the weight off. So, I have made bargains with myself. I do eat sugar, and I do eat bad carbs and I do snack alot. But what does it take to incorporate that into my daily diet and maintain weight loss? At 20 months post-op, here is what works FOR ME, may not work for others...I make good choices for meals-mostly protein, eggs for breakfast, 1/2 meat sandwich on multigrain for lunch or salad with meat in it, and a broiled/grilled/roasted meat/fish or poultry with veggie for dinner (I rarely eat fast foods, french fries, pasta, fried foods). I keep the amounts fairly small too. Day time snacks are protein bars and fruit, occasional 1/2 donut or danish if put out at a meeting at work. At night however, I do snack after dinner on small amounts of mini-cookies, mini candy bars, choc covered nuts, pistachios, etc, etc. I also weigh daily and have a strict 2 pound window-go above the window and the nightime snack choices change to lower calorie popcorn, pretzels, sunflower seeds, SF pudding...and I also add a 4th weekly workout until those 2 pounds are gone, usually within a week. You see, I found that by eliminating my daily treats, I felt like I was being punished and it just made me want them more, and if I endulged, I felt soooo guilty, like a bad child. Now I have no guilt, just an agreement with myself to be honest with the scale and how I adjust to it. You have to find what works for you as this is a lifetime committment. No magic answers...
   — Cindy R.

October 24, 2003
Congratulations on your weight loss~~~~~~ How in the world can you feel like a failure, when you have lost 130+ pounds? You have done "Great" and are an inspiration to us all. I have lost 100 + pounds in less than 8 months myself! I thank the Lord everyday for giving me my health back and guiding me to my wonderful surgeon, that made it all possible. This is only 5 pounds..... How many of us would love to be just 5 pounds from goal! Do you attend support meetings? It's a must for old and new. There is so much to learn and keeps you on track. Do you keep a daily journal? Great tool in itself. Do you exercise? When the urge to eat sneaks up on you....exercise! Better yet, do you have a picture of you before surgery? Keep it close at hand or on the frig to remind you of what was and can be again! We are given a tool, but it's up to Us, if we are going to succeed. What a shame and waste it would be, if you were to regain your weight back. Now, 5 pounds.... Loose an extra 5 pounds total and that way you have that 5 pounds to play with. If, this is all you have to worry about .... You will do Ok. Failure to me is, if I gained my 100 pounds back. Don't be so hard on yourself. Pick yourself up and start over like this was your 1st day again. This is just as much a mental thing as a physical thing too. Again...I congratulate you on your weight loss.
   — Hazel S.

October 24, 2003
Maybe your body is at goal. If not, add an our or two to your weekly exercise routine.
   — mrsmyranow

October 25, 2003
Yes, I am really fighting my reversion to old habits. I have gained about 45 pounds from my lowest and it scares the he** out of me. I commend you for continuing to fight. I think we all find that our problems are still there. The surgery wasn't on our brains. Keep up the good fight and let me know if I can help.
   — rinnchris