I am so bloody annoyed with myself, in the last year i have started to let high fat/sugar foods into my diet, and this morning i finally plucked up the courage to step on the scales and i have gained 30lbs since last February.  I had gastric bypass 3 years ago, and i know better, but so many of the old habbits i thought i had banished have resurfaced and the daily exercise slowed tapered to a few days a week and now it has become non exsistent.  i desperately need to get back on track, im just not sure how to do it.  Can i stay on the protein shakes for 14 days as a kick start?  please help me get back on track again, need some practical advice to start afresh.  Thanks

This is purely anecdotal, but I had a conversation with my employer's interim president and CEO on a somewhat related topic.

When he was involved in the day-to-day operation of his own company, one of the employees underwent WLS and dropped considerable weight in a very short time...however, within a matter of  months, this same employee had begun to eat high-sugar/fat foods and began to regain some of that weight...their paths crossed in the lunchroom one day and the owner couldn't help but notice what the employee was eating and commented that since the company's health insurance plan had made the procedure possible because the employee was somewhat highly valued, it might not be a bad idea to demonstrate that it was a good risk by continuing to lose weight and then keep it off. The employee responded, cut out the high-sugar/fat foods, lost more weight and to the best of the owner's knowledge, has kept it off.

The point is that is seems that if you go back to eating the way you did in order to lose the weight and keep it off 3 years ago, it won't be long before you're back to how you used to be (in a good way).

point well taken, sometimes its the first step of getting back on track thats the hardest though, but i know it has to be done, i dont ever want to go back to where i came from!!

 OK, here is how RNY goes for almost everyone.   The first year you lose about 100 pounds.  It is effortless and staying on the food plan is pretty effortless.  Year two more weight comes off and by the end of year two the lowest BMI of the journey has been reached.  By the end of year two you have learned to add the high calories foods and drinks back and can do that without gaining an ounce.

Sometime during the third year the body kicks into serious gaining mode.  It learns how to absorb calories again.  The pouch holds a lot more food, dumping goes away. We are still relatively slim compared to before surgery.  We figure we can crash diet and lose the extra pounds anytime we want, probably will just take a few weeks.  We lose interest in exercising.  We enjoy great meals.  We are careful to stay away from the scale and tell ourselves to judge by the quality of our lives and not how much we weigh.

One day we get the courage to step onto the scale and see that we have found about 20 new pounds.  That can be ignored or dealt with.  If ignored it will get higher.  If dealt with, it will not be easy.  There is no magic in protein shakes.  I gave them up long ago.  I do not need supplemental calories.  I have enough weight as it is.  You need real food and very little of it.  You need to eat and drink much less than you are doing now.  You need more exercise.  

My weight loss is much slower now than it was before surgery.  I do have the advantage of my tool and can fill it up very easily.  I do the best will very low calories.  I am talking about 800 a day when I really want to get pounds off.  My magic weapon is my scale.  I use it every morning and always know exactly what I weigh.  If I don't weigh, then I can stay in denial.  The only way I maintain at my goal is by being honest with myself and listening to my scale.

 it is as if you are inside my body right now.  This is 100% my journey, except that extra 20 is actually an extra 31 lbs.  I NEEEEEED to get back on track now that I'm halfway through year 3

Wow. This is not the case for all RNY folks and definitely not me.

 It took a year to gain the 30 pounds, it'll take some time to take it off.  Just go back to eating your protein, drinking your fluids, and avoiding carbs, and you'll lose the weight.  Then... stay away from the carbs.  

Excellent, sensible advice - Jennifer M!  

Get exercising too - it's part of the lifestyle for all of us who want to maintain our weight and enjoy our good health!

You've already said where you have strayed, so just cut that out and you'll find your pouch works perfectly well without any fad diets or programs!   You know exactly what you are supposed to do!

Thank you for your courage and honesty. I truly understand exactly what you're talking about and more importantly, how you feel. I had wls surgery Sept '98 and I mustered up courage and got on the scale - 10lbs above goal BUT 20lbs above my average weight of the lsst three years.

It csan be done - I've lost 12lbs in the last 4 weeks by simply going back to basics. I've nevered stopped protein shakes but I changed brands so I went back to using Unjury. 2-3 shakes a day and one small meal.  

Have you considered the 5 day pouch test for a jump start?

THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY, AND CONGRATS ON THE WEIGHT LOSS - 12LBS IN 4 WEEKS IS MIGHTY IMPRESSIVE.  YES, TIME FOR THE SHAKES AGAIN AND POUCH TEST!!!  AND YES TO EVERYONE, TIME TO START BACK AT THE GYM, ALTHOUGH I SHALL NOT BE WORKING OUT IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR FOR QUIET SOME TIME!!!

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR REPLIES - YOU ARE SUCH GREAT SUPPORT :)

whats a 5 day pouch test?????

 google " 5 Day Pouch Test"

I think White Dove gave some of the best advice I have ever read on here!! Thanks for your experience and for sharing!

You have gotten some good eating advice, but you also need to get back into the habit of exercise, I too gained 30 pounds and mine was due to being on crutches for 6 weeks, and not being able to exercise, now that I have gotten back to the gym more often the weight is slowly coming back off. Good Luck, and congrats on catching it early.

the best way is to go back to basics and yes, you can use protein shakes but it isn't a good idea to use them for 14days straight. .  You need nurishment.  While shakes are protein, you need food.  There are people that in order to get back into gear do something called a 5 day pouch test but I am not a fan and neither are many others.  I would really just recommend get up and have a good breakfast - high in protein - if you want to have your protein shake for breakfast that is fine, if not, cottage cheese, an omellete and some berries.  Then  2 -3 hours later have a high protein snack - a cheese stick and a slice of deli meat.  then for lunch have a 4 ounces of  chicken breast with a salad.  then 2 to 3hours later have a snack - greek yogurt with some SF jelly or torani syrup. then for dinner have 4 to 6 ounces of grilled fish with vegetables and a salad.  2 hours later, you can have another snack - handful of nuts with a piece of fruit.

these are examples - eating 5 to 6 times per day every 2-3 hours each meal has to be protein first and then you can add a fruit, vegetable.  For the first 2 weeks, no starches if possible to kick start the weight loss but you can have 1 fruit or if you need, 2.  Then after 2 weeks, you can add 1 starch per day - (1 slice of bread )- whole grain and if that is going well, you can add one small portion of a small baked potato or sweet potato, brown rice, whole wheat pasta but all very small portions and must be with protein.

the basic concept is by eating 5 or 6 small meals per day, protein first you are increasing your metabolism, maitaining a constant blood sugar level with no spikes or plummets and you shouldnt be hungry.  I know I am never hungry and havent been since my surgery in Oct 2008.  It works.

YOU also have to drinks lots  of fluids atleast 80 ounces per day.It keeps your kidneys going and prevents kidney stones, and also increases your metabolism, prevents dehydration.    You can drink and then eat right away but once you eat, you must wait to drink again.   YOu can count protein shakes for these fluids.

I hope this helps

At 3 years out, eating only 800 calories a day will cause your metabolism to be screwed up as it was before surgery.
You do need less sugar and white carbs. You also need more protein and veggies. Exercise doesn't really do much for weight loss, but it allows you to eat a little more without weight gain, and makes you feel better as well.
So don't curtail calories too much or your body will begin to conserve those calories even more in the form of stored fat. Just eat food that you really like that also falls into the category of meat, fish, poultry and vegetables. Throw all sugar and junk  out of the house, even if you have a husband and kids, they should support you, and everyone can benefit from more good food.
As long as you pay attention to what you eat, you won't get back to where you were. I think we forget, and just eat like we did before surgery out of letting old habits sneak back in.
For many people with all types of weight loss surgery, I think a few pounds of " rebound" gain happens. For me, at 3 1/2 years out it was first 5 lbs, then 10. I would lose it and then gain it back. At 53, and menopausal, i decided it was not worth driving myself crazy over, so I have come to accept the 10 lbs. I haven't gained any more in the last 2 1/2 years. I am now 6 and 1/2 years out.
If I see myself gaining at all, even one pound, I cut out the bread, rice and potatoes, and in a couple of days it's gone.
Good luck.

 Ditto-ing Jennifer M and Sin Kim on this .. the best way to take those extra pounds off and keep them off is by minimizing or even just dropping the refined carbs and high sugar/high fat foods. Drinking protein shakes for 14 days will not help you long term when you have to go back to eating regular food.  If I were you,  I would tackle the problem by eating regular meals suited for my surgery type minus the high fats and bad carbs ... I would incorporate exercise even if it means walking or jogging in place at home or doing squats and lunges in my den.  I would not shun the scale as for me it is an accountability tool and I would start tonight by baking a nice half of chicken breast well seasoned and wrapped in foil to be cooked in its own juices ... I would have a serving of garlic spinach to go along with it just because I love spinach .. and I would have green apple slices for dessert ... oh shoot wait .. that's my dinner tonight LOL...

Seriously .. wishing you nothing but the best as you tackle this ... you can do it ... even if you just start taking one or two items away that you added in there each day ... before you know it you will be right back on track...

I love using the scale ..I do not want one extra pound above my goal weight crawling up on me ... I am determined to nip it in the bud so I try my best to stick to my choices and to exercise ...after doing this for five years and change it comes as second nature.... no struggles at all...

 Hi, there!  I have been in the same boat and all the  advice you are getting is spot on.  My issue was suddenly after two years my appetitie came back with a VENGEANCE.  I also started playing around with higher fat foods and breads.  I gained back 40 pounds and am now 6 years out.  It is harder to lose weight, but I've started back just eating mostly  lean protein and veggies, drinking more water and cutting out breads and high fat foods. . Weight loss is much slower now, but I have lost 10 pounds over the last two months.  Just start making changes to what you're eating.  A wise person once said, "When all else fails, read the instructions".  Guess we both need to do that more!  LOL!  Hoping for your renewed interest in your health and your exercise.  Remember how long lousy excuses kept us in bondage to our weight. I've determined to stop that stinkin thinkin. Remember how brave you were to take the step you took - stop inviting crappy, low nutrition foods back into your life.  They "cheated" on you before, and they'll continue to "cheat" on you if you let them.  Praying for the best for you!

 Just read the post above mine.  SPOT ON.  Exactly.  I'm going out to buy some spinach!!  

I had surgery around the same time you did. What keeps me on track is logging my food, especially when I'm up in weight. I love myfitnesspal. Forgive youself and move on from here. Biggest lesson I've learned...

Laura