10yrs post op, 35lb regain

Hello all,

I am 10yrs post op (Roux en Y) and I've managed to regain 35lbs of my initial weight loss.
I'm back to help get myself on track and and back to basics.

Today is Day 1 of my 'restart'.

I'm doing Slim Fast low carb shakes for breakfast and lunch, the bars or an apple for snacks, and a modest low carb meal for dinner.

Thanks for listening and any tips to help get back in the swing of things would be greatly appreciated!

Good idea to get back on track now. Congrats on the 10yrs. I don't have any suggestions as I'm trying to get back on track myself but wanted to say I know you can do it.

i am one year and 5 months out and have gained 16lbs back..my head is always hungry..frustrating..glad ur getting back on track..im trying each day not to overeat..good lucknicole w

Thank you!
I'm using MyNetDiary (which has an app for my iphone) to track my food/drink intake as well as weight, etc.

I'm finding that when I write down exactly what goes in my mouth, it looks worse then when I rationalize it in my head.  That "well it was only a handful of chips" looks a lot different when the calories, fat, etc is plainly outlined!

I'm 4 years out and have been battling a 35-lb regain myself.  I've re-lost 20.5 of those pounds in the last 4 months.  It's slow going and hard.  I started tracking what I was eating and was shocked at how quickly the calories add up!  It definitely helps to curb the mindless snacking when you realize how many calories are in that bag of chips you're (very quickly) eating your way to the bottom of. 

The things that have really helped me so far are tracking my food intake, focusing on protein, and cutting (white starchy) carbs.  Also incorporating veggies into both my lunch and dinner.  In addition to losing the weight (slowly), I feel so much better now that I'm eating better.

Good luck to you!  You can definitely do it!

First want to say Congratulations on being 10 years post op  that is awesome. I think after 10 years all you gain back is 35 pounds wow, plus congratulation on doing something about it now. You are a inspiration to me..I know you can do.. Thanks for sharing

 Welcome.  This is just my personal opinion (I am only 4.5 years out, but am maintaining fairly well, and, in the interest of full disclosure, am a licensed professional counselor, so I tend to focus on the psych aspects of post-op life), but I think that rather than dieting using Slim Fast (will you get in the minimum 60g of protein per day using those, BTW?), you will be better served in the long run by going back to basics --protein first, low barb, lots of water but never with meals -- eating real food for at least 2 of your meals.  That will help reinforce the protein-forward eating plan that best helps us lose and maintain the weight loss... rather than reinforcing dieting again.

Lora

Thanks everyone for the welcome and motivation!

Lora-  I really appreciate your post regarding the Slim Fast items.
For me, using those products is a temporary kickstart to get myself back into a weight loss mindset.  My general plan is to use the shakes for a week or so, while I plan meals, get my protein supplies ordered and on hand, get the appropriate groceries, etc.

I just didnt want to wait yet another day to get started, if that makes sense.

My goals:
1.  Lose 35-40lbs in 5lbs incriments
2.  Get my BMI back under 23

I'll achieve these goals in part by:
1.  Exercise 30-60min a day, 5 days per week minimum
2.  Decrease calorie intake to 1100 initially and gradually build to a maintainable 1600-1800 when goal weight is closer.
3.  Get in a minimum of 80g of protein per day.
4.  Severely limit bad carbs and alcohol  (I love wine, this will be a challenge).
5.  Each more green, leafy veggies
6.  Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day.
7.  Keep a food diary to track food/water intake and weight loss
8.  Do NOT drink with meals (a very bad habit that I need to break immediately).