Really Need HELP

OK - I am really struggling with maintenance. I have now introduced all of my trigger foods back into my diet - eating WAY too many calories, carbs, sugar. I always get really sick, swear I will get back on track, then the minute the sickness goes away, I eat junk again. I have only gone 1 day on plan since July 4. Every other day I am messing up. Has anyone done this so early out and what did you do to get yourself back on track? I want to nip this bad behavior in the bud before the weight gain gets out of control. Any advice is so appreciated.

Do you have photos of your before figure?  Have any X large clothes?  I suggest that you get them out and displaythem where you will be reminded of what you wanted to escape from in the first place.  Counseling would pobably help too.

Yes i do. Going to print one out and carry it with me. Thx

I hate to say "I told you so", because I don't think I have ever told you specifically so but I have warned for a long time about the danger of refined carbs, sugar and gluten in particular.  Some of us, not all, are not able to eat those things in moderation.  I know I can't and god knows I tried and tried.  I lost a lot of weight many times in my life, reached a normal weight and then at some point figured I could manage to eat those things in moderation now.  I couldn't.  I proved this time and time again.

I wish I could tell you that I was able to pull myself up by the boot straps and get back on track before i did too much damage but I never could.  Once I let that genie out of the bottle he sure the hell resisted going back.  Even after my first WLS I failed because of my inability to eat those things in moderation.

Can you get back on track?  Of course.  Is it easy?  Hell no!  You are fighting a physical addiction.  If you have ever smoked you know about addiction.  You know better.  You want better.  But you just can't stop no matter how much you try.  I know that by the time I had my revision I had no ability to stop.  I was only able to stop because I had major surgery and was sedated and medicated for long enough to get through the worst of the withdrawals.  That, along with a new anatomy that worked with me in not eating those things is what helped me stay away from those things.

Repeat after me, "I can not eat sugar and refined carbs (white flour, pasta, bread, cake, crackers and all those other things) in moderation."

Now, the hard part is detoxing.  The withdrawal is a *****  The cravings will get worse for a time until it is out of your system.  I know people are against the 5 day pouch test but I do see it as having value if it helps you detox from the carbs.  Basically following your immediate post op plan and eliminating all those foods that you know are your triggers. 

Whatever works is helpful and if the "5 day pouch test" gets you back on track then go for it.  Addressing your food issues is mandatory.  Whether it is with counseling, self help or a program, until you accept your issues you cannot get past them.

Then, once you are back on track it is important that you stay accountable and do what you can to stay there.  When the desire to ea those thing****s, and it will, remind yourself of how you feel right now and how hard it was to get back on track.  Do you really want to go through all this again?  Do you really believe for once and for all that moderation is not working for you?

If your goal is eventually to be able to eat those things occasionally like a "normal" person then I guess you will have to keep trying and finding out for yourself whether or not it is possible.  I had that goal many times.  Now my goal is to not eat those things at all since I know that I cannot do moderation.

Good luck to you.  I know you can do it.

You're so right. I gotta get that genie back in its bottle.

Mostly I try to limit my access to the junk food.  I don't buy it, don't keep it in the house, keep my kitchen stocked with healthy but yummy stuff instead.

In what way did you introduce trigger foods back into your diet?  Like did you start buying them again?  Going to places they are served?  what? 

Do you know why you are doing this?

They're in the house cuz hubby still eats them. Ice cream, cookies, candy bars, chips. They all make me Sooo sick, and I have to lay down and usually sleep it off for a couple of hours. I swear I'll never do it again, and the next day, I do it all over again.

Is hubby willing to help you with this?  Either keep them out of the house or keep them somewhere that's more difficult for you to get to?  you could even designate one cupboard just for his snacks and actually put a lock on the door.

When I was still with my ex, I actually found it helpful (sometimes) to label his junk food with his name.  Of course that didn't mean I couldn't eat it too but somehow, psychologically, that made me less likely to eat it.

Something else you might consider is, the next time you are swearing you'll never do it again, write yourself a note reminding yourself of that and why.  Stick the note where you will see it before you do it again.

I'm sorry you are going through this, but overall you've done great. Don't forget that.

It has to be really hard with someone else bringing that food into the house. I don't suppose you'd be willing yo get rid of the source of the bad food? 

Good luck. I know you can do this.

I really like the source of the bad food - LOL