Gained back some of my weight....need some support and motivation

My goal weight is 140 pounds, I look and feel great about 150, but when I went to the doctor yesterday the scale said 179.5, I almost had a heart attack.  I've been doing some stress eating, since my brother was in a car accident in Feb and is now a paraplegic.  I know I need to stop and get back to my routine.  It's hard.  I know how to maintain, but have not tried to lose in so long it's hard to know where to begin.  I had no idea my weight had gotten up that high and now I'm paniced about it.  help!!

What are you eating when you eat out of stress?  Snacky stuff?  Can you get it out of the house?

What was your routine before your brother's accident?  It sounds like you had a routine that worked well for you.

What are you doing to cope with the stress, beside eating?

Not going after snack foods, but I find myself going after left overs later in the evening when I can't sleep.  I used to do really good with my carbs, but I've really let that slide.  I'm going to eliminate carbs from my diet and stick to proteins, vegetables and fruits.  Back to basics.  I deal with the stress by obsessing over food....I need to find another outlet for my stress on sleepless nights.  I know this far out post op its going to be hard to drop the weight.  Any suggestions on how many calories a day would be a good place to start?

How many calories a day do you think you have been getting lately?  I'd try to add that up, then decrease it by a couple hundred.

Can you make a plan for what to do at night if you can't sleep?  I have a lot of trouble sleeping and it frequently leads to me eating in the middle of the night.  If I am up all night, I am going to need a snack, but I need to work on keeping that snack small and healthy.  So maybe you can plan in advance on what you'll eat if you need a midnight snack, and then plan what else you'll do while you're up instead of going after the leftovers.  Sometimes silly little things keep me out of the leftovers - like, I might decide the leftovers from tonight's dinner will be my lunch Friday and then I'll stick a little post it note on the container that says "Lunch - Friday" and that sort of reminds me to stay out of them until then.

What works for me is rather low carb lifestyle. Proteins and veggies. With occasional snack - treat. For me that may be 80-85% dark chocolate, or some nuts, or some extra serving of fruits.
I do eat 5-7 times a day - small meals, or 3 larger meals and - 3 snacks. Depends on the day. Some days -when i am not very hungry I still make myself eat - every 3 hrs.  Not eating enough before RNY got  me in trouble - and to 250 lbs.  I also have tendency to eat more if i am hungry. So eating on a clock is best for me.  Keep my blood sugar rather steady.
I know my trigger foods (the one I can't stop eating if I start) so I don't start them. Not even a bite.  A bite may lead to 2 and the next thing I know I am either sick or mad at myself for overeating.  Some trigger food I don't keep at the house - out of sight - out of mind.
so what do I eat?

B; coffee + unsweet almond milk, followed by either a protein shake or veggie and egg omelet
S: 1 oz of nuts, or protein shake, or piece of cheese or meat
L: veggies + lean proteins
S: some protein snack + small portion of fruit..
D: proteins + veggies (non starchy, either cooked or raw).
LNS: nuts or some cheese, or piece of chocolate, or even cooked food...  

You know exactly what to do.  You just forgot to remind yourself that you've done this before, and can (and will) do it again.

thanks to everyone who posted the support.  tonight made chicken stir fry lots of green veggies a tiny bit of rice and a reasonable serving of lean chicken breast.  Had a bit of watermelon for a snack.  I did real good today so far.  If I get the snackies in the middle of the night I've got bottled water standing by and some baby carrots to crunch on.  :)  Working on my game plan for tomorrow tonight will keep my mind off munching tonight too.  It helps to talk with others and get ideas and know I'm not as alone as I feel at times.

Thank you!!!!

Noja,

Your story is very similiar to mine.  I look and feel good at 140 but my weight has risen to 168.  I too know what I have to do but my stress level is very high and I'm just trying to get through the day.  The worst part of gaining weight for me is when I think people notice the gain.  I imagine what they must be thinking and it becomes a vicious cycle. 
Just wanted you to know you are not alone and I'm sending you positive thoughts.  Here's to both of us getting back to 140.

All the best!

 My secret is to weigh every day.  It is far too easy to go into denial.  The weight gain happens one day at a time and if you don't weigh it can get away from you fast.

 I agree with  white dove .

  Also  U have to MOVE .  I think many of us have  " magical thinking "( ie immaturity )   about bariatric surgery -  like that it will solve ALL  our problems and doesnt require  a high quality , lowfat diet   and regular exercise to maintain the weight loss ...

and no, revision surgery is NOT the answer ..

if Ure thinking " revision"  its time to look at the THINKING