It's a struggle

I am struggling.  I'm 10 months out and I am starting a slow weight gain and have reverted back to some old habits.  Grazing on salty, crunchy snacks.  I crave them.  Any suggestions on what I can do?  I don't seem to fill up on these and perhaps that's the reason I eat them.  I never reached my goal; I came within 16 pounds.  I need help. 

Clean your kitchen, throw them out.  Don't buy them, send someone else shopping until you have yourself back under control.  Fill your fridge with the basics you ate when you first started out.  Drink lots of water to flush your body and keep you feeling energetic.  Go for a walk every time you feel a craving.  Even if it's just down to the end of the block and back.  If you absolutely have to have a 'bad' snack figure out the calories and how much walking it will take to burn them off and only have it if you walk to the store that is far enough away to burn them off before you get home again.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the quick reply.  I just went to the Dr. for a 9 month follow up and they suggested I get back on this website and try to get some support from other patients.  I was a heavy smoker before surgery and I really feel my snacking stems from that habit.  I have to find something to replace that, that's not bad for me.

20 things to do instead of eating:

1. Create a playlist for your i-Pod of mp3 or is it mp4?
2. Play games with your friends and relatives. Dominoes is big time fun!
3. Organize old photos.
4. Craft yourself silly.
5. Take a walk. 
6. Soak in a hot tub.
7. Visit a museum.
8. Do a crossword puzzle.
9. Learn a new language.
10. Take a dance class.
11. Write a weight loss haiku.
12. Learn something new.
13. Travel to a foreign land.
14. Make up a story.
15. Declutter.
16. Lift weights.
17. Stretch.
18. Do Yoga.
19. Take a nap

20. Walk your dog; walk your neighbor's dog.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!

Craving salty crunchy snacks is actually a blood sugar thing (in most cases).  If you haven't eaten properly during the day, your blood sugar dips and your brain craves some carbs to bring your sugar back up.  Try eating some protein snacks during the day.  A string cheese, maybe ten raw almonds, a hard boiled egg.  Also, be sure you are drinking lots of water (but not immediately before or after your snack).  I have hypoglycemia, and there are days I swear I could eat a whole box of saltines -- and I don't even like them -- because my brain is telling me to get that sugar level back up.  If I go and eat some almonds or have a hard boiled egg, the cravings usually disappear in about a half hour.  

Good luck to you.  It's great that you came to ask for help before you've gained all your weight back.

That makes a lot of sense.  I will try to bring more protein snacks.  I do feel like I'm starving when I get home from work.  I'm also having an issue with getting in enough water.  I'm working on that.  I really don't want to gain my weight back,  I've worked way too hard to fail at this and I'm determined to get back on track.  Thanks for your reply and suggestions.

Best of luck to you.  You know, I was just sure I had stretched my little pouch into a huge pouch, because I was so hungry all the time.  There's nothing like a hard boiled egg to let you know that's not true.  One hard boiled egg will always fill me up -- actually, sometimes it's even a little uncomfortable.  I think it's because it's high-quality protein and is just about the perfect size (they told me my pouch was the size of an egg).  The protein stays there for a longer time and doesn't just slide on through like simple carbs do.  You can do this.  I'm one of the most weak-willed people I know and, when I realized I was gaining and began to panic, I decided to just go back to the beginning and the protein foods I was supposed to eat.  Guess what?  The gain stopped and I dropped back several pounds.  Don't forget the exercise either.   ;D

Find a good wax covered paper plate or a shinny plate, not plastic and slice some good cheese and melt it in the microwave for at least 2 or 3 minutes.  Till it gets crunchy.  Great protein snack and you can lay it on a paper towel when it is done cooking to soak up the grease.  Dip in salsa if you like.  Satisfies the crunchy salty craving and you can use different cheeses.

Wow that is an awesome reply!  I am so going to try this though cheese is my down fall I'll have to be careful - but getting a salty, crunchy, cheesey fix in one snack is great!  

Thank you thank you!

Ashley

I second the suggestion for the cheese crisp thing....helps when you crave salt. Use a low fat cheese. I like raw radishes rolled in sea salt too. Make sure you're getting your largest meals (if they can be called that) at breakfast and lunch.  It may help you cut down on the need to snack.

I chew gum, which I know isn't recommended but it helps with the need to chomp something.

Move your exercise time to the evening after dinner or whenever you are feeling the need to graze.  I will eat fine and then if I park myself in front of the TV snack like anything.  To stop that, I DVR any shows I want to watch and make sure I go to the gym at 7 p.m. every night.  Just having that hour gone really helps cut down on the damage I can do.

By the time I get back, I watch 1-2 shows and then go to bed.  It's helped with the snacking.