August 11th 2008 until now. What has come over me?

I haven't been on this board in eons. Making a post now seems like a failure, but I have to remember that my starting weight on this journey was over 500 pounds. I find myself fluctuating now between 195 and 205 pounds, and sometimes creep up to 215, mostly due to water retention. I retain a lot of water in my legs. I've seen a cardiologist, and my primary doctor keeps track to make sure it's nothing more than water retention. I have no idea where it comes from. I take diuretics for it because otherwise I cannot walk properly.

I had gotten to the point where I was still working out, and of course, something happened to throw me back. I'm trying not to think in that aspect, but that's the way my mind runs lately. My mother died in January, and I just fell recently and fractured my femur, and it hurts.

What does this have to do with my weight and the diagnosis I had in 2008? I'll tell you I've only hit my goal weight once, and that was three years ago. I reached 152 pounds, but my mind was still. In 200+ pounds body dysmorphia, most likely once you've been as large as I was, as well, hell, everything in your mind is a bit crazy.

The reason I'm here is that my friend wants to try a month of liquid meals to help get back on track. I know you can't live like this. I know it's a quick fix, and I'll probably make the wrong decisions once I stop drinking, but I want to ask the board what their go-to meal and drink options are, as well as what they consider the best protein-rich drinks.

I want to start with a high-protein option, perhaps 25g or 30 g, that I drink four times a day in addition to hot coffee, black and white tea, and plenty of water. I will continue to take my vitamins as I have since 2008, and I am currently out of the race when it comes to exercise because I fell and hurt my femur. Strangest thing in summertime, and I don't feel like eating a single thing, so liquid right about now, would work.

I then plan to slowly introduce soft foods back into my pouch, which, believe me or not, is still small. I had a gastric doctor look at it, and he couldn't believe it was still the size of a golf ball. My main problem is that my medications caused me to gain water and weight, and I have about 10 pounds of metal in my body from a knee replacement, so back to the most essential part.

Recommendations please. I know this is the wrong route for some, but it's something I need to try for one month and then get my act together.

If you have questions or are curious, please don't hesitate to ask, and I'll be happy to answer. However, if you are reading this post and have the inclination to educate or criticize me for wanting to do this for a month, please keep scrolling. I'm not here for that. I'm here to share and to learn. Thank you to those who will help me. I want to return to my goal weight of 150 pounds, which I know I can achieve because I've done it before.

And I am aware that it's not all about the numbers. It's about your health. Physical and mental combined.

Welcome back. There are many old timers still around.

my advice would be to not try a liquid diet. It's a short term action that will lead to the weight gain plus if no other changes are made.

I believe in going back to the basics. What worked for you after the surgery can still work now. Water weight a lot of times is also referred to as inflammation. Inflammation can be caused by eating unhealthy foods. Go back to eating whole natural foods. I personally follow a carnivore way of life and I suffer from ZERO inflammation after years of it. Intermittent fasting also helps tremendously.

At this stage, try something that is sustainable and a liquid diet never is. Just my 2 cents. Good luck and keep us posted.