On a slippery sloap...need a kick ITA

Ok, so the weight is coming off somtimes slower than I expected other times fast...inches are melting off too so that's good.

Yet, I find myself eating foods I shouldn't be getting away with eating.

I've been eating snack items such as Chex Mix, Combos, Wheat Thins, Graham Crackers. I still try to get the good proteins in but have somewhere along the line have fallin a bit off track. I WAS eating more yogurt, cottage cheese, refried beans, cheeses, Instant Carnation Bfast, etc. Now I'm eating 1-2 pieces of my kids' party pizza's or a spoonful of their mac & cheese.

What is my problem?!?! Why can't I break these habits?

I can't seem to get my self to exercise on a regular basis either, which I know would TOTALLY help everything. And now I sprained my ankle over the weekend so I feel screwed.

I've also fallen WAY back on my water consumption. And the million vitamins I have to now take are very hard to consume. I almost wish I could go back to the chewables right after surgery as much as began to dispise those...better then the 8 pills I have to take now.

I obviously just need to go right back to square one...Please kick me (gently)

Consider yourself kicked.....will you kick me too?   It is so flippin' easy to get undisciplined.   But being aware of your actions and their ramifications is a major first step.  Now it's up to making the correct healthy choices.  Sorry to hear about your ankle...hope it heals up fast!!!!

Hon, I do the same thing. But my theory is.... if you get all your protein and liquids in for the day and you don't snack a LOT each day, then the crackers and stuff really aren't a big deal. Personally, I love graham crackers, especially with peanut butter YUM! I often eat them at night for a quick snack. You haven't fallen off track. Not at all. Don't beat yourself over the head with this.

This journey is honestly more abou the head than the stomach we were just given that as a tool to help us.  It can take a long time to unlearn habits from our past especially if they have emotions attached to them or we used them to cope.  That said I too have been wrestling with the carb monster and so what I am saying to you I am also thinking outloud and saying to myself as well.  Perhaps the best option would be to throw out most of the bad carbs, especially the kiddos party pizzas and just have a few things like healthy crackers on hand, because we do still need to have some good whole grains in our diet.  I am game if you are!  The graham crackers would be okay with PB and only if it is 1 square.  Also set yourself a meal plan and stick with it, then you know what you can have during the day instead of picking and choosing as you go through the day, I know this gets me in trouble.  On the topic of exercise I have found the most important thing is to find something to keep you motivated.  Me, I signed up for a 5K that way I know I have to keep working out so I can have a good time at the race.  I also found some exercise that I really enjoyed, for me it was yoga and so it was like a reward at the end of the day to go to yoga class.  Perhaps you can find a good dvd you like or a class at the gym/community center to take.  Also look for family fitness classes which would be fun for you and your kids!  I do hope your ankle heals quickly I used to sprain mine all the time so I know that it really puts a damper on a whole lot of exercise, but you can still work on upper body and core strengthening!  I hope this helps some, and that it doesn't come across as preachy, or anything negative because it was aimed at myself as well.  This journey is a long one and we have to remember to take baby steps...a baby doesn't go from rolling over to running overnight and we shouldn't expect ourselves to either.  Best of luck with everything and if you would like some more accountability each day feel free to join the "Today I will..." thread there are one of 4 who start it each day it is a great way to keep goals in mind.  Hugs!  Nicole

Sounds like a classic case of being HUMAN to me.  Ask yourself - are you eating anywhere NEAR as much as you would have pre-WLS?   For me, the culprit has been Fritos.  I'm a salty-crunchy type.  So I'd have a few, and get all ticked at myself.  But keep it in perspective - if I eat one handful of Fritos, and am satisfied with that, when I used to eat half a friggin' family size bag in one sitting?  Well - that's pretty good!   The thing is, you still have to live.  And man can not live on protein and water alone.  So forgive yourself, keep it in perspective, and don't allow yourself to GRAZE.  Some people get really consumed by the infamous CARB monster - and from what I hear, it's a b*tch to kick that!  I have been diabetic, and had drastically reduced my carb intake prior to WLS, so it hasn't been as bad.  As Tracy has said, treats are okay, just not every day.  And if you DO feel the need for some crackers?  Just take a FEW, in a bowl, and consume them AWAY from the cupboard you got 'em from.  Enjoy EACH cracker, EACH chip, and when they're gone, smile to yourself, knowing you CAN still enjoy the taste and texture, without GORGING yourself on 'em! Just be SURE to get your water and vitamins in.  That is CRUCIAL to staying healthy!  We've heard some horror stories in the PNC support group about people that slacked on their vitamins, and now have life-long, sometimes life THREATENING conditions as a result.  Not a scare tactic, just a fact.  You don't have to like them.  Just GET THEM IN! I shall now remove my sandal from your back side. 

I know that you wanted a butt kicking, but I am a FIRM believer in that no food should be off-limits because the second that you make something a no-no, the more that it creeps into your diet.  When I read the list of things that you've been eating, nothing sounded too horrible.  I'm one month (almost) post-op and I've eaten most of the things on your list in very small proportions.  The Combos might have some trans fat in them, but hey... I have been journaling all of the foods that I eat and if you aren't journaling, I would encourage you to start.  I resisted the journaling idea for a long time, but it has been *so* helpful to me since I've started.  On the 4th of July I snacked on pretzels and onion dip and I was so upset about how much food that I had "scarfed" down that I started to cry about it.  However, when I finished my food journal for the day it turned out that I had eaten less than 700 calories for the day and my snack was not nearly as horrific (and actually had some decent nutritional value) as I had thought.  Anyway, the journal really helps you to think before you make food choices and also to put an accurate perspective (good or bad) on the foods that pass through your lips. I also agree with what Darla said in that what we're doing now is *nothing* compared to what we did pre-op.  Now that I keep a food journal I wish that I had done it pre-op because I've now got some idea of the number of calories that passed through my lips on any given day pre-op and I can't even believe it!  ACK! Good luck.  I can imagine that not grazing is much more difficult with kids around the house.

I also recommend journaling as soon as I saw how many extra calories the crackers and chips I was eating were adding up each day I made better choices when it came to choosing what I'd snack on.  I think if you use a calorie counting web site it makes the journaling a little easier. You just have to look up the food and put in the serving size and it calculates it all for you.   I use www.caloriecountplus.com.

Not here to butt kick but to say I hope your ankle heals quickly and take each day, one step at a time- You CAN do It!

Hugs, Cheri

I have a few ideas, and i don't consider it kicking you, just helping you over this hurdle...you aren't the first person to fall, but you need to pick yourself up and get back in the game.  What I would do is  think about why you I surgery in the first place, maybe that will help...you went through all of that for what????  Go back to your surgeon and his nutritionist and ask for help.  You are only 2 months out from surgery right, now is the time to make life long, good choices....

I think only you know why you can't break these bad habits but there are plenty of people who can help you.  Reaching out here is a great start.

Journaling or using something like fitday.com might help or talking to a therapist.    You never know what is lurking behind eating patterns

I also think you just need to remind yourself this is for the rest of your life.  Taking your vitamins is vital for your health, it's not optional.  Maybe try alternating one month on chewables one month on regular vits. 

If you can't get in all of your water, how about decaf tea, or some kind of sugar free liquid.  Sure plain water is ideal, but you need to stay hydrated too.  Try changing things up a bit to find out what works for you.

As for exercise, check with the hospital where you had your surgery, they might have some kind of rehab program or an exercise specialist you can speak with, your surgeons office should have some resources too.  There are chair exercises you can do, sitting down and playing catch with your kids if they are old enough, you can lift hand weights... that kind of thing. 

You will find many different opinions here about what you are doing, I would just remind you that this is for the rest of your life, and you a new post op, so try and take advantage of the opportunity to develop good behaviors now and think about all of the wonderful benefits this amazing surgery has in store.

best wishes!