18mths out. Weight Gain

Thanks!  I have stepped it up again this week - back in the gym more towards my regular schedule (my trainer had banned me for a week due to overtraining).  I figure "stinking thinking" will just end up being self-fulfilling prophecy... if I think I am a failure I give up and become one.  So I am marching on....

OK, you know I'm the hand-holder type, so ass-kicking is not my forte ... but here it goes: crap or get off the pot. Did you throw away the junk food yet? 

Also, 10 lbs are coinciding with your gym moratorium, no? Um, isn't your body just adjusting to the change? Just a thought....

After originally reading your post, yep, junk food trashed or given away. Even junk food that wasn't a compulsion / bingeing issue for me - I figured I was in too vulnerable a place to even have it in the house.  Bags of mint chocolate chips - gone. Ice cream - gone.  Peanut butter filled pretzles that I used for pre workout snacks - Gone.

It kind of coincides - I don't weigh regularly except monthly with my trainer. This was a "just happen to step on the scale" day.  The same week was also the week my dietitian "grounded" me from doing a food log. I don't think my eating changed that much, unless it was actually for the better because I was so paranoid.  But being away from the gym could definitely play a part... as could increased sodium and PMS.  I think it is just history -  I have been in the position of lose weight and gain "just a little bit" back.  It's how I ended up 353lbs.  Terrifying.

By 18 months out you can eat more and you absorb more.  The whole diet and exercise thing has gotten boring.  Dieting is now like before surgery, except the body seems to hold onto calories even better than before.  It is a pretty normal experience to lose 100 pounds and then gain back 20 pounds by the end of year three.  For all of the reasons above. 

You are human and no different than almost every person who has weight loss surgery.  Pushing the envelope is normal.  Eating the wrong things is normal.  Gaining weight is normal.  Not exercising is normal.  I know you don't want hand holding, but you do need to face reality.  You are normal.  To lose any more weight and to maintain what you have lost, you will have to rise to being above normal.  Make a big effort.  Count calories, find a great diet buddy, go to weigh****chers, go to the gym.  Track your food,  Weigh yourself every single day,  Drink your water, walk, tell yourself that you can accomplish this.

Believe it or not, this phase will pass and it will get easier.  But you have to go through this struggle or you will just give up and be a weight loss surgery failure like so many before you.  I believe most long term failures happen between month 18 and month 36.

thanks so much!  Yes, the dietary part of it is the hardest for me. I am still fanatical about not drinking with or after meals (about an hour minimum as a rule), but I did find myself not meausuring as carefully. I am back on board with that!

I actually love exercise, but that particular week I was "banned" from the gym by my trainer because of concern about overtraining injuries.  I workout hard 4-5 days a week a couple hours a day usually.

I'm hoping some of it was water weight / being out of the gym. I really really want to get it back off... but in reality, 180 was my goal weight, so I can't really freak out TOO much if I stay there.

I am sorry your week was so miserable:( have you called your Dr. tro see if he has samples until you can get your meds?  Try to take care of YOU, i know it is hard with your cir****tances, big hug , Denise, YOU CAN DO THIS, YOU HAVE DONE GREAAT, I KNOW WHENI AM OFF MY MEDS MY LIFE IS NOT "NORMAL"

Thank you for your reply!

   I was able to get my meds filled this past Wednesday and I actually doubled up on them for the first couple of days (they cut my dose in half recently, but gave ok to increase). I just want to try to get my levels back up.  Being off my meds, exhaustion... all seem to turn me into a feeding frenzy machine.

Thanks again for your encouragement!