Just over two years post op and struggling, looking for help

So I had my surgery on April 12, 2011.  Lost about 30 pounds pre-op, then rocketed down another 130 post-op in the first year.  I was SO happy.  Starting weight was 425, and I bottomed out at 265.  Felt great, was walking several miles a day, started jogging a little (years of obesity made it hard with knee pain), was wearing good looking clothes, and overall thrilled with my decision.  

Jan 2012 I blew four discs out of my back.  First surgery March 30, 2012, them messed them up again and had surgery again on April 20, 2012.

The back surgery brought the weight loss to a screeching halt.  I was horizontal for about 6 straight weeks, and when I could finally start moving and walking again, I was still off work and home for another 6 weeks.  The eating habits went straight to hell.

One year later, I am still struggling.  I have put back on about 40 pounds, which I did most of last summer and fall.  I have been maintaining now for a while, but cannot get back on the downhill side.  I want to get down to around 225, and am currently hovering right around 300.

My main culprit is snacking.  For a good year after surgery my love affair with food was over.  I would get full on very little food, and was content to only eat three meals a day.  Things were fantastic.  Now I have fallen back into old habits.  I can still only eat about a cup of food at any one time, which would be great....if I could stop the grazing.  My will power that was so strong for a good year after surgery is almost non-existent.  I need to stop making excuses and start making progress.  But it is so much easier said than done.  So thought I'd check in here and get some positive feedback.  I haven't been on this site in a while, and I think that is part of the problem.  I always had a great support group here, and I think when things were going so good I started thinking I didn't need it anymore, which is selfish because I should have stayed and helped out those starting the process. 

Anyway, that is my story.  Looking forward to getting back on the healthy side of life, and back on the downhill weight trend.  I think I am going to schedule another follow up with my surgeons office too to keep current with them.

My suggestion would be to go back to the basics.  Load up on protein first - that will keep you full longer and not feel the need to graze as much.  Limit your carbs also - I find that the more carbs I eat, the hungrier I am.  Log your meals on My Fitness Pal or something similar - stay under 1000 calories and try to get some walking in each day (even just a few minutes).

Good for you for catching the weight now before it all comes back.  Hang in there and good luck!

I'm sorry to hear about your back surgeries. I know that must have been discouraging. But hopefully you're feeling better and can get back in the saddle! I think being active again will  make you feel better AND I usually am less likely to snack if I've had a really great workout, which is also a plus.

Try pausing before you reach for a snack. When I do this, I think twice about eating. That doesn't mean I always put the snack down, but it definitely helps me.

You can do this! We're all here to support you :)

Getting back on here is a start. You have admitted that you have a problem and are looking for help. You can now succeed.

Get back to basics as a previous poster said. Get back into major weight loss mode and stay on plan and track your progress.

You can do it. I look forward to watching your journey down to 224....because that's better than 225.

Sorry about your back problems. I can see how that would throw me for a loop as well. Thanks for the post, I'll watch out for this kind of thing.

How about taking your disappointment and irritation and turn it into a big ball of TAKING CHARGE and spend that energy and head space clearing out all of your cupboards and fridge of the grazing foods/snacks/stuff you don't need to fuel your body? All of it. In the garbage. If the crappy food's not there, you can't eat it. If others live there and want that food, maybe they can store it out of sight. Or maybe you can take your food and store it in a special place, or a special shelf, and avoid the cupboard/shelves of bad stuff?  Whatever you have to do to not see/be around/think about the grazing stuff. Maybe eventually you can live with other's snacks around, but right now it seems you need to be devoid of it all so you can get back on the boat. Quit testing yourself, just get rid of it for now.

If you can't bring yourself to do this, or even imagine doing it, why not? (I'm just prodding you here, no harm or .judgement meant.)

Go to the cool organic grocery store and pick out some new veggies to try. Cut them up into snack-sized portions so you can taper off on the grazing with something a little more healthful. Surround yourself with fish and lean proteins and yummy organic veggies. Get out your scale. Fire up My Fitness Pal and get on it. Everything you eat goes in MFP, even if it's grazing snacks. Get a nutrition book and read i****ch a show like Food Hospital. Watch Biggest Loser or a workout video. Immerse yourself in this world and the other yucky world will fade away.

And make up a catch phrase for your head that you can think of when the grazing mood strikes, like "If I'm not hungry enough to eat celery, then I'm not hungry."

Hope some of this helps. Let us know how it goes.

Are you in Minnesota?  With a user name like "WildFan" and jones as surgeon, i'm guessing you are.

Let me know if you want to meet some time.  We should get a local support group together.

-Tom

Hey man, I remember we had our surgeries almost at the same time. 

My only suggestion besides what others have said is to not only take a look at what you are eating, but also figure out what's eating YOU.  Why are you snacking all day when you aren't hungry.  What is driving you to make the same mistakes and eating habits of the past.  It sounds like you've had some very stressful physical issues and that can take a mental toll. The brain wants to return to the old habits that made you happy for a moment: food. 

Maybe you can find joy in something else that you can replace the snacks with? Easier said than done, I know. I struggle with this myself often when things get tough.

I can totally relate to how you are feeling - I posted a similar story just yesterday only without a good excuse for my weight gain! I gained because I was not being truthful with myself. I avoided coming here because I was ashamed! Then I realized how much I NEED to be here!!! I think we ALL need the support that this site provides. It brings me back to reality and keeps me grounded and motivated. No more feeling sorry for myself - I am picking myself up and getting back to basics. You can do it - so can I! We done did it before - we can do it again!!! Be active here on OH - I really believe it helps!

FYI - I am also a grazer. I decided that since that is my "thing" I need to find a way to deal with that. I am not necessarily giving that up - but - I am only going to snack on things that are almost nil on calories. I sliced up cucumbers, added a little salt, red wine vinegar and a few drops of liquid stevia and feel totally satisfied snacking on that. I could do that with celery, peppers and other low cal veggies. So, if you are also a grazer you might try that approach.

Thanks all for the replies.  I agree that coming back here will be a great help.  Like the last posted said, shame was part of what kept me away, which was a big mistake.  This place was always a great support group.  I live in a remote area, so there are no support groups close to me, so this place is my support group.

Just made an appointment with my bariatric center that did my surgery to follow up and get back on plan with them too.

Unfortunately the back has been acting up again, so also made another appt with the back surgeon.  But I will NOT use that as an excuse.  Last June, once my back doc let me begin exercising again, I set a goal to do 100 miles on foot in June 2012.  I was on pace through June 15 to do over 120 miles.  But then I started going too much, and got some nasty painful blisters on my feet.  still ended the month at 88 miles, so pretty good.  But that was the last time I was seriously active.  And winter is always a challenge.  I should have joined a gym.  I intended to, but made excuses not to.

No more.  I am back on the horse, and need to ride this stallion to glory!  So far so good today.  No snacks, healthy high protein breakfast (one egg, and a sausage patty, best option available at the hotel).  I am going to go back to what helped me with snacking the first few months after solid food...jerky.  Low fat, high protein.  High salt, but helps me drink more water then.  What has been my biggest downfall is I started on high protein/low carb granola bars, and that just morphed into just granola bars over time...too much sugar and too much carb.

Thanks again for the replies and support.  Happy to be back, and already feeling better about this.  

If you browse through the last few days, you will definitely see quite a few threads from those of us that are a couple years out and struggling. Im in the same boat, but committed to always keep trying. 

Right now, I can't stop myself from grazing so my house literally has nothing but protein shakes and veggies in it lol. And SF jello. Im working on ways to control the grazing but until then, I have to control my environment. It's a slow process, and you have to want it bad enough, but you CAN do this.