I'm Back on Track...who's with me???

Good Morning all you awesome WLS Hotties and Studs!  Well, I am getting back on track as of today. Not that I was terribly off track since I came off my Time Out BUT... I am formulating a plan to stay on track and keep losing weight and then keep it off and enjoy this life I love so much even more. I'm not talking about a specific plan that I want everyone to do, I am talking about doing something, anything besides just lurking in the shadows of OH, clicking on posts looking for some kind of inspiration from someone else. I challenge you to be that inspiration for someone else. Often we do not think of ourselves an such but trust me, I have learned that we are all just waiting to do something. We just do not always know where to start. Well, you can't steer a parked car! So, I have decided to get things rolling in my own life. I will start with this post.  Today, to get rolling I will track my all of my food and liquid intake. This is a very important step if you are off track. Perop when I went to the doctor for diet pills they always had me keep a food journal to start off with. It is so much more important now that my very success as a postop hinges on my intake! Tomorrow I will do that and maybe something else to be proactive with my health and well being.  If any of this makes sense to you. Don't just navigate away from this post without saying BOO! Give me a  or a  or something to let me know I am not the only crazy one reading this forum! You do not have to engage in conversation with me on this thread but just say something if you feel like doing something about your health today. Molly 252/160/135

Molly, I hear you girl!  You know I do have some encouragement to those who are doing the Time Out or have finished it.  I was only doing the modified version, eating a salad or small protein meal once a day.  Well, I lost about 7 lbs in the 12 days I did it.  I have been eating low carb and not drinking with my meals for the past 4 days or so.  Guess what, NO GAIN!  I have been eating very well, even snacking on an ounce of cheese or nuts here and there and NO GAIN!  I am maintaining my loss and I think that if I cut back to eating only when I am really hungry that I'll continue to lose weight.  I really do feel like the Time Out helped to reset a few things.  I honestly feel like I am full on less food and I definitely know it reset my "dump-o-meter" because when I did have a sugary snack I got sick.  I never dump so I know it had to reset it.  Anyway, we can do this.  We have our tools and we can maintain our loss or keep losing until we reach goal.  Then, we can STAY there this time!  Great job and keep up the good work. Angela

Angela!

  I'm with you!!!!   I posted a few days ago about being afraid to try again (after 3 years of struggling with regain- thankfully was able to stop the gain after 35 pounds but have not been able to start losing again - I am 4 1/2 years out) but with all the encouraging comments I received and with lurking some more and reading about how everyone is just sucking it up and going for it, I decided to go ahead and try again. I went and spent some money on myself (which is rare) and bought some ready to drink protein for my days at work and have been having just liquids (water, diet ice tea, boullion) during the day with my protein drinks and a salad with some protein in it at night - and another protein drink in the evening.. it's been very hard.. I am still hungry (I notice that some people say they are not hungry - wish I could say the same) and it takes every ounce of mental energy I have not to reach for the carbs or anthing else.. but I feel positive and successful for the first time in all this time and I pray I can keep it up. I am not going to weigh myself until I have been doing this for a week - the scale has always been my downfall - I let it determine how I feel and it can send me down into an eating spiral if I don't like what I see. I figure as long as I feel like I am eating healty, making good choices - that will be enough to get me to the next week.  My next step is to add exercise back into the mix - have been lazy and not being consistant - the old teadmill has turned into a clothes hanger again. Thanks for sharing the inspiration and motivation that we can do this, we can take control over this part of our lives and not let it control us and our future.  Kathy

Hello Kathy! I totally relate about the scale being a downfall. I will not weigh again until next Saturday. As long as I am doing something proactive with my health and not just coasting I will weigh every week. I have been weighing everyday, multiple times a day ect. And it can be very discouraging. Now, when I am not doing anything to try to lose weight I should be weighing everyday and if I see a 2 pound weight gain I need to go on the offense with my plan. Anyway, welcome back to trying and good luck. I will be posting about this daily! Molly

Thanks Molly -  I am sitting here having just finished a protein shake and feeling very satisfied and I am thankful for that!  I just read another post about how we need support and motivaton in order to avoid regain - and I so agree. I have started going to a weekly support group nearby and I am going to try and get to these boards as much as possible, I think it is esssential for us all to reach out and feel the sense of community that we have here, people who know exactly what you are going through.. as much as I love helping the newbies at the meetings.. to be able to communicate with others who are having issues that further out post ops have is a life saver for me. Its a shame that more long term post ops don't seem to continue with support group meetings.. I know I was one of them, I went for a long time but then when I started having the regain issues, I was too embarrassed to go and didn't want to be the poster child for "this is what you should not do". (which is what happened the couple of meetings I went to). But now I have found a new group with people from pre op to newly post to several years post and it is wonderful to be able to share the joys and pains of this journey and struggle. Anyway, long ramble to just say thanks to all for being here and for the great advice and kick in the butts we all need! Kathy

I don't feel "off track" either, much;)  But I do need to buckle down and be accountable for my food and exercise.  I have reached my first goal weight of 155 [for a normal BMI], research I've done says my 'ideal' body weight is 132.  For now, I'll split the difference and am trying to reach 145 before I reevaluate. 

My intake is usually on target.  Water good, protein good, carbs ... not as good [well, they taste good, but, you know!].  My food plan is to continue to try and be a better grazer if I can't cut it out entirely.

I am only 5 weeks out from hernia repair/TT/breast reduction.  I'm not fully cleared for exercise but there is NO REASON I can't be walking at least 3x a week for 30 minutes.  So that's my exercise goal.

I agree, lets take this bull by the horns and run with it!

Thanks for your reply. It's all about "taking the bull by the horns" as you said! After all I've been through with my wls experience it is hard to believe that I ever let myself become complacent but...that was the past and this is now! My lowest weight was 145 for a few days and now I am at about 160. So, I know now that I am actually paying attention to my health it shouldn't be so hard!

Sounds like a plan. I am going on vacation starting tomarrow    and there will be plenty of good eats there at the beach house. So..... I have decided to keep a food intake journal. I think that if I keep track of EVERY little bite that goes into my mouth I will be more aware of just how much JUNK that I am feeding myself. A bite here and a bite there adds up over the course of a day, and a months worth of days add up to weight gained.  Thank you for the post, it helped encourage me to do what I know is right. Cathy

Have fun at the beach! Sounds glorious. Taking in fresh air like that in a scerene environment while NOT over indulging and feeling good about yourself all the while sounds like a great time to me! See you around here when you can update us! Molly