Having some trouble after the holidays!!

Okay, so I used to be a member and I got away from this message board after surgery.  I thought that I could do this on my own....I guess I was wrong.   I was doing fine until the hoildays rolled around.  That is when it all started.  I started eating whenever, and whatever, and I stopped exercising.  Unfortunately, I am one of those that can eat anything!!  Sugar, soda, whatever!! I need help getting on track, in the process of doing whatever I have gained 15 lbs. and I still have another 15 lbs. on top of it to be at goal!    I want to get a hold on this before I get outta control!!   I started on Monday, I am back taking my 30 min. walks in the morning.  Im having trouble with what I am supposed to be eating and portion sizes. I swear its like I am having a major brain fart!   This is what I had today: 1 Stonyfield yogurt (peach) 3/4 c  natures path organic Optimum zen cereal 1 baked potato w/a little butter and a little sour cream a salad with tomato, cuke and onion salad, breaded (with parm. cheese) chicken breast, 1 biscuit 6-8oz. glasses of water and 1 diet dr. pepper (Im weening myself, suggestions please) i will probably have a snack of: 1 whole wheat wrap with peanut butter, jelly and banana!  Is this rediculous ?  If so why, and is okay to be frank! Thanks for all the help!!! ~Jeaninne  

Jeaninne, many of us have been down that road, and it is scary.  I found getting back active on OH, using fitday.com (or a similiar program) to track my intake, posting to the daily accountability thread has helped tremendously.  I also did the 5 day pouch test (www.5daypouchtest.com) to reset my mind and pouch, I will do this everytime I get off track and feel out of control.  I have also started drinking protein shakes again and firmly believe to remain successful I'll have to do them for life. Many of the grads have had success with the pouch test, check it out and see if it's something you think you can benefit from.  On your eating, IMO it appears to be higher carb and not enough protein.......go back to basics.....64+ oz of water a day, protein first, then healthy carbs (get rid of the white carbs), no drinking with your meals and exercise.  You are doing well by stopping the train here and getting back down the tracks. Good luck!

Thank you sooo very much cajungirl!  I checked it out and will be starting that on Monday morning!  Ill let you know how it goes.  Thanks again! ~J.

Jeannine, I'm a little more than a year further out than you and did exactly the same thing at about the same point.  So I came back to OH and while I haven't lost all my gain, I have maintained for over a year now. I echo the advice Dana gave you.  Go back to basics! You didn't mention it, so I'm checking.  Have you had your labs done?  Are you taking your supplements?  It's so easy to become deficient if you don't stay on top of your levels. Welcome back! Michele

Its kinda hard to answer believe it or not!  I haven't had them checked by my wl Dr. but I had what they thought was a stroke and at that time had everything checked.  I suppose I should go and have everything checked again though.  Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

I agree with cajungirl, I think you need to work a little on your protein. I'm right there with you, I've put on a few pounds over the last few weeks and they're not going away on their own, so I'm trying to make some changes myself. My nut says a good rule to live by is to eat 3 bites of protein, 2 bites of veggies, and 1 bite of good carb, and we should be fine. I've got to invest in another scale (I sat a cookbook on my old one and the spring busted). Since I can hold more, I eat more, and I think my estimates are WAAAY off. I see that you ate some yogurt, and I've been doing that too for the health benefits, but it's just like water as far as filling me up. I'm thinking of stopping that for a while. Biscuits are little white demons. I am from Georgia and biscuits are as essential as oxygen, especially with sausage and gravy. My bread of choice is Nature's Own double fiber wheat bread, 50 calories a slice and somewhat filling with 5 g. of fiber. I eat a good bit of peanut butter on a piece of that bread with SF jelly too (just 10 extra calories and well worth it). Some people swear that bananas are good for you, but they just make me hungry, so I try to run from them as well. I've been doing a 60-minute workout every morning, trying to get harder as I go. We have a fitness guru here at work now (she owns a health spa) and she was just telling me all the things I'm doing wrong. I'm not challening myself enough, she says. Oh well. Always something. Anyway, good job on nipping your weight gain in the bud before it gets out of control. I'm sure you'll be moving back down in no time.

Wanda,  Thanks for all the encouragement.  Its so nice to know that there are always others out there that are in the same boat. Thanks again! ~J.

Hey, Jeaninne; Keep this rule in mind: NO WHITE FOODS!!!! We need complex carbs, but protein first, THEN complex carbs, and journal your intake.  I use Sparkpeople to stay on track. Hugs,

Jeaninne, Welcome back! I just got back here after doing this on my own for 4 years...I gain 5-10 lbs every christmess <---typo, but I like it...no insult intended to the baby jesus! Anyway...A lot of my problem is that I don't work out much in the winter because it's too dang cold outside...and I am always frozen in the winter in layers of clothes and blankets and to get my butt outside on purpose is just way too hard!  So by spring I get busy again and the weight comes right off...But...this last winter was different... I ate and ate and ate some more and I had a carb monster that was so bad I felt like I was losing my mind!  I was starving in 2-3 hours...and I don't mean hungry...I mean RAVENOUS  I had wicked stinking gas...no one in my family would watch TV with me :(  hehe...(i had the remote control to myself though!)  My pouch was always miserable....It was the carbs...those white ones and sugar ones.  I ate healthy but I ate too much of the white stuff too and that's what suddenly made me so hungry.  So moderation became addiction... 5DPT got rid of that... Got off my ten lbs and back on track....but....I also stopped getting my labs a few years ago because I was healthy!  Guess what...These ladies got me to go in and get my labs and guess what? I absorb calories JUST FINE...but not my vitamins...I won't get into all the gory details...but I will say this "in the morning...call for an appointment for a set of full labs to check all your vits including iron ..b12...calcium... vit d...yada yada yada!"  ALL OF THEM!  Then...once you know you are healthy come back and kick out the carb monster...and we'll help you try to get back on track...It's not as fast as it used to be losing weight, and as impossible as it seems...it does come off with a little work and retraining your pouch and your brain.   Hugs Anita

Hi I read your advise and was wondering, do you eat whole wheat breads for your carbs or do you stay away form them to, I eat muli grain pastas and grain breads, do you think that we should stay away for them to?