weight gain after 19 months?

Your not alone. I usually post on another forum on OH but have been lurking here. I think that this forum will have much to offer me. I allowed my rebound to happen by stopping exercise and by eating "normal" so I am also need to go back to basics. I have seen some accountablility posts on this forum, take a look around with me and feel free to contact me via pm maybe we can be motivation for each other. Mechelle

I saw the accountability posts too, sounds like a good idea.  Thanks for your post and encouragment.  Yes "normal" eating is not so good for us. I read somewhere that "Normal" is just a setting on my dryer.... that makes sense to me.    Thanks for the invitation to contact you,  I so appreciate it. 

-Shakeira

You've already received excellent advice so I just wanted to lend my support! You CAN do this! Just don't give up! And, the best part is you feel physically better when you're doing all the right things, so why  not do them for life?!?!?! Good Luck and keep us posted on your progress!!!

so why not do them for life?  Good way of seeing it.   thank you for your post, I do feel supported.   You guys are all so wonderful.

-Shakeira

Hi Shakeira,

You've gotten a lot of great advise - you can do this!

I've been there too... and I'm struggling with it again now. I keep going around with the same 20lbs.

This time I reached out to my DR and got an updated 'manual' and started all fresh!
It's been 2 weeks and I'm down 6lbs so far.

I have yet to get my butt exercising, that is next.

It's never too late! You can do this! Visit these boards often - read and post often.
YOU CAN DO IT!

Hey beautiful lady.

I just wanted to chime in on an aspect of being above 200 pounds AFTER weight loss surgery. It's not easy to still be "overweight" or in my case "obese" after WLS. I know we've talked privately about wanting to be normal and how goal is such a good motivator but to not lose the forest for the trees on your way there. So I know where you're coming from when you want to get somewhere you might not get.

Well for me, I don't see being in the 100's anytime soon. BUT that means I have to work harder every single day to work toward that goal and stay on track. I've lost a great deal of weight but I'm still obese (that's what you get from startin' at SSMO...lol) but I'm still happy. I stopped losing before my first year was up (hey - I'd lost 186 pounds in 11 months - no complaints here) but I haven't lost but a pound or two since. It REALLY messed with my brain. I've fought with my plan, I've fought with myself, I've fought with God, I've fought with anyone who would listen.

And then a lightbulb went off. *Just do what you need to do in order to maintain your weight*. Changing your thinking over from losing to maintenance isn't easy when you're still trying to lose. It's like forced compliance without any by-product of wow moments and scale victories. BUT it's better to maintain what you have then cry and plead for what you don't. So I work my butt off every single day to maintain my weight loss - and I do. In the beginning of what I thought was a stall I gave in to cookies, cake, french fries, whatever because I was pissed it wasn't working. But it HAD worked - I just needed to acknowledge the importance of what I had achieved over what I had left. It wasn't easy getting through it but I can easily say now I'm glad I did. Because now I just work my plan, follow the cardinal rules, and take what I get. If it's loss, great. If it's maintenance, great. Cause I'm still worth the effort involved even though the scale doesn't cooperate the way I want it to.

Hugs honey. You know where to reach me if you need me.

Jenny

I'm so glad to know I'm not alone in this battle.   I went into this surgery never expecting to be a size 8 or 140 lbs.  I wanted to be healthy and to be able to run without killing myself.  I wanted to be able to jump on the trampoline and to wear clothing that flattered instead of just covered.  I think I have reached those goals.  Most importantly, I wanted to live a life apart from thinking about food all the time.  

So why am I disappointed?   I guess I got discouraged by others that went farther then me in their success.  I became addicted to the weight loss and the accolades that went with it.  When I stalled the last 6 months or so, I've found that it all wore off.    People forgot I was  MO and just took me as I am.  I started to get lost in the crowd.  I'm still obese, but just a more acceptable amount in society I guess. 

Back to the goal at hand.. my health!  The weight gain I've experienced isn't the biggest problem here, it's the fact that I got totally off plan and stopped putting my health first and foremost on my list of things I care about.  That's the biggest issue for me.

I do want to loose the weight I regained, but I had heard that it's nearly impossible.  From all that I read here it isn't impossible, just a lot more work then before.   I think I'm up for it.. as long as I keep my goal in the right place... not the number on my pants or scale.. but on if I'm treating my body with the respect and care it deserves and using my pouch as a tool.

Thanks again Jenny for your post.  You've always been high on my list of inspirations here on OH. 

It's nice to talk to someone that's one the "same page" so to speak.

-Shakeira

Just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you posting - I see myself in so many of the posts especially about being "normal" I am over 5 years out and in the last 2 - 3 years slid into bad habits and rationalizing being able to "eat normally". Now that I am up 30 pounds from my lowest I realize the folly of my actions. I talked to my provider at my 5 year check up and was told - that it is possible to lose weight - the pouch is still intact, I need to change my way of thinking. Although I might look "normal" I need to admit to myself I will never be that. I too went into surgery for my health and to improve my medical conditions (type 2 diabetes) and decrease the medications I took. I went from 13 - 2, I too started to compare myself to others with focusing on the scale and the size clothes I wore. No, I won't ever fit into a 6, but I can wear a 10 and still be proud of how I look - I will never weigh under 130, but my health is what matters, not the number on a scale or a specific size of clothing.  If you would like someone to get back on track with, please contact me - we could provide support to each other, or to others in the same situation.

Highest weight - 255 surgery Weight - 239  lowest weight  150  current weight  182

It's a good thing to be honest.  I think there are a lot of us that stay away from the message boards because we are afraid to show that we have been weak and have slacked off in areas.  But I think the more of us are honest, the better we will all do.  It's okay to fall down and a person can get back up and do better. 

This week is going well for me and I have soooo appreciated the support I have found in this thread.   I would love to keep in contact, support is the key I think I've been missing for the last few months.

I thought that since I wasn't loosing anything, that I shouldn't post.  I will try to be more open from now on.   Sure, there are going to be haters,  but I'm not on here for them anyways.  :)

-Shakeira

I started gaining in August after being put on Lexapro.  I was obsessed with food again and my eating AND desire to eat were driving me crazy.  I started snacking but thank goodness I nipped it in the bud fast.  Unfortunately, I still gained....  and then had a hard time getting it off.  Lexapro can do that to some folks.  I switched to wellbutrin and that urge to "want and grab" is gone.

 By any chance, could a medication be causing your problem?  I would definitely talk to your doctor if you are on any medications.  Good luck...  and just wanted to say that we have all been there...  feeling like a failure...  but tomorrow get up and start a new day. You can do it...  I know you can...