New to board and need help!

Hello!

I had my RNY 2 1/2 years ago and this time last year I was pleased as could be with my weight loss and flaunted my new body.  For the first time in my life I was enjoying summer and wearing shorts, tankini and tank tops regardless of the extra skin, because that I could explain. 

Today, I am once again ashamed of how I look and fear it may be turning my boyfriend away.  I have gained 40 pounds over the past year and have gone from a size 8-10 to a size 12...too close to being considered "plus size" for my comfort.  I am back to the weight I was from 14 - 21 years of age.  I hate looking at my body and am having a hard time hiding the worst part of my body...my muffin top!

My boy friend has started to work out and eating a predominently protien filled diet and he is definitely losing weight...his pants are falling off and his stomach is becoming more defined.  I fear if I do not start to visibly begin losing weight that I will lose him and myself in the shame of being overweight.

So, I ask for any solutions from other WLS grads to help me return to the weight goal I had reached last year.  Right now I am open to anything and welcome all thoughts and suggestions.

Thanks so much!
Nicole

Sounds like you need to follow your boyfriend to the gym and eat what he eats...seriously, that's the program...lots of protein, few white carbs, plenty of water and if we could have done that before surgery (if it had been that easy) we would never have needed surgery...It's the pull of those addictive foods that you need to fight. Easy? Not always.

But we do an accountability thread here every day, you're welcome to post what you eat and drink and see where you are. Then plot a course for where you want to be..it's that easy..

Oh, and don't beat yourself up. there are alot of people out there that need help, we're here for them too. One step at a time. One day at a time..

Move it AND lose it.

Dawn,

I am been trying to follow his lead, although our memberships are to different gyms (I get a free membership through my insurance) and our schedules are such that most of the time we work out at different times.  He does the cooking so the only time our meals differ is at lunch.  To be honest there aren't many white carbs in my diet...most of my carbs are from fruit or what are in protien bars...white carbs are a treat for me.  I have been working out doing cardio and strength training, but my boyfriend also has a trainer to push him.

My most recent hurdle now is the fact that I severely sprained my ankle and am in a splint so cardio workouts are out of the question, although I did some core workout today using an exercise ball and the crutches I am using definitely workout my upper body.  I read through the 5-day pouch test website and got a lot of good reminders of things I need to do to get my body back to feeling the way I did when I ate a year ago. 

I will try and remember to do the accountability posts, but my shame tends to get to me and so it can be difficult to post at times.

Thanks for your support and suggestions.

Can you identify what it was that made you gain the 40 lbs?  What did you do different last year than you did the year before?

Don't be ashamed.  We all have our issues and fight with the fear (and reality) of gaining the weight back.

Get it under control NOW before it becomes more!  We're here to help!

Jody,

A year ago I had just recently moved from MN to NC and in with my boyfriend who is a wonderful cook, but until recently was not the healthiest cook all of the time so the "southern" foods caught up to me.  I also stopped the exercise routine that I had due to anxiety, which led to agoraphobia...there were a few good days when I could get out and exercise, but they were few and far between and I was too ashamed of my body to exercise the apartment for fear someone would see me.  So, the combination of these two factors led to my weight gain. 

Update:

I have actually decided to start a liquid diet in order to get my pouch back to its smaller size and used to the smaller portions.  I am going to use smoothies with protien powder, soy milk (I am lactose intolerant) and frozen fruit so that I have some healthy carbs to fuel me!  I will also have chicken broth and jello to mix it up a bit.  I am planning on doing this for about 5 days...I think that this is reasonable since prior to my surery I had to be on a 10 day liquid diet.  Then I will progress to soft protien, and then regular protien and hope that I can return to the way I used to eat. 

With regard to exercise...well I am doing ab workouts until my ankle heals and then I will also be hopping back on the eliptical machine for my cardio workouts 4-5 times a week along with strength training.

I talked to my boyfriend last night and told him what I felt and my plan to try and kick start my diet and he seems supportive.  He reassured me as always that my body does not turn him off and will not turn him away...I guess shame and fear accompany my depression, but that is a whole other post topic.

Thanks for the support!

Hi there,

We miss you in MN.....Your not alone, there are many of us struggling out there, I too had gained 20 pounds back, I'm happy to say I have lost 7....

It sounds like you are getting back on the right track.....It'a all about calories in and calories out.....I was just at my OVERDUE 2 year appt. Dr. Baker told me not to eat more than 1,000 calories if I want to lose and to eat protein 1st......Get in my 64oz. of water +, and exercise a min. of 60 min. a day......

I also went on a liquid diet, that's how I lost 8 pounds, gained 1 back....I had the Click protein drinks in Banana and Orange creme, very good and tasty.....

Hang in there and good luck.....I'm still only a PM away.....Kelly

Wow, and I was told totally different.  I was only getting about 800-900 calories in a day and gained 5 pounds.  My NUT told me that i wasn't eating enough and that I need to increase my calories to atleast 1200.  I did this and I immediatly lost 2 pounds.  Sometimes, eating too little causes our metabolism to slow down and eating more protein and good carbs can speed things up.