Backsliding... What do I do?

[bookworm1983 28]

I have been gradually backsliding for the past few months. I have gained about 7 pounds since the first week of June. I know I need to get back to measuring and tracking my food and drinking the amount of Water that I need to on a daily basis. I know I can't just snap my fingers and magically be back on track but does anyone have any ideas that worked for them? I know part of my issue is once I hit 230, the weight loss stopped.

I also feel like I am able to eat more and that scares me. I am worries that I will gain the weight and and be right back where I was. To make things more difficult, I am totally an emotional eater so that makes it harder to stay away from the sweets. Any advice, words of encouragement, links, books or anything that you found helpful on your own journey, I welcome.

Thank you

Edited August 18, 2019 by bookworm1983
spelling error

[AZhiker 2,253]

Jason Fung: "The Obesity Code" and the "Complete Guide to Fasting."

Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge: "Younger Next Year."

Gary Taubes: "The Case Against Sugar."

You cannot eat sugar or refined carbs. They jack up your insulin and high insulin = fat. Period. Insulin prevents the utilization of fat stores. If you get past 3 days without sugar you will not have severe cravings, but just 1 little bite will start the cravings all over again. This is just a commitment you have to make if you want to keep the weight off. Just remember: Sugar = insulin = fat.

Intermittent Fasting has proven to be a very powerful tool for me. I fast 16 hours a day and eat my calories within an 8 hour window. This reduces insulin and accelerates fat breakdown. I recently added Alternate Day caloric restriction. 500 cal on one day and full calories on next day. I am doing this every day for now, but this is often done as a 5:2 - 5 "normal days and 2 restricted days) per week. This tricks the metabolism so it doesn't start slowing down. Using IF tools is tremendously empowering and gives you a lot of control of how your body is responding to food. I strongly recommend "The Obesity Code" as your number 1 read. It will all start making a lot of sense and once you understand the physiology, it is very motivating.

Best wishes on this leg of your journey. You can reverse this, you really can. You just need a couple of new tools.

Edited August 18, 2019 by AZhiker

[Healthy_life2 8,327]

33 minutes ago, bookworm1983 said:

I have been gradually backsliding for the past few months. I have gained about 7 pounds since the first week of June. I know I need to get back to measuring and tracking my food and drinking the amount of Water that I need to on a daily basis. I know I can't just snap my fingers and magically be back on track but does anyone have any ideas that worked for them? I know part of my issue is once I hit 230, the weight loss stopped.

I also feel like I am able to eat more and that scares me. I am worries that I will gain the weight and and be right back where I was. To make things more difficult, I am totally an emotional eater so that makes it harder to stay away from the sweets. Any advice, words of encouragement, links, books or anything that you found helpful on your own journey, I welcome.

Thank you

I'm sorry your struggling,

You have done fantastic. 158 pounds is phenomenal. You acknowledged the backslide and you are right on top of it. Build yourself up. Seven pounds is not a large gain. You got this.

Stress/emotional eating. Some of us get counseling/therapy, read self-help books or listen to podcasts. Years out I have less surgery restriction. I eat Protein, the items on my plan and fill the extra space with as much veggies as I want. I keep healthy options for sweet and salty on hand for cravings.

You are right. Getting back on track is not a simple snap of your fingers. You may need to get your head back into the game.

@FluffyChix started a great thread on doing the importance of doing the head work.

https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/425354-the-importance-of-doing-the-head-work/

I hope you find what works for you,

Jenn

[Moa 34]

5 hours ago, bookworm1983 said:

Any advice, words of encouragement, links, books or anything that you found helpful on your own journey, I welcome.

Thank you

You've done the right thing in getting on top of this right away! Don't let it go any longer. I'd suggest goi!ng to your doctor or hospital's support group meetings or just go back to the doctor and ask them for help/suggestions...don't be ashamed of gaining but get their assistance.

My motto is: "No food tastes as good as being thin feels." My diabetes is gone, sleep apnea is gone and GERD is gone! I'm able to wear cute clothes now, travel easily and I feel great! These positives are so much better than food ever tasted!! I exercise regularly and am strong and lean now. I only keep "approved" foods in the house and don't eat out much. Making this a whole new lifestyle has helped keep me from giving in to temptations.

Make it a priority to turn this around now and continue to build on the successes you've already had...you can do this!!!

[FluffyChix 17,418]

So sorry you're having a tough time. We all go through this phase where suddenly we are able to eat more and begin to feel hungrier and on top of it, that's about the time we're feeling better and want to get back to living and most of us are sick of dieting by that time. It's a perfect storm!

For me the trick was inventing new games with food to keep me interested. I began doing IF, I varied my macros and made it a game to try to hit them. I continued logging every bite--good and bad. I limited my exposure to fun and frivolity. And I stayed very very low food reward. No craptastically delicious casseroles or ethnic foods. Only sauteed, roasted, or grilled plain meats (no meat lube--drier the better), and al dente veggies (steamed, nuked, roasted, grilled) and a bit of healthy fats. Occasionally I would have a few frozen blueberries but that was pretty limited.

By going back to my forever diet and focusing on Protein first, then veg and a tiny bit of healthy fats and sticking to 1 cup volume per meal (50-70g protein per day) and 100+ oz of Water per day I was able to stay on track and continue losing. In my opinion, unless you are a super athlete or bariatric athlete, if you are "stalled" long term then you are simply eating to maintenance calories, not eating for weight loss mode. For me to lose, I MUST be in the 650-850 range (toward the lower end is better).

[GradyCat 3,696]

Stick with tracking your food every day in something like MyFitnessPal.com, that way you can see when the calories are getting too high and you'll know you're eating too much. Stay away from the cookie and cracker aisle at the grocery store when you shop. Just remember why you had the surgery in the first place.

[Screwballski 540]

It's okay! We go through burnout in all phases of our lives. Unfortunately, if you sit too long in this spot, you will really get bogged down so do not linger here! Get back to work!!!

You already know what to do. It was the third sentence of your original comment. You just need to get motivated to do it.

Remind yourself that:

food IS FUEL! It is not comfort, love, entertainment, recreation or purpose! All of that comes from you and what you make of your life! Food is what you feed your body to give you the strength to generate the rest. Make sure you fuel it properly so YOU CAN FEED YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE!

I wish you the very best!

[Mythreeloves 2]

Forgive me but reading this feed I see references to “doing IF”. What is this?

[Losingit2018 1,170]

3 hours ago, Mythreeloves said:

Forgive me but reading this feed I see references to “doing IF”. What is this?

Intermittent Fasting

[New&Improved 1,780]

Do a reset liquid detox

[Healthy_life2 8,327]

On 8/18/2019 at 5:16 PM, bookworm1983 said:

I have been gradually backsliding for the past few months. I have gained about 7 pounds since the first week of June. I know I need to get back to measuring and tracking my food and drinking the amount of Water that I need to on a daily basis. I know I can't just snap my fingers and magically be back on track but does anyone have any ideas that worked for them? I know part of my issue is once I hit 230, the weight loss stopped.

I also feel like I am able to eat more and that scares me. I am worries that I will gain the weight and and be right back where I was. To make things more difficult, I am totally an emotional eater so that makes it harder to stay away from the sweets. Any advice, words of encouragement, links, books or anything that you found helpful on your own journey, I welcome.

Thank you

Only my opinion years out,

The calories and macros that get your body into weight loss mode will be specific to you. Much of it has to do with metabolism. Log your food and dial your calories up or down by 100 and see where your body loses weight. Understand that 650-850 is not the norm for weight loss calories years out. Find the range that works for you,

pouch reset diet. Its going back to liquids and progressing through food stages. It’s just a way to get back into healthy habits. For some they feel their restriction better. It does not shrink your pouch.

You can get back into healthy habits with real food stage without feeling the hunger of a restricted liquid diet. Go back to real food basics.

[FluffyChix 17,418]

10 minutes ago, Healthy_life2 said:

Only my opinion years out,

The calories and macros that get your body into weight loss mode will be specific to you. Much of it has to do with metabolism. Log your food and dial your calories up or down by 100 and see where your body loses weight. Understand that 650-850 is not the norm for weight loss calories years out. Find the range that works for you,

pouch reset diet. Its going back to liquids and progressing through food stages. It’s just a way to get back into healthy habits. For some they feel their restriction better. It does not shrink your pouch.

You can get back into healthy habits with real food stage without feeling the hunger of a restricted liquid diet. Go back to real food basics.

That's why I said this... Everyone's mileage may vary. But I think everyone would agree, I pack a crap ton of very dense nutrition and food volume into that 650-850 cals! No one would go hungry and few would feel "restricted" when eating my food. It tastes pretty satisfying even though I intentionally keep it low reward (no calorie dense casseroles or ethnic cuisine).

On 8/19/2019 at 6:25 AM, FluffyChix said:

For me to lose, I MUST be in the 650-850 range (toward the lower end is better). 

Edited August 21, 2019 by FluffyChix

[FluffyChix 17,418]

Here was yesterday's food for example.

[Healthy_life2 8,327]

12 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

That's why I said this... Everyone's mileage may vary. But I think everyone would agree, I pack a crap ton of very dense nutrition and food volume into that 650-850 cals! No one would go hungry and few would feel "restricted" when eating my food. It tastes pretty satisfying even though I intentionally keep it low reward (no calorie dense casseroles or ethnic cuisine).

My opinion has more to do with extra sleeve stomach space years out. Nothing about you personally or your experience.

[FluffyChix 17,418]

2 minutes ago, Healthy_life2 said:

My opinion has more to do with extra sleeve stomach space years out. Nothing about you personally or your experience.

Glad to hear it. Just when you referenced my specific range, I wanted to be sure to represent--hard not to think you were discussing my comment.

(And fyi, as someone 18months out who has a capacity of a very mature tool (10-12oz by VOLUME), I also have to address choices in how I fill the tool. Cuz I can do a lot of damage with 10-12oz of volume at each meal. I also have a pretty large stoma, so food goes down quicker and I could conceivably eat much sooner than someone who retains their food in the tool after a meal.)

Edited August 21, 2019 by FluffyChix