The past couple months I haven't been coming to this forum, mostly because I have not been being so good. I am still losing weight, although very slowly, but I have been eating the wrong foods, and have all but completely stopped working out, WTF is wrong with me? I had huge loses over the first six to seven months, down over 130lbs in six months, then started letting up on everything, and have only lost 16lbs in the past three to four months. I am so close to goal (25 lbs away from goal to be exact), but its like I am sabotaging myself. I stated on Monday with eating right and working out again, but it is so hard to get back in the "Zone" that I was in, I really wish I would have never let up! I am finding it very hard to cut sugar back out of my diet, I crave it like its a drug! The more little sugary Snacks I sneak, the harder I find it to be motivated to get back to the gym. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my sleeve, and would recommend it to others, what I am going through is not a product of being hungry, or needing sweets, its all in my head.

Has anyone else gone through this and then got back on track?

I tend to wonder if I give up the coffee, if it will make it easier to give up the sweets again? I mean I wonder if I need to just be 100% at all times with my diet in order to stick to it, it seems the more I cheat, the more I think it is ok, and then cheat some more.

First off the weight loss to date is amazing, congratulations.

I think we all go through this eventually. We think I didn't do this to diet my entire life etc etc. I did this to lead a normal life. I think you identified the problem and now its time to move on. The sweets is not necessarily a bad thing, its the not working off those calories from said sweets. Makes sense? You started going to the gym again and that is great keep that up. Once you get back your groove there I think everything else will fall into place. You may want to think about doing the 5 day pouch test to kick the sweets thing if you need to. I hear that works wonders in getting back on track.

Don't beat yourself up about it, just get back to it. Sometimes you just need a break from it all.

Hope this helped!

What is the 5 day pouch test?

http://www.5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html

It's like a back-to-basics plan designed for RNYers but it works for sleeve as well (we just don't call it a "pouch") It's going back to where you were right after surgery, starting with liquids and moving through the steps, but condensed into 5 days.

Sugar = crack.

I am fortunate to be a person who can have a little bit and NOT overdo it, but the more I eat the more I want for sure. So I do have to be careful about the little "bits" of sugar that enter my mouth. Maybe try giving up the coffee and see if it helps. If you can have surgery and lose over 130lbs, then you can elimiate coffee for a few days and see how you feel. YOU CAN DO THIS! Hang in there!

Congratulations on ur success so far, now all you need to do is to stop trying going hard on yourself cause in no way this is the solution.

I have had my time of falling off the wagon, erasing the gym time from my calendar and feeling like I just will do it later or the weight will come off magically and sometimes I feel like I am really tired from all the stress and the journey of weight loss.

I believe I have let myself have several bites from sugary stuff and that was over the last 10-15 days, We were having a feast and I felt like I have to be normal and be festive, the feast is 4 days and I was suppose to let myself go for just 2 days max, I went on for 10 days and then I started to realize I dont wanna gain and for the irony of it I lost around 5 pounds then my body started to realize that I am screwing up and I put back 3 pounds! that was my wake up call! and it is not a nice one:(

I am glad u are already acknowledging the problem and facing it but going so hard on urself wont do it, the trick is cutting back slowly especially with sweets, I would limit my intake of whatever I am indulging, and I wont completely cut it off, go on like this for a week until u reach a limit of willpower of not putting a single bite in ur mouth, While doing that and starting working out u will be feeling like it is not worth all the hard work and it will help u to upgrade to the next level which is "GETTING INTO THE PREVIOUS ZONE". When we are doing hard work and sweating and running we are high "like addcition" let the addiction of working out back in ur life and the "periodically passing sweet addcition" will start going away and any kind of falling off the wagon will be in the past.

After all we are all human and one day we will eat sweets and desserts and other bad stuff, I know u are in the losing phase thats why u are concerned but u are have done so good and may be ur body needed some rest from all the stress. Baby steps will be ur best solution and u will be back on track before u know it:)

Thats my opinion and thats how I deal with it:)

Again congrats and best of luck:)

You can do this! You have a great tool! Don't let anything stand in your way!!

If you MUST have the sweets, then definately use the alternatives like Splenda, Stevia, ... I know that there is some controversey over them being 0-10 calories per serving, but that is still far better than real sugar/honey. There are many generic options out there that tast the same as the name brands and there are even different styles such as brown sugar. Many of them can even be used for baking. There are even Splenda cake mixes and icing marketed towards diabetics. But be aware that many of those have high 'carbs' and list nothing under 'sugars'.

Dammit warrior! Get your head out of your :ciappa: and get your stuff together! You only have 25lbs to go! Just quit it with the sugar already, dude you were on such a roll!

Nahhhh seriously You can do it, we all have slip ups and we just pick up and get going again. I think a sugar detox would be good for you and then just getting back on plan :hug:

Hey Warrior...Firstly, well done on an awesome weight loss to date... you are definately a success story in my mind. And 25lb to goal is a great place to be ...

You've already had some really good advise/comments...

This is just a 'thought' to add to the mix. Now, I might be wrong, but from reading your post you sounded like a 'dieter' ... you know, like someone at a Weight Watchers meeting? Does that make sense? So when you said it was all in your head, that sorta struck a chord with me... It sounds like you are thinking like a dieter too... perhaps I am wrong? Is there anyway you can refocus your thoughts around food... look at it in a different way? I know that is a tough one but might be worth a try. Look at it for what it is... fuel; not a treat - use other things to treat yourself - and food is just something that helps you live. Make it less important?!

For me, the sleeve isn't a diet... it is designed so we CAN eat normally... we can have the occassional treat without throwing up and getting the squirts???? I don't want to think like a dieter anymore because, for me, diets don't work. I look at my sleeve as a little vessel to hold the food that I need to live. I make good choices 95/90% of the time, the rest of the time I am human. I have NEVER been a succesful dieter... but I am seeing myself as a succesful sleever!! Not sure if that helps any??

I also think that it is good that you are back in the gym, Raine was right about burning off those extra cals. Could be a good reward too???

Anyway, you are in the right place here... come in and vent, rant of just comment... lots of support to see you to your final destination. Good luck =]

You've gotten the best sound advice you can get already. I just wanted to second all those, and say - you've done out freaken standing. Now finish what you started!!!

I agree with what others have already said. I just want to add my support and say that I know you can do it. I really like Coops comments about not thinking like a "dieter." It seems that you still managed to loose 16 lbs during this time! So something is working for you! But I hear you, you don't want to loose control so you are reflecting on what you're doing. That alone is a recipe for success, in my opinion. Also the fact that you are back on these boards is a good sign. Others here have already given great comments. We are all rooting for you. You can do this!!!

You betcha!!!! I'm back to livin my life as well. . . It's damn hard man! Lost my 150 lbs and now at times am like a B___?? out of control. . . thank god however, I have not gained any major weight, up and down between 5 - 10 lbs only. . . I stopped losing at 1 year out and now at 2 years out am happy where i am, look good and feel good. . I am livin my life. . .I watch that i don't overdo my consumption however, but I eat whatever I feel like. . . can't eat lots of anything anyhow cause my sleeve was a tight 28/32F so it doesn't allow much. . .I don't do any gym exercises at all! I walk 1/2 mile everyday, working in my yard and do enough housework to keep busy. . . to me that is good enough. . .good luck!

Thank you everyone for the words of encouragement! I am getting back on tack at the gym. The sweets are hard to kick, but I am cutting back on them daily until thanksgiving, then cutting them out completely after I have a small piece of pumpkin pie on turkey day.

Home stretch in the holidays! Its bound to be filled with temptation. And after the honeymoon months, the weightloss does slow down for everyone. This does NOT mean your are failing. Just go for the protein first... to help make sure there is not that much room left for treats... the holidays will be over soon, and it will get easier to stay on the best plan for using the sleeve soon... I use some protein bars to fill in for sweet cravings... I cut up a balance bar into little bites... and snack away. I do write everything down to stay aware of what Im eating, and do workouts for fun time!(I had to train myself to believe that...and now I do!)