I get lots of questions regarding how to get back on track. This journey is tough, and one thing I've learned is that I'm not perfect - but if I'm going to move past that I have to figure out how to forgive myself. For me, the main factor in my obesity was my inability to overcome this. So I would give up and gain all my weight back, and even more. I cannot do this to myself!!! I have to pick myself back up and keep it moving. I didn't go through 2 torturous painful weight loss surgeries to just keep giving up. Heck no!!!

So, along my Sleeve Journey, when I noticed I wasn't doing well and needed to get back on track this is what I did:

The BASICS BOOTCAMP:

For 5 STRICT DAYS I will eat only...

Proteins: Seafoods, Poultry and eggs, Dairies, nuts/seeds including Peanut Butter.

Veggies: Green only.

Fruits: None.

Breads/Cereals/Other Carbs: None.

Fluids: One gallon of Water (128 oz.)

Protein drinks (RTD or Powder).

Avoid: Sugar and Sodium

Once the 5 days are over, I am pretty much over the Sugar Carb Demon. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate carbs! I do need them to live a healthy life and since I workout a lot it is important I have them. However, I need GOOD carbs. Whole grains, fruits, veggies... But I don't need processed sugars. White carbs, in cereals, breads, rice... etc.

Lots will do the 5 day pouch test. liquids only is simply from being threatened with my life (post op) or if I'm just feeling sick and to let my Sleevie rest. That's it.

Good luck everyone! This journey is tough, but nothing worth doing is ever easy. Xoxo

@Beach - RIGHT ON!!! Ehhh now, fittin size 8!! Was worth it huh? From here though the trick is to just follow sleever rules, you know, protein first, no drinking with meals... etc. And yes majority of that was water drop - but still is nice!! Xox

@beach Great job, I will try that on my next stall.

Hey - I'll take any kind of drop I can get! And the water loss was simply the pound difference from last week and this week. I'm pretty sure your Boot Camp burned 5 pounds that I gained from holiday eating. It broke my stall, which is wonderful!

So, looking at this diet, it seems very "paleo" -- if you're eating like this, you're eating:

• Very high Protein -- a good thing, especially for us sleevers. Not to the point of Atkins -- which is bad, and taking a good thing too far -- but maybe South Beach-y, which is a good, solid, sensible plan
  
• Very high complex carbohydrates -- another good thing. Most Americans do NOT get enough vegetables (and no, potatoes don't count!)
  
• Very high Water (more on this in a moment)
  

Now, dramatic short term weight loss is only possible in two cases:

1. Significant anorexia. "Anorexia" is actually a medical term, not a disease (technically, the disorder is "anorexia nervosa" -- or "mental" anorexia). Anorexia just means that you're eating too little, medically speaking. And it's not healthy! When you're anorexic, your body begins to do all sorts of things to conserve energy, including switching from burning fat stores to burning muscle stores. It will even begin to metabolize brain matter over time, if the anorexia is significant and prolonged enough. Medical anorexia is not a good thing.
   
2. Fluid loss. Yup, good old "water weight."
   

My guess is that if you lose more than a pound or two over five days (on this diet or on ANY diet), it is primarily water weight. Five days is simply not enough time for your body to become anorexic enough to have burned any significant amount of fat (especially the stubborn superficial fat that most of us are concerned with).

With this diet, since you're eating almost no highly-processed food, you're eating very little salt (at least compared to "normal" Americans, who eat way, way, way too much salt). And as a result, your tonicity -- water/mineral -- balance will shift. In an attempt to maintain homeostasis (fancy medical speak for "keeping things in balance"), your body will dump water so that your salt concentration doesn't get too low.

Drinking lots of water will flush out more minerals, but you have to be careful. Over the long term, I believe that drinking double the daily recommended water (64oz is recommended) coupled with this very low-sodium diet might be dangerous (I'd ask a doctor about it); it could introduce a hyponatremic state -- dangerously low sodium. This can kill you (google "hyponatremia" or "water intoxication" if you don't believe me that drinking too much water can kill you). Over the short term, what you'll do is DUMP water in order to maintain your salt tonicity, so if you drop a lot of weight in five days due to this diet, I'd suspect that it's almost entirely water weight.

That being said, minus the excessive water intake -- my nut. was emphatic that over the long term I was to consume no more than 60 oz. per day -- I think that this would be a Very Healthy Diet. You'd have to introduce some fruit (a low level of fruit intake is important for maintaining levels of Vitamin C and some flavanoids), and you'd want to make sure that your Fiber intake balanced the protein intake for bowel health, but if you could stick with it, I think this diet would be a great way to keep steady healthy fat loss. Couple it with a good exercise program, and you'd be on track for a very healthy body.

So, looking at this diet, it seems very "paleo" -- if you're eating like this, you're eating:

• Very high Protein -- a good thing, especially for us sleevers. Not to the point of Atkins -- which is bad, and taking a good thing too far -- but maybe South Beach-y, which is a good, solid, sensible plan
  
• Very high complex carbohydrates -- another good thing. Most Americans do NOT get enough vegetables (and no, potatoes don't count!)
  
• Very high Water (more on this in a moment)
  

Now, dramatic short term weight loss is only possible in two cases:

1. Significant anorexia. "Anorexia" is actually a medical term, not a disease (technically, the disorder is "anorexia nervosa" -- or "mental" anorexia). Anorexia just means that you're eating too little, medically speaking. And it's not healthy! When you're anorexic, your body begins to do all sorts of things to conserve energy, including switching from burning fat stores to burning muscle stores. It will even begin to metabolize brain matter over time, if the anorexia is significant and prolonged enough. Medical anorexia is not a good thing.
   
2. Fluid loss. Yup, good old "water weight."
   

My guess is that if you lose more than a pound or two over five days (on this diet or on ANY diet), it is primarily water weight. Five days is simply not enough time for your body to become anorexic enough to have burned any significant amount of fat (especially the stubborn superficial fat that most of us are concerned with).

With this diet, since you're eating almost no highly-processed food, you're eating very little salt (at least compared to "normal" Americans, who eat way, way, way too much salt). And as a result, your tonicity -- water/mineral -- balance will shift. In an attempt to maintain homeostasis (fancy medical speak for "keeping things in balance"), your body will dump water so that your salt concentration doesn't get too low.

Drinking lots of water will flush out more minerals, but you have to be careful. Over the long term, I believe that drinking double the daily recommended water (64oz is recommended) coupled with this very low-sodium diet might be dangerous (I'd ask a doctor about it); it could introduce a hyponatremic state -- dangerously low sodium. This can kill you (google "hyponatremia" or "water intoxication" if you don't believe me that drinking too much water can kill you). Over the short term, what you'll do is DUMP water in order to maintain your salt tonicity, so if you drop a lot of weight in five days due to this diet, I'd suspect that it's almost entirely water weight.

That being said, minus the excessive water intake -- my nut. was emphatic that over the long term I was to consume no more than 60 oz. per day -- I think that this would be a Very Healthy Diet. You'd have to introduce some fruit (a low level of fruit intake is important for maintaining levels of Vitamin C and some flavanoids), and you'd want to make sure that your Fiber intake balanced the protein intake for bowel health, but if you could stick with it, I think this diet would be a great way to keep steady healthy fat loss. Couple it with a good exercise program, and you'd be on track for a very healthy body.

Great analysis and you are absolutely right. I never do this for more than the 5 days. Also, once that 5 days is up I go back to the very easily and simply followed Sleever rules being, protein first, veggies second and a few bites of good complex carbs. I do drink a lot of water, but I do also workout a lot so my water always needs to be replaced. I think anyone should try to find out how much water one needs for each person individually.

ETA: the Atkins and South Beach Diet references are very right on, I've been eating their style since 2008. I don't know what Paleo is...

Oro- you seem very knowledgable. Are you in the medical field? I am so naturally I am curious if you are too:)

Nope, just an interested layman I read science news every day (http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/) and have a subscription to Scientific American. How geeky is that??

It's awesome!!!!!

Gotta love Mr. Science!

So anyway, on Wednesday I start my favorite way to get me back on track, and I'm so ready!!! Been down a lot recovering from my surgeries, but I got time on my side now and it's time to get back to my fit and fierce form!!

I will check in daily to provide what I've eaten for the day.

Yeahhh!!!

I just updated my status... I need to get my carbs under control... I have been super busy at work and NOT making good choices so I am going to start my own bootcamp basics starting NOW. I am currently weighing 146 - up 2 from my lowest of 144... UP is not the way I want to go - and I know exactly why it happened.... POOR food CHOICES.

So back on track I go! This is a journey!

Kimmy you can do it!

Here's my first day totals:

Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sugar Sodium Totals 1,193 53 58 114 38 1,892 Your Daily Goal 2,289 171 76 228 63 2,500 Remaining 1,096 118 18 114 25 608

Here's my first day totals:

Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sugar Sodium Totals 1,193 53 58 114 38 1,892 Your Daily Goal 2,289 171 76 228 63 2,500 Remaining 1,096 118 18 114 25 608

this is a little confusing. you ate less that 1200 calories?

Congrats LilMissDiva! What foods did you eat? Hope I'm not getting too personal. How much exercise did you do? Good work