Ok fellow VSG people I really am pleading at this point for help. I have had so many set backs and have gotten into old habits and am struggling to break them. To start off with I have been a slow loser since my surgery which was March 2012. To start off with I lost 75 pounds the first year which I am so excited about. I have never met goal (started at 298 and set goal at 160) and in meeting with my nutritionist she advised me at this point to move on to exercise but I know that will not do it totally. I need a total mental and habitual start over, do over if you will. I am not sure where else to turn for advise but my community here as you all know what I battle daily. I have had mountains to climb personally this past year. I went back to school at 40 which was tough and changed my routine to more sitting than I had been used to. During that time we went on a cruise and I slid into eating foods I shouldn't more often. When we returned I became complacent and continued on the downhill slide. A few months later, add to that my oldest son moving back home with his four year old daughter and going through a very messy and nasty divorce and custody battle. Now, I have two extra family members living here putting a financial strain and emotional strain on my daily life. Move forward another month or so and my mother became very sick and passed and I relocated across the country for two months to take care of my father who has end stage Lou Gherigs disease until my brother could step in and help out. I have had a terrible struggle dealing with my mother passing as we were very close and I find that I have unintentionally found myself tricking my sleeve in order to eat comfort foods I swore I would never return to. I am willing to do whatever I need to do to get back on track. I feel horrible physically and I am afraid to get on the scale, even more important I feel like I worked so hard to get where I was that I let grief and emotions take over which is what I thought I had overcome before surgery. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much

Do you have a support group or nutritionist you can go to? If not, you can try going back to Protein shakes for a week or 2 to re-set your body. Exercise, drink your Water and maybe keep a food journal. I like my fitness pal. It keeps track of calories, protein and water.

Don't beat yourself up. You've had a rough year. You can do this! Get yourself back on track and you'll feel so much better!

Good luck to you!

I'm not so sure going back to a post op liquid diet is such a good idea that far out. Check in the vets forum for 5:2 diet. Even if you don't go that rout you will get lots of good advice and support from the vets. <3

Oh.. So sad to hear that u are gong through so much in your life. I know what stress and grief can do to our well being. Grief takes time. I lost a husband and it took me two years just to get out of grief. Don't be hard on yourself. But if you are ready to make good choices to continue on your weight loss journey I would suggest to find where u are at ..at this moment. Weigh yourself.. But be wiling to forgive yourself if u don't like what u see on the scale. You are going through difficult times and the worse thing for u to do is to get totally disappointed and throw in the towel. Then put in place a plan of action. Go back to basics, eating high protein first, eating slow , etc. join wls support groups, visit a nutritionist, . See a psychologist who can help u with your grief, stressors. You can do it. Just put one step in front of another.

For me the most important thing in keeping on track has been logging everything I eat. If you are not logging, I would encourage you to join MyFitnessPal (or sign back in if you already have an account) and make a commitment to log everything, every day. Once you see exactly what you are eating, the calories, carbs, and protein, then you can see where you need to make changes. And I think having the evidence right in front of you every single day will help in making better decisions.

Good luck!

Dear Jenn, I am so sorry to hear of your struggles. My sister died from ALS and that alone is enough to turn your world upside down with your Dad. I have had so many problems also, and I can understand where you are in life. I think if you take charge of your health right now it might be the only thing you can control. It is something you can do. Get you a Journal, and get busy. Record everything. Set goals, weigh, meal plan. One minute at a time, one day at a time.

Sometimes we feel as if life has slapped us down and we cannot get back up, but for me, I have climbed a Mount Everest of personal problems, deaths, divorce and illnesses in my family, and I know you can get back up and take charge of your life. We are challenging you! Get going!!! Praying for you this morning.

Thanks so much and all of you make such great points. I am gettin back in myfitneaspal today and starting fresh. I am so ready to take control of something it feels like it has been so long since anything has been in my control at all. Another thing I am going to do is take a serious look at what is In the house that can create a potential temptation or problem for me and address that so that I know what my triggers are. I guess you would say starting from scratch. I am also going to get out my journal from before, durin and after surgery that I kept and read over it and see how I was successful and try to remember those feelings. I really appreciate everyone taking time to reply. I really didn't know where else to turn.

Jenn,

How many calories do you think you eat a day? Can you chart it month by month since surgery? Even if its a guess? How are your portion sizes? How many meals a day do you eat? Do you graze? Logging your food is absolutely the right place to start.

It sounds like you're looking in the right place. Be encouraged!

Dear Jenn, so sorry for the things that have been going on in your life. Things can go from good to bad so quickly, just remember your ability to survive everything that has happened so far has been 100%. Your mindset is awesome. Go forward always forward...you know what you need to do. Now go do it! Good luck.. Remember the future can always look bright!

I absolutely have been grazing. That is the one habit that was my elephant in the middle of the room when I was 300 lbs. that is my comfort unfortunately. I also find myself not being able to sleep and getting up in the middle of the night looking for sweets. I know I am doing it and haven't cared. I don't know what switch has flipped and I do care. That I have worked too hard to get where I was and need to concentrate on positive choices. I do not know how many calories I am eating but several months ago when things started going crazy I was around 900 and doing three small protein rich meals a day and that was it. When things went south I started grazing all day and not doing meals at all. I started this morning fresh with determination. I started with coffee and vitamins. Just finished my first premier protein shake and opening the first bottle of water if the day. I am trying to take it one step at a time. Always forward from here on. I have seen what can happen when I do not watch every choice I make.

Thanks so much and all of you make such great points. I am gettin back in myfitneaspal today and starting fresh. I am so ready to take control of something it feels like it has been so long since anything has been in my control at all. Another thing I am going to do is take a serious look at what is In the house that can create a potential temptation or problem for me and address that so that I know what my triggers are. I guess you would say starting from scratch. I am also going to get out my journal from before, durin and after surgery that I kept and read over it and see how I was successful and try to remember those feelings. I really appreciate everyone taking time to reply. I really didn't know where else to turn.

That's why I love it here... I doesn't matter the circumstances or your walk of life, we're all in the same boat and we're all here to support each other. You got this. . Now go rock your sleeve!

Yea we've all got our lumps from falling off the horse...hard. I wish you all the best in staying on this course of disciplined nutrition! (and i wish ME the same thing lol)

Yes te bumps and bruises if falling off the vsg train do hur. Have two protein shakes under my belt so far today and three bottles of water an a soup at hand. Aiming for one more shake today and maybe some coffee and one more bottle off water before bed. Trying to heal and jolt my system into the right way if eating. One day at a time.

Having similar problems. Christmas had been somewhat depressing since my son died 17 years ago at the age of 17. Things were harder this year because a week before Christmas I was T-boned and my car was totaled. I'm in physical therapy now ... Not seriously injured but hurt. I try to walk at least 10 minutes a day. Have fibromyalgia also. Tomorrow I go back to work, teaching 4 year olds. I need to get back to just protein and veggies. Or maybe just liquid protein for a week or two. I was sleeved late June (lost 60 before) and 40 since surgery. But haven't lost anything in two weeks. Yuk.

So sorry to hear this Sheila. We never get past that pain, we just try to cope. I struggle every Thanksgiving and Christmas since 2006 when my 30 year old son died of a heart attack 2 days after Thanksgiving. There are so many people in this world we need to give extra love and hugs to. You will get back on track. The pain of the accident and the fibromyalgia must be awful. Back on a weight loss plan will help those aches and pains. Best wishes for the new year, and a big hug!

Sorry about you too Linda. The pain never goes away. It just turns into a dull ache like a headache that never goes away. I have to get back on track do I try not to beat myself up.