I am struggling so bad. I had sleeve surgery August 2013. Went from 340 to 235. Now I am at 260. How to eat healthy with kids and on a tight budget.

How big of a role does drinking/not drinking enough water play into weight loss?

Water consumption plays a huge role in weight loss but so does a higher Protein low carb food plan.

I would recommend tracking your food and water intake on an app like my fitness pal. If I were in your shoes, this is exactly where I would focus my energy. It holds us accountable to everything we put in our mouths.

Lastly, what does your exercise plan look like? You have come so far! You know what you need to do to get back on track and you can do this! Clearly you have done it before.

Good luck to you!

I've discovered grazing in small pieces throughout the day helps me a lot. I used to be a one big meal kind of person, due to my insane schedule, but now at 7 weeks post-op I am grazing all day, small meals, chewing so much I get tired and move onto my activities. I drink A LOT of Water -- I use my Camelbak to measure my intake, on a good day I drink about three full bottles worth. It helps me keep track of intake so well, some of the bottles even have measurement bars at the sides; worth the investment. I hope that helps!

I've discovered grazing in small pieces throughout the day helps me a lot. I used to be a one big meal kind of person, due to my insane schedule, but now at 7 weeks post-op I am grazing all day, small meals, chewing so much I get tired and move onto my activities. I drink A LOT of Water -- I use my Camelbak to measure my intake, on a good day I drink about three full bottles worth. It helps me keep track of intake so well, some of the bottles even have measurement bars at the sides; worth the investment. I hope that helps!

I would NOT recommend grazing, as that is a way of "eating around" the restriction of the sleeve. What I would recommend is 5-6 small, high-Protein meals/snacks per day. Eating frequently will help you avoid feeling hungry between meals. Grazing all day, on the other hand defeats the purpose of being sleeved.

Okie dokie........Who is in charge here? Your kids? Your mate? Your Taste buds? Or You? Hopefully it's you. I am guessing you already are very aware that even though you are closing in on two years out from surgery, you still need to focus on Protein and control the carbs. So, then, your problem would be a matter of logistics and execution.

Let's imagine that you are a project manager for an organization, and you have been tasked with finding and implementing a way to provide a sensible and affordable way for a bariatric post-op patient to obtain a healthy and balanced high protein diet on a budget, in a way that satisfies other members of the family.

First you have to determine what you will need to pull this off. So, you brainstorm with your household members about what Proteins you will eat, what proteins they will eat, and what you have never tried but might give it a go - just this once. This can include sub-topics: hamburger for example. Will they eat burgers, meatloaf, meatballs, tacos, sloppy joes, etc.

You have to go through this same process with vegetables. What will you eat, what will they eat, what will anyone try? You do not need to mention creative ideas you have for disguising vegetables in foods they will eat. This way, the family can feel like they have some input rather than you just imposing a restricted diet on them.

Let them know that there are certain things you should be spare with, that maybe they can help you resist. I am talking about bread and buns, white potatoes, rice, noodles, and pastries. For example you will make pizza for the family, but they should not make fun of you for not eating the crust. When you make spaghetti and meatballs, they can have some spaghetti noodles, but you will be eating green Beans instead. Dessert will be apples, not apple pie. They won't starve.

Secondly, you have to determine what the obstacles are, and eliminate them one by one.

Tight Budget: Think of all the money you might be spending in drive-throughs and on pre-packaged products. Resolution?: Start cooking from scratch. Stay away from the inside aisles of the store. Except for some spices now and then, nearly everything you need for a healthy and balanced diet is on the perimeter aisles of the store. This one rule will save you money all by itself: do not buy anything made in a factory. Your income can be their money or yours. Which way will it be?

Protein is more expensive than junk edibles ( I don't call then foods). Truth be told, dear, your kids and mate do not need that junk any more than you do. You are trying to keep human beings alive, so you need natural foods intended for human consumption. A chicken can be roast chicken for one meal (you aren't still frying, are you?) and then you can take the carcass and bits and make a delicious both broth chicken Soup with carrots, celery, onions, even some beans (all cheap) and have an awesome delicious and nutritious soup.

eggs need to be your best friend. There are so many ways you can prepare them. I keep deviled eggs on hand all the time. They are my go-to when I am desperate. Last week, I took a dozen eggs and scrambled them up in a bowl with some ham bits left over from a baked ham, shredded cheese, diced green pepper (red and yellow cost a lot more). If I have an avocado in season, I will dice that up and throw it in, too. I took all of that and put it in a muffin pan, and baked omelet muffins. Then I froze them. One is just the right amount for my Breakfast, with a little salsa.

Tuna salad, cheeses, Peanut Butter, salmon patties, turkey (you don't have to wait for Thanksgiving - and you know how leftover turkey seems to multiply in the fridge). You might need to Google clever ways to cook cheaper cuts of meat. It can be done. My mother did it all the time, and grandma did it with twelve kids during the Great Depression.

Grow your own food, if you can. If you have room for a garden, plant something. A pack of seeds cost so little, and you get delicious fresh veggies in return for your trouble. Besides, kids need to know where real food comes from.

I don't have the time, energy or motivation to exercise: This is a tough one. I don't want to exercise either, but I make myself do it, just like I hope you are making your kids brush their teeth. I discovered that my biggest available and under-used block of time was when I was parked in front of the TV, snacking on crap. When I got my sleeve, I ordered several (oops - 34 over time) exercise DVD's for variety. However, if money is tight, there are jillions (that's a real number here in Chicago) of YouTube options. I was a slave to the TV. I finally had to decide what was more important - living longer for my mate, my kids, and my grandkids, or what was on TV.

Can't afford weights? A can of green beans weighs one pound. A gallon of milk weighs eight pounds. Lift a five pound bag of apples over your head a few times or move it from side to side in rotation. Last year I made a fitness trail in my back yard. At every stop I would do a different exercise: push-ups against the oak tree, leg lifts at the picnic table, carry a big rock from the garden to one spot and back, lunges from one stop to the next, using two milk jugs filled with Water to do bicep curls, chest flys, deadlifts - that sort of thing, squats by the gas grill.........see what I mean? I spent NO MONEY on my fitness trail. On alternate days, I put my CD player on the picnic table and just walk laps around the yard for half an hour.

Today needs to be your point of no return - no more gain back. Turn this derailed train back on the track and proceed toward your goal. Show your kids that you only fail if you give up. You know that if you did this once, you can do it twice. This time next year, you just might be the healthier, happier you that you were hoping for. P.S. Dance like nobody's watching. Put on some crazy loud music that makes you happy and do your housework to that. It will help. Love and hugs from Chicago. You can DO this!

Oh, after all of that I forgot: Water is as important as air. You body needs to be hydrated, just like a plant needs watered. I was stuck on a plateau for months. When I took my Protein to 80-100 gams and my water up to 100 ounces and doubled my exercise, the scale started moving again.

@@Miss Mac what a thoughtful reply. good stuff in there. I hope @@willthethrill, that you just being on here starts to motivate you. I know you can do it. this community of folks is great for motivation. good luck.

Thank you. I know how hard this is. I found that I have t be paying attention to my health EVERY DAY to get results. There is nothing easy about this. Withthethrill........I wish you good luck and good health.

I would like to thank everyone for your help. I have found that overcoming my mind and old childhood rules like (finish what's on your plate) have been the most difficult things to overcome. I know I'm not alone on this journey.

Thank you

That's been the hardest thing for me, too. Growing up poor in a big family meant nothing got tossed in the garbage. Even the watermelon rinds and carrot tops went to the hogs. "Willful waste makes willful want", Grandma said. If you did not clean your plate from dinner, you saw it again for Breakfast.

I finally had to come to grips with the fact that if I don't want to throw something out, I can eat the few extra bites to the point of misery and discomfort, or I can tape it directly to my hips. So, I am really precise about how much I put on my plate to start with. At 15 months, I still weigh and measure to what I know my capacity to be. Very seldom do I throw out more than one or two bites now.

As someone who is on a fixed income, I can say what helps me most is food prep and food logging. On Sunday I boil a few eggs (a cheap and easy source of protein). This way I always have a go to breakfast so there's no excuse for skipping breakfast. I also make a pot of whatever grain I plain to use for the week. Typically quinoa or brown rice. Both can be used for sweet or savory meals. They can also be served as a side dish or made into a stir fry. I shop farmer's markets because they are plentiful in my area. I buy fresh fruit in season and freeze half. If strawberries are on sale for $1 a pint, but 2 freeze, one. Over the winter I can still have fruit. If canned Beans are on I buy that. If not I buy dry beans and make a pot at during Sunday food prep. It's another great source of Protein and can be added to stir fries, made into a Soup or served with sunny side up or poached eggs for a protein rich meal. I'm vegetarian but if you eat meat, again make your protein during food prep. Something like chicken breast prepared simply with salt and pepper. Through the week it can be pulled and served with BBQ sauce, made into chicken salad, and added to a stir fry.

I also find cooking from scratch tend to be healthier and cheaper. I buy plain rolled oats. I add them to smoothies, make over night oats or serve them hot. It take a while to get started, but once you get into the mind set of making a freezer stash and doing Sunday night food prep, you can do prep in an hour or less. The best part is through the week each week should take no more than 15 - 20 mins to assemble and you save money because you have less waste since everything is accounted for.

I've discovered grazing in small pieces throughout the day helps me a lot. I used to be a one big meal kind of person, due to my insane schedule, but now at 7 weeks post-op I am grazing all day, small meals, chewing so much I get tired and move onto my activities. I drink A LOT of Water -- I use my Camelbak to measure my intake, on a good day I drink about three full bottles worth. It helps me keep track of intake so well, some of the bottles even have measurement bars at the sides; worth the investment. I hope that helps!

I would NOT recommend grazing, as that is a way of "eating around" the restriction of the sleeve. What I would recommend is 5-6 small, high-Protein meals/snacks per day. Eating frequently will help you avoid feeling hungry between meals. Grazing all day, on the other hand defeats the purpose of being sleeved.

5-6 small meals is grazing to me; as I mentioned I went from one meal to several. I'm not suggesting carrying a bag of chips and eating all day. The point is to eat small and space it throughout the day, and honestly grazing for some people work in terms of weigh loss or maintenance. It's a question of what your body needs and how well it responds to it.