I've regained the weight I lost

[ElseeGee181 18]

I'm finally mustering up the guts to ask for help. I am 5' 2" and I had gastric sleeve at 205 lbs. My struggle with weight has been life-long. I dropped down to 155 and I was actually quite happy there, as I was down to a size 10. I consumed about 900 cal/day at that point.

Everything went to hell in a handbasket when COVID hit. I truly do not mean to make excuses, because there are none, but there were situational issues. My husband was hit severely early on in the pandemic, the kids were doing remote schooling, I was out of a job, I wasn't exercising and I chose to deal with all of this by getting diet sloppy. And the weight has just been creeping up. I am now at 190 lbs.

What's even worse, is that according to the 13cal/pound calculation, I would need to eat 2470 calories per day in order to maintain a weight of 190lbs. I don't come close to that. I average 1600, and usually not even that much. My metabolism has always been a problem, which I suspect lots of people can identify with.

I have tried Keto and Atkins on and off, but they are not sustainable for me. I read up on pouch reset, but then also read about the weight regain. I'm considering intermittent fasting, or simply using my Baritastic app and dropping it to 900 cals. I even looked into a revision, but that wouldn't solve the core issues, which I can't even identify at this point.

I'm so ashamed by this. I've made a mess of this but at the same time, I'm committed to fixing this problem.

Help? Thank you...

Edited January 18, 2022 by ElseeGee181

[GradyCat 3,697]

Don't be ashamed. We're human. And that's what we're here for to listen and support and encourage each other.

I did the exact same thing. I gained 30 lbs during COVID. Just got them off over the last 3 months. It IS possible to still lose after WLS and after a weight-gain. The tool still works, you just have to use it.

Go back to the basics of tracking every single thing you eat and drink. Get your 60g Protein, 64 oz Water daily. It'll come back off.

It won't be fast, but it'll be reliable. You can do it!

[ElseeGee181 18]

4 minutes ago, GradyCat said:

Don't be ashamed. We're human. And that's what we're here for to listen and support and encourage each other.

I did the exact same thing. I gained 30 lbs during COVID. Just got them off over the last 3 months. It IS possible to still lose after WLS and after a weight-gain. The tool still works, you just have to use it.

Go back to the basics of tracking every single thing you eat and drink. Get your 60g Protein, 64 oz Water daily. It'll come back off.

It won't be fast, but it'll be reliable. You can do it!

Thank you, GradyCat. Hasn't my stomach stretched back, at this point, though?

[GradyCat 3,697]

6 minutes ago, ElseeGee181 said:

Thank you, GradyCat. Hasn't my stomach stretched back, at this point, though?

No, not at all. People think their stomach stretches, but it's not that easy for your pouch to stretch out according to my surgeon. I asked her after my 30 lb weight gain and had an endoscopy and she said my pouch was still good to go!

[ElseeGee181 18]

22 minutes ago, GradyCat said:

No, not at all. People think their stomach stretches, but it's not that easy for your pouch to stretch out according to my surgeon. I asked her after my 30 lb weight gain and had an endoscopy and she said my pouch was still good to go!

That's comforting! Thank you!

[lizonaplane 1,613]

I agree with @GradyCat. You probably have not stretched your stomach out. Those calorie calculators are pretty much fiction. So much depends on your height, age, gender, activity level, weight, etc.

The first thing to do is track EVERYTHING you eat and drink, to see where you are. Talk to your nutritionist/dietician. Don't be embarrassed; this is incredibly common especially during COVID. They have seen this before, I guarantee it. Talk to them about how many calories you need to lose weight and what your macros should be. I was told not to do a Keto diet as the fat is too high. I currently try to reduce the amount of carbs I eat and make the carbs I do it complex carbs or fruit/veggies. For me, it's still hard to get much carbs in since I'm still trying to get enough Protein at 4 months out.

Don't try to be perfect: aim for 80% of your food being "healthy" with 20% "fun", or maybe 90-10 if that feels better. If you try to be 100% perfect, you will set yourself up for failure.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[summerseeker 2,407]

This is why I love this forum, there is always someone who has had your problem, worked through it and is willing to advise. Good luck

[SoCalEm 54]

@ElseeGee181 I understand the struggle with pinpointing the core issues and triggers that caused me to emotionally eat. I chalked it up to boredom and just loving the way crappy food tasted. I went through months of self reflection and found so much insight from eating mindfully. Each time I impulsively ordered DoorDash or ate candy, I checked in with myself to find out what prompted the action and urge. I recommend looking into HALT self check. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. It was so helpful for me and at least gave me a starting point to work through the underlying issues.

Good luck!

[ElseeGee181 18]

40 minutes ago, SoCalEm said:

@ElseeGee181 I understand the struggle with pinpointing the core issues and triggers that caused me to emotionally eat. I chalked it up to boredom and just loving the way crappy food tasted. I went through months of self reflection and found so much insight from eating mindfully. Each time I impulsively ordered DoorDash or ate candy, I checked in with myself to find out what prompted the action and urge. I recommend looking into HALT self check. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. It was so helpful for me and at least gave me a starting point to work through the underlying issues.

Good luck!

Thank you! Today has actually gone ok. I've slowed down my eating and actually felt the stomach restriction. You are so right about eating mindfully. I have made a point of slowing it down in order to give my body time to realize my stomach is full. Focusing on waiting between solids and liquids has slowed me down as well.

[ElseeGee181 18]

2 hours ago, SoCalEm said:

@ElseeGee181 I understand the struggle with pinpointing the core issues and triggers that caused me to emotionally eat. I chalked it up to boredom and just loving the way crappy food tasted. I went through months of self reflection and found so much insight from eating mindfully. Each time I impulsively ordered DoorDash or ate candy, I checked in with myself to find out what prompted the action and urge. I recommend looking into HALT self check. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. It was so helpful for me and at least gave me a starting point to work through the underlying issues.

Good luck!

HALT - that's perfect. In my case, I would add Anxious and Bored! Thank you!

[ElseeGee181 18]

9 hours ago, lizonaplane said:

I agree with @GradyCat. You probably have not stretched your stomach out. Those calorie calculators are pretty much fiction. So much depends on your height, age, gender, activity level, weight, etc.

The first thing to do is track EVERYTHING you eat and drink, to see where you are. Talk to your nutritionist/dietician. Don't be embarrassed; this is incredibly common especially during COVID. They have seen this before, I guarantee it. Talk to them about how many calories you need to lose weight and what your macros should be. I was told not to do a Keto diet as the fat is too high. I currently try to reduce the amount of carbs I eat and make the carbs I do it complex carbs or fruit/veggies. For me, it's still hard to get much carbs in since I'm still trying to get enough Protein at 4 months out.

Don't try to be perfect: aim for 80% of your food being "healthy" with 20% "fun", or maybe 90-10 if that feels better. If you try to be 100% perfect, you will set yourself up for failure.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Thank you!

[Sleeve_Me_Alone 657]

All of the above is solid advice. You don't need a "pouch reset" you just need to get back to basics. Weigh & track everything you eat. Prioritize Protein first, then Fiber full veggies next. Get your Water in. Take your vitamins/supplements. Move your body with intention. I would also STRONGLY suggest counseling to work on the mental/emotional stuff. This journey is so much more than just the weight. Getting help to manage stress and anxiety, learning new coping mechanisms, and changing your relationship with food is all critical work. You are never too far gone and you haven't failed! We are cheering you on!

[ElseeGee181 18]

7 minutes ago, Sleeve_Me_Alone said:

8 minutes ago, Sleeve_Me_Alone said:

All of the above is solid advice. You don't need a "pouch reset" you just need to get back to basics. Weigh & track everything you eat. Prioritize Protein first, then Fiber full veggies next. Get your Water in. Take your vitamins/supplements. Move your body with intention. I would also STRONGLY suggest counseling to work on the mental/emotional stuff. This journey is so much more than just the weight. Getting help to manage stress and anxiety, learning new coping mechanisms, and changing your relationship with food is all critical work. You are never too far gone and you haven't failed! We are cheering you on!

This is such amazing advice and encouragement. You are all so kind. Night eating is my problem spot. I need to set a cutoff time.

[GreenTealael 25,610]

On 1/18/2022 at 9:30 AM, ElseeGee181 said:

I'm finally mustering up the guts to ask for help. I am 5' 2" and I had gastric sleeve at 205 lbs. My struggle with weight has been life-long. I dropped down to 155 and I was actually quite happy there, as I was down to a size 10. I consumed about 900 cal/day at that point.

Everything went to hell in a handbasket when COVID hit. I truly do not mean to make excuses, because there are none, but there were situational issues. My husband was hit severely early on in the pandemic, the kids were doing remote schooling, I was out of a job, I wasn't exercising and I chose to deal with all of this by getting diet sloppy. And the weight has just been creeping up. I am now at 190 lbs.

What's even worse, is that according to the 13cal/pound calculation, I would need to eat 2470 calories per day in order to maintain a weight of 190lbs. I don't come close to that. I average 1600, and usually not even that much. My metabolism has always been a problem, which I suspect lots of people can identify with.

I have tried Keto and Atkins on and off, but they are not sustainable for me. I read up on pouch reset, but then also read about the weight regain. I'm considering intermittent fasting, or simply using my Baritastic app and dropping it to 900 cals. I even looked into a revision, but that wouldn't solve the core issues, which I can't even identify at this point.

I'm so ashamed by this. I've made a mess of this but at the same time, I'm committed to fixing this problem.

Help? Thank you...

Please don’t forget to contact your Surgeon/team. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for their help.
Perhaps you can get a good look at how to optimize your diet with a nutritionist, habit building with a therapist and there are a lot of new weight loss medications recently approved that may help before revision surgery is needed.

Good Luck ❤️

[ElseeGee181 18]

My surgeon retired three months after my surgery, which was 4 years ago!!! I had been seeing a nutritionist, but she wasn't helpful and it wasn't covered by my insurance!!! 😞