I am at that point now where I have been eating things that I know should be cast aside. Craving salt so bad that I have had to have that 1 bag of lays plain chips at least 2 times a week. Got on the scale recently and saw that I gained at least 3 lbs and made up my mind that the chips are out and the pbj's I crave are a thing of the past. I know that if I don't get a handle on it things will really get out of hand....going back to basics for the next month to get my mind right.

~jackie~

I wonder if it has anything to do with the heat and the salt retaining water? I woke up the heaviest I've been in weeks this morning but my dinner last night was more salty than I intended (that's what I get for not following the recipe).

You said you are going back to the basics silkysoft40, what does that mean to you?

To be honest I have allowed my self a treat once a week but nothing major like carbs and sugars. I have noticed that the heat makes me retain water and after a long day at work my legs are swollen but they usually go down within a matter of hours. This is not an easy journey at all and we have to remain mindful. Yesterday I put myself back on liquids for the day after experiencing a bad night and I flip back and forth from soft foods to puree if I feel I need to. Over eating generally does not happen because i will feel it before it happens. I have a 3 month stretch before my next weigh in which is truly going to be a test to remain on track, already praying for myself since I refuse to buy a scale.
lol

Yup! I haven't stuffed myself because I have a thing about throwing up and I can't do that to myself. I have had items that I recognized as the wrong items and I immediately got rid of them once i figured out that I couldn't stop myself. (ie: pasta) The first thing you have to do is, forgive yourself. 2nd is throw out the item that is triggers bad habits. Then look at your old pictures and look at how far you've come. Think about how you feel physically and how everything you've been through is ALL WORTH IT!
Now buckle up your boot straps and get back on track.
Shelley

That means upping my protein, water water and more water, exercise and going through the stages of post-op as at the beginning of the journey Keeping those carbs out of my diet and really keeping track of calories and food choices.

Now that I am in maintence level I have been experimenting foods I haven't bought or brought into my house in over a year or more. I have already found some foods that I won't be buying again cause they "go down to easy" and I can eat more than I should of them. I have never really withheld any type of food during my loosing stage of weight after WLS sleeve. My WLS believes there are no bad foods only to eat in moderation and that is what I am trying to test out. I know not to buy a 1/2 gallon of ice cream but I can buy the tiny Weight Watchers ice cream cups and be ok with eating 1/2 a one. It is a learning process once you have lost the weight. I am not gonna with hold certain foods from me since this is for life and not a certain time period or "diet".

Just remember that an appropriate about of sodium/salt is a requirement for the body to function properly. If you are craving salt it's ok to have it just make sure it is in the most nutrious form possible not in junk food.

Also - keep in mind that the immediate weight gain you notice after having eaten salt is not fat, it's water. As soon as your salt intake goes back down the scale will drop as well.

When I was exercising like a crazy person last year, I had to eat more to maintain my weight. When I injured myself and wasn't able to exercise, I didn't change my eating habits and started hanging out at the upper end of my weight range rather than the middle. With my work and school schedule, I can't go back to the work-out schedule I had so I've gone back to eating like I did during the weight loss-phase. 3 meals a day with no snacking. My focus is protein, water, and movement.

It's not about the weight, it's about being healthy and fit...with my body primed and able to do whatever I call upon it to do.

JJ

I am right there with you, I havent lost in a while and know I need to get more protein in. It is hard. I need to go back to the beginning and start over.

I made some pepperoni like sticks out of ground deer. It is salty and meaty. It messed me up! I still haven't gotten back to losing like I was before that!

I realized recently that I had started eating things I probably shouldn't with more frequency. I regret that I introduced carbs back into my diet and they seem to have stalled my weight loss and I now crave the carb again. I started the 5 day pouch reset on Monday and am trying to get myself back to the basics so I can lose the last few ponds to meet my goal. I've had a headache for 2 days but the carb craving isn't as bad as it was. I will definitely be more careful about that in the future. I believe we learn from our mistakes and even at 8 months out its still some trial and error.

Being a little over 7 months out, I noticed that I have gained about 4 pounds in the last week an a half. I don't know what to blame it on. I know I am retaining water and it hasnt helped that it has been a heat wave here. upper 90s with a heat index of over a 100 for almost a week. I have not been eating more an cant overeat cause I know when my pouch says no more. Im guessing because I stopped a diuretic medication. So Im thinking I have to start that back again an maybe those 4 pounds will come back off. I only need to lose about 30 more to be at goal. Why is it the last 30 are so hard?