Getting back on track after gaining weight

Question
Hi I got my sleeve in November 2011 by November 2012 I was down 67 lbs. I was already disappointed I didn't lose as much as I thought I would, then once the holidays came around including Thanksgiving, I gained 11 lbs. I was devastated and now I'm stress with other personal matters going on, I can't seem to get back on track. I just don't know where to start. Is is possible I have stretched my sleeve? I want to lose another 50 lbs. Is it possible?

Answer
Hi Celena:

Your sleeve is still relatively new to have stretched much, if any...so don't be discouraged.  It is totally possible to get back on track.  Will you be able to lose another 50 pounds?  Honestly, I don't know (don't know your starting BMI, history of being overweight, etc.)  But what I can tell you is it's possible to at least stop the gain, and start heading back in the right direction.

You might have an idea where you've slipped up, or you might honestly have no idea.  Try going to one of the free tracking sites/apps like Spark People or My Fitness Pal and just trying to see where you're at.  If that's too much, then at least track your protein, and write down the time you're eating your non-healthful snacks.  For many, that gives enough of a big picture.  Then, you can try a couple of different tactics and see what works best for you.

1) Go back to basics...focusing on protein first, followed by non-starchy vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, and then carbs.   Schedule your meals and snacks and really try to stick to it.  If you've been drinking caloric beverages, switch to noncaloric.  If you down a lot of diet soda, try having a big glass of water before any diet soda first.

2) Some people like to go back to a post-op protein shake phase for 5 days or so.  Some people do all protein shakes, whereas some people do a Medifast inspired 5 shakes and then one lean protein/green veggies type meal.  


3) Join a commercial diet plan like Weight Watchers for the accountability.  You can eat all of your points--but you might not want to with your sleeve (of course you might).

4) Change up your exercise routine.  If you're not very active, get a pedometer, FitBit Zip, or something similar and start increasing 500-1000 steps per week until you hit at least 10,000.  Some studies indicate that 14,000 steps is the magic number for weight loss, but for many people hitting 10k (which is about 5 miles) does wonders as well.    If you're already getting in some aerobics, look into weight training, yoga, pilates, tai chi, etc.  Something else.  If you were never very active, don't let that discourage you.  Some formerly big girls discover that there's an inner athlete who has been waiting to come out.

5) Don't forget your vitamins.  Some people theorize that one of the reasons people binge is because they're looking for micronutrients that they're not getting. So make sure you're taking all the vitamins your doctor recommended.


Hope this helps!

Karla :)

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