I don't know if anyone remembers me, it's been a long time since I was actually on. I went to college and gained weight and got up to 250 lbs...then I started dieting, found this site, and got down to 182 lbs. I had surgery over a month ago and have been recovering, but for the past 3 or 4 months I have really been slipping up with my food. I am now back up to 202 lbs, and considered obese again. Talk about depressing. I knew I was gaining it back and it is my own fault for eating all that fast food and burritos and cake and cookies, but it is still really upsetting. This time though, I am catching it before I get back up to 250 lbs. I never made it to my ultimate goal of 150, but this time I will, I hope. I just don't know how to get back on track. I can't just throw away the food I have in my house even though it is terrible for me, I don't have the money for that...so how do I get back on track when I cannot even afford any new food at the moment? Hopefully I will figure something out, with wonderful advice from all you ladies. Thanks in advance =)

Good luck! Welcome back I think it's good you caught it now before it got worse- you did have surgery also- don't beat yourself up too bad

That is a tough one.

I started with diet and then threw in exercise. Maybe if you cannot afford to throw the food away, start with exercise and then next week (or whenever you shop again) get the healthy foods. Also, start with adding some inexpensive fruit, veg and beans or something, and replace as you go.

Good luck!

Calories in - Calories out is a place for you to start. Watch you portions.

I know it seems like you have a huge way to go... but you have done it once and you can do it again!

From a fellow Houstonian-

I think the best thing you can do right now is to count calories. Even that "terrible" food will have calories. I would decide how many you are going to eat each day and stick with it. Then when you can afford "new" food you can make better choices.

First off - Great Job for taking the step and coming back !
Second - I have to agree that calories in must equal calories out especially being you have had had surgery ! Add a short walk into that and I think you should be on the road to a much smaller you again !

Good luck !

I'm working through this again too... okay this semester got rough and I only gained 5 pounds back, but I still screwed up my eating habits once more and I'm trying to get back in. I don't have money to throw away food either, so I'm continuing with what I have and I did buy a lot of frozen vegetables so I can cut down on portion sizes of that other stuff. You know... instead of a bowl of mac and cheese, a half bowl of mac and cheese with a bunch of frozen broccoli supplemented!

Good luck, just jump right back in because you already know you can do it!

Welcome back and good luck

The good thing is that you are back! I would just count calories and use portion control the best you can until you can buy what you want.

Good to know I'm not alone in this...the last time I posted here I was 178, I'm now back up to 190 >.<

I really like Everlasting's suggestion- mixing veggies in with the "bad food" you have left sounds like a pretty good compromise.

Also, for what it's worth...be firm enough to get back on plan, but don't be TOO hard on yourself--you've still kept 48 pounds off, which is awesome! I guess the most we can do is learn from this and keep moving forward, y'know?

I think we can both do this

I remember your posts girl! We have start weights and are at the same spot again! I can't seem to stop eating anything in site after being soooo good on my lifestyle change. It's hard again and this morning I stepped on the scale and it said 205!!! I hate that I let myself get back here but I don't wana go back to where I was before. I saw my profile pic and I don't look like that now so it makes me happy to see where I was and where I am now even tho I gained about 20lbs :/ we can do it again all we have to do lose is weight good luck!

thanks everyone for the support! I can't really exercise right now, I am still recovering from my foot surgery and have trouble walking, but I am back on the diet as of today. It has already been a tough day. My boss at work made pizza for all of the employees, and two pieces of cheese pizza and a slice of chocolate fudge cake were basically shoved in my lap. I felt too guilty not eating it, so I ate the pizza and half the cake. I hafn't eaten breakfast today, and the pizza was homemade and didn't look all grease, so I figured I would be alright. It had to have been better then all the whataburger and mcdonalds I was eating before. I have a small dinner planned for tonight, so I THINK I should be alright. I will weigh myself tomorrow and let you all know how it goes!

With respect, these sorts of things are really what will get you back in trouble with weight gain. I myself maintained for 6 years but then gained too much in my pregnancy, and was back to square one - it's hard, psychologically, to be back at square one.

The reason we got there - we rationalized. You feel guilty not eating pizza and cake? You are the one who has to live with the obesity, your boss will not have a second thought in the world. Not eating breakfast is setting you up to be hungry and make poor choices. Yes, it may have been better that whatabuger, but it may not have. You have no idea the calories in the pizza and cake.

When we fall off the wagon, we need to get back on. Not hold onto the side while still on the ground, telling ourselves we are back on.