Gaining after 2.5 years

I was at 140, a good weight for me. Now, after 8 weeks I have gained 16 lbs! I am eating the same and have the same level of activity. It seems that I have read about others gaining. What should I do? Rose

That seems like a lot to gain in just eight weeks - that's two pounds a week.  Are you sure you aren't getting more calories somewhere?  If you're not, are you maybe retaining water?  If you're sure you haven't increased your calories, I think I'd go see your doc for a check up to try to figure out what's going on.

My first thought is that my thyroid is bonkers. I am going through a divorce and quite stressed. I could be eating extra calories and not expending. Its frightening how fast the weight is coming back on. Makes me wanna starve. I will not go backward into being too heavy!!!

Do you log your intake?  Sometimes we eat more than we think we have (calorie wise) and logging occasionally helps keep things in perspective.  Also remember, the malabsorption you had initially after surgery is slowly decreasing as the body restores villi.

This is the time you should really consider and track your intake to determine what your personal needs are to maintain.

Rose,

I would suggest that you start using a online log for your intake and activity. There are a number of logs you can use and many have apps available if you have a smartphone. When you use a log, sometimes you can find patterns that you might not be aware of otherwise. I think that it's best to log both your intake and your activity. Since my like you and have been maintaining a long time, I don't use one unless my weight shifts out of it's normal range more than 4 or 5 lbs up or down. I have to tell you, that invariably, my perception of what I'm doing rarely meets the reality... i.e., when my weight is dropping, I think I'm eating enough, but when I start logging my intake it becomes clear that 800 calories a day isn't enough to sustain my normal weight. Conversely, if I find that I'm gaining and I start logging again, I find that not only is my caloric intake up more than I thought it was, but my carb intake far outweighs my protein intake. It seems that no matter how long we have been doing this, the 'Three Monkey Syndrome'... hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil seems to come into play regarding our perceptions of our intake and activity versus the reality. All of that said, if your intake and activity levels are matching your 'perception', then I would take your logs to your Doctor and let them know what is happening and ask them to run some tests to see if there is a medical reason for your weight gain... such as a thyroid condition or a medication that you might be taking that would be causing you to consume more or slow your metabolism. Either way, I honestly think that charting/logging your intake is a good place to start.

Wishing you all the best,

Sorry to hear you're going through such a stressful time try using myfitnesspal.com it tracks your calories and exercise very easy to use!  Try to stay positive and good luck!