No real loss in over a year

Really hoping someone can give me the help I need.  I lost 80 lbs. During my first year after having a vertical sleeve.  Then for the past year I've basically yoyoed back and forth within ten lbs of my low.  I met with the nutritionist and nurse for my two year check in June and they both reassured me that getting back on the right eating track and adding exercise would get the weight off.  I've been going to the Y three times a week for the past month, have bicycled with friends and am eating right most days, but no change in weight.  I'm so frustrated I just want to give up.  Any suggestions?

Are you tracking your food?  I would try that to be sure you are getting enough protein in while limiting calories and carbs to a "loss" level of something around 800 calories if possible.

Back to basics:

1. No drinking for at least 30 minutes after eating.

2. Go high protein.  For me this means 110 grams plus, but for smaller women it would be less. Lean protein too, or protein shakes. 

3. Green leafy veggies, and fruit that is low on the glycemic index.  Lots of veggies are Ok, fruit in moderation.

4. My best days are always the ones where I start with a protein shake.  My very very best days are when I have 2 shakes in a day.  Premier RTD for a meal replacement (30 grams protein) and EAS Lowcarb advantage for a snack (100 cals, 17g protein).

5.  You will have to decide if incorporating planned snacks will help or hinder.  I am hypoglycemic, so it is important.  Others do better just by eat 3 meals a day.

6. Have a list on the fridge of things you like to do instead of eat, then use that list.

7. Exercise. I would set a target of 30 minutes daily, but usually would end up doing an hour or more.  If I set my daily target at 60 minutes, on days I was tired I would not want to start because it sounded unattainable. When I did start though, I tended to do the hour.  So, set the goal at something you can live with and start, then exceed  as much as you can. 

8. Consider carbs.  Many do well at 40 grams a day, I did best cycling 30 grams at a meal and 15 at a snack.  Too much carb even with lower calories for the day will trigger a nasty insulin flood/cravings/hunger cycle that will increase your overall calories. Avoid that. 

9. Log and weigh everything.  Plan you meals and snacks.  Rid your house of all junk food.  Stay away from drive-throughs. Prepare your own meals. Shop only lean meats and produce, nothing processed.  Avoid white carbs (white flour, rice, sugar, etc.)

Heres' to clean eating!

Great advice ! Have not yet had my surgery(set for July 30th) but will take note of your wise words.

If you aren't, start tracking (and weighing) every bite that goes into your mouth with something like MyFitnessPal.  Your "eating right most days" comment seems like a red flag, so I'd start there.  Exercise is great and all, but weight loss is at least 80% diet.  If not 90%.

If you've let refined carbs back in your life, I'd work to remove those.  Make sure you're getting your water in and eating dense protein first at meals.  

The harsh reality that you probably don't want to hear......

Your eating to much......you would probably have to reduce calories by at least 400cals per day to resume WL

frisco

You have received great advice on here. I will piggyback on it to say that 3 days of exercise will not do anything for you than simply maintain whatever fitness level you were at before.  

 Losing weight is won at the dinner table for sure.  If you want exercise to have an impact you need to exercise vigorously at least 30-40 minutes 5-6 times per week.  

Hi! and thanks so much for posting! You've already received some great advice. Your post really spoke to me, so I want to tell you a little about me, if you don't know me.

I went straight to goal after being sleeved. Took just over 7 months. I hung out at goal for about 7-9 months and then started gaining some weight. Some of the weight gain was purposeful, the rest was not. I gained my weight by eating right most of the time. Seriously, I'm not BSing you. Here's how I have discovered it works for me and most other obese (or formerly obese) people.

1. Our thinking about food, what is eating right, etc.... is not exactly normal. We must be vigilant about portions and learn how naturally thin people eat and use food.

2. We EASILY underestimate the number of calories we eat and overestimate the number of calories we burn through exercise.

3. Exercise has NO IMPACT on poor eating. You can't exercise away a cookie or a bowl of ice cream or a bag of chips or an overall bad food program.

4. Straying away from a weight loss plan and eating an off plan food gives instant emotional gratification, which is HARD as HELL to resist at times. We have years and years of eating this way - whether we are ready to acknowledge it or not. No one gets obese having a normal relationship with food (except the very rare person who has a brain disorder that doesn't allow leptin re-uptake - only 12 people nation wide have been found to have this disorder and it comes usually after a brain tumor has been removed).

5. LOSING WEIGHT AND MAINTAINING A WEIGHT LOSS TAKES A **** LOAD OF WORK! Maintaining a normal weight goes against our natural inclinations. We have little, if any, experience at maintaining. Most of us are very good at losing and gaining weight, but maintenance has alluded us.

What I LOVE about you is that you are here on OH not giving up the fight. You have a lot of drive and fight in you to get the rest of the weight off. What you have to decide is whether you are willing to do what it takes. I understand your frustration. Losing weight really does require sacrifice. You have to give up foods you may not want to give up even for a short time.

What are you willing to do to lose the weight? Are you willing to track your food and count calories day in and day out? Are there foods you eat that you KNOW are hanging up your weight loss? Think really hard about this. What is it worth to you to get to your goal weight? It must be important enough that you are willing to work for it.

I wish you the best of luck! If you are ever in need of support OH is a great place. Feel free to PM me anytime. Glad you're here and fighting the good fight.

You posted the same thing 15 months ago and nothing in between. Be honest with yourself about how much you are eating. Make better choices. Weight or measure every bite that goes in your mouth and track it somewhere like myfitnesspal. You have to believe you are worth the effort. Good luck!!

The only thing that works is cutting calories.  When you do that you will lose weight again.  Cutting 500 calories a day will result in losing one pound a week.