9 months out....slow progress from 6 months on

For the first 6 months I lost weight slowly but consistently until the 6 month mark and since then i am struggling.  I started working out a month ago and so far the scale isn't moving but I feel like I'm doing something good for myself.  I am eating more than I think I should because the appetite is back but I do not exceed 1200 calories a day for sure. I eat a lot of protein but I also graze through the day as I always did. I'm afraid I'm missing my chance to get to my goal weight,  although I am so thankful that I had the surgery and never could have lost the weight without it.  I just feel like I'm not losing weight nearly as much as other people in my position. Thanks for listening.

Jenny, I think you have all your answers in your post. I ate around 800 calories during the loss phase. No grazing throughout the day as this is a sure bet way of gaining all your weight back and then some. Grazing and eating calorie dense foods or drinking your calories is how one eats around the surgery right back to obesity. I would suggest that if you want to lose more weight you review the grazing and the total calories per day and make sure that you get the water, the protein etc as per your requirements. Eat lean and green. 

Exercise is great for you and super that you have started that but it is not necessarily hoing to make you lose unless you do a ridiculous amount and intense training and do not increase your calories at the same time. 

Best of luck!

I think you've got to conquer the grazing.  The restriction helps if we stick to regular meals, but with grazing we can eat too many calories.  I'm in maintenance and I eat 1200 calories a day.  I had to eat less to lose weight. 

The only other tip I can think of is avoiding carbs.  Carbs cause food cravings for me.  Perhaps they are making it hard for you to stick to regular meals.

I wish you the best in your weight loss journey.  You can do this!

Carol

You just got two great replies from from Julia and Cappy that lost the weight and are maintaining.

There is a harsh reality here..... if you want to lose more weight your going to have tighten it up quite a bit.

Your basically in maintenance mode right now.

1200 cals a day is a very common maintenance baseline and it sounds like your right there.

To resume any kind of significant WL your probably going to have to cut your calories by 400-500

If you want to find the answer for yourself......

For 14 solid days, No BS..... straight up by the book make a commitment to 600-800 cals a day (closer to the 600 than the 800) and I think you will find your answer...... my guess is that you will drop at least 5lbs.

Don't feel bad because what you are experiencing is VERY COMMON at about the 6 month mark...... the natural tendency for most is to loosen up on the eating when it is more important to tighten it up.

Re-think, Re-establish and Re-start...... adjust and proceed forward....... it's all you from here on out !!!

frisco

Hi Jenny,

Wise advice in the posts above mine, and I agree. I am also a grazer type so I can really relate to that part of your post. What I find is that the grazing perpetuates more grazing, and that the calories can end up being a lot more than what you really realize. I strongly encourage you to track every bite that you eat to make sure that you indeed were only eating 1200 calories, and put yourself on an eating schedule. For some, that means only 3 meals a day. My weightloss phase went with 3 meals and 2-3 timed snacks due to low blood sugar issues. Lately, my blood sugar doesn't seem to go low anymore (wtf?) and I think that if I needed to go into losing I would fair better with 3 meals and 1 snack at most. I know in my classroom I can grab small things all day long, and this past week I really was in a rut eating very, very frequently. I pull myself out of this cycle by switching to shakes in the morning, no snack, lean protein and greeen leafy veggie at lunch, snack when school is out, lean protein at dinner. It takes 3 days or so, but then I am feeling better and the cravings are no longer clouding my day.  

Keep exercising- just don't eat back the calories. Good luck!

Thank you all for your advice. Jenny

I agree with the advice above me - you say exactly what you're doing wrong in your post so you know what the issues are.  You're eating too many calories and you're grazing.  

A little while ago I wrote a list of my "basics" so I could remember them and refer to them when I feel myself getting off track.  Maybe they'll be useful for you too.  

1. Prioritize protein and water
2. Deprioritize carbs
3. Make the most of healthy fats
4. Eat three meals a day with no snacks
5. Avoid liquid calories (breakfast protein shake is the exception)
6. Weigh portions
7. Eat mindfully and with no distractions aside from real live people
8. Move as much as possible
9. Be kind to myself

You are so right !   I will try to get back to basics...   snacking and nuts are my problem! 

I know the answer will be NONE...but I go out a lot and entertain clients..   i heard that i have a drink silver patron is the way to go. ...  do you have other recommendations? 

Water and ice in a bar glass?  

I won't even buy nuts anymore. I used to be able to put away a bag of pistachios in one day. If you don't keep them in your house, you can't eat it.