Need your insight! How to lose those last 20 lbs!
I seem to be "stuck" at 160 and would like to lose another 20 pounds. How did you get yourself losing again? What strategies did you use? I am especially interested in any insights on higher/lower carbohydrates. I have come so far and don't want to give up. It would be encouraging to see the scale start moving again.
thinthing
SW 242~CW 147~GW 140~Lowest 129 (normal BMI 24.8) Total Loss: 113 lbs
Hi ThinThing. . .
There is a person on the PA Forum who had lost all her weight and she lost over 250 lbs., it took her close to 4 years (maybe even more), but what she touted was changing things up from time to time, in other words, not eating the same way all the time. Another thing is activity level, are you fully engaged in a form of physical activity that you can maintain for your lifetime. . . Our nutritionist where I had my surgery stated that depending on your activity level, maintenance is at about 1400 to 1500 calories per day, to lose 900 to 1000 per day. Are you logging your food, I mean every single thing you are putting into your mouth, it is a good tool to keep track, so calories that you aren't mindful of don't slip through the cracks. As for carbs, refined carbs are not the same as fruit, whole grains and vegetable carbs. Those are my personal nemsis and what I need to avoid.
The other thing is this, I don't know your height and so it's hard to say for sure, but the scale is a number and if you are feeling healthy and at the higher end of what those insurance charts tell you, that might be a good place to stay. When I started out, I discussed this with my surgeon and stated that I wanted to be at 145 lbs., now I am 5'2", so that is not ideal weight for insurance charts, but my surgeon agreed that 145-150 would be a good number for me. I got to 156 for a brief moment in time and had lots of comments from those I trust that said, ok enough. I've recently had some bounceback weight, plus some extra this past winter because I was eating as though I go to the gym, when in fact I had not been for various reasons. So I've cut back, been doing more mindful eating and am trying to lose the last 14 lbs. because I don't like them and don't want it to be the beginning of a bad thing. . .
Well I've given you my 5 cents worth and hope you find some of what I said helpful, I am sure there will be others who can offer their wisdom on the issue you brought up.
Best wishes, Laureen
There is a person on the PA Forum who had lost all her weight and she lost over 250 lbs., it took her close to 4 years (maybe even more), but what she touted was changing things up from time to time, in other words, not eating the same way all the time. Another thing is activity level, are you fully engaged in a form of physical activity that you can maintain for your lifetime. . . Our nutritionist where I had my surgery stated that depending on your activity level, maintenance is at about 1400 to 1500 calories per day, to lose 900 to 1000 per day. Are you logging your food, I mean every single thing you are putting into your mouth, it is a good tool to keep track, so calories that you aren't mindful of don't slip through the cracks. As for carbs, refined carbs are not the same as fruit, whole grains and vegetable carbs. Those are my personal nemsis and what I need to avoid.
The other thing is this, I don't know your height and so it's hard to say for sure, but the scale is a number and if you are feeling healthy and at the higher end of what those insurance charts tell you, that might be a good place to stay. When I started out, I discussed this with my surgeon and stated that I wanted to be at 145 lbs., now I am 5'2", so that is not ideal weight for insurance charts, but my surgeon agreed that 145-150 would be a good number for me. I got to 156 for a brief moment in time and had lots of comments from those I trust that said, ok enough. I've recently had some bounceback weight, plus some extra this past winter because I was eating as though I go to the gym, when in fact I had not been for various reasons. So I've cut back, been doing more mindful eating and am trying to lose the last 14 lbs. because I don't like them and don't want it to be the beginning of a bad thing. . .
Well I've given you my 5 cents worth and hope you find some of what I said helpful, I am sure there will be others who can offer their wisdom on the issue you brought up.
Best wishes, Laureen
My Mantra is that I do not determine my success by the number hanging in my closet, nor will I let the scale determine that success either. . . It is through trial and error I will continue to grow and succeed. . . Laureen
"Success is a journey, not a destination." Ben Sweetland
Hi, t.t. I can sympathize with you. I am two and one/half years out from Roux-en-y and got down to 147 but gained about 15 lbs over the winter due to depression and inactivity.
What I found is that when I reached what is essentially the "normal" range for me, losing weight was the same as for the non-bariatric people: for me it means diet AND exercise. The initial honeymoon when the weight dropped off magically was over. Disappointing but true. Now the true mettle of me as a thin person will come out--do I want to go back to the compulsive overeater and become obese again or do I want to stay on the new path to freedom from diabetes, being able to buy clothes in any store I go into, absence of knee and back pain, etc, etc? I am sure you know the answer, but it is hard work sometimes. I have accepted that if I want to be able to fit into the size 12 suits I bought for work, I had better be mindful, and use the tools I have [like the OH forum!]to eat like the person I want to be.
Don't beat yourself up if your weight loss has slowed or stopped. You are on a journey; no one can know just how long it will take to reach a weight that satifies you. Keep working your program and using the tools that help you today; the weight will come off.
Like Laureen, I have found that refined carbohydrates are not a good addition to my food plan and I still struggle to avoid them [they were for years my favorite binge foods]. Fruit and whole grains fit into my meals well. I do not eat a lot of leafy things[some of them have high levels of oxalate which is bad for my compromised kidneys] but I can eat tomatoes,sweet potatoes, broccoli/cauliflower, and eggplant successfully. For fats, I use low-salt margarine sometimes and olive oil. For proteins, lots of yogurt, salmon, sardines, some beef. Chicken does not agree with my pouch, so it is not on my list too often. I love cheese but it is high in saturated fat, so I try to eat only 3-4 times/week. Hope this gives you some ideas.
Alll my good wishes are being sent your way today. Keep coming back to the OH forum and let us know how you are doing.
Best,
Judy G from Waltham, MA (aka Shelto1946)
What I found is that when I reached what is essentially the "normal" range for me, losing weight was the same as for the non-bariatric people: for me it means diet AND exercise. The initial honeymoon when the weight dropped off magically was over. Disappointing but true. Now the true mettle of me as a thin person will come out--do I want to go back to the compulsive overeater and become obese again or do I want to stay on the new path to freedom from diabetes, being able to buy clothes in any store I go into, absence of knee and back pain, etc, etc? I am sure you know the answer, but it is hard work sometimes. I have accepted that if I want to be able to fit into the size 12 suits I bought for work, I had better be mindful, and use the tools I have [like the OH forum!]to eat like the person I want to be.
Don't beat yourself up if your weight loss has slowed or stopped. You are on a journey; no one can know just how long it will take to reach a weight that satifies you. Keep working your program and using the tools that help you today; the weight will come off.
Like Laureen, I have found that refined carbohydrates are not a good addition to my food plan and I still struggle to avoid them [they were for years my favorite binge foods]. Fruit and whole grains fit into my meals well. I do not eat a lot of leafy things[some of them have high levels of oxalate which is bad for my compromised kidneys] but I can eat tomatoes,sweet potatoes, broccoli/cauliflower, and eggplant successfully. For fats, I use low-salt margarine sometimes and olive oil. For proteins, lots of yogurt, salmon, sardines, some beef. Chicken does not agree with my pouch, so it is not on my list too often. I love cheese but it is high in saturated fat, so I try to eat only 3-4 times/week. Hope this gives you some ideas.
Alll my good wishes are being sent your way today. Keep coming back to the OH forum and let us know how you are doing.
Best,
Judy G from Waltham, MA (aka Shelto1946)
Never give up. Exercise and exercise some more! Calories in calories out. Move to lose.
Your body may just want to be at 160 but if you want to go lower than do it.
My doc said 188 was "where my body wants to be"...that I was done with my weight loss, I told him nope, I'm in charge of my body. With exercise and I mean exercise I went down to 145 which was great but didn't stay there...sigh...I'm back up but doing Mindful Eating and back to exercise.
The weight is coming off slowly and it's not a race, gotta do this for the rest of my life. No slacking off for me. I want back in my size 8 pants! And yes...size 4 was to small for me.
I'll get there in time and so will you.
Your body may just want to be at 160 but if you want to go lower than do it.
My doc said 188 was "where my body wants to be"...that I was done with my weight loss, I told him nope, I'm in charge of my body. With exercise and I mean exercise I went down to 145 which was great but didn't stay there...sigh...I'm back up but doing Mindful Eating and back to exercise.
The weight is coming off slowly and it's not a race, gotta do this for the rest of my life. No slacking off for me. I want back in my size 8 pants! And yes...size 4 was to small for me.
I'll get there in time and so will you.
Hi Thinthing
From the booklet "How to Kick Start Your Weight Loss" put out by Bariatric Support Centers International: eat at least 3meals per day and enough at each meal that you feel full. You must eat less calories than you burn...exercise must become a part of your daily routine. Reduce complex carbs to 10grams per meal and keep protein to 40-50% of total days caloric intake.
I'm just over 2yrs post op and had fallen into old habits, consequently adding back 10lbs :-( I have tried to put into practice the 3 recommendations above....I lost 3.5lbs last week!!! It is not easy to get protein back up to 40-50% and keeping carbs to 10g per meal...I have had to really work at this....but I have the proof that it works ;-)
You can learn more at their website:www.bariatricsupportcenter.com
Hope this helps you some ^_^
Nancy aka Sunray
From the booklet "How to Kick Start Your Weight Loss" put out by Bariatric Support Centers International: eat at least 3meals per day and enough at each meal that you feel full. You must eat less calories than you burn...exercise must become a part of your daily routine. Reduce complex carbs to 10grams per meal and keep protein to 40-50% of total days caloric intake.
I'm just over 2yrs post op and had fallen into old habits, consequently adding back 10lbs :-( I have tried to put into practice the 3 recommendations above....I lost 3.5lbs last week!!! It is not easy to get protein back up to 40-50% and keeping carbs to 10g per meal...I have had to really work at this....but I have the proof that it works ;-)
You can learn more at their website:www.bariatricsupportcenter.com
Hope this helps you some ^_^
Nancy aka Sunray
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