Frustrated and afraid of the future

I will be six months out September 1st. As far as my weight loss, I could not be happier. I am 5'10 and I am at 184. I am about 20 lbs away from being in my average weight range, and about 25 lbs away from my own personal goal.

I should be happy.

I am just getting frustrated because my weight loss has slowed to a crawl. I am doing the right things. I am probably eating more calories than most at 5 1/2 months, but I am exercising about 8-10 hours a week, cardio and weight training. I do an hour six days a week in the gym, and I do two or three two hour karate classes every week, which can be anything from cardio training to sparring to kicks and techniques. I generally burn 400-700 calories daily from exercise. I do know fat weighs more than muscle and I am considering that.

I just hope I am not "through" and the benefits of the surgery are no longer with me. I don't know why I feel that way, but it seems like nothing makes me sick and I never feel full, and I am hungrier and hungrier as the days go on. For months I never thought about sugar or eating specific things, and now I crave chocolate, want diet coke, and fight cravings for carbs.

I always said it would be enough for me to be under 200 lbs and be in "normal" clothes. I am a size 12 and even a medium at times now, but it isn't enough. I hate my thighs, I hate my stomach, and I want the last twenty pounds GONE!!

 You will get there PLUS some I think you are only 5 months out you have a lot of more months to lose.  I know it's frustrating seeing the same number over and over but it will drop and you must be gaining a ton of muscle with all that working out! Keep doing what you're doing you will get there before you know it!! 

I really hope so. It just seems like its the way it used to be - where I would diet and diet and exercise and the scale would not move.

I know I've gained muscle. I've lost 10 inches on my hips and 8 on my waist. Size 20-22 to a 12. Its just hard to keep on going and not see results, plus watch my hair fall out by the handfuls.

I know I'm not alone. I know I should be happy.

are you doing protein shakes after your workouts? at least for me, I had to up my protein levels to 100+ to get the hair to stop falling out. i would do a shake in the morning and then after workouts. maybe that would help. and if you are exercising that much and you are hungry, maybe you should just eat more of the right things. you should not deprive yourself because eventually you will cave. if you like chocolate, get the very high cocoa content type and one square goes a long way and it has very small amounts of sugar in it. hope this helps!

My protein has fallen to about 70-80 grams a day. I need to get it up. I was good about the protein shakes for months but I got so sick of them. I tend to eat a lot of egg whites, chicken, etc. I get all my protein from food. It wouldn't hurt to throw an extra protein shake a day in on top of that.

you are not through and your feelings are normal.  I felt that way and at 6 months started losing again

at 11 months out I was 165 (I'm 5'2" so it's still high) and called myself DONE and happy... size 12/14 yep yep yep... eating normally (albeit small portions) and feeling great.

then in December (15 months out) I dropped another 10 pounds) then somewhere between March 2011 (my PS consult month) and June 2011 (when I had the tummy tuck)  I lost about 5 more. I lost 5 pounds more with the tummy tuck (that was the skin) and then sadly 10 rather quickly with a perforated ulcer (and emergency surgery)... I've picked up about 4 pounds now so I'm now between 135 and 140 and I thougth I was happy at 165!

just keep doing the right stuff... personally with as much exercise as you are doing I am thinking you need more food/carbs to fuel your workouts.  unless you are already around 1800 calories a day

That is good to know. I know my best friend didn't make goal til 9 months and my SIL not until 14 months, and they had their bad months.

I am eating about 1100-1200 calories a day. It seems like if I go below that I wasn't losing anyway (starvation mode) with all the exercise. I know what my BMR is and I wear a bodybugg all the time. My calorie deficits are so that I should be dropping 2 or 2.5 lbs a week whether I had an RNY or NOT, but of course for the last several weeks, I just haven't.

My husband doesn't care, says I look better than ever. No one believes I want to lose MORE weight. But I want to finish. I want to be at goal. I want to buy fall clothes that aren't throwaway in case I go down another size. And 184 pounds is NOT skinny and still considered overweight for my height. If I were at say 165 and stalled, fine.

You are sooo not done at 6 months out! You just keep going on with your bad self and all that exercising and you will continue to lose.

I predict that you'll be at goal and rocking a sexy dress for New Year's Eve.

I sure hope so.

Oh, you're not done losing yet!  It's normal for weight loss to slow down the further out you get.  I actually stalled my whole sixth month.  But then went on to lose a bunch more.  I lost until about 18 months out.  And um, did not exercise nearly as much as you!  Just stick with your plan.