Input on weight loss

Hi everyone. I'm wanting a little input on weight loss. I've lost a little over 1/2 to my goal and I'm 5 1/2 months out. The last two months have been slow. Infact, I've only lost 4-6 pounds since Feb 12th. I've lost 20 since Jan 1st. I have, however, in the last month gone down a size jeans. I went from 16s to 14s and ppl are finally noticing. Even commenting that I've lost a lot of weight this month.

I eat what I want with the rule of protein first and I don't drink with my meal. I was drinking sweet tea here and there but I put a stop to that recently (it wasn't more than 6oz a day). I don't eat a lot of breads just because they make me feel bad. I'd say my carbs have been from 100-150 a day. I seem to lose nothing for 3 weeks a month and then drop everything in one week. I do walk a few times a week. I work as a housekeeper so twice a week I do about 7 hours total of that kinda work.

I'm afraid that I'll lose about 10 more pounds and that will be it. I already feel that diet mentality coming back on. I get mad at myself if I have a bite of chocolate or whatever. That's the very reason I had this surgery so I could still enjoy things I like but have in small amounts. I'm feeling a bit like a failure. I've read that the first 6 months are the prime time to lose weight. I'd like feed back and to hear from vet sleevers and Oct sleevers expecially on their progress and everyone else too!

Thanks for input.

You are not going to like what I have to say on this topic.  I am sorry in advance, but you asked, and I feel I must share the truth as I see it.  There are very few people that can get this surgery and just eat "like normal people" and get to goal and maintain there.  There are some people that can do it, but it is somewhat rare.  Most of us have to make major changes to our diet and mind set to be successful with this or any other weigh loss surgery with the possible exception of DS.  Most people that I know who get to goal and maintain there, eat fewer carbs than you do by a lot.  I eat about 50-80 carbs a day most days even in maintenance.  Although I now eat between 1200-1800 calories a day, I only ate 600-800 calories until goal.  I ate mostly dense low-fat protein and low carb veggies most of the time in the 6.5 months it took me to lose the 100 lbs. to get to goal.  It is true that it gets harder to lose the further out you get, that means it will never be easier than it is right now to make some corrections if you want to do it.  I know that my advice is not very popular and might even sound a bit like a downer, but it is what worked for me, I hope others will share similar success.  I think that people that can eat "normally" and get to goal and maintain do not have metabolic and genetic issues with weight loss.  Only a few of these people become MO in the first place and need WLS.  More power to them, if they can do it, but they are the lucky few, most of us need more than the surgery alone can provide.  Most of us need a life long plan.  The VSG reduced my appetite enough to make this possible, but it is not easy in the least.  Hugs.

You may be more sensitive to some things than you realize. 

http://books.google.com/books?id=Nl2bfrlGW4AC&lpg=PR1&ots=Fr kuEEWBTi&dq=%22thin%20commandments%22&pg=PR4#v=onepage&q&f=f alse

For me, I could not get to where I *wanted* to be dabbling in foods that I abused to get me heavy, just "whenever" and following the "protein first* rule.  I just could not.  You have a choice here though - you can keep on and *hope* you get where you want, or you can make different choices. 

I track foods and kept my total carbs low during the losing phase.  The link above is most of a book that I suggest to help folks learn how to keep foods they love in their life, but not wear them.  It was helpful for someone to teach me HOW to make a structure for this. 

The first 6 months are prime because you can eat so much less.  You *may* have to decide to change your mind about "diet mentality.*

For me, my "diet" is just what I eat, what foods my body runs best on.  The shift in my thinking from "a diet is what I do to lose then weight, and then...." to "this is how my body prefers to eat so that it runs best" was not a HUGE shift in thinking, but it sure helped me to not resent what I had to do to get healthy.

Waste no more time feeling like a failure.  You have a choice. You have a powerful tool.  Perhaps by starting to track your foods you can see what calories might be "fun" calories, but are not optimum nutrition and have a conversation with yourself about what you REALLY want.

You can do this thing, friend! 

I think if you want to pick up the weight loss you could cut back on your carbs i dont mean cut out all, but maybe knock them down to 50g to 75g  for a start  in your losing phase if thats enough, then slowly increase after you get to goal. to find out your amounts you will maintain with..

you obviously have no problem losing with carbs but maybe they are creeping up a little too high?

we hear about our honeymoon period, i do believe we have one, it is the best stage for losing weight because, i think its the time when we dont have cravings, its the time where we can eat a piece of choc and still lose, its the time when we think we could never over eat anything.. its the time a tiny amount of almost any food and we feel full for hours.

 i think its important to use this time to our utmost because once tempations start getting stronger, and our cravings return, and our hunger may come back stronger, soft foods dont last long in our stomachs, then it all gets even harder.

you could also try upping your protein a little more and upping your fluids more.

 Hello! I think what you have lost so far is great! Although I just recently had my surgery with the same surgeon as you (Isnt he great?) I DONT agree with the above post that in order to get to goal you need to lower your carb intake. I was on ATKINS for three years and I feel like people who do the low carb high protein diet often obsess so much about the carb intake of EVERYTHING that they don't get in enough fruits and vegetables. To me its more about WHAT KIND of carbs you put into your body that really matter. This is about nutrition and finding a balance. Our doctor never told us to watch out for the carb content. He told us to keep our calorie intake from 600-800 calories a day, and to stop eating JUNK (he gave us a list).

Are you tracking? I am actually tracking at LIVESTRONG.COM and I love it. I think you should focus on getting your 70-80 grams of protein, drink plenty of water and YES make healthy choices..choices that you have to make for the rest of your life. This is a tool that will help us get to goal. We need to eat healthy (lean protein,fruits,vegetables,wholegrains) and count our calories, protein and fluid intake. I personally think that those who keep their carb intake low will ALWAYS have to keep their intake low. I think that doing the low carb think makes your body very sensative to carbs and when you do have them you gain weight. That is what happened to me when I was on Atkins for 3 years. I lost 50 lb on it and gained 100 lb back as soon as I started eating carbs again. And it wasn't like I was eating all processed flour and sugar carbs.. just regular FRUITS and whole wheat bread type stuff. 


Since the day of surgery I have focused on PROTEIN not carbs and I am losing just fine. Just thought I would share that with you.

 
Wow,

You got 3 of our finest Vets from 3 different surgeons giving you great advise and you got one that has lost 20lbs. who actually is telling you the same thing but doesn't even know it.

Does it say "Eat what you want" in the instructions from Dr. Acevez?

My suggestion to you is to lose the weight first.....than resume your enjoy things in small amount mentality while maintaining.

The second 6 months is still pretty good for weight loss....not like the first six months, but still pretty good....don't waste it.

If someone told you this was going to be easy.....I'm afraid you got some very wrong information.

The good part is that in spite of your deviations you have done well and you know what's right and wrong. It's time to really tighten it up if reaching goal is important to you.

You got this....if you want it....

frisco

 Well, I won't speak to what you are eating, because I'm beginning to feel old habits creeping back in and need to put a stop to it.

But, that "feeling like a failure" has got to stop!!!!  60lbs in 5 months is nothing to sneeze at!  Try forcing a thought of gratitude when that self-talk starts up.  It may help you make better choices, too.  I'm going to try keeping in mind how wonderful it is that my sleeve helps me make the most of my good decisions... especially when I want something off-plan.

Thanks for everyone's input. I do need to cut the carbs out and while I feel like I'm having to watch everything I eat (that diet mentality I talked about) I don't feel the same before surgery like every hour is a struggle to stay on plan. I will definatly check out The Thin Commandments. I do not want to live my life fat. I already have so much more energy, I cannot allow myself to go back to my old ways.

While I had hoped I would hear from several vets that they ate what they wanted just small amounts what I got was the truth and I appreciate it.

Well babygirl, there *are* vets who do eat what they want in small amounts, but they arent the ones here fussing they are stalled, so we really have to honor what our body says its digging.

Your body says with how you are eating NOW, its fine and will stay right here, thank you!!  But if you want to be somewhere else, you gotza be the boss of you!!  :} 

be sweet!

2 things.

1) After losing 17 pounds each the first two months post-op, I never lost more than 6-9 pounds a month, and this has dropped off quite a bit as I approach my goal - so your rate of loss is not necessarily a problem, (unless you are unhappy with it).

2) I have come to accept that if I had a normal body / metabolism / hormones I most likely would never have become morbidly obese. It sucks, but there it is. I don't get to eat "normally" like most of the people I know if I want to maintain or continue my weight loss. For me that means I need a diet that is significantly lower in carbs and somewhat higher in fat - my only concern in terms of fat intake is trying to hit the sweet spot between feeling satiated and consuming too many calories to lose. I also eat a lot of protein and seem to function well physically and mentally on a basically ketogenic diet.

Finally, I am about 10 pounds from goal right now and occasionally feel frustrated that it is so SLOOOOWWW getting there. I have reminded myself that even when I get to goal, I pretty much need to continue to eat the same way, to get in my protein, fluids & supplements, to limit carbs and mostly eliminate junky carbs, to exercise etc. So, I am just doing now what I will need to to forever - "goal" is pretty much an arbitrary thing anbd should not change my baseline habits too much. I am focussing right now on keeping on, and I anticipate that I will slowly drop a bit more weight - but if I don't well so what - I am healthy, I wear a size 10 - 14 depending on brand and cut -and I feel great -so if this is it, so be it. I still don't get to eat "normally" but I CAN find ways to make my new normal enjoyable and satisfying.