X-Post - SCREW this EFFING scale!!!
So, I am STILL bouncing up and down the same 4 or so pounds, have been between 171 and 175 for the last 2 1/2 months. I have been tracking my food and am doing well in terms of high protein (80 -100 grams), low carb (<30 grams, not counting fibre), averaging 1000 calories a day and as a rule eating healthy whole foods.
Exercise has picked up a bit too and despite my total slackerhood for the last months, I found when I make my 5K rounds of the local track that having shed an additional 20-30 pounds has made me faster and fitter ...I am now able to do a modified jog/speed walk for some of the walk and now do the 5K in 45 minutes instead of an hour (Not very fast I know, but still, a 25% improvement.)
Am I hot and bothered about the stubborness of the scale? Am I freaked out about my lack of progress towards the weight loss goal my surgeon and I set?
Well, occasionally I am - but actually not so much, because I am TOTALLY losing inches right now... which honestly, I know it happens, but makes NO sense to me. I am not exercising anywhere near enough in terms of either duration or intesity to have been building up enough muscle to account for lost inches but no lost pounds.
The other thing that is happening is a general smoothing out of the lumpier and wrinklier bits of my back, bum, stomach and thighs (and most glorious of all, a bit of reduction in the turkey neck left behind as a souvenir when my extra chins disappeared) I am not ready for the Sports Illustrated bikini shoot by any means, but there is some visible improvement.
So a question to those of you who have been through this - is this maintenance? Is it even a stall if I am losing inches? Has anyone else experienced this, and did the weight loss start again -assuming that I stick with my eating routine and continue to increase exercise now that the weather is improving and my academic schedule is lighter (back to weight training later this month).
And does it matter? My surgeon was pretty clear that he wants me to work harder to get to his goal for me of 165 - reasoning that as I hit menopause I am likely to pick up a few pounds and he would like to see me with more of a buffer in terms of weight lost. I am still officially overweight according to my BMI of 26.0 (a flawed means of measurement I know) and the army method of caluculating body fat has me at about 30%, within acceptable limits for a woman of my age.
Labs are good, lipid profile good, blood pressure low etc. Still have a small bit of back flab although this has reduced significantly over the past couple of months, and a fair size belly pouch - which has deflated a lot but seems destined to remain in my posession without surgery.
I am not really asking for advice as to what I should do - my plan is to continue to eat as I have been and to focus on trying to be more active - but, other than the exercise, I think I am doing a good job of living a healthy lifestyle that I can sustain in the long term.
I am asking those of you who have been here before me to share what your experience has been - if you have had similar trajectories in terms of post-op patterns of weight loss, if you are identifying problematic thinking on my part that is likely to lead me down a path of regain, if this all seems normal and that to keep on keeping on is a sensible strategy... Ya know - feedback!
P.S. I do still weigh myself daily - I do want to know if I am seeing myself gain so that I can address it sooner rather than later, but really that damn scale just isn't showing me the love recently - so I make a note of what it says and then move on with my day!
Exercise has picked up a bit too and despite my total slackerhood for the last months, I found when I make my 5K rounds of the local track that having shed an additional 20-30 pounds has made me faster and fitter ...I am now able to do a modified jog/speed walk for some of the walk and now do the 5K in 45 minutes instead of an hour (Not very fast I know, but still, a 25% improvement.)
Am I hot and bothered about the stubborness of the scale? Am I freaked out about my lack of progress towards the weight loss goal my surgeon and I set?
Well, occasionally I am - but actually not so much, because I am TOTALLY losing inches right now... which honestly, I know it happens, but makes NO sense to me. I am not exercising anywhere near enough in terms of either duration or intesity to have been building up enough muscle to account for lost inches but no lost pounds.
The other thing that is happening is a general smoothing out of the lumpier and wrinklier bits of my back, bum, stomach and thighs (and most glorious of all, a bit of reduction in the turkey neck left behind as a souvenir when my extra chins disappeared) I am not ready for the Sports Illustrated bikini shoot by any means, but there is some visible improvement.
So a question to those of you who have been through this - is this maintenance? Is it even a stall if I am losing inches? Has anyone else experienced this, and did the weight loss start again -assuming that I stick with my eating routine and continue to increase exercise now that the weather is improving and my academic schedule is lighter (back to weight training later this month).
And does it matter? My surgeon was pretty clear that he wants me to work harder to get to his goal for me of 165 - reasoning that as I hit menopause I am likely to pick up a few pounds and he would like to see me with more of a buffer in terms of weight lost. I am still officially overweight according to my BMI of 26.0 (a flawed means of measurement I know) and the army method of caluculating body fat has me at about 30%, within acceptable limits for a woman of my age.
Labs are good, lipid profile good, blood pressure low etc. Still have a small bit of back flab although this has reduced significantly over the past couple of months, and a fair size belly pouch - which has deflated a lot but seems destined to remain in my posession without surgery.
I am not really asking for advice as to what I should do - my plan is to continue to eat as I have been and to focus on trying to be more active - but, other than the exercise, I think I am doing a good job of living a healthy lifestyle that I can sustain in the long term.
I am asking those of you who have been here before me to share what your experience has been - if you have had similar trajectories in terms of post-op patterns of weight loss, if you are identifying problematic thinking on my part that is likely to lead me down a path of regain, if this all seems normal and that to keep on keeping on is a sensible strategy... Ya know - feedback!
P.S. I do still weigh myself daily - I do want to know if I am seeing myself gain so that I can address it sooner rather than later, but really that damn scale just isn't showing me the love recently - so I make a note of what it says and then move on with my day!
Margo - Burnaby, British Columbia HW 283 / SW 269 / GW 160 (I'm 5'8")
Check out my blog at http://www.vsggoodlife.com/
Check out my blog at http://www.vsggoodlife.com/
I'm sorry I can't answer your questions, but I did want to hijack a little to ask you when Dr. Aceves ever talked to you about a goal weight or your exercise or anything, because no one ever set a goal weight for me or even mentioned a goal weight for me at all. I don't get it. They don't check on me like they do others, either.
I am so happy for you, though, that things are going well, even if the scale is frustrating you at times!
Abby
I am so happy for you, though, that things are going well, even if the scale is frustrating you at times!
Abby
I actually just asked him directly, through Gaby, when I sent in one of my follow up reports (I did these monthly for the first year, now just quarterly. He wants me down to 165, which is a hair over a BMI of 25 and I had set my personal goal at 160, a few pounds of wiggle room below the threshold for a normal BMI.
I do think it is a bit arbitrary - I feel like have already eliminated my obesity-related health risks and that I look pretty good. I just have never wanted to be a quitter when it comes to a goal - so I am am trying to figure out if I am just copping out on this goal, or if it was an arbitrary goal that may not be the best for me anyway!
Finally - they don't really check in on me - I send them my updates and ask for feedback when I want it. They are good at responding to me in pretty good time and answering questions.
I do think it is a bit arbitrary - I feel like have already eliminated my obesity-related health risks and that I look pretty good. I just have never wanted to be a quitter when it comes to a goal - so I am am trying to figure out if I am just copping out on this goal, or if it was an arbitrary goal that may not be the best for me anyway!
Finally - they don't really check in on me - I send them my updates and ask for feedback when I want it. They are good at responding to me in pretty good time and answering questions.
Margo - Burnaby, British Columbia HW 283 / SW 269 / GW 160 (I'm 5'8")
Check out my blog at http://www.vsggoodlife.com/
Check out my blog at http://www.vsggoodlife.com/
Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better! I read stories from people where someone from MBC has actually called them when they didn't report in on time, and I was wondering about that, since I haven't heard from anyone and I'm sorely overdue to send an update. (Thanks, comprehensive exams!... that I take in 2 weeks!!)
I really hate the BMI--it lists my husband as overweight, even though he is NOT overweight. He is muscular and dense, but not overweight. I was always listed as overweight, too, even when I was not--also muscular. I think all weight goals are arbitrary, personally. I picked mine based on how I felt when I weighed that in the past, but I am willing to stop sooner or work for more loss if I get near 135lbs and feel like I should adjust my goal. It could be that your body likes it where you are, and you will continue to firm up and smooth out and you will be happy with where you are right now. That'd be pretty sweet, if you ask me, because it sounds like maintaining isn't horribly hard for you right now! :)
Anyway, thanks for your input. I appreciate it--makes me feel a little better. :)
I really hate the BMI--it lists my husband as overweight, even though he is NOT overweight. He is muscular and dense, but not overweight. I was always listed as overweight, too, even when I was not--also muscular. I think all weight goals are arbitrary, personally. I picked mine based on how I felt when I weighed that in the past, but I am willing to stop sooner or work for more loss if I get near 135lbs and feel like I should adjust my goal. It could be that your body likes it where you are, and you will continue to firm up and smooth out and you will be happy with where you are right now. That'd be pretty sweet, if you ask me, because it sounds like maintaining isn't horribly hard for you right now! :)
Anyway, thanks for your input. I appreciate it--makes me feel a little better. :)
Good luck on your comps! I just defended mine in Feb and am now getting ready to defend my dissertation proposal... this + 3 jobs + a rainy Vancouver "spring" = no time/motivation to exercise!
Margo - Burnaby, British Columbia HW 283 / SW 269 / GW 160 (I'm 5'8")
Check out my blog at http://www.vsggoodlife.com/
Check out my blog at http://www.vsggoodlife.com/
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