Slow loser here who is trying to not get depressed.

Your second sentence is one you need to post on your bathroom mirror. Quit comparing. I know it's hard, but here's another take - when was the last time you lost 25# in only 7 weeks - and with a reasonable certainty of KEEPING it off?

I'd give credit, but I don't remember who said this: drink your water, eat your protein, exercise every day and never push your sleeve. Simple rules for long term success. (You're in this for the long run, right?)

Your dietitian will have given you an eating plan. Follow it, with those 4 rules in mind. I bet she gave you a goal for "water," right? Make a plan to get it all in every day. How much protein did she give as your goal? (Usually somewhere between 60 and 80 grams) Make a plan for that, too. Exercise - at 5 weeks out and having a cold, maybe start with a 10-15 minute walk. Doing SOMEthing is so much better than nothing.

Never pushing your sleeve is trickier, but start paying close attention when eating and drinking. Slight pressure behind your breastbone is your sleeve saying it's full. Stop there - there will be other meals. Other full signals are hiccups, a burp, sneezing, watery eyes, drippy nose - you'll soon find yours.

Your dietitian isn't telling you to eat low carb, so don't get tied up in knots about carbs. Carbs are not the enemy - junk calories, grazing, mindless nibbling, "snack food," over filling your sleeve, dehydration - those are the enemies.

Thank you for your post.  I will get there.  I am looking forward to walking this afternoon.  I just thought I would try lower carbs to ward off any carb cravings, etc.  Thanks so much for your advice.  I love the support on this board. 

If you are a lightweight, the loss can feel slower. 15 lb in 5 weeks isn't slow. Congrats on 3 lbs a week loss.

Honestly, if you think you will be a slow loser, you have to put on your big girl undies and get ready for the long haul. I've wanted to give up many, many times, but I WILL reach my ultimate goal of 135. I will. And really, does it ******g matter how long it takes me? It took me 20 years to get fat, so if it takes me 2 or more years to get to my goal, does that make it any less awesome?? You have to separate the emotion from the scale. Trust me, I know how hard this is to do.

Stop spending time feeling sorry for something you aren't even sure of at only 5 weeks post op. Focus on learning about yourself and making good habits that you feel will last a long time. I suggest that you DON'T try too many new types of foods or experiment with your diet too much for the first 6 months. Some people that lose a lot very quickly feel they can experiment all they want and that's fine for them, but as a slow loser, I can tell you that it is better in those first 6 months stick close to the things that you know work.

Make some goals that have NOTHING to do with a set timeline. Things like - at 50% EWL I will threat myself to a 1 hour massage. Yes, it is still tied to weight and the scale, but there is no timeline attached to it.

And yes, stop looking at other people's weight loss. Just do you. In the last 17 months, I've watched a lot of people come and go. They get to about 3/4 of the way to their goal (about 9 months post op) and they let it go. Then they come back determined to lose the rest. Then they leave. Then they come back REALLY determined to do it this time. Then? Yep, they're gone again.

Figure out what you need to stay at this until you get to your goal. Staying on OH has helped me. Reading the maintenance and starting a plan for when I get to maintenance helped me even more.

You can do this.

Thank you so much.  People on this board are very supportive and always seem to know just what to say even if I don't always want to hear it.  I will get there.  I have the determination, but sometimes my emotions get the better of me.  This surgery was my last hope, and I just have a lot of fear.  I overcame fear when I rolled down to the operating room, and I will overcome it now.  Thanks to everyone who took the time to post, I am in better spirits and ready to get er done! :) 

Write down your fears. I don't do MFP because I think it's a load of bull**** I think it is designed for people who don't want to take time to deal with, or take ownership of their own head **** So instead, they analyze and so congratulate themselves by analyzing other people's food journals. The ONLY way I would ever do MFP is if I kept my stuff private. But, that's just me. Some people love MFP.

I do use a food and weight tracker. In the food tracker that I use, I can go in and make little notes to myself. Every once in awhile I go back and look at what I wrote and it usually makes me laugh. When I hit 185, I wrote "I'm afraid I'll never see any lower weight than this. It's the lowest I've ever been." Well, at 150, I can now laugh at that fear.

Now I'm just afraid that I will never get under 140. See?? Gotta keep working on the head ****

This is a journey. Pull up your big girl undies and get to work on the rest of your life.

You can totally do this.

 

I wish you were on MFP, I like you & I think you're hilarious. I only use MFP because I'm such a picky eater & it helps me get some meal ideas by seeing what other people are eating. Plus, it's so much easier to keep track of my cals, carbs, proteins & things like that. You should consider it. I'm very honest & track everything under MFP even my chocolate & I'm surprised I haven't gotten barked at by anyone. Lol

Even if I was on MFP, I wouldn't have any friends. A little anonymity is a good thing, imo. But, I do like the tracker that i use.

But, I would be your friend - it would have to be secret though.

 

Lmao- you're crazy & I like it!!! I love that lil ninja face.

I use MFP as a food tracker mainly,  my food diary is private because honestly it's just for me and I don't need/want comments on what I eat.   But it's also nice to keep track and encourage others on there,  so I don't think it's a load of BS.   I also use Fitday on the PC but I find the interface on MFP (and the ability to scan barcodes with my phone) to be better.      Whatever tracker works for you!

 

I like the idea of a tracker I could add notes to. What's it called?