feedyoureye

I think it always valid to visit our eating/exercise profiles to make sure we are not "going down that road" At 7 months(where you are) and at 2 1/2 years I have followed my Docs and Nuts eating plan. I still am, with a drop in calories two days a week(Protein, Water, exerciser)... I ate 500 cals a day every day under my Doc and Nuts supervision 7 days a week for part of this journey already. When weight gain has become so easy, and weight loss has stopped completely before reaching goal while following plan, I think modest cuts and expanded exercise (especially weight lifting and weight bearing) exercise is a valid option. I have asked myself a few times if my behavior has become obsessive.... why yes, it looks like it... weighing every day, logging my food and wearing a fitbit could be signs of this. HOWEVER... Not doing these things lead to weight gain and unconsciousness about the factors that contribute to it. I simply can not eat by impulse and maintain. I have worked hard on dumping the attachment of self worth to the numbers on the scale, have relegated it to a tool status. I say my current and past weight in public... this I used to have so much shame about... now its just a marker of body weight to be taken in the context of health statistics. I am 60 years old(in a few days) I am 188.5 pounds (not underweight by any means)I am after 2 1/2 years 19 pounds from the top of the 'normal' weight range for my hight. I think it is important for YOU to keep track of where you are in your own life and if you would like to, support others in their journeys to better health, mental and physical, but I think your fears are unfounded here. These women have been on this road quite a long time, and what you are seeing is them not giving up on the Quest to better health all round. That is my opinion. Also, FYI to my "Wanna join me" friends, my scale went from 190.9 yesterday to 188.5 today. My scale most often shows the same number for weeks on end...to the 10th of a pound. So this drop, even water, is out of the ordinary. and this is a number I have not seen since last year. We will see how it goes....

They do say the norm loss is 1 pound a week. We are not norm, but fingers crossed! I ended at 542 cals today. Ended up needing to eat with my meds.... (forgot about that!) So had some banana.

Just looking for another "tool".

I might join after I stick to this plan for a few days.... Did anyone notice if there is any WLS people on there?

I figured I am having a B-day on Saturday, if I could drop a pound, that would be a great B-day present to myself! And having a plan in place to offset my birthday cake isn't a bad idea. Being able to eat a small amount is so much better than eating nothing like other fasts I have been on...I do feel hungry at this point, but like you all say, I know its just a day. I did a 45 minute walk, 2 miles, and felt fine. So glad you are all here doing this trial together! In a way this is a perfect diet for the sleeve, the tummy knows how to eat 500, it just takes home cooking to really make it seem less like a fast and more like regular eating in moderation.

So far so good. Im sticking to plan, just found this forum for 2:5 folks... here is the FAQ section.... http://www.52fastdiet.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=246#faq1

I dont have the book yet....but I decided to go ahead and do the semi/fast day T and Ths.... I am eating my 500, then 12 hours till the next meal... I am spreading it out over 3 mini meals... dont know if I am cursing the effort by doing this... but thats how Im doing it. 1/2 c ff greek yogurt with 1/2 c blueberrys at 8:30 am 1/2 c plane oatmeal with 1/2 c blueberrys at 11:30 am low carb veg lasagna w/cheese Breakfast Calories Protein Fat Carbs Fiber Sodium Country Barn - Old Fashioned Rolled Oats - Dry, 1/4 cup 70 3 1 14 2 0 Blueberries - Frozen, unsweetened, 0.5 cup, unthawed 40 0 0 9 2 1 Swiss Miss - Diet Hot chocolate 25 Calories, 1 packet 25 2 0 4 1 160 Add food Quick Tools 135 5 1 27 5 161 Snacks Add Food Quick Tools lunch Trader Joes - Greek Style Yogurt Nonfat Plain, 0.5 Cup (227g) 60 11 0 4 0 35 Blueberries - Frozen, unsweetened, 0.5 cup, unthawed 40 0 0 9 2 1 Add Food Quick Tools 100 11 0 13 2 36 Snacks Add Food Quick Tools dinner Sargento - Deli Style Reduced Fat Provolone Thin Slices 10 Ct cheese, 0.5 Slice 25 3 2 0 0 7 Morningstar Farms - Meal Starters - Grillers Recipe Crumbles, 0.3335 cup (55g) 40 5 1 3 2 115 Zuccini - Raw Zuccini Sliced, 1 cup (113g) 18 1 0 4 1 11 Sauce - Pasta, spaghetti/marinara, ready-to-serve, 0.25 cup 46 1 1 7 0 301 Trader Joe's - Fat Free Crumbled Feta Cheese, 1 oz (28g) 35 7 0 1 0 260 Generic - Kalamata Olives - Pitted, 5 olives 15g 45 0 5 1 0 130 Oil - Vegetable, canola, 0.5 tbsp 62 0 7 0 0 0 Add Food Quick Tools 271 17 16 16 3 887 Desert Add Food Quick Tools Totals 506 33 17 56 10 1,084 Your Daily Goal 1,402 52 46 192 16 2,500 Remaining 896 19 29 136 6 1,416 Calories Protein Fat Carbs Fiber Sodium

You are still so early out, Some gain weight up front from surgery, then lose... there is also a third week stall that may last for weeks... Just keep on plan and things will move.

Sacramento California. Good luck ladies! I may drop into this plan... but still on the sidelines watching and cheering you on!

Your TDEE is only 1545? (this includes your running 3 miles and weight lifting...right?) Mine is closer to 2000+ and I do a lot less exercise than you.... what is IIFYM? I found it.... If It Fits Your Macros

Daisy! I am so sorry to hear this... I remember when you had it done, and you would think that would be better by now... you had it done in Mexico if I remember... is there a way to talk to the Doc and find out what he has to say? In your research, is this a common problem? Tried acupuncture or other things yet?

Bikerchick. You came to the right place! Some of us are still slogging on here... and the company is good in the Vets forum! What you are experiencing is pretty normal for most of us. We are working together to get the answers we need to stay happy and healthy.... and hopefully close to goal!

Part of being a vet is not just getting to goal, its going though all the stages of the surgery maturing. 6 months is still quite early in the stages. Like lsereno said... you will be able to eat more later on. Some people don't start to get hungry again for 4 years! Others are hungry from the start. Just use your Protein drinks to get in enough protein, and work on developing a well rounded eating plan. I personally have always eaten 5-6 meals/snacks. I used Protein Drinks and bars for almost 2 years. I sometimes still will if I need to. With a small stomach, you may have to eat between meals. Just plan it, keep it healthy so it doesn't turn into grazing. Your hunger and ability to eat more WILL return. You will find that is a main topic among the vets that are here. Many have not gotten to goal after 2 years... others have gotten to goal and gained back some of the weight. These are the main topics of Vets here. Some are still trying out how to maintain... how to stop losing... when to say enough. ... and by the way... Congratulations on losing to goal!!! That is fantastic! As you are finding out, you are not at the end of your journey, so listen in, it helps me a lot and at 2 1/2 years, I am not through with my journey either!

I have found that exercise makes me feel better (I have arthritis too), it changes the shape of my body, my hip waist ratio, and adds a FEW more calories to my expenditure column I eat some of those back... On some days that might be 200+ calories extra, some days 0-100 extra.... I find that those extra calories DO help me to stay full and satisfied. I have 4 days a week I do regular exercise, I usually find something to do on two others, and total couch time on the last day. That day that I am on the couch, I am eating 1200... and its not really enough. If I throw in a pile of veggies, and do all the cooking myself, its better, but I really need more than that to maintain without hunger... and I am still trying to slowly lose a little more. I think your Nut is right about the weightloss part, but the size/shape/body composition part, and the health part shouldn't be underestimated. I find myself looking for something to do, someplace to walk so I have a few more calories to round up my intake/hunger needs. When I was eating more calories following the TDEE eat more plan, I was not hungry. That was great!.... By the way, I will be 60 next week, and the body is not getting any younger... I find the exercise (moderate! Walking, dancing, gardening, and some weights- I will only do things that I enjoy, never been a sporty person) helps keep me in the game.

I did fasting diets a few times though the years,I have fasted every other day (water only) for weeks, lose 3- gain 2..... And I have done carrotjuice/orange juice fasts... two weeks while living in India, lost 15 pounds.... but neither of these are long term plans. I may try the 2-5 fast-diet... not ready to quite yet....I'll let you be the test subjects for a while!

http://youtu.be/z93R45gV02Q

Not a bad idea

I have had my nose pierced since 1975. When i came home, with my hand over my nose... my mom shook her head and looked worried. After a couple of days my dad said "Its not that I love you less, its that I might take you out to dinner less!" He was serious. Years later, he told me he doesn't even notice it any more, and who cares. I got a tattoo for my 55th birthday, my dad really does not like that, but when I showed it to my folks, they said how many do you have? I said that was it, and they said they were sure I must have had more before, a really... no big deal. I say do what means something to you... the rest will shake out. At least that is what happened for me....and with the nose ring, the only pierced noses you saw at the time were in National Geographic!

Sounds like a tough week ladies! Chin up! Most of us know how to maintain, its just that most of us have called it a stall in the past! I don't mean to make light of it. This whole weight loss, weight gain, maintain thing is still pretty much a mystery at times! Glad I'm alive, glad I have some tools, and loving life is the tool that REALLY pays off.

Globe, you have been eating at TDEE for 5 weeks? You are supposed to gain a little if you do that... when you quit gaining at your tdee(usually by 8 weeks), then you make a cut of 20%, that when you start losing and go below your original plateau- and you shape changes...thats the story anyway! As the "eat more/lose more" posts say, not for the impatient! It is super scary to trust the plan too, gaining is NOT what anyone here wants to do! I know your super frustrated, I can be too and I am only 20 pounds from goal and I do not do half as much stuff as you do! I think find some joy in life, I worry about how much stress and anger and frustration you have... I know I have to have a place of joy going on, when all else fails, life is still at least a little sweet...

Strange, Just wonder if you have seen the Dr. and how your doing?

That is MFP's goal for me.. I never reach it. I always go over their goal on Protein as well. They have some sliding scale numbers, as I do more exercise, the numbers all go up. If I don't move much in a day, they say eat 1200 and the other numbers are low too. I try to keep my exercise up so I have more wiggle room to eat. I don't usually eat back all my exercise, but most days I do eat some/most of it.

Slowing the heck down is your answer. You don't want any leaks at this point and I does take MONTHS for the tummy to completely heal... like maybe 6 months....

I feel more like "Me". I used to look in the mirror, and could never quite recognize myself there. I always bought new clothing, hoping I would look like "Me" when I put them on, but just didn't. I feel more like myself now, even with the lose skin and enhanced wrinkles...I am also in better shape than I have been for years...This makes me happier. That being said, when I got this surgery my Dr. mentioned that people can get depressed after getting the surgery, and they weren't sure why... chemical changes, expectations..?. and sometimes I do feel chemically depressed...just slightly but noticeable... I am still VERY happy I did the surgery, it has been a big part of me finding the strength to make my life better on the whole.

Honestly, sometimes I can't tell the difference between head hunger(emotional?), real hunger(what is that? Empty stomach?Many here eat so little, I would think we could experience real hunger a lot of the time!)and perhaps other kinds of hunger....craving some nutrient for a good reason...carb or more likely, high glycemic index food addiction.. Thats the one that gets me... if I eat more high glycemic index foods, I crave more. This was my prob in the past, pre surgery as well... having the sleeve is def an advantage, but those sliders go down pretty easy and in quantity if allowed. I have always eaten lower, but not low carb for the past 28 months, sometimes being good with the glycemic index...sometimes not. I had a gaining spurt at around 18-24 months, then got it under control by upping my exercise and mostly being more accountable for what I was eating. I have tried a few different approaches since the first of this year...eating more, tracking my energy expenditure with fitbit/myfitnesspal.... and managed to lose 5 of the gained pounds...this week I decided to eat under the Vegetarian/southbeach stage one program...(REALLY struggeled to get started on that...I didn't want to cut the bread and such...) which is a low glycemic index and higher Protein plan...and I just dropped 1 1/2 pounds the first day..., know its Water, but happy to see a different number. I am making this change because I have noticed increased hunger, and when I used this plan years ago, I felt a huge relief from hunger I had never felt before. After one day, I have very little hunger and it is easy to tell when I am wanting to eat for the insulin rush. That is only after one day. Here is my nutrition breakdown for the day yesterday if you are interested.