Globetrotter

2 days in to the new calorie levels, I lost 1.5 lbs. Two more days, and it came back. Now I don't know what to do.

Have the ricotta bake as soon as you are allowed onto mushies - you will loooove it! The recipe is somewhere in recipes.

Congratulations!! What do you think did it? I had a bad stall recently that I broke (I hope!) with a big increase in calories. What did you do?

Well first of all, tell us how much you are eating now: total calories, carbs, protein, etc.

Well, I don't know about hooray just yet, but, cautious optimism. =)

UPDATE - I changed my calories. Today is Monday, Saturday and Sunday I ate almost 1200 calories. It was exhausting, I never seemed to stop eating and when you have no hunger or desire to eat, it can get obnoxious pretty quick. However. I weighed myself this morning and ... I'm down a pound and a quarter. This is seriously stunning news. I went 5 weeks with absolutely zero movement on the scale - zero, unless you count constipation weight gain and actual gain when I thought going super low cal (600) was the way to go. I have been stuck at 235 for a month and after 48 hours on higher calorie I lose over a pound? Awesome! Now, I don't know what this means, it could just be reactionary weight loss. It has only been 2 days, I will continue the 1200 for 2 more days and keep exercising and monitor. Now I wonder if I should do a reverse shock - stay at 1200 five days a week, then drop down to 800 two days a week. We'll see. The thing is, when I first went from 600 to 800 calories I had initial success that first week, and then no more. If that happens again, I can't just keep increasing my calories.

That's a really good idea Tiff, getting checked for insulin resistance. I'll see if they can do that out here. I try not to stress too much, I take hot showers, listen to good music while on the elliptical, listen to classical while at my desk, get 8 hours sleep. I've decided that I have to do something drastic - I'm going to eat 1000 calories for the next 3 days and see what happens. They will be clean calories - low carb Protein shakes and bars added to my regular foods. I will also up my carbs to 50 grams a day rather than in the teens. According to my BMR if I want to lose 2 pounds a week I should be taking in 1800 calories, well that's not possible unless I was doing IV nutrition so my compromise is 1000. That's 300 calories more than my average so it's still a big difference. I'm also going to space the food out into 5 little meals instead of 3. Let's see what happens!

<br /><br /><br /> Oh how I wish this were true for me, but it isn't. I track every single morsel that goes in my mouth, I keep my carbs lower than low, and my food choices pristine. Yet, I'm not losing weight. The party line of VSG is that on such low calories it is impossible not to lose weight. Well, here I am. I exercise 5 days a week, 30 minutes elliptical, full weights rotation. I eat 80+ grams protein, 10-20 grams carbs, 60-90 ounces Water, every day. Not only have I stopped losing weight (a month without loss), but I have gained. I do not eat bread, potatoes, rice, grains, etc. I am supposed to be on 600 calories a day.

I track EVERYthing that goes in my mouth - everything. (BTW - coffee creamer, 10 calories). I would love to blame this on my cycle but considering that I haven't lost any weight in 3 weeks it's not the cycle.

Wow, that's convoluted, lol! If I did it correctly, then I should be eating ... 1800 calories a day! That's physically impossible, unless I'm sucking down high calorie Protein shakes all day long. Does any sleever anywhere take in that much?? Tiffykins, where are you, I need your input! If that was the case, wouldn't my surgeon have told me this, instead of 600? If there are any sleevers out there who lost at least 12 lbs a month during the first 6 months, please contact me!

honesty is key, imo. Although I don't advertise, I also don't keep it a secret and when a co-worker felt it was okay to tell everyone they met about my surgery, I took him aside and very clearly told him that this was my information to tell, not his. With real friends I have been intimately honest and I'm proud that they have been so with me. One of my closest friends, we were housemates freshman year in college, has admitted that she might experience some jealousy as I start to approach and then eclipse her size. I have in turn admitted that I am really scared that friends will ditch me (its happened before) when I start to be not-fat. She has said she won't ditch me and I've promised to not become an airhead b**ch. =)

Well I stopped losing weight over a month ago, exactly when I incorporated a weights routine into my daily exercise and made my cardio more intense (elliptical instead of tread). On 800 calories not only have I stopped losing weight, but I have gained a pound and a half. I'm devastated. I'm going back to 600 calories for a week to see if it helps. I'm afraid though that eating so little will f*** up my metabolism and BMR in the long run and that this is the real reason why wls-ers end up gaining after they reach goal. I'm afraid that my metabolism will be so screwed up that any deviation from 600 calories will result in weight gain. help me, please.

I sincerely apologize if it sounds like I'm taking out my frustrations on you good folks, but, ahhhh! I've had it up to here with people claiming I must be in "starvation mode". My surgeon wants me on 600 calories and the last time I believed in the whole starvation mode stuff I went up to 800. After that first week on 800 my weight loss slowed down even more. Now I'm at a g** d*** standstill. No, I take that back, I'm not at a standstill - I'M GAINING WEIGHT. Yes, I am genuinely gaining weight.. Those 2 pounds that were supposed to be Water weight or the result of too much thanksgiving turkey? Haven't gone away. So I'm F***ING MISERABLE. I'M F***ING GAINING WEIGHT. At 750-800 calories a day, 25-40 carbs, and 70+ grams Protein, I am gaining weight. 30 minutes of elliptical and a full rotation of weight machines, and I am gaining weight. I'm thinking of going back to my surgeon's recommendation of 600 calories. I haven't lost any weight in a month. I'm so freaked out, it's not even funny. And I can't go to my NUT about this, she's one of those people that no matter what you tell her you're doing, you're not doing the right thing. It won't occur to her to think that maybe something else is going on or that her sainted and holy calorie regimen isn't right for me. My surgeon has done a bunk so no help there. Feel very alone and without professional guidance.

I am keen on learning answers to this as well. I used to just do 30 minutes a day of moderate treadmill walking. Then I changed it up: elliptical instead of treadmill, going faster and farther with more body involvement than treadmill - 20 minutes. Also, weights, 7 different machines that work arms, chest, stomach, inner/outer thighs, etc. 3 sets of 12, lifting the most I can lift in a single rep. It feels great, don't get me wrong, and the euphoria that floods through my body after a demanding set is practically sexual (hee hee). But I've stopped losing weight. It's been 3+ weeks and I have only lost 1.5 pounds. I don't want to quit the weights and lose the strength I have gained because of them, and I don't have time for a longer workout, I'm already getting up at 5 as it is. I take in between 700-800 calories a day, try to keep carbs under 30 grams, Protein over 70. If anyone has any answers I would love to hear them.

I work out 5 days a week, sometimes 6. I do 20 minutes of swift elliptical then a rotation of 7 weights machines. On those machines I do 3 sets of 12 reps at the highest weight I can lift. I lay out my gym clothes the night before and have everything ready to go so that I have no excuses. I go at 0500. My problem now is that ever since I added in the weights (I used to just do 30 minutes of treadmill walking) I have stopped losing weight. I don't really know if one has to do with the other, but I have examined everything and it's the only thing I can think of to explain my sudden halt although, why? Shouldn't I actually lose more or faster, with a diversified routine? So the 2nd problem is that I am so discouraged by not losing any weight no matter the effort I put in. that it could become awfully easy to say ahh f*** it, there's no point it's not helping anyway. I don't want to think that way! I would love to do more cardio but there just isn't time and in my particular situation, I can legitimately say that! I'm already getting up at 5am to work out for 45 minutes before putting in a 12 hour day at work and trying to go to bed by 8:30.

That is so unfair, 100 pounds! (congratulations) I had my surgery on July 14th and have only lost 50 and now it looks like my loss has come to a screeching halt even though I have followed the guidance to the letter! What have you done that your weight loss is so awesome? Exercise, food, etc.?

Nope, not me. It is December now, so of course I wear a fleece in the mornings outdoors, but othewise, nope, not cold! Maybe I haven't lost enough weight yet for that to kick in. Also, I am 5 months out and am also in a stall - without overeating. I track every single mouthful of food in my online food tracker to keep me on the right path and even with that, I lost one stinkin' pound three weeks ago, and nothing since! To say it is depressing is putting it mildly.

I guess I'm just shocked; we sleevers are so fond of saying "it's physically impossible not to lose weight when you work your sleeve, blah blah blah". Yet, here I am. A model patient, doing everything I am supposed to, not losing weight. Protein, carbs, fat, calories, exercise, water, supplements - all textbook. And in my opinion, losing 1 pound 3 weeks ago and none since, does not qualify as weight loss in my book. It's miserable.

I had my thyroid tested 2 years ago and they said I was on the high side of normal, that yes someday it might turn into Hashimotos. They cannot do thyroid testing out here, I believe, but I will check again. As for how I'm doing today, that's easy: if the scale shows a loss, then it's a good day. If it doesn't, then it isn't. Today it didn't.

Day of surgery I was 294, today I am 235.8 and 20 weeks post-op. Surgery was 14 July. The first 20 pounds were dropped in the first 2 weeks so it has taken me almost 4 months to drop about 35 pounds. My surgeon said I would drop 75 pounds by the end of the 3rd month. It's just that, if I am only losing a pound a week - and that is only happening with intensive exercise and diet vigilance - then there was no reason to have the surgery, and I spent all that money FOR NOTHING. The last time I dieted (long before surgery)I worked out with a trainer twice a day 6 days a week and weighed and charted every morsel that went in my mouth. I lost a pound a week. No f***ing difference. I put in a moderate/intense workout 5 days a week, eat 800 carefully logged calories a day, less than 30 grams of carbs, and lots of Water and Vitamins. I lose a pound a week. It's devastating. And before anyone suggests it, yes I have done all the things we do to "shake" up the loss; changed calories higher, changed them lower, changed up the exercise, drank more water, diversified the foods, etc etc etc etc.

I am 5 months out, today I will eat: 1 whey Protein shot 2 turkey-cream cheese roll ups 2 oz baked chicken with 2 oz cheese, melted 2 oz fuyu persimmon 3 oz chicken breast with 2 oz cheese, melted chicken fills me up to uncomfortable after only a very little, while something like swiss steak or meatloaf I can eat 6 ounces no problem. Today I'm eating about 630 cals but usually I take in 800. I try to keep carbs below 25.

Had Thanksgiving yesterday, it was nice. Thank goodness for my online diet tracker, I was able to calculate how much feast I could indulge in safely. =) I had 3 oz turkey, 1/4 cup gravy, 2 tbsp of stuffing, 1 tbsp sweet potatoes, and 4 ounces of pumpkin pie with a tbsp of whipped cream, plus about 5 little shrimps with cocktail sauce. Mind you, this food was eaten over the course of lunch and dinner. I came in only 30-40 calories over normal but my carb count was through the roof - I normally take in 20-30 grams a day and yesterday it was 100!!!!!!!!! So with trepidation I got on the scale this morning - up half a pound. I could have wept. So needless to say, today I am barely going to take in 600 calories with almost zero carbs and tomorrow morning I am going to sweat buckets at the gym. As for how I am doing today, not so hot. I am depressed that in one week I will hit my 5 month mark and even though I've done everything the surgeon told me to do, I've barely lost 55 pounds. It is horribly unfair. 5 months out, I should have lost 100 pounds by now. It's just so unfair. How is it possible to do everything right and eat so little, and not lose weight? How? Can somebody please tell me? I only have a 9 month window of rapid weight loss the surgeon told me, that means I am over the halfway point, and I have less time to lose it. This makes me very sad, angry, and depressed.

I've only lost 58 pounds so far so I don't have the issues yet, but once I crossed over the 50 pound mark I noticed some changes including intense dryness and creping. I'm lifting weights, hoping that will stave off the super flab. from day of surgery to goal weight is 164 pounds so no doubt there will be some flab. I do hope to get some reconstructive surgery if it is really bad, particularly the pannus region and thighs. I really want to get my breasts done but have heard that you can't breastfeed once you've had them done. I don't think I would get implants, there's plenty of raw material to work with! =)

It's all about Old Navy online plus size sales, you can get pants for 7 bucks, shirts for 5, and their clothing is generously proportioned.

I think when I return to the States I will buy one of those Starbucks cups that looks like their clear plastic throw-away cups but is actually a travel mug, you know what I'm talking about? I think I will buy one of those and decant super yummy protein shakes into them and take a pretty little plate filled with protein focused treats from Eggface's blog and go to coffee shops. I'll sit down at a table, spread out my tasty treats on a pretty plate, sip my drink, and make all the people jealous of my yummy goodies. I'm a huge fan of theworldaccordingtoeggface blog and think she has the right idea, making our protein requirements attractive to the palette AND the eye.