The last 20 pounds

[LapNYC 3]

Until now, I haven't suffered too much. I've exercised like a madwoman and been very good (not perfect) diet-wise, but it has all been sustainable and not all that painful. I'm stuck here, twenty pounds above my goal, and I can't seem to make the scale move. For those of you who reached goal, do you have to take it to a whole new level to finish the job? Should I get a fill? Right now I can eat whatever I want, albeit a little carefully. I have started to think about food more than I used to though. I'm sure the answer is to step up the exercise and cute the calories (I can't really cut carbs any further), but it's really going to hurt! Is that just life? Get a fill? This is a plateau like any other? I know this is a good problem to have, but it's rough working this hard and not getting anywhere!

[LeighaMason 19]

My last 15 were the hard ones..I had to stop drinking wine completely, I was eating a very regimented diet, and I used a cross training program that was different every time I worked out to keep my body guessing (I wrote a blog on each workout). The good news is once I started getting really serious I lost the last 15 in about 3 months.

[Mimilou2004 13]

Why don't you go into Maintenance Mode for a few weeks but keep your exercise cranked up. That will help you mentally avoid the "P" word and will give you a break. Maintenance is hard work but after a few weeks you will get re-energized to attack those lat 20.

Best wishes, Mimi

[Humming Bird 275]

After the first 100 pounds my weightloss slowed to an almost stop. I'm just riding it out and dropping about 1 pound a month. I too toss around the idea of another fill, but not so sure that will be the right thing to do. I am just enjoying the huge amount of weightloss for the moment and letting my brain catch up.

[vlp1968 83]

If your finding yourself getting a bit hungrier I would talk to your doc. about a fill. Also, changing up your excersise and calorie intake may help. Do different cardio. Eat different calories each day, say 1200 one day, 900 the next et.. Hope the rest of the weight comes off soon!

[BetsyB 9]

I'm heading into the final stretch, too--and things are definitely slowing down.

The fact that you're feeling hungrier and "able to eat anything" tells me that maybe a fine-tuning fill would be a good idea. A small fill might make it easier to make the dietary tweaks it sounds like it might be necessary to employ.

What are you eating? You say you can't cut carbs more, but are you carefully choosing their sources? (I ask, because I lose most effectively if I stick to veggie and legume sources, with some fruit, as well. I aim for <50 grams net carb/day.)

Do you journal? Using fitday.com helps me identify little ways to tweak things when I get frustrated. Being able to see the breakdown is really helpful.

[velvets143 2]

Until now, I haven't suffered too much. I've exercised like a madwoman and been very good (not perfect) diet-wise, but it has all been sustainable and not all that painful. I'm stuck here, twenty pounds above my goal, and I can't seem to make the scale move. For those of you who reached goal, do you have to take it to a whole new level to finish the job? Should I get a fill? Right now I can eat whatever I want, albeit a little carefully. I have started to think about food more than I used to though. I'm sure the answer is to step up the exercise and cute the calories (I can't really cut carbs any further), but it's really going to hurt! Is that just life? Get a fill? This is a plateau like any other? I know this is a good problem to have, but it's rough working this hard and not getting anywhere!

I am right there with you, almost word for word. Getting so frustrated with it. But that wasn't helpful so I went back to journaling and logging my intake and activity and I found that I was cheating a lot more than I thought. I have 2 weeks to go until my 1 year banding anniversary so I am trying to stay really committed and see how well I can do. Really want to end my year on a positive note. If I can get through the first year and lose 110 pounds, does it matter if I give myself 6 months to get off the last 20 pounds? Good luck, strength, and willpower to all of us:thumbup:

[LapNYC 3]

Thanks all, for the great advice. Indeed I might just sit on this for a bit and just step up the exercise a little. The exercise part is easy and fun for me whereas I still looove my food!

Betsey - I eat a ton of fish and nuts. I don't eat any bread/rice/potatoes now, but I'm sure that the other carb sources add up a bit. I should journal, although I hate to be confronted with my portion sizes. I can definitely eat a hunk of fish! I'll check out fitday...

I don't drink a ton but I suppose I could lose that as well. It's just that I have a very nice lifestyle right now. I can drink socially and eat safely in public. These are tough things to give up. I'm tempted to get the Tummy Tuck and boob lift and call it a day, but I also don't want to just "settle".

I'll try a combination of the above suggestions and check back in a few weeks. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to advise!