Progress Not Perfection... But.....

[gettinthinner 4]

I am just wondering if a person starts at less than 200 lbs. therefore maybe having less to lose than some others, is their rate of weight less than heavier folks? I want to appreciate my progress and know that is better than wishing for perfection. But I do get frustrated when I seem to eat so little yet lose only one pound per week. I read about so many who lose so much weight in a short time. I do feel happy that I have lost 50 lbs in less than 3 months but it isn't exactly dropping off lately, I still have huge problems with getting enough Fluid and wonder if this is affecting my lack of loss AND.. I am so constipated all the time. I have finally started exercising and expect that I am going to have to be serious about exercise to lose my last 25 lbs. It is hard to be patient and hard to read about people losing 75 lbs in the same time that I have lost 50. My nutritionist told me that I wasn't eating enough or on schedule so I am trying to ensure that I do eat Breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is hard to believe that I should eat more in order to lose weight. It sure is a challenge to adjust my thinking after having tried so many diets etc. I guess it has left me with not the most sensible approach to eating.

I still have so many issues that I struggle with:

- getting enough fluid

- eating three meals per day especially when not necessarily hungry

- finding the discipline to exercise

- being patient with weight loss

- feeling confident about my success thus far.

Oh well, I will catch on eventually. It is difficult to be patient and I am anxious to reach my goal. I know I have to be patient. It is just hard to remain hopeful and believe that I will reach my goal, I suppose after so many years of dieting that I probably am looking for the end of a diet as they always have ended in the past. Oh, ended with eventual failure and weight gain. That's where the new thinking must kick in. That this is a life long new way of eating.

I haven't been reading the forum lately and realize that it is so helpful and offers such good support. Perhaps I just need to spend some time reading through the helpful advice and experiences of others. Thanks for listening!

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Wow, you lost 50 lbs in 3 months! That's fantastic! It's better to lose the weight a little slower so as to not have so much loose skin. But you will loose slower now that you are closer to goal. Keep doing what your doing and drink a lot of Water and get in some exercise. Your doing great! Keep Rocking that Sleeve and you will loose.

[azquilter92 82]

I think you are being to hard on yourself.I have always heard that when you do eat it is suppose to get your metabolism going.and if you dont eat ,your body thinks its going into starvation mode,and works and not letting you lose weight.I know it seems strange.I am never hungry and I have to think about eating and making sure I get enough fliuds and Im positive that you are not alone with your struggles,just try to think positively and thats what this forum is for

[audi920 0]

Hi GettinThinner, I haven't been banded yet, but my weight is about the same as yours. I have a totally unrelated question. Have you found that you have a lot of excess skin after losing 50 pounds? I'm hoping since I may not have as much to lose as some, there will be less sag. Thanks! (and I think 50 pounds in 3 months is fantastic - congratulations!!)

[carbgrl 119]

I weighed 201 on the date of my surgery. I'm a slow loser. I have hypothyroidism. I lose an average of about a pound a week. I'll be 3 mos out in a couple of weeks. I've lose 31 lbs including my pre-op diet so 50 lbs sounds awesome. I exercise about 6 days a week and my cals average 800 per day. I have no problems getting enough Fluid in.

I think you're doing great. Keep it up.

[Lissa 2,631]

Comparing yourself to others is just as bad as weighing yourself every day. Both are surefire ways to make yourself feel terrible! 50 pounds is amazing in only 3 months! Pat yourself on the back and give yourself kudos for that! Have you taken your measurements? that's an ESSENTIAL to do. Your measurements will show you that your body is reshaping itself, even if you aren't losing pounds. I'd rather weigh 200 pounds and wear a size 12 than weigh 200 pounds and wear a 16, wouldn't you? My personal weight loss has slowed down, but now I'm watching my body firm up and dropping sizes in a hurry. You will do the same!

Don't give up hope. You WILL get there!

[gettinthinner 4]

Hi GettinThinner, I haven't been banded yet, but my weight is about the same as yours. I have a totally unrelated question. Have you found that you have a lot of excess skin after losing 50 pounds? I'm hoping since I may not have as much to lose as some, there will be less sag. Thanks! (and I think 50 pounds in 3 months is fantastic - congratulations!!)

Hi:

Thanks for the encouraging words. I am not sure if you should compare my weight loss to what you can expect. I say this because I just got off the phone with a friend who had surgery the same time as I did. We became friends postoperatively. Anyway, she has had a different experience than i regarding excess skin. What I have to admit, keep in mind I am a bit critical of myself, is that I am saggy compared to any other time in my life when I have weighed this weight. BUT and this is my big but, ha, ha, in fact I have little butt left, is that I believe this may be related to age more than weight loss. I hate to admit it. So if you are not my age which I will tell only you, (another chuckle) is 56. My boobs have turned to saggy, empty looking things. But I tell myself that a padded bra fixes that problem well enough. My legs are saggy at the very top which upsets me as I have always, maintained good legs even when I gained weight. Now the tops are flabby. Of course my upper arms are flabby but were before the surgery too. My face which thankfully no longer looks like it might explode, now shows wrinkles and I deserve them living in the sun and perhaps being 56. But it does shock me to see them.

I hope I haven't sounded too negative. I am convinced that it is my age, combined with weight loss that has left me with some saggy parts. But I am happy to be thinner. If you are younger, and have more elasticity in your skin, and are more inclined to exercise than I have been, then perhaps you will not have to worry about these complaints. Now that I am saying this I wonder if this thinking is what I need in order to get on track with the gym and find out what exercises I need to do to help eliminate the saggy bits. My stomach is flabby but I am trying to remain hopeful that exercise might tighten some of this up. I have a friend who lost 180 lbs. three years ago and wow, she has loads of hanging skin on her legs and I think her stomach. But she is as happy as can be knowing that she has lost that weight and kept it off. I try to think like her and am glad to have lost the weight even if I lost my rear end and boobs. Isn't is the way.... we lose first the parts that we don't really need to lose! My stomach is still hanging on!

I am wishing you well in your surgery. Time flies by and before you know it, it will be a distant memory as it is for me less than 3 months later! It is all so worth it but as I tell others, it isn't all easy and it does require work and for me, a lot of mental adjustments, with old habits hard to change and crazy thinking sometimes cropping back up.

Good luck and don't worry too much about any negative aspects. The weight loss outweighs the side effects. Perhaps other members can tell you how to avoid having saggy skin. I should look for that advice myself!

[audi920 0]

Hello again ~ I've got two years on you! I never even thought about the 'boobs' part or the wrinkled face. Maybe if I keep using the Retin-A, it'll be of some help. I guess it's common sense that as we age, our skin is far less elastic Wish the surgery would've been easily accessible 20 years ago!!. Everytime I hear someone mention age, as related to the surgery, I cringe!! I keep telling myself it's the health aspect, but I hope the day will come when it won't take 6 hours of shopping trying to find something that won't make me look fat! I AM fat, so how do I even imagine I could not look fat? Where is a garment like that? I wouldn't need the surgery if I could find one - ha! ha! Can't wait til this is a distant memory, but my inusrance requires a 6 month diet and I have 5 more to go

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. You've lost an awesome amount of weight in a short time!!! But I get what you're saying - stalls are not fun!