Use Your First Six Months Wisely

[swizzly 901]

I am not married like that... I can drink a mocha frap in 5 minutes. The whole thing. I did it once and won't do it again, but I can eat, throw down, and keep on going. You lost 90 pounds. You had wiggle room. But 2 years out and you never reached your goal. I am just saying...and you only had 10 more pounds to go. This may be nasty, but what if you didn't eat so much. You might be 10 pounds under goal. I am sure you are happy, but some people have 150 to 200 pounds to lose.

I don't eat "so much" -- I eat a normal amount for a woman of my size, age and activity level, and all of it is healthy food. Also, my "goal" was randomly selected, my surgeon doesn't set them, neither does the doctor or the Nut. So I picked a weight that I was when I was in my teens...quite some years ago. I'm a normal BMI and am very fit, in excellent shape. My original fake "goal" was 68 kg, so I did hit that one a few months ago, then I lowered it just for the hell of it. But there isn't a real goal, I just picked one cos everyone on the boards always asks for one. I continue to lose inches and get in better shape by my workouts.

My only point was that there is more than one way to do this. I've been successful at this, whether you agree or not is irrelevant to that fact.

ETA: I have no desire to be super far under my new, random lower goal. I don't need to be under goal. ??

[windycitymom 60]

I am not married like that... I can drink a mocha frap in 5 minutes. The whole thing. I did it once and won't do it again, but I can eat, throw down, and keep on going. You lost 90 pounds. You had wiggle room. But 2 years out and you never reached your goal. I am just saying...and you only had 10 more pounds to go. This may be nasty, but what if you didn't eat so much. You might be 10 pounds under goal. I am sure you are happy, but some people have 150 to 200 pounds to lose.

Thank you for your honesty june13. With your input, my eyes are WIDE OPEN!

Can you give us some ideas about what youve chosen to replace those habits with when you get hungry or want to eat?

[windycitymom 60]

June13 and Swizzy,

Thanks for both of your input! I think that we all have to define success for ourselves and what is healthy is different for each of us. Thank you for both weighting in!

[HeyMo35 21]

I have to chime in on this post. I am only a month out today however I stalled 3 times and the only way to break my stalls was to increase my calories. Sounds strange but thats what worked for me.

Actually this isnt strange. When we eat to little the body can stall and hold on and increasing food intake/calories is the best rememdy.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Work out four hours a day?! That's hilarious. And ridiculous.

Yes' date=' take advantage of the do-called "Honeymoon Period" to make healthy, PERMANENT changes. Going to extremes is what got us all here. And going to new extremes will not serve us well either.

Be aggressive, but be smart, too.[/quote']

Right, going to extremes causes injury and burnout. I exercise max 1 hour a day and still drop 5 lb a week ( except when in a stall). And for that hour, I am not killing myself. I have learned the hard way in the past that diet is king. No matter how much you exercise, it means very little if your diet is of the wrong foods or the wrong quantities. Now I eat like Atkins diet ( really, not that bad with the sleeve), but without the high fat. Low carb, low fat, no sugar, low sodium and moderate exercise is what works for me. Down 120 lb in 4 months with 15 lb to go. I don't really stress about eating or exercising, and i enjoy not being a slave to either. Boy do I enjoy it. My mental outlook has done a 180 since getting sleeved and changing diet. I am going to transition into an organic and/or basic diet with grains, fruits, veggies and low fat meats once I transition into maintenance mode. All is good.

[berthaeaster 20]

Guys.. I need strength!! I want to get in gym .. was sleeved on Oct16, I need to be pushed! I needed to hear that! Gotta get it !! Damn I know I can go it I just need to go hard! Jeez its hard will go in tonight to gym ! I will!

[twoolley 141]

I am not married like that... I can drink a mocha frap in 5 minutes. The whole thing. I did it once and won't do it again, but I can eat, throw down, and keep on going. You lost 90 pounds. You had wiggle room. But 2 years out and you never reached your goal. I am just saying...and you only had 10 more pounds to go. This may be nasty, but what if you didn't eat so much. You might be 10 pounds under goal. I am sure you are happy, but some people have 150 to 200 pounds to lose.

It is nasty, and was uncalled for. I doubt you liked being judged by "skinny people" before your surgery. It's not very appropriate to turn around and behave that way to another forum member.

[delta_girl 931]

I can't stand enabling or fake hiney kissing. Tell it like it is. We are adults. Not everybody wins a medal, gets a prize, nor are they entitled to win praise every time they sneeze. This is a serious topic and doesn't really have a lot of wiggle room for whining. Questions, yes. Advice, sure. Exchanges of stories and open communication, absolutely.

My doctor first yanked a knot in my attention when he told me I could survive for four months on Water alone due to my fat stores. We weren't built to exist in a constant environment of "feast." Our bodies are great at storing energy for those time periods that food is scarce, not that we have to think about that any more.

[delta_girl 931]

It is nasty, and was uncalled for. I doubt you liked being judged by "skinny people" before your surgery. It's not very appropriate to turn around and behave that way to another forum member.

I read this as an observation based on information publicly provided. It wasn't sweet, but it wasn't an attack. It is a dialogue based on a complex and touchy subject.

[sramos89 260]

Thank you for the OP. Yesterday I hit a big milestone for me, thought I was well on my way and today fell flat on my face with a binge. I need to hear this I am 7 weeks out and the weight is coming off I feel like this is going to last forever but it isn't and I need to wake up and get with the program and not waste this amazing 2nd chance at my life!

[makemyownluck 785]

I am not married like that... I can drink a mocha frap in 5 minutes. The whole thing. I did it once and won't do it again, but I can eat, throw down, and keep on going. You lost 90 pounds. You had wiggle room. But 2 years out and you never reached your goal. I am just saying...and you only had 10 more pounds to go. This may be nasty, but what if you didn't eat so much. You might be 10 pounds under goal. I am sure you are happy, but some people have 150 to 200 pounds to lose.

It doesn't sound nasty to me (but it wasn't directed at me). Many people don't like to hear the truth, and I think it's easy to be content by significant weight loss, regardless if you meet your goal, simply because it is already a major accomplishment to have lost so much. To me, that would be settling. Why would you have a major surgery to settle for less than you wanted? Should this person feel bad for not being at goal yet? No, but it would be wise not to ignore the reasons you haven't made it to goal - ignoring things is how I, personally, got to be so fat in the first place! I have over 200lbs to lose, so I find this post enlightening. I had already planned to take advantage of the first 6-12 mo, but this post really put a spotlight on how important it is to take advantage of the tool A S A P --- no "I had surgery a month ago, I can't work out!" excuses for me! (still pre-op for now)

So while I'm sure some people are quick to say this was bad or misguided advice, I appreciate it. Personally, I plan to only eat when I'm hungry and continue to use shakes post-op. (I started using them like a month ago to get myself used to them, and I actually LIKE them!) I don't want to have this surgery for nothing - or worse, be told I need to convert it to an RNY simply because I couldn't commit to giving this my all.

I'm in an extremely obese body. I need to take extreme measures to fix the problem!

[LeahMae 34]

Right' date=' going to extremes causes injury and burnout. I exercise max 1 hour a day and still drop 5 lb a week ( except when in a stall). And for that hour, I am not killing myself. I have learned the hard way in the past that diet is king. No matter how much you exercise, it means very little if your diet is of the wrong foods or the wrong quantities. Now I eat like Atkins diet ( really, not that bad with the sleeve), but without the high fat. Low carb, low fat, no sugar, low sodium and moderate exercise is what works for me. Down 120 lb in 4 months with 15 lb to go. I don't really stress about eating or exercising, and i enjoy not being a slave to either. Boy do I enjoy it. My mental outlook has done a 180 since getting sleeved and changing diet. I am going to transition into an organic and/or basic diet with grains, fruits, veggies and low fat meats once I transition into maintenance mode. All is good.[/quote']

Hello, congrats on ur,great success!!! I was wondering what ur meal plan is like for a day... Thanks!

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Hello' date=' congrats on ur,great success!!! I was wondering what ur meal plan is like for a day... Thanks![/quote']

Typically something like this:

6am: 8 oz shake light soy with matrix extended release

9am: 3 oz chicken

12 pm: 3 oz salmon or chicken

3 pm: 3 oz chicken

6 pm 3 oz Protein meal ( something my wife makes, or sometimes 3 oz chick, pork or salmon, all very lean). Sometimes a .5 oz veggie, if I really am not full by that point.

9 pm: 8 oz shake Water with matrix extended release.

Rinse, repeat.

I try and drink 125 oz of Water during the day. I also have a serving of GNC super foods extreme every few days. I exercise about an hour a day. Most of the time fast walking, but sometimes ( 2-3x a week), I will do an hour of elliptical ( 800 calls). Starting to use this shake weight infomercial device I picked up for cheap from grocery outlet. It gives your various upper body muscles a good workout. Not too serious about that yet. The moderate exercise I am doing keeps the muscles toned enough to not flab out on me and skin tone is decent. I don't stress to much about eating or exercising, but one thing I don't do is deviate from my focus. Really haven't been that tempted by the old demons, but I have already made up my mind to "just do it". There is no room for excuses or what not, just do it and that is that. As the men's warehouse guy says, " you'll like the way you look. I guarantee it." While I cannot guarantee it, I can say that the sleeve is a tool that has helped me have the discipline to reach towards goal. I don't play around with my sleeve. I take a rather objective approach that is bound to lead to success if I hold up my part of it.

[Seemebetter 24]

I was sleeved May 29th. I was 272 now I am 206. I must be honest I have not hit the gym one time. I was in a bad car accident in April...then the surgery.. I love my sleeve. Thank God for it. I would love to start getting toned... I eat about 800 or less calories a day trying to keep the Protein UP...

[It's all new 453]

We all are fat right. That is why we had or are having the surgery. It has been impossible for us to lose it on our own. Sure if we could all take a year off from life and go on the biggest loser we would be able to' date=' but who really has that luxury. So we get the surgery. Yay for us! I am so glad I got the freaking surgery.

So when you get to one year out and can eat like a semi-normal person you will not be able to lose it on your own - If you can't do it now, you won't be able to do it in a year from now. Eventually you will be able to consume enough calories and stop losing and it will be a struggle to lose the rest...IF YOU EVER DO.

So you have this window of opportunity. For me it was a good year, but for a lot of people it might only be six months and some of the lucky ones will have it forever. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR "FOOD" LIFE WILL BE LIKE IN SIX MONTHS, A YEAR OR FOREVER, but you do know you have the six months! That is six months to basically allow your body to survive off of all of your stored goodness, fatty cells. You basically could just drink Water and eat very little and be fine. So do that! I really ate 500 calories the first six months, and I didn't eat much on the weekends. I wasn't hungry, and I didn't like food because it made me feel all yucky.

My good fortune lasted me a year and two months, but I am done losing now.

I am really sad when I hear people say that they are struggling to get the weight off after a year. They still have 60 more to lose. That window is closed and the only way they will lose weight is through diet and working out and a lot of it. To get that weight off they might have to work out 3 hours a day and do all the impossible things that were a struggle to do in the first place which is why we had surgery.

Use the first six months wisely...make them count. If you are stalling then eat nothing. I am serious. Drink Water and cut your calories in 1/2. Work out for like 4 hours. You don't know how much time you will have. So for the first six months push yourself harder than you ever have. It is just six months and you have this excellent tool to help you.[/quote']

Ok, your overall point is correct - use the first 6-12 months as wisely as possible to maximize your success. I am totally with you. But it is irresponsible to give advice to people telling them to eat nothing, cut their calories in half (which if they are eating as you did would be down to 250 cal), or work out for four hours. While these things may be "stall busters" - at what cost?

What physician would recommend not eating whatsoever or even just 250 calories - I know this is a short term suggestion - but how exactly are you meeting your Protein requirements? Why would your stall not break due to muscle loss given that you are starving yourself in that way, and if that is the case why is it so all important to you? Exercise can be very healthy, and help with weight loss - but encouraging four hour workouts sounds like a recipe for injury or a path to exercise bulimia. In fact, this whole method described sounds very much like reasoning on the cusp of an eating disorder rather than someone with a plan to pursue health and wellness.

I am not saying that the OP has an eating disorder - but the advice does not sound healthy. We are in fact at risk of developing eating disorders according to my doctor, so perhaps I am a little more sensitive about this.

Meeting goal is only part of my plan - while it is extremely important to me I also want to get there in the healthiest way possible. I am taking advantage of the honeymoon but hopefully not at my own peril.