August Sleevers-How are you doing??

[XYZXYZXYZ1955 675]

My surgeon thinks I'm halfway; I think I'm a quarter of the way. I'm on my way, anyway.

I'm at a transition point--I moved two days ago, out of a very kind friend's home and into a sublet apartment. Part of this transition is the opportunity to get back to the way I should be eating--I've spent the last four months surrounded by temptations of every kind--white bread, rice, potatoes, Pasta, sweets, you name it. So I did my first shopping for the new apartment very mindfully and didn't buy any of those things (except for a small loaf of pumpernickel bread).

I've also (somewhat reluctantly) taken an apartment with a flight of stairs outside--boy, do I hate stairs. Especially outside in the winter. But so far . . . knees still don't hurt. This might actually be good for me.

I guess what I really have to share is this: It doesn't matter if you slip or make some bad choices along the way. Every day, every month is a new chance to do better. That's where I am now.

[Jeaniered 183]

Started at 304 got down to 283 before sleeve on 8 August. Lost fast a beginning around 30 pounds first month, then it slowed down, nearly 6 months later I have lost 75 pounds. Now 229 and losing on average 2 pounds a week. Sometimes the scales don’t move but the tape measure does, I have gone down more that 5 dress sizes. I used to dread stalls, drove me mad in the beginning now I just follow the pattern and wait for it to pass. Its years since I have been so happy within myself. I feel normal, wear wonderful clothes and am so much healthier.

I want to lose more, and stick religiously to Proteins and very few carbs, I struggle with Water and never quite make it. However, if I didn’t lose another pound I would still be so much happier than this time last year.

[Jill4329 36]

Weight loss has slowed but surgeon says it’s to be expected. I am more than halfway to what I have said was my goal all along - 150 -which would be a loss of 149 pounds. I am at 88 lost now, so well on the way. When I reach 199, that will be 100 pounds lost and getting below 200 all at the same time so I’m focused on that now and will post pictures when I get there.

I agree very much about every day being a chance to do better. We all slip and stall and stress but we just keep trying and working at it.

[TeeS41 2]

Hello all! My surgery was 8/17/2017. I'm only down 43 lbs since surgery. I've had many stalls, due to me having difficulty achieving my Water goal and not having an appetite to eat. I wasn't getting enough water and Protein in. I finally upped my water and protein and now the the weight is starting to come back off again. Now I need to really get motivated to get off my butt and get more exercise in. All my skin is starting to get flabby and loose now. LOL

Good luck to everyone on their healthy weight loss journeys!

[Jeaniered 183]

Hi everyone, 6 months in and I wondered how many calories a day everyone’s eating. I try hard to stick to 800 and manage 99% of the time. I try to exercise but a knee replacement slows my down. I’m Seeing my surgeon next week and I’ve been told he might increase my calorie intake to 1000 per day? Would I still lose weight? Although I can only eat a small amount at a time, I do find I’m hungry more often and am fighting not to graze.

[etc. etc. etc. 440]

I eat 1200 a day. I had let it edge up a bit over time, and as long as I was losing weight, I figured that was fine. Recently, I tried to see if I could pull off 1300 with a bit more carbs. That stopped everything dead in its tracks.

So now I'm back to 1200 a day with 45 grams of carbs or less. And the weight loss has resumed.

I do think you may want to consider edging your calories up in increments rather than jumping straight to a higher number. It's less of a shock to the system and it's easier to see where it happens if you start to plateau.

[LaLaDee 519]

On 01/02/2018 at 7:34 AM, HDScarlett said:

5 hours ago, etc. etc. etc. said:

I eat 1200 a day. I had let it edge up a bit over time, and as long as I was losing weight, I figured that was fine. Recently, I tried to see if I could pull off 1300 with a bit more carbs. That stopped everything dead in its tracks.

So now I'm back to 1200 a day with 45 grams of carbs or less. And the weight loss has resumed.

I do think you may want to consider edging your calories up in increments rather than jumping straight to a higher number. It's less of a shock to the system and it's easier to see where it happens if you start to plateau.

I’m worried that my calories are just naturally creeping up over time. I guess the answer is to track more thoughtfully. I need to do something though! I’ve been in a three week stall and I’m starting to feel sorry for myself!!!

[Jeaniered 183]

11 hours ago, etc. etc. etc. said:

I eat 1200 a day. I had let it edge up a bit over time, and as long as I was losing weight, I figured that was fine. Recently, I tried to see if I could pull off 1300 with a bit more carbs. That stopped everything dead in its tracks.

So now I'm back to 1200 a day with 45 grams of carbs or less. And the weight loss has resumed.

I do think you may want to consider edging your calories up in increments rather than jumping straight to a higher number. It's less of a shock to the system and it's easier to see where it happens if you start to plateau.

11 hours ago, etc. etc. etc. said:

I eat 1200 a day. I had let it edge up a bit over time, and as long as I was losing weight, I figured that was fine. Recently, I tried to see if I could pull off 1300 with a bit more carbs. That stopped everything dead in its tracks.

So now I'm back to 1200 a day with 45 grams of carbs or less. And the weight loss has resumed.

I do think you may want to consider edging your calories up in increments rather than jumping straight to a higher number. It's less of a shock to the system and it's easier to see where it happens if you start to plateau.

[Jeaniered 183]

Just now, Jeaniered said:

Thanks for your advice, going to up it slowly by 50 more at a time till I get to 1000 for now I tecorb everything, right down to the last cashew!

[KateBruin 344]

My Hair loss seems to be speeding up... it's the worse. I'm wondering when it will stop. This is my worst month yet of hair loss since surgery [emoji20]

Sent from my SM-N910C using BariatricPal mobile app

My dietician said it can fall out for a year then I’ll see baby hairs grow in. I’m getting a keratin treatment Friday so I won’t need to do any heat

[46w4kds 177]

I have never counted calories or carbs, my doctor always told me to just make sure carbs were equal to or less then Protein amounts, and that was it. He said i was doing great at 55lbs lost, and keep doing what i have been. No tracking of foods, like a journal. He said its not necessary unless i gain instead of loosing the weight. I just now started going back to gym since surgery as well.

Sleeved 8-29 sw-244 cw-189 goal-145

[etc. etc. etc. 440]

While I don't want to ignore the usual caveats about how everyone is different, as long as you're happy with your results, whatever your doctor feels is necessary, etc., I will note without further comment that the overlap between people who track everything methodically and stay carefully within set limits and the people who seem to lose the most weight is pretty darned high.

[TammyA 77]

On 2/6/2018 at 7:44 AM, XYZXYZXYZ1955 said:

guess what I really have to share is this: It doesn't matter if you slip or make some bad choices along the way. Every day, every month is a new chance to do better. That's where I am now.

I love this philosophy! I feel like I'm very behind where I should be. I was sleeved on Aug 1, and I'm down about 72 pounds. The holidays were a real challenge and it's taken me some time to find my way back. I didn't really gain weight back but I stopped losing for at least a month. I feel like being on here helps to keep me focused so I'm going to try to check in more regularly. I have gotten back to the gym and I'm tracking everything I eat so I feel good that I'm back on track. I regret the time I lost, and I wish I was further along, but I guess this is a learning process. It's very mental/emotional for me. Being Italian with 4 kids the cooking is non-stop. I have to really work on my self control and the struggle is real! If I had Iron will power I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place so it really is all about winning this battle in my mind first.

[TammyA 77]

On 12/23/2017 at 8:48 PM, Allie589 said:

We can do this! We are not failures for getting off track. We are winners for learning and teaching ourselves that we can have something that’s not on our plan during this time of year but eating what a normal person would, normal meaning someone that has a healthy relationship with food. I hate the self hate and shaming. I am my own worst enemy and I am trying so hard to focus on winning!

Thank you for this. I feel very disappointed in myself...feeling like I should have lost so much more by now. Reading this helped. And you're right. I am winning. I never gained back so I didn't really get out of control...and now I'm losing again so that's a huge improvement from what I've done in the past. I'm making progress.

[FabBy55 46]

While I don't want to ignore the usual caveats about how everyone is different, as long as you're happy with your results, whatever your doctor feels is necessary, etc., I will note without further comment that the overlap between people who track everything methodically and stay carefully within set limits and the people who seem to lose the most weight is pretty darned high.

I think you are correct with the correlation between tracking and the fastest weight loss.

Tracking is a great tool to use if you are not losing or to find out the nutrition content of food.

However, the idea is that, we of all people, have proved that dieting doesn’t work. So if you are treating your life right now as if you are on a diet, eventually you will tire of it, stop tracking, and start gaining. I would bet a very large percentage of people on these boards have been on a low carb diet before and yet here we all are having bariatric surgery. Hence, being on a diet, tracking and eating low carb is not the answer.

I think we all need to take this year not only to lose as much weight as possible but to learn how to eat all kinds of food in balance and in the right portions. To get to a weight where we feel good working out and feel good enough about ourselves to eat food that is good and good for you.

I tend to watch my skinny friends and family. They do not track everything they eat. They do not avoid carbs. They indulge once in a while. They work out and move a lot. They make good choices like “I had a big weekend so this week I am eating lighter”. That is the life I want. Not one tied to a tracker and having my brain dominated by thoughts of what I can and cannot eat.