1 year Crunch How r u doing?

Just wanted to see how everyone was doing on getting to their one year out goal..... Me: I started at 266 My goal is 226 Yesterday I weighed in at 258. lbs left to 1 year goal: 32 I'm a bit frustrated, granted I know losing 8 lbs in 21 days (about the amount of time since we started this) is good, but I lost 16 lbs last month, and this is a slow month in a month where I want to reach a certain goal. ANYWAY....so I'm working on it, I've bumped up my exercise a bit, and am trying to contain my carb cravings. How r u guys doing? Scott

This past week, although I exercised a lot, I found myself grazing a lot on simple carbs. I ended up feeling yucky about it and about my efforts and about the numbers on the scale. I still have 35 pounds to go and I do not think it is realistic that I will lose that much in the 8 weeks I have to go till my surgery date [perhaps it is for you, Scott, with the DS and because of your manly metabolism {curses!!} but I just don't think *I'm* going to continue to lose 10 pounds a month, let alone 15], BUT I will continue to plug along. I kinda feel badly about setting the bar so high, I mean, I really don't want to set myself up for failure. I wonder what the percentage of people lose 100% by a year out? I am going to have to research that ... Anyhoo, I'm here and feeling like another diet failure. The carb cravings have DEFINITLEY grabbed a hold, so now I suppose I have to get a grip and do the right things. OTOH, my exercise regimen is going along super. xosm

GG, revise your goal!!!!!! You dont' have to feel like a failure...I set mine the same as yours...40 lbs and I thought about revising it, but decided not to....i figured if i make it YAY, and if I get close YAY....it's like you shoot for the moon and if you miss you end up amoungst the stars. I have to lose 17 1/2 lbs a month for the next 2 months if I want to get to my goal...and thats really high. Last month I lost 16 lbs and that was higher then my average of 14 lbs a month for the last 4 months...so i figured ok I can do 40 lbs....it would be just a bit of effort, but the I hit a 2 week slow down....oh well. I do reserve the right to change it myself. I know I wanted to reach my goal weight within a year, but it was unrealistic. I had over 320 lbs to lose......I mean possible, but not probable. I've so far lost 234 of those lbs...and am doing ok. I'm exercising more, and focusing on % body fat at this point, because I dont' honestly think a scale weight is going to do me any justice. I have some extra skin around my stomach, and traditionally WLS patients look thinner at higher weights. So I might not even want to get to 175....i might be ok at 200. Right now I'm about 30 percent body fat, and am working hard to get that number down to 15 percent...which would be perfect for someone my age, and height. Simple carbs are as addictive as crack cocaine...lol. Go to the DS forum and see my post about Carbotage I just posted yesterday. It seems to be the hardest battle for any WLS patient, RNYer, Lap bander, dser, etc. What has worked for some has been to go on a 3 day carb fast, where you go super low carb for 3 days. It kind of rids your body of the "need" for them. I've done it, it does work, but getting through those 3 days can be HARD!!!!!!! Scott

Thanks, Scott. I only feel like a failure when I let myself, it's all relative, right? I doubt I can make my 100% goal by February, but I am OK with trying. I had a goal of under 200 by my birthday and it took me about an extra month. What will be will be. If I can lose 18 more pounds I will be at 90%, imagine that? Very cool. I just know if I buckle down I should still be able to lose 1-2lbs a week. So maybe I'm only going to lose 10-15 more pounds by Feb 15, maybe it will take me longer to lose the rest, maybe I have to look at my extra skin and where that figures in. I also plan a plastics consult sooner rather than later to see what they say. I'm not a failure even if I never lose another pound, so I'm OK with it all. I will check out your carb post ASAP. I plan to do a carb fast starting tomorrow, I *think*, anyway. I am a little conflicted. I was losing fine following WW program, and then last week I had a few days where I grazed A LOT and did NOT follow program [and I think that was triggered by that crack, I mean, those evil carbs]. This week I had a little over a pound gain, I can't make myself crazy over it, though. I also don't want to get into that 'diet' mentality again, you know, where you're desperate to try the new *thing* that will work. I think I should probably just stay with what was already working fine, before I panic and jump ship. Well .... gee ...., thanks, I think I just talked myself out of my panic here, what a wonderful forum! I am not going crazy. I am not getting fat again. I will follow the rules. I will enjoy my food and I will continue to exercise. I think I can I think I can I think I can. xosm

I am going in the wrong direction last week 223 today 227 up 4lbs. waist down 2" saw PCP today and she commented on my weight loss and I now think that My goal is out of wack but still trying for it. I was told that for me my body fat would serve me better than the scale as I hold more muscle on my frame than most. So I am having a body fat analysis done and we will see. Doug.

What do they do for the body fat analysis, Doug? xosm

gg. I will let you know when I find out. My Pcp is making the appointmnet some time next week I am to call on monday and find out when the appointment is. Doug.

Good luck!

There are 4 popular ways to measure body fat, 3 of them are just guestimates and pretty in accurate, and only one sure fire way to get a "real" reading. The first 3 ways are 1) charts. There are literally charts that guestimate lean body mass at certain weights. 2) electric impulse type test. This actually sents a small (can't even feel it) current into your legs or arms and guestimates what your body fat is based on that. You'll find this kind in scales and certain hand held devices. 3) callipers. This is an old way of doing it, and is highly ineffect for WLS patients because we have a ton of lose skin. The 4th way is expensive to get done, but it is the only accurate way to find out your body fat percentage. The submersion tank. Basically you go into this big dunk tank, and you sit on this swing type thing. the lower you in and you let all the air out of your lungs, and they measure your percent of body fat. I had this done when I was 13. Scott

I think I gain two pds and then I dont and then I lose two just to gain it back. So so far this month I have done good to not gain. I do that though and then sometimes I lose five pds overnight, so I am hoping for that. I would so love to be under 200 by my one year anniversary. That is 11 pds and I have been lsoing so slow it will take two months to lose that. This seems to be getting so hard for me and I cant figure out what I am doing wrong.