Arrrrrrgh, I've GAINED!

Hi Loretta I'm so glad I'm not the only one stuck. Maybe we are retaining water? I have the plateau buster diet, I should try that too. Here it is incase you haven't found it: #1 - Do this for 10 days to break a plateau #2 - Drink 2 quarts of water a day #3 - You must have 45 grams of protein supplement and all of your vitamins/minerals supplements each day #4 - You may consue up to 3 oz of the following high protein foods, 5x a day beef pork chicken turkey lamb fish eggs low fat cheese cottage cheese plain yogurt or artificially sweetened peanut butter beans/legumes You may also have: sugar free popsicles tea or coffee sugar free soda (I dunno about that but that's what it says) sugar free jello broths/bullion crystal light drinks #5 - If it's not on the list, you can't have it for 10 days!!!! #6 - Keep a food diary and try to get up to 30 mins of exercise daily. Sounds easy eh? Haha...well I dunno about that it might have been easy at first but now with all the stuff I've found I can eat...heck no!! Let me know if you try it ok? Elisa

Thanks Elisa! Well thanks for the plateau diet...I am going to try it starting next week but I have to go grocery shopping first. I will let you know how it goes. But if its any consolation, I was back down to 191 this morning so it must have been water weight. But I desperately want to be in the 180's.

Elisa-It's okay sweetie. We are human. We make mistakes. I know that you know that already...but I know it's nice to hear it from someone else once in awhile. I wanted to tell you that over the vacation I gained 6 pounds!!! I was eating chips, buttered popcorn, peanuts, cookies, quiche, candy....these things ALL DAY!!! Now I have NEVER been a "snacker." But my doctor said that WLS people can easily turn into a grazer. I freaked! Went back to three meals....and just today...I lost the 6 I gained. I know that doctor's are different about how many times a day we should eat..and sometimes when I feel that I am binge eating I will try to have more, small meals in a day....but for some reason when I stick to 3-4 meals a day the weight comes off....slowly....but at least there's no gain. We all need to figure out what works best for us. Someone told me that as far as our eating and diet is concerned we are only 10 months old...we are still learning. Please keep your chin up. I KNOW that you will lose that weight and much more. I really believe that. You are such a beautiful, sweet girl!!!

Thank you Kayla, yes it is nice to hear that we all make mistakes & to know that I'm not the only one. That's one thing I have done right ****il recently where I have been having snacks in between) was stick to 3 meals a day. I appreciate all you guys support. I feel better and like I can get back on track. Elisa

It sounds like water gain to me. I'm the queen of water gain. I totally freaked out when I weighed myself a few days after Christmas. I had been a bad bad girl and ate things I wasn't supposed to eat. I had also eaten a lot of high sodium foods. So, back on track I went. I watched the salt. I watched to make sure I was drinking enough. I made sure I wasn't eating bad carbs. By the first, I was back down to exactly what I had weighed on December 1st. And, as of this morning, I down a pound from that. It's not unusual for me to play with a pound or two for weeks .... gain it, loose it, gain it loose it, then loose 2-3 pounds overnight and then start the whole gain it loose it thing all over again. Elisa, sweetie, remember all things in moderation. I think it's ok to eat a piece of chocolate every once and a while. Normal people eat chocolate. It's when you allow yourself to graze on it all day or even eat it all the time that it's a real problem. I don't know about you, but I had this surgery to be normal. I tell myself that sure I can eat that cookie or piece of pie. But, if I do, I better get my ass to the gym and work off those extra calories. If I'm not willing to put out the extra effort, then I don't deserve the pie or cookie. Something else that REALLY helps me is fitday.com. I log my food every single day. I have a budget of 2,000 calories a day. If at the end of the day, I've got my protein, water AND my calories are under that number by at least 100, I reward myself with a 100 calorie pack of something that is a treat like kettle corn or cookies. That way, I still get my treats and don't feel deprived. If I'm over (and I have been a few times) then no goodies until I get things back under control. It takes some discipline and it keeps me on track. I have a good handle on what I'm eating. It's become a habit at this point. I also weigh every single meal. I've learned that my eyes grow and if I don't weigh/measure, I end up eating too much. Hang in there! You're doing wonderful. Don't beat yourself up over this small indulgence/lapse. You can get back on track. (hugs)

Terri- Weighing my food really helps me too. My doctor never made a point of this and I wish I would've done it from the beginning. It also helps with depression about "eating too much" because SOMETIMES I think I am eating more than I actually am when I weigh it.

Thank you so much Ms. IMadeitToGoal (WTG btw) I hate exercising. I tried so hard at the beginning to like it and make it a routine. Somewhere along the way I just gave up completely. I guess there's one thing I can do huh? I didn't think about weighing my food though. What is it suppose to weigh? I have no idea...but I know there's a scale in the kitchen that my bro bought (he's constantly on diets). Thanks again Terri for your support & advice. Elisa

Thanks sweetie! You're gonna be at goal soon! You know what to do!!!! I don't know how big your surgeon made your pouch. But, I know that mine told me they key to keeping the pouch small was to not overstretch it constantly. He gave me a rough guideline of being able to eat about a cup (or 8 oz) by a year out. I think it was something like 4 oz or half cup at 6 months and 6 oz or 3/4 cup at 9 months. I remember something like 1.5 cups at 18 months and that should be the most I could ever eat. Now, this would be dense foods like meat/veggies. Soups and semi liquids go through the pouch quickly and it's normal to be able to eat more. Right now, I can eat 5-6 oz of dense food. I weigh/measure every meal. Some of my fav low cal/low fat/etc meals are lunchables (around 4-5 oz each) and those little tiny cans that you can put in the microwave. I've found the dinty moore beef stew (210 calories) and the hormel chili (290 calories) are my very very favs. I can almost eat the entire 7 oz can. I also get those little 4 oz cups of apple sauce (80 cals and good carbs!!!) to eat as snacks. I figure I'll let the manufacturer measure for me! Start measuring your foods and log your meals into fitday.com. It makes it a lot easier to get a handle on what you're eating and you can spot problem areas. As to exercise, find a buddy to walk with or workout with. It's harder to make an excuse not to exercise if you know someone (your buddy) is holding you accountable or depending on you to exercise with them.

Elisa, I have to tell you what I have told myself and GG reminded me. Don't be hard on yourself. The biggest difference is that you are aware of what's happened and you can correct it. I've been plateaued and not been so good over the holidays and have been working out. I found myself not drinking enough and grazing. So I have had to step back and eat my 3 meals a day and drink more fluids. Last night we had a meeting with this volunteer organization I belong to and we had cake. I ate 3 bites and was very satisfied but at this point in my weight loss I probably shouldn't have had any. Get out the food journal and log in stuff. I am going to do that starting today and make sure I am eating properly. I want to lose another 70 pounds and it's just not going to happen if I don't start with today. One of the ladies at the office reminded me...look at how much I've lost this year don't be so hard on myself...so I'm passing that on to you. Don't be so hard on yourself. Nurture and take care of you...You are Worth IT!!!! Hugs!!!

Thanks Lori! You guys are the best. Thank you so much for reminding me of all these things. It's true we have lost so much weight already. It's not the end of the world, I can get back on track tomorrow or even today. I've been doing it for almost 11months...a little set back is not unusual...we are only human. Elisa