Been over 6 months and I need support.. sorry for taking so long..

Hi, This is my first posting. I just passed my 6 month mark yesterday. I have lost very close to 75 lbs but have been fluctuating up and down a few pounds the past few weeks. I love it that I can fit into size 14s now and some 12s but I am concerned with gaining the weight back that I hear horrors about. I also have a niece by marriage that did gain her weight back and had a second surgery!! I know I have not been getting in my liquids like I should nor have I been exercising but everything else I am following pretty well. My only vice is Cheez-Its which I can seem to eat without getting full after a few bites. I think I need to get these out of the house and then I might start really losing again but I know I don't take in more than 1000 calories a day or so. Dumping is a big problem with me (thankfully). I can not eat sugar or pasta. I even almost passed out at a restaurant when on vacation in California because I had a piece of cantalope for breakfast. Artificial sweetners luckily don't bother me. That is great because I love ice tea. Again, I am sorry it has taken so long. Any advise will be greatly appreciated. Thanks again, Debbie

Hi Debbie. Welcome! Well, we all need each other from time to time. Sounds like you are doing very well. I too am at 75 lbs. I haven't lost anything in nearly 2 weeks. I constantly worry if I will start to gain the weight back or if I will even lose any more. I just keep pressing in and working on the things that I know I should do. I have found more freedom with my food choices and so I worry about the little nibbling and picking on a cracker here or a half a cookie there. Those "mindless" calories can add up. Right now they are not because I know that I can't consume too much before I get sick. Still, I allow myself the bite or two and really don't want to do that even. I have been trying to grab a drink of water or some sugerfree gum when I feel the need to munch. That seems to help. Boy if I couldn't eat my fruit I don't know what I'd do. I love cantaloupe. I can eat about a 1/2 cup of fresh fruit without any dumping so I try to make really good choice and eat that instead of that 1/2 cookie. Try to pick up the exercise; go for a walk on your lunch break, take the stairs. I have started doing these two things and it really makes me feel so much better. Refocus on your goals. If we keep watching these things and make them second nature to us, we will hopefully avoid gaining any weight back and make it all the way to our goal! You can do this. You are successful! You are worth the effort. Hugs, Robin

Robin, Thanks so much for your reply. It sounds like you and I are in the same boat except for eating the fruit. I make sure I take my vitamin to make up for the lack of fruit I am consuming. The walking is a great idea. I work from home and find myself working from the time my day starts until my husband is asking me what is for dinner? Since my son is grown I have no one to worry about except he and I so it is hard to cook sometimes for one and a half people. Good luck. Maybe we can get beyond the 75 pounds together! God Bless, Debbie

Hi Debbie, glad you have joined our group of MARCHers! There is alot of support here in this forum. You need to go back a few posts and read "Sorry long, can anyone relate" by Ruth Ann where alot of people are having 6 months worries, wonders! Also I left a post about Pouch Rules that I copied from another forum that you might want to look at. I think if we follow most of the pouch rules we will be more successful...especially with the water! We have undertaken an incredible journey and I think we all have questions around this 6 month time. As for advise...for the Cheeze-its (aren't they good?!!!) maybe you could try those Soy Crisps as a substitute...you will be getting protein, satisyfing that crunch and I think they are better for you than the cheeze-its! They aren't quite as good, but they aren't bad either! I think if we concentrate on protein first, 3 meals a day, lots of water, all our vitamins and exercise...we can continue to conquer this weight loss journey. We have been given another birthday and just think how far we have come in 6 months. Take care of yourself, and don't be a stranger here - we are all here for each other. Barbara

I am in the same place as you! I joined a gym and it really has helped kick up the loss. I took Soy Crisps to work and now everyone is hooked on them. They really do satisfy that saltly crunch thing I have. You are doing well, keep up the good work. Fellow Marcher, Mary

Hi Debbie, I've got a couple weeks to go to the six month mark, but I can relate to where you're at. I've lost 111 lbs, with 18 more to go until goal. I have to go shopping, because the size 14's are baggy. Bleah...I hate shopping. I just went through a stall, where my weight fluctuated within a two-pound range for more than 3 weeks. I finally figured out that it was caused by a change in birth control! Stalls are normal, but once I changed birth control methods I started losing again. It might be worthwhile to think about whether anything outside of your eating and exercise habits have changed, because it may be affecting your weight loss. Also, I am finding that I can eat more now, so portion control and not snacking are key. I try not to buy snack food, because if I don't have it, I can't eat it! I get a newsletter from Katie Jay's weight-loss surgery support site (www.nawls.com), and recently she suggested making an eating plan, which frees you from constantly making decisions about what to eat or not eat. That has been very helpful, because then I know what is for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I don't have to worry about it or make bad decisions because I'm stressed or tired. I also have a big problem with dumping. I frequently dump on fruit. I find that I do better with fruit if I eat a small amount after eating protein. Sounds like you're doing great! Take care, Cathe

I think we all fear going back to our fat selves again. Its like being in Alcoholics Anonymous, we need to ALWAYS KNOW that we are an obese person (inside) and every day will be a struggle to make the right decisions. They operated on our stomachs, but not on our brains. If we cannot imagine ourselves as successful with weight loss and living a thinner, healthier lifestyle FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES, then we need to do that, because when we have (in our subconcious) the possibility of going back, we may sabotage ourselves. So start thinking thin NOW and FOREVER. Imagine yourself staying this way for the rest of your life!! We aren't going back to our old fat selves... I REFUSE TO GO BACK!!! Rebecca M. 269/183/150 P.S. I also love Cheez-Its... *sigh*