Is this weird or what?

Sometimes I feel like I am overeating, of course I am not and I realize this when I put in my info on fitday. It is just a weird feeling. Maybe it is from all my years of dieting and the ups and downs with that, I don't know. Also (like today****ep thinking ok this is the most weight you have ever lost, when is it going to start to fail??? Crazy I know. Maybe this has never happened to anyone but for some reason it is to me, just some old bad feelings creeping up. Just thought that I would share this. Mechelle

Hi Mechelle. I know what you mean. I feel like that every day. I have lost about 60 lbs. and have been holding at my current weight for about 6 weeks. I think I am at the point where I am realizing that I really need to work at it to get the weight off. I must admit that I am a lot happier at my current weight, and exercising is a whole lot easier. That does make me feel better. I think I am testing myself somehow. So does that sound crazy or what?? Peg

Hi Peg Bummer a 6 week stagnate. Well I hope that you won't get discouraged and just keep trudging on. I am expecting things to start slowing down here in a bit, I have kicked up the excercise so hopefully that will work. I think for those of us who have gone through this surgery that we will go through some "crazy" things. We are so used to the "old" way of dieting, this way is just to good to be true. Yes it does take work on our part, it doesn't just happen, but before WLS I worked hard and failed, this is just so different. Keep up the wonderful job on your adventure Mechelle

I understand what you're saying... I feel that way sometimes, especially because I tend to graze all day long... before surgery I could graze all day long and eat huge amounts of calories, and now, I barely hit 1000, ever... even still I feel piggish at times. Beth

exacto Beth How can we feel piggish when we barely get in what we do get in??? I know it's weird huh!!Kind a crazy to me, I'm sure we will adjust. Is this how skinny (always been skinny) people feel, think?? Mechelle I've never been skinny, well maybe when I was a toddler but *****members that?

I think my surgery was a modified open RNY because I really have to watch how much I can eat. I'm not the "normal RNY." Peg

Some days are easier to get in food than others. Make no mistake, our pouches are fully healed at this point. I don't know about all of you but I can eat about 100% more than I could freshly out. I can gulp water again, and it is much easier to get in larger amounts of food. My surgeon says this is TOTALLY normal and to be expected. That's why he makes our pouch 1 oz to begin with so at about 1 year out it will be its fully grown size of 3 oz. Keeping things in perspective, I will never again fit a large pizza in my stomach all at one. Dear god. . .I actually used to beable to ingest that much food. . . .(sigh. . .denial is such a powerful thing isn't it?) Keep in mind those of us who are getting in a daily walk are retaining more muscle mass than those of us who aren't working out at all. Keeping that strong muscle mass is ESSENTIAL for our long term success as it is muscle that fuels our metabolism. If we lose too much muscle we'll need FAR fewer calories and can actually come to a point where our metabolism matches our tiny pouch. Our pouches are designed so that we can get btw 1000-1400 calories in it a day. That is just under what the average person's metabolic rate is. bottom line, if we aren't moving our tushies, we're going to easily start stagnating in our loss. PS - you're not going to fail - you know where you came from and remember why you did this in the first place. For me, I don't want to ever be that sick again. Also, I just don't have the kind of time to graze all day and am not self-destructive enough to start drinking with my meals. I wish you the best, keep posting your concerns, you made me think - I appreciate that! ~Lara

Lara- Great post! I keep thinking my body will cannibalize my muscles if I don't get moving... FWIW- I'm moving all day, but I need real hard exercise... Hopefully I'll get that into my routine within a week or two, as I'm finally signed up to get back to the gym.. (now to get my two year old to stay in the babysitting area!! ) and everyone else...too Do you weigh/measure your food at each meal, or do you just eyeball it and stop when you feel slightly full, or before that? Beth

I went to see a metabolic and body analyst and he said that while we are in our "sweet time" (1st year post-op) we need to just focus on losing excess weight. To ensure that the majority of that weight is fat rather than muscle all we have to do is walk a total of 30 minutes every day. I have been spotty in my working out (have been a really good girl lately and have kept a 30-45 minute work out 3x a week for about 6 weeks now) but I have committed myself to this walking every day for the rest of my life. It has worked. My pre-op analysis compared to my post-op analysis shows I've lost 73% of my loss in fat mass. Also he said that it doesn't matter if we walk 30 minutes in a row, just a total of 30 mins - shopping, transit to work, chaseing a toddler through the park or around the house to put back on their Pullup (ok, you're gym story made me miss my nephews ). I take 2 15 minute walks every day during the week, and get the shopping in on the weekends. Right now it's just important that we're moving every day. The extra we can do (my "extras" are that 3x a week habit and also some butt and arm building/sculpting exercises) is good for us now, but will become critical as we hit that first anniversary. The extras for me are what give me the results I like to see and feel like I am taking a claim on this body. My goal is to run a marathon Spring of 2006. I went to see friends finishing the Twin Cities Marathon this weekend, and got all jazzed about it. . .but I am not ready to even start my training for running. . .the next 6 months are about losing mass, after that I can start adding running into the mix. Food Measuring - I don't measure anymore. I eyeball it and stop when I feel full or at 30 minutes - whichever comes first. It's sometimes hard to tell if I am full or if I am in what I call "the 15 minute stretch" About halfway through almost every meal it becomes mildly uncomfortable in my pouch. Especially early in the day. My little princess doesn't really like the feeling of having food in her when she's been blissfully empty after a night's slumber. So she gets cranky half way through - it feels like she's Cesar doing the thumbs-up/thumbs-down thing deciding if I get to keep my meal or if the selections I have presented to her will be thusly rejected. Once the wave of mild discomfort/nausea passes either I'm chucking (which happens generally only when I have eaten too fast, swallowed too much air, or picked something overly greasy to her majesty's standards) or I'm enjoying my meal with reckless abandon (well. . .as reckless as someone following pouch rules can muster ) If I am out to eat I will put the amount of food I think I can eat separate on the plate and get the doggie bag right away. If I don't have it on my plate, I won't even try to eat it - and if I am going to be sitting for more than 30 minutes I could start to graze on it if I don't put it out of sight. So that's my little trick to ensure I keep on the program. Have a great day, ~Lara