The Weight is Dropping

Good Morning Maysters, Congratulations to us all. I must say how much I am enjoying reading everyone's posts about their surgiversaries. The personal reflections of all we have gone through this last year is amazing. My date is coming up this week, and I can think of little else. But my post is about current weight loss. I had been very disappointed this month with my lack of loss, and I thought, well, the magic year is up. I was very unhappy with this, as I still had about 50 pounds to my goal. I have been exercising at least 4 times a week, and *I thought* had been sticking to the pouch rules and good food choices. Then I got honest with myself. Especially since Easter, I had been allowing carb rich foods back into my eating plan. You know, just a few mashed potatoes and stuffing with the Easter dinner. Then a few of those leftovers, Then an occasional Hershey's kiss. I am very sensitive to sugar, so it would only be one kiss, but every day. I rationalized this by saying it was a very little amount, nothing like what I would have eaten a year ago. Then I had several pieces of bad news, a good friend diagnosed with cancer, another deciding to leave an alcoholic husband, problems with children. I had to have baked goods, my comfort food. My husband, my food enabler, baked me some sugarfree chocolate chip cookies. I will admit they were fantastic. Just as good as the real thing. Unfortunately. I couldn't leave them alone. I could eat them and not dump. Well, when the scale went from a hard fought 197 back up to 200, I freaked out. You all know the magic of onederland. Especially when I began this journey at 351. That did it. I took a serious look at what I had been eating and decided the crap had to stop. A week ago Monday I rededicated myself to my eating for living. I have cut out all bad carbs once again. Protein with a few good veggies. It is hard. I miss a lot of foods. But the scale has gone from 200 on April 30th to 189 today, May 9. Some of those pounds are the water I retain when eating carbs, but the scale is responding. I feel in control again of my eating and my life. The time will come to let limited amounts of certain foods back in my life, when I have reached maintainence, but not yet. There is hope for continuing to lose after the first year, but I have to work for it. Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to share. Debra M. 351/189/150 -162

Congrats Debra on regaining control of those carbs!!!!! I wish I could celebrate the same thing. After TT carbs are just about all that sits well with me. I'm trying to make it good carbs, but there's definately too many. I've been eating two meals of oatmeal a day for the past three weeks. And toast - good grief, I could eat toast at evey meal too. It's good whole grain wheat bread but I still fight to limit it!!! Keep up the great work!!!! Laurie

Debra, Congrats on taking the bull by the horn. I know first hand how easy it is to slip into old habits. But, it sounds like you have identified the problem and taken action. Wow, what a great weight loss! I don't believe that our carriage is doomed to turn into a pumkin after 1 "magic year", our tool is ours to use if we choose to. Keep up the great work. Andrea

Debra, I completely understand what you're saying. I had lost only about 6-8 pounds from December or so until mid-April. I, too, sat down and REALLY looked at what I was eating - logging absolutely everything. For me the issue wasn't really carbs, I mean yes, I was eating a little more than maybe I should have, but mine was FAT big time. I was also eating about 2200-2500 calories a day because of all of the fat. My evening snack consisted of about 5-8 slices of cheese and a few handfuls of Wheat Thins. So, calculating that out, my evening snack was around 800-1000 calories ALONE! Now, I'm much more careful, I log everything and keep my calorie count to below 1500 and try to maintain the 40/30/30 approach (40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fat) and of these things, the best choices of each. My carbs are mostly whole grains and my fat is things such as Omega 3 fatty acids, olive oil, etc. not fried foods or such. Good for you! I know how good it feels to regain control and I, like you, have seen the scale drop again! Michelle