Something to think about

I was reading some of the posts that Are titled MOre to lose. I was wondering why The calories are so low. After reading some of the post one was only planning on 444 cals for the day? Another was 1100cals. Your body requires a certain amount of calories to function properly during the day. This number is based on your current weight. Yes anything less than this will contribute to a weight loss, however, if you get to drastic your body will go into starvation mode and start to function on only what you're giving it and not burning anythig else caausing the stagnate weight loss. Also if you are exercising like we all should be your body will need more calories. As we are approachng or 2 year aniverseries have we reached our goals for what we wanted this surgery for? Or have we not achieved the resultswe were expecting? This is an important question. In the beginning weightloss was inevitable. Our jobs and most of the doctors should have told you was to lose as much as possible in the first 12 months. After this time your body would catch up then it would get harder. Then we would have to lose it like everyone else. With proper nutrition and exercise. There are some that you will find on this board that say the surgery didn't work. They didn't lose everything thaey thought they would. But how much effort did they put into it? I understand it is hard I started this journey at 534lbs 7/6/04 in december of 2005 I hit my bottom weight of 231 and have maintained it. What I'm saying is let's not focus on calories I don't and I eat about 2000 cals aday. Now, I know that number seems really high. I don't do that in 3-4 meals aday I do it in about 10 meals or snacks. It all depends on how much I exercise that day. I've learned to listen to my body. I know that I need to eat about every 2-3 hours. I don't count calories everyday everyonce in awhile I while just to see. I only weigh myself once a month. I don't put any faith in weight charts or BMI tables. Acording to the BMI at 6' 231 with ribs sticking out and seeing some ab muscles I still would qualify for this surgery. I guess what I'm trying to say is we've spent our whole lives counting calories and worrying about what that number on the scale is Now it's time to listen to our bodies and not be afraid, eating when it tells us it needs fuel. As long as your make the right choice with your snacks and meals you have nothing to worry about. If you're not then be honest with yourself. That is the most important thing we can do. I hope I haven't upset anyone, but I might have. Mike Start weight 534lbs 7/6/04 Current weight 231lbs Total loss 303lbs

Hey thanks Mike!! Good food for thought... If I could turn back the hands of time, I would have taken better advantage of the first 6 months. I did manage to lose 100 lbs in 12 months... and still need to lose more. My doctor must have known my personality type, because pre-surgery he told me that after the honeymoon phase I could still lose with diet and exercise like anyone else. Hence... I'm on the diet and exercise train like follks who never had the surgery. Striking the balance of how many calories to eat is tough, but I think you are right that we should listen to our bodies. I have set a more realistic goal for myself. At one point I wanted to be as low as 140-150. At this point, I'd be happy with 170-180. In addition, I'm healthy now. I have stamina and my bloodwork is perfect. I don't think my labwork has ever been perfect. So... if my body refuses to drop another lb., I still consider my surgery a success. However, since my doctor said I can do it, I'll continue to work at it. Thanks again for sharing... Have a great day! Denise

Denise way to go on your weight loss. Try this site for so calorie info it might help www.1is2fat.com. I know the name sucks but there are some good calculaters on there that might help you out. Mike

Hey thanks Mike... Congrats to you too on your awesome success.... Please stop by and post from time to time. It's great to hear from those who have arrived! All the best!! Denise

From the get-go, I was a slow loser. I lost 13 lbs my first month post-op, and that was eating water! I've definitely had my issues, and I've fallen off the path more than once. But I CAN say that my lifestyle is permanently changed, regardless of the slipups. Heck, even the skinny people make mistakes sometimes! Have I reached my goal weight? Hardly. I still have 68 lbs to go (to 150). I also have at least 20 lbs of skin, so I could probably revise my goal to 170 or so. We'll see. Do I consider this surgery a failure? Nope. I can live my life like any other normal human being. I can ride roller coasters, wear a seatbelt, walk all day without collapsing...Although my clothing size is still anywhere between an 18 and a 22, I look good in my clothes and I KNOW IT. As for calories...I JUST had a talk with my dietician the other day, and she still says 1200 calories or so. And me, with my compulsive/binge eating issues, there is NO WAY I can go through life without writing my foods down and adding up the calories. As much as I would like to NOT keep track of my daily intake, it's one way I can deal with my food issues. My body might tell me when it needs fuel...but my brain has a different idea most of the time. We're all different, and while your intentions are good, Mike, it's definitely not a "one size fits all" kind of thing. Cheers! Pamela 352/218/150

Pamela, I wasn't trying to say that there is one way for everyone. If your nutrtionist says 1200 cals for you then go with it. As Long as you're honest with her and yourself about the 1200cals. Are you getting help for your compulsive binge eating issues also? I want to commend you on your weight loss so far that is great. I hope that you reach the goals that you have set for yourself. Mike

Wow Mike, you have done an awesome job. I have lost up to 120 lbs., and have gained about 10 lbs. back. I am the one who had 444 calories....that is really just for a couple of days to break some bad habits and get off the carbs - in fact, I think I mentioned that in my post. My struggle now is the same as it was before - compulsive eating. I am an addictive personality - I am a recovering alcoholic with 20+ years under my belt and I quit smoking five years ago. This is just as difficult, and yes, I know I need to get some therapy to fix the head. I agree with Pamela that while I know your intentions are good, what is right for you is not right for everyone. My doctor would scream if I told him I was eating 10 meals / snacks a day!!! To my knowledge, that goes against everything that most weight loss surgery pundits preach or suggest. That just proves the point that what works for you wouldn't necessarily work for someone else; or what works for me would work for you. For some (most?) of us, food journaling and counting calories, carbs and protein HAS TO become a way of life. As a food addict, I need to always be aware of what I eat (not that I always am...) . It is something I strive for - a goal I will always be trying to reach. My life has changed significantly and so have the things I eat. Like Pamela, I can binge too, but not the way I used to. I do try and eat healthier things when I'm bingeing, I just tend to eat more. I also exercise a LOT more than I ever did. Was the surgery a success? Absolutely. Do I make mistakes. Absolutely. Am I aware of them and actively trying to better myself? Absolutely. Will I ever be perfect. Nope. Your post really hasn't upset me at all. It did give me pause to think about things and I thank you for that! I'm glad you have found a successful way to get yourself to your personal goal. I originally wanted to get to 140 lbs. but I see now that that is totally unrealistic. I have since revised it to 155 - 160 lbs. I have about 10 lbs. of excess skin that will always be extra weight on me, so I have to take that into accout as well. Hope you'll visit more often..... Hugs, Nancy