Six months today and struggling

I'm at my 6th moth since surgery and the scale has not moved since the beginning of December. I was hoping to be alot further along than this. I was at 320 before surgery and this morning I was at 243. I have been fluctuating between 243 and 245 for over a month, almost 2 months. I have upped my protein, I hired a personal trainer. What else can I do? How many calories are any of you taking in now. My personal trainer wants me to eat more calories. I will call my doctor and see what he recommends, but was wondering if anyone else at @ 6 months out increased their calorie and what has been your longest stall so far?

hi Michele, I just wanted to let you know that I was at a stall for over 4 weeks & then bam.. 3 lbs came off one week, one lb. the next, 2 the next, gained 2 the next, 1 down the next week, then nothing for 2 weeks. So.... I think this is "normal" for us at this point (my surgery was July 25/06) I am down 76lbs. from surgery date. I think that upping the protien & getting a personal trainer is an excellent idea & don't worry, you are doing GREAT!!!!! I find when I get in more protien & exercise (& weight training) I loose more FOR SURE!!! Plus I feel a whole lot better. I personally don't count my calories, but I do know that I read ALL of the labels of what I buy at the grocery store & I choose low fat/low carb. I don't eat fried foods or fast foods or sugar (I use stevia, a natural sweetner from the health food store) Take care, al the best!! HUGS, Heather

Hi Michele, I take in about 800 a day cals per my dietician instructions. I'm suppose to get up to 1000 cals by 1yr post op. I'm not sure that, that is enough cals even at this point... so I will have to rediscuss this with her when I go for my next appointment. So sorry that you are struggling right now and it sounds like you are taking all of the steps to get things moving again, how much water do you get in, in a day? Do you have a dietician/nutritionist that you can consult? Perhaps they can analyze your daily menu and help you from there? ~~~Triple C.~~~

woops meant to write...."800 cals a day" sorry bout that.

Thanks for the information and support. I am just going to keep moving forward, at some point it has to drop. I do need to increase my water for sure. The PT wants me to eat about 1200 cals. per day. That will be a struggle. Although I am eating more than I used to . I think that I am so afraid of eating to much and gaining all my weight. My mind plays tricks on me, I think that I will be in the percentage of people who stop losing early and who gain all their weight back. I hear that some people lose 75lbs and no more. The thought is horrifying to me. I am half weigh to goal, I need to lose 80lbs. more. PS. how do you put your picture on the post?

Hi I just hit the six month mark as well....I am losing fine but wanted to share with you what my nut said yesterday. Stick to 700 calories a day...no more than 45 grams of carbs (includes breads fruits etc) and under 36 grams of fat. To really monitor yourself try going to www.fitday.com I see everything I eat, I can review what I have done over the month and analyze my weight measurment changes too. Hope some of this helps..keep going it has to come off..and it will. Hugs Linda

Michele- My Nut. says that we should be eating around 800-1000 calories a day at this point (check with your doctor though). I've been told many times that PROTEIN + WATER + EXERCISE = WEIGHTLOSS so, if any of those pieces are not where they should be try getting back on track with it. Also, don't forget your supplements/vitamins. Another thing is that our bodies sometimes need to catch up with us. I know my weight loss this past month has been slower than I thought it would be, but I also know that my clothes are starting to be too big again....remember to measure, maybe you're losing inches instead of pounds right now. Hope you're encouraged.... Christina S

Hey Michele and everybody, I am about to have my six month anniversary, too, on the 26th. I have lost 80 pounds (from 304 to 224) in these six months, but I know of others who have lost over 100 and started at around my weight. It is hard not to get discouraged. I'm glad you all shared where you are, because I feel like we're all on the same page, and I'm not alone, after all! My weight is coming off much more slowly now, and that is hard to deal with when you expect that the weight will just "fall off" as everyone tells you it will. It did for awhile, but I still have 74 or so pounds to lose, and it makes me wonder if I will ever make it! I do have to confess that I exercise only sporadically. I have got to stop being lazy about it, but that is my nature and it is a battle! I have discovered, at least, that I like pilates a lot, so while that isn't cardio, it will help with my strength and firmness. My treadmill taunts me in the corner of my bedroom! I used it yesterday, but couldn't make myself do it today. I'm so rotten. I need to watch my calorie intake, too. I am feeling more snackish, and am having to battle my appetite again. That really scares me! I don't want to gain a single pound! I guess I need to count the calories instead of thinking in terms of 1/4 cup of food, or 1/2 cup, or whatever. Thanks for sharing what you are going through; I hope we all make it to goal! Steph

You guys are great!!! Just hearing your stories has given me motivation to keep going. No matter what you are told about the surgery being a tool and the information that is given, my mind still thinnks that because I had Major Surgery (as my doctor keep reminding me), the weight should just drop off. However, like anything, "no pain, no gain" "anything worth having is worth working for" Out of everything that has been said, the thing that I need to work on is increasing my water intake. That is a struggle for me, as well as keeping up with my supplements. We fall down, but we get up. I am grateful for what I have lost so far, I just keep looking at how far I have to go, instead of enjoying the moment. Thank you all for helping me to put things back into perspective. I will push on and you all to push on. We can do it!!! We didn't come this far to give up.

You are are correct, we didn't come this far to give up. And I like you, have been guilty of thinking of where I want to be versus enjoying each moment of my journey. I still have a lot more to lose so it is easy to get caught up in trying to get to the end (well goal weight anyway, we will have to live this new life for the rest of our lives so there is no end). I always get caught up in "the window" of opportunity mentality. So I lose focus of the everyday benefits from my journey. I so know how you feel but just like you, I will keep on pushing on. This is my one true shot to ever get to a normal weight and I plan to make the best of it. Now as far as the pic....If you go to the main boards and look on the left hand side of the screen, there will be a box with a "user settings" link in a box next to the message board messages. This is what's in the box : Welcome, ObesityHelp Main Forum Home Message Board Recent Posts User Settings Meet Our Staff Site/Forum Help Click on "USER SETTINGS", in there is where you can upload a avatar. I hope I didn't confuse you as I've been known to do that to people sometimes *L*. ~~~T C.~~~