18 month stall? Anyone else need support?

Hi. I am just over 18 months since surgery and have lost over 155 pounds going from 310 to 155 (OK, sometimes back up to 160). That's the problem. I seem to be self sabotaging through grazing and excess snacks and portions which are too large. Sometimes I eat too much and feel really sick but that is not stopping me as much as it did before. My psychologist at WISH center says this is self-sabotage and to reach out to a support system to help ease myself into accepting my weight loss and getting ideas from others. So, here I am. Vulnerable and hoping others can understand too. I am really proud of the weight I have lost; I am thrilled I did this life changing program and have these wonderful tools to use; I just need a reminder and some common sense reality to keep me in line sometimes. Anyone else? Karen

Hi Karen, I know how you feel. I'm doing the same thing. I started at 308, lost 140 and have gained back 4. I'm at 172 now and my goal is 154.... I'm trying to not stress over it too awful much. Instead I have decided to work aggressively to over come the problems. I'll just keep trying SOMETHING until I find out what works for me. Right now I am using fitday.com to help me to be more conscious of what I eat, pushing water, coming to the OH web site more often to try to keep focused on what I need to do, and I'm looking for a bicycle which I love riding so maybe I'll get more exercise without even know it... lol.. And finally, though I think most importantly, I'm up dating my profile each week to help give me some accountability, to keep up with my efforts and to hopefully get some much needed support. If all this doesn't work I'll try something else. Good luck!

I was doing the same thing and I've been at about the same weight for over 8 months. I then went back to BariatricEating.com's site and started following Susan's suggesting of increasing my protein to at least 80 grams a day and I have been losing about 2 lbs a week since. I have also found that I am less hungry and I don't tend to think of food 24/7 like I was before adding the protein. She has several good tasting protein drinks on her site. I love the Achieve One which takes like an iced coffee. She also carries a hot chocolate called Matrix which tastes just like hot chocolate and tastes great on a cool evening. Both of these products are about 100 - 120 cal per serving but have 20-25 grams of protein per serving so it really helps you get in your protein. Give it a try you mind find it is what you need. Good luck.

Karen, I think at 18 months, most of us are beyond the honeymoon stage. I have been bouncing around the same few pounds since January. Very frustrating, but I've lost 8" and a dress size in that same time. So be sure to measure...you may be losing inches instead. The scales aren't always the best measurement of success for us. I know in my case, I've been exercising more so I've been replacing the fat with denser muscles. I was an avid Fitday fan also but have recently discovered SparkPeople.com. It helps to hold me accountable for food, exercise, and water intake. Also, break those measuring cups back out. I do good at judging meats (3 oz is about the size of a deck of cards), but most other stuff, I measure. Eat your protein first...fats and carbs last. When you are full, STOP EATING. Even if it tastes so good, stop eating. No one can take the fork away from you. You have to do that for yourself. Munchies...only keep good munchies in the house. Veggies are the best munchie. Fruits are good too. Fiber One is an excellent source of fiber, but is also a good munchie...and also good in place of croutons on a salad. I also keep BariatricEating.com's pork rinds in the house. If you eat 1 oz of another protein (to fini****'s molecular make-up..to make the protein active), then 1 serving has 23 g of protein...plus the protein from your 1 oz (for me, it's cheese cubes). I also get in 80-100 g of protein a day. Don't forget your water. It's recommended at least 64 oz. My norm is close to double that. Good luck...and may we all reach our goals! Sherri 344/180/140

Karen, I have been on a 3 month stall. I have increased my walking and have increased my protein shakes from 2 to 3 a day. I am still struggling to get in my water. I hate to drink anything except I love my protein shakes. I use Champion Nutrition Pure Whey Stack. My favorite flavors are cocoa mochaccino and cookies and cream. I don't use any milk jus****er and ice cubes in my bullet with some SF syrup. I have really been working at it and today I have finally lost one lb. This is not a lot but I am so excited. I thought that I would never lose again. I weigh every single day because I am petrified of gaining my weight back. I want to lose another 10 lbs. My husband wants me to stop now but I think I still need to lose. The thing that helps me is I don't keep any bad snacks in my house. I bring peanuts to work in a ziploc bag and I eat them between meals. I also bought another bullet and keep it at work so I can make one shake at work. I drink one shake at home before I go to work and have one at work and then one when I get home from work. They really fill me up. Good luck, Lynn J., lap RNY 9/29/04 -160 lbs.