Anyone else struggling a bit?

Hi! Just wanted to see if anyone else is feeling a little unsettled, like I am. I am very grateful for the amount of weight I've lost, and for the improvement in my quality of life. I find now that I can eat quite a variety of food, and it's harder to stick with 3 meals a day. I am hungry now in between meals. For the first 6 months post-op, I really wasn't. Most days I do okay. I follow my program and eat well. However, I am not as diligent in making good choices these days... I will eat an onion ring or two, share part of a Reuben sandwich with someone-- I'm not sticking with chicken and veggies so much anymore. I am continuing to lose weight. It's really slowed down, though. I started at 332 lbs. and was losing 5-6 lbs. per week. Now I'm losing 1-3 lbs. per week. I worry that if I continue to eat higher fat foods, and more food, I'll stop losing altogether! I try to keep my portions at 1 cup for each meal, and I do drink a protein shake for breakfast most days. I currently weigh 210 lbs. (down 122) and I have a lot of excess skin. I haven't been exercising much, though I plan to start now that it's warmer and I have the energy. I still don't snack. That's one thing I'm afraid to start. I think it would mean a lot of extra calories for me! Also, I've been a little "blue" of late. I feel grateful, but resentful because the novelty has worn off and I miss food. I miss EATING until I'm full. Isn't that rotten of me? To miss the thing that almost killed me? I haven't felt these mood swings until just recently. Anyone else experiencing some of the things I'm feeling? Catherine 332/210/150

Cathrine, In terms of the emotions, please read my post a few back titled " what is wrong with me" I think you will see you are not alone in the wacky emotion department. In terms of weight loss we are at the stage now where we should be loosing about 8-12 pounds per month and that translates to 1-3 pounds per week so you are right on trac****lebrate! In terms of the food, well we are all at the stage where we try something now and then. Try to stick to the plan 90% of the time and if you fall off the wagon about 10% of the time your are normal. Do not beat yourself up over an onion ring now and again. Heck I had two cookies yesterday and the sky did not fall down on me Basically what I am trying to say in my long winded way is that you are doing wonderful and I am proud of you! Tanya -105

The main thing you need to do is exercise. My wife had ws in march, so we starting a walking progam and water aerobics. I will help our weight loss. I am more liberal on food. I eat and enoy my food. I get my protien in and mostly make healthy choices, but if I want a treat I eat a small portion. There are also some wonderful sugar-free desserts you can make. I went to one of my wls support group members birthday party last night. He asked me to make him a sugar-free carrot cake. It turned out pretty good. I made cream cheese frosting with spenda and crushed pinepple in it. I made the cake with carrots, pineapple, raisons, pecans. sugar-free applesauce, and a little oil. It was pretty healthy and we didnt feel deprived at all. Even his skinny friends liked the cake.

Thank you Jesus!! I am having the same. I did not think it was mental it was physical . That I loss the control. Now what do I do.. I have not lost in about 2 months, gain a pound here and there!!! THought about going back to diet pills!!!!! I am hungry and lost!!!! PEace and Prayers

I'm only hungry once in a while. But when I am - Katie bar the door! I've also been told (but this is MY surgeon) that we are never to eat 8oz of food in a setting again. That's too much. If you find yourself "starving" just eat smaller mini meals. Make those mini meals items like pistachios (which I friggin' live on tyvm) or yogurt, cheese. That will stick with ya longer and perhaps make it easier on yourself. I actually indulged in cheeze-its this weekend. Mind you I didn't eat much, but I ate enough that I told the girls to throw them out. Sorry, mommy has no self control this weekend! It's something we all go through. Buck up camper! RNY 10/31/03 257/154/150

I too struggle with it. I have found that if I eat carbs I am ravenous continously. Especially those new Twists (double Cheese) from Cheeze its. They are so good! and so very addicitive. I just cannot have them in the house, cause 1 is not enough. Anyway, I am eating protein, protein, protein, and more protein, if I get hungry. I know alot of people have lost a lot more than me, so I struggle along a few lbs at a time. Keep workin on it, as I read somewhere, the weight will come off whether we have a scale or not! What a relief huh? Have a great day! LeeAnn 10/13/03 300/198/150

Hi Catherine (and everyone else) I feel exactly the same as you. I have not had the kind of weight loss a lot of people have had. I am strugling to make it to the 100 lb. loss mark. I finally quit weighing myself every day and now only weigh once a month (a few days after my period). I am down 81 lbs and I feel great. I too am able to eat more kinds of food but I try to stay away from the carbs... when I eat them, I feel like I'm never full and want to eat the whole rest of the day. So, I am eating protein instead. Cheese, cashews, more cheese, deli chicken or turkey slices.... I feel like I am on the Atkins Diet which is fine by me. I know Carbs got me in big trouble so I'm making sure I stay away from them. But, like all of us, I do crave a salt & vinegar potato chip or cheeto or cookie... if I have one, I don't beat myself up, I just try to do better and DRINK MORE WATER! I've heard that is the best thing to do. You did the right thing by posting here... I hope you feel better now... I know I do. Thanks! Pam Open RNY 10-13-03 309/228

Me TOO !!! I have been struggling to get to the 100 lb mark. I was at 265 for about a month and a half and getting pretty depressed over it. Also the depression started setting in, I really do not think it is food related. I have been more active lately and therefore my back is really been hurting and I thought getting weight off would make may back better, anyway I have not been doing the treadmill like I should. This past weekend a friend and I went on a 3-day trip and had a blast, did a lot of walking and on Sunday when I got home I got on the scales and YEAH !!!!262!! that is the 100 lb mark for me (from surgery). I know I am not eating like I really should because I do not eat much veggies, some meats are still giving me problems so it is a lot of pork and baked beans but I was/am having problems with eating nuts and sunflower seeds a bit too much and I am trying to work on that. I just know I need to exercise more and try to make sure I eat the proper foods and try and stay away from those nuts!! Marilyn 362/260/less than 200

Catherine, I guess the honeymoon is over!! I've been struggling lately too. More than anything, I'm scared. I'm afraid of how much I can eat now. I'm afraid that maybe I don't have the self-control to practice good habits and keep losing..and more than anything...NOT GAIN! I'm frustrated with myself because I'm not feeling as dedicated as I had been. I'm not focused on my eating and exercising like I had been...and yes, the weight loss has slowed to about 2 lbs. a week. I'm not too concerned about the weightloss as I'm 24 lbs. from goal, but I'm afraid it might STOP!!! And THAT I am afraid of!! I keep trying to kick myself into gear and focus on weightloss while I'm still in the "12 month window", but for whatever reason lately, I can't seem to make myself care! Don't get me wrong, I'm not going back to old habits and pigging out, but I do have a few chips here and there, and have had sugar free icecream treats several times lately. I'm afraid I am losing control! I guess NOW is the time when this process gets difficult, and NOW is also the time when we truly develop the habits we'll live by long term. It was easy to be focused when all I could keep down was 4 oz. of protein drink. Now that I can eat a handful of Doritoes....I have to practice NOT doing it!! I did keep journals of my eating and exercise for the first 4 months or so post-op. I think I need to pull it out and follow it for a couple days or something! Good Luck! I'm glad that I'm not the only one struggling right now! Let's keep that scale moving! Kathy 294/179/155

Hi, You are not alone, I am struggling too. I don't feel like I ever had that "honeymoon" everyone talks about. I have been able to eat pretty much anything from the beginning (just a lot less of it) and started feeling hungey just a few weeks out. I have to be really careful not to graze my way through the day (I often don't succeed), and it is as difficult as ever to make the right food choices. I have lost 89 lbs and I try to exercise 3-4 times a week. I am now losing about 2 lbs every other week. Hopefully that will continue long enough for me to reach goal, but I know it won't be easy. Janice 320/231/180