Spinning my wheels

Hey everybody, just wanted to write and ventilate my frustrations a little bit. I had my surgery on October 25, 2004. I have lost 132lbs. taking me from 292 down to 160. The problem is that I have been stuck in the 160's for 10 weeks now. I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels. I work out about 5-6 days a week. I run a mile everyday, and I alternate days between weight training and cardio exercise. I do pretty well with my food choices, but I am far enough out of surgery now that I do slip up and eat something I shouldn't a coulple of times a week. I dont want to be obsessed with the scale but I am. I weigh myself about 2-3 times a day. I want to feel grateful for the weight that i have taken off, and I know that I have come a long way, but when I look in the mirror, I still see an obese person. I only have about 15 more lbs I'd like to lose,(i am 5'8") making me about 145. I will also need some definite plastic surgery. I guess that I feel like its never going to happen, and the longer that I stay in the 160's the more drpressed I become. It makes me feel like all the effort I put out on exercise is pointless. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks, Gina

Hi Gina! Well for one thing congrats on your weight loss. Remember don't always rely on what your scales say. When you exercise you gain muscle and muscle shows as weight its your clothes size that shows you are still loosing. I will be one year out lost a total of 159lbs did weigh 310 now down to 159, from a size 26/28 to an 8. Look at all the factors weight loss, clothes size and muscle tone where you can get it. To try to get you out of the slump you're in go back to the basics. Eat smaller portions, drink lots of water, yogurt & skim milk these things will get you jumped started again. I try to eat off a child or saucer when I eat, if not I seem to eat too much. I too can't believe how much weight I have lost and when I look in the mirror I see the weight loss but I don't see it. Go back and look as to why you had the surgery. You did not do it to get skinny but you did it to get healthy and you're there now. Just be patient look at where you were and now where you are! You have acheived the unthinkable to most people so give yourself a hug & pat on the back for you've come a long way baby! Love yourself first for only you can make you happy & life is just too short for 15 to 20 lbs. Take care in my thoughts and prayers.

Girl,you are doing good I had my surgery 10-01-2004 and I have only lost 129lbs and I am still 206 so I think you are doing great. I still have another 39lbs to go.We have truly came a long way. Trust me I feel your frustration but I have faith that we will make goal, maybe not in a year but we will make it. Keep up the good work.

I am having some of the same issues. I work out every other day w/ cardio and weights. I am super careful of what I eat about 90% of the time. I have felt ravenously hungry as of late. I think its stress/head hunger but still hard to control none the less. In the back of my mind I am worried that I will start to gain all my weight back. It really scares me. I have never been able to keep a steady weight for any length of time in my adult life. I was always going up or down. I might suggest having your body fat tested, that has been a good marker for me since I started the exercise. The gain in muscle weight will throw off the "scale weight". As (previously)overweight people we have not had to deal with "muscle weight" issues before. Muscle weighs more than fat, and thats a good thing. I just try to keep remindng myself of that. Remember to mind your protien levels. Building muscle requires fuel, no or low protien intake will cause your body to try and hold on to fat stores to protect itself from damage. Eat smart not less. Send me an email if you want to trade tips on exersise!