Need some help...?'s for some of the Vetrens

  I feel silly posting this given the trauma that so many people are dealing with lately.  But I am freaking out.....and I need some info.

  First, I have been stuck at 266-269 for like 3 weeks.  I am only six months out!!!!  I KNOW that everyone has stalls but it makes me feel like my weight loss is done and the rest is up to me. I am freaking out. 

  Next, I have a couple of technical questions.  I know I should probably know the answers but I need to HEAR it from other people.  So, what happens if we overeat? I am on 4oz right now.  The last 3 days I have been eating all the time.  Normally, I graze.  However, tonight we went out to dinner and I WAY overate.  I don't have the restriction feelings that other RNYers have....so it wasn't until way after dinner that I felt overfull.  So, now I am thinking crazy and thinking I have ruined my surgery.  I have this mental image that my pouch is all big now.  Does one BIG meal do this?  And is the pouch like our old stomach in it's ability to shrink back down?  I am a nervous wreck.   Idon't know what is wrong with me!!!!  I just reached my 6 month mark and I am VERY disappointed that I haven't lost more.  I am NOT exercising and I DO NOT KNOW WHY????  I just feel CRAZY.

Sweetie,

Take a deep breath! It is OK! We have all stumbled a time or two....it is a journey! Get up and back on track, brush yourself off and move forward looking at tomorrow!

YOU have lost OVER 100 lbs in 6 months! That is AWESOME! Your weightloss is not over, you still have time! As far as stretching your pouch- it takes more than one meal! Grazing can slow down your weightloss that is true! Try tracking what you are eating and measuring your meals out! I know that this part is difficult, but it will help keep you focused and on track! Accountability is key! It took me almost 7 months to lose my 100 lbs, but I got there! Did I question myself, you betcha! I have not made it to my personal goal and yes I admit that I play the numbers game alot! Always looking to see if someone around the same weight as I prior to surgery is equal to, less than or more than- UUGGHH! I have to remind myself often, I am HEALTHIER than I was and I am able to enjoy my life so much more now than before! Off of all my presurgery meds, etc! Yes, I have made mistakes and I have had to brush myself off, but I am happy to say that I have maintained for the most part! I am content! Stalls are normal and yes you could still be at a stall! You have lost a tremendous amount of weight and our bodies must catch up! Of course there are the normal questions, are you getting in your PEW- protein, exercise and water? If not, change it up a bit! Increase 1 of those for now and see if that makes a difference! Take small steps but keep moving forward! It is ok! You are on your way! These journies are difficult at times! As they say- we had surgery on our stomachs and not our minds! Boy can they play tricks on us! Believe you me, you are not the only one that has ever posted this same type of post or had these thoughts! Hang in there! Keep coming here for support! We have been there! You can do it!

Love ya, see ya soon! Remember- BOWLING is exercise! Can't wait to see ya! Hugz Dawn

Ditto on everything Dawn said. This is perfectly normal. Do you measure? Often times, we'll not see the scale move, but we lose inches. And..isn't getting into a small size a big part of our goals?

Keep your chin up and just do what you know you're suppose to do. You know...even the Bible tells us that no one is perfect..so don't think that you'll handle this perfectly every time every day. Just do your best...most of the time.

Sherri

 Y'all are GREAT! I feel so blessed to have y'all on my posse!

I REALLY needed to hear this too Candy!

Thanks Dawn and Sherri for all your support and love!

huggggggggggggs
Janene

I have to echo all the others words and just add this....

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS DO MIRACLES!!!

By this I mean, reinforce what you are doing right with a positive mental attitude.  Focus on the good you are doing.  Reward yourself for the things you are doing right.  Then as you do that you will let the negative things go away and start feeling more positive about your progress. 

Stalls are hard for alot of reasons... they are disappointing, depressing, and hard to endure.  But don't let them ruin your attitude and get your head back into your game.  You obviously have been tough enough to get this far.... so think of last night's dinner out as your time out and now you have the game plan and get into the game.... move forward and stop beating yourself up with questioning what you already know how to do.   YOU CAN DO THIS... YOU HAVE TO JUST MAKE UP YOUR MIND THAT YOU CAN!!!

Good luck Jen,

Huge hugs,
Tracy

Jen~

Hey there....I'm no veteran by any means, but I just wanted to give you encouragement.  And besides, I think you talked me down from the ledge a time or two during my freak out moments!  :)  Think how far you've come.  I know the stalls are killer!  But...you're doing it.  Your journey is far from over!  Maybe if you change some things up, it will help.  I still struggle with getting everything in, but i know it helps with my loss when I do get all of the vitamins, water, protein and of course, exercise.  Ugh!   I think you are doing great.  Hang tough! 

I have only gotten weighed at Dr. Gupta's office just so I wouldn't freak out during the stall times.   She says that is fine by her. 

Maybe we could find a time to walk together....get Frankie to join us....more the merrier, right?! 

Christina's right Jen - you girls call me to walk I'm there Anderson, Muncie doesn't matter to me...I'm more flexible than I used to be!

Frankie

ps Jen - that stall thing happens.  Remember me telling you I had been at the same weight or 3 or 4 weeks then I dropped 8 lbs?

I know that these stalls can really freak you out and cause you to think all kinds of negative things.  I have learned to turn the negative into something positive.  We are so hard on ourselves when we are going through a tough time.  You need to get rid of the stinkin' thinkin'.  So many of your thoughts are based on emotion but when you "force" yourself to think positive (and I do mean force because it takes lots of practice and work to think positve) you see things so differently.

Write down successes you've had, mobility you now have, improved health, places you can go, things you can now do.  

Be realistic about your expectations.  If we expect perfection, anything less is failure.  Expecting that you will have difficult times allows you to prepare for them.  A trap is to expect too much, too soon. We had a lifetime to learn all our bad eating habits and we won't change them overnight.

Think of plateau's and stalls as a test that is preparing you for maintenance because in maintenance we want to stay stuck at our healthy BMI.  Your fear in a stall helps to make you stronger to weather the storm long term. 

Grab hold of that fear and don't let it defeat you.  You are worth it and you can do this.  You will not stretch out your tummy overeating one time but don't continue to experiment with that.  Don't eat until you are full, especially if you don't have restriction feelings, because most of us will not get the full feeling until 20 minutes after you are done eating. Don't drink with your meals and don't eat bread.  Eat your high protein food first.  It will help to fill you up.

When I have a setback, I go see the dietitian and/or my doctor for help.

You just hit a bump in the road.  But we all have faith in you and will help give you a push over that bump.  We have your back.  

hugs,
Kathy