Stall still on - 8 weeks and counting....

lol! Thanks Linda

Hey B,

I read your post and those who have responded to you with interest. The longest stall I have had to date is 3 weeks. During that time I would keep to my program, document my food on My Fitness Pal, then also post during the week on the O.H. "What are you eating/doing" thread. I knew if I was eating an average of 600 to 800 calories a day, eating my protein first and keeping it 60 to 80 (if not 80 to 100 grams), limiting my carbs and sugars (0% plain yogurt, only berries, low sugar vegetables and no/little starches), then - regardless of what the scale said - I was continuing to lose. The plateaus are important because I believe our bodies need to catch up and regulate before losing again. I also continued to lose inches and as frustrating as it was, I KNEW I was doing most things right.

Here's some advice: make an appointment with a member of your healthcare team (doctor, nutritionist, nurse practitioner) to go over your program and progress. If all is good, it will at least give you peace of mind. Journal, journal, journal - on your app. and on this site. The information and feedback I get from other members is invaluable and it keeps me honest and accountable. I agree with Monica that you may want to vary your calories and what you are eating. Regardless of your shift work, limit yourself to one protein shake a day and eat your snacks. I ran out the door today, but did make some egg salad last night that I had in a small tupperware container, grabbed a pepperoni stick and cheese stick, and will eat protein and vegetables tonight. All food is fast food if it is prepared and easy to grab in the morning.

Stick to your program; you are not going crazy and you will continue to lose weight. If you look at my surgery date and your own and compare our weight loss, we aren't too far out. Maybe your body is just catching up. It's all good.

Sending a big hug your way. Yep, I can feel it. Definitely skinnier - lol.

Linda

I did some reading yesterday in regards to this... and basically most doctors agree ... protein is needed --- dense protein .... then some vegtables, wholegrains and fruit ... seed/nut oils as well... but the secret was more dense protein apparently.

Where did you find these readings? I have been scouring the journals with side searches when doing my homework and would be interested in following up on this.

SimplyB I am so glad you're back! I private messaged you my email but never heard back from you. I'm having my surgery on October 27th with dr. Huynh. Excited and nervous! Keep writing. Only you can decide what works for you. If you need to go back to shakes so be it. This too shall pass. Stick to the plan. Good luck!

I did not lose anything between month 12 and month 18. Then I quit all the protein and ate nothing but fresh fruit and vegetables for a month. I dropped the last 14 pounds in that month.

I ate fresh strawberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, melon, pineapple, apples, oranges, lettuce, cherries, celery, carrots, cabbage, blueberries and any other fruit or vegetable that was fresh. I steamed the vegetables with no butter or oils.

I ate the fruit raw and sometimes sprinkled with Splenda.

I exercised and drank tons of water, but no protein shakes, no meat, no fish, no cheese, no yogurt.

Dr. Atkins started the whole high protein, low carb thing back in the 1970's.

He recommended an occasional break from high protein. But the rule was to give up all the protein and eat fruit and vegetables. Still no flour, sugar, bread, rice, cereal, corn, peas or other simple carbs. Lots of water and exercise. Never combine high protein with high fruit and vegetables. Do one or the other. You can't just give up control of your diet.

Eating the fruit and veggies was wonderful after not touching them for over two years. And it put me under my goal where I stayed effortlessly until 30 months out.

That actually sounds appealing!

I am curious about the comment I had not touched them (fruit and veg) in two years.

What did you eat mainly for the first two years?

Six months before surgery I gave up all white carbs, bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, cookies, candy, sugar and flour. I also stopped drinking Diet Coke. I ate steak, pork, chicken, tuna, other fish, hard cheese, yogurt, flaxseed muffin in a mug, eggs, string cheese, skim milk and ricotta cheese. I did add frozen strawberries and lettuce three months after surgery. I drank as many protein shakes as I wanted. Always two or three a day. I counted protein, not calories.

I did the fresh fruit and vegetables during month 18.

I went back to high protein after that. I quit the protein shakes at month 30 because I was having regain.

Now I eat about 1100 calories a day to maintain my goal of 136.

Sounds like a good regime, did you have any problems with nutritional imbalances?

i know personally that I am vitamin c deficient and have added that to my daily vitamin regime and assumed that was because I had dropped fruit and veg from my diet to avoid sugars pre and post surgery.