Advice?!

Hi Friends,

I am now 3 months out from having my sleeve done and have lost about 38 pounds.  This past month I only lost 7 lbs...needless to say my doctor feels I could have lost much more.  Can you all give me some advice on how to jump start my weightloss at this stage?  I've been doing the regular working out 3 times per week and meeting my protein and water goals.  What can I do to get this going a little bit more?

Thanks!!

Cut calories and up exercise

Do you use "myfitnesspal" to track your calories?  What would you say would be an appropriate caloric intake goal per day?

Need a whole lot more info - what are you eating every day?  How MUCH protein are you getting each day, how MUCH water and how MANY carbs?  People often say they are "hitting goals" but then find out their goals are way too low for protein/water and way too high for carbs.  

I'd love to give you pointers so let me know what a typical day looks like (be brutally honest) and you'll get good advice.  

P.S. Exercise has little to nothing to do with weight loss at this point.  Keep on doing it for the cariovascular benefits and to improve muscle tone and flexibility.  But weight loss is all about what you put in your mouth right nowt.  

Thanks Tracy.  Ok a typical day...

B: high protein powdered egg "omelette" from the bariatric store

S: string cheese

L: usually leftovers, meatballs, deli meat or if I go out i'll get shrimp or something

S: turkey Jerky

D: couple bites of grilled chicken and red wine on occasion

I haven't been great at counting my protein but I'm supposed to get 60 grams per day and I got this stuff called genpro that has 30 grams in a table spoon and I got this New Whey drink that has 42 so i'm pretty sure i'm meeting my protein goals per day but I really really need to get on my fitness pal o rsomething. 

Water...usually, like this morning, I finish a huge cup of water before coming to work, have 12 oz diet mountain dew throughout the day and then in the afternoons and night time I have 2 more big cups of water.  

Carbs, I don't know but I will start entering on fitness pal and see.  Whats your suggestion?

The genpro doesn't count towards protein goals the way it says it does-- it's a lot of quasi-scientific smoke and mirrors. If that's half your daily protein intake, you definitely need to try revising your menu.

Seriously?! That stinks!  It was recommended to me by my surgeon and it was NOT cheap :(  I have premier protein shakes too, you think that's good for protein intake?

Yup, the Premier is good stuff, lots of people here use it.

You don't necessarily need to toss the genpro-- it's not like it's completely useless. But don't count in it to add nearly as much protein as it does.

And New Whey is collagen protein, so you aren't getting all of that protein either. It's absorbed very poorly.

OK, Ashley - here is my feedback and tips.  It's going to sound a little bit like "tough love" but you need to hear it if you want to be successful.  Because I'm sensing you really do want that for yourself :-) 

1.  Stop the New Whey protein - it's total crap.  You need to be sticking with products that are 100% whey protein isolate only.  It's the most easily digestible and assimilated protein for you.  You are fooling yourself by using New Whey and thinking you are getting a full 42 grams of protein.  It's about QUALITY - no blends, no concentrates, only 100% whey protein isolate. I haven't checked out GenPro but I'm betting it's the same stuff.  Quality whey protein isolate doesn't have 30 grams in a tablespoon...and it's not cheap.  Don't cheap out on the most important macro you should be consuming.    

2.  If you are tracking your food in MyFitnessPal there's no excuse for not knowing your protein grams.  And it needs to be 80 grams per day.  Start shooting for that.  

3.  STOP DRINKING SODA!  Right now - you need to be drinking at least 80 oz. of WATER per day, 100 oz. when you exercise.  And you need to be drinking all day long. That leaves no room for any other liquids....

4.  ...including WINE!  Oh my gosh, alcohol is a huge no-no during weight loss.  It's full of carbs and will absolutely stall out any type of weight loss.  There's plenty of time for alcohol once you reach goal.  NO. MORE. BOOZE.

5.  Carbs - track these in MyFitnessPal and keep them to 40 or less.  With what you say you're eating/drinking that shouldn't be a problem...once you cut out the wine.  

Good luck!