3 years out in May- stuck

Hi Friends

First of all- I'm very grateful for the VSG- and I wouldnt redo anything... that said.. while I havent gained (by the grace of god) I havent lost. I'm 46, female, 5'6 and stuck at 227. I cant believe it. I've read so many stories about people dropping over 100lbs- I believed I would too. No- I dropped 75 (awesome) and... well.. just stayed there.

I love low carb and thats not an issue- although if I'm being honest I have slipped. But, bread, pasta, baked goods are a very rare part of my intake. I only drink water, seltzer, black coffee and diet snapple- no alcohol or soda ever. I joined WW- I began baking my own protein bites and quit protein bars altogether. I eat protein with every meal, always wait 30 mins before drinking. I tried IF but sucked at it- maybe try again? I know I need to incorporate exercise but sadly- this food thing is still a major issue. I dont binge- I stay about 80% true- but yes- weekends are an issue- I know I havent been 100% faithful to this- but I thinks its because theres never a payoff. Its exhausting... anyone else feel like this? any guidance is appreciated... I would cry tears of joy to get to 190 before I'm 50.

Hello!

If you aren't already, the first thing you should do is start weighing and tracking everything you put in your mouth using something like MyFitnessPal. It's really hard to know what you need to change without good data of what you're currently doing.

It seems like you know what the problem is, though. 80% true is great, but you can consume a LOT of calories during the other 20%. You're eating at maintenance levels if you're not losing or gaining weight.

You might want to touch base with your dietitian about your way of eating. If you're having trouble sticking to your plan, you might consider working with a therapist to figure out why.

Try logging every bite. Even when I think I'm doing good when not logging, I lose more logging. I would aim for about 1200 calories a day. Instead of aiming for low carb, aim for low calorie. Just make sure you get a minimum of 60 grams of protein in. Things like 80 calorie greek yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, baked chicken, most fruits and veggies are great low calorie options. As long as I log everything and keep my calories low I lose weight. It's that simple.

Exercise is great for health and keeping your skin from hanging on you. It really helps the way you feel. Do it for you not for weight loss.

I had to switch over to calorie counting (while still counting protein, of course) when I was about a year or so out. At that point I could eat a lot more than I could the first few months after surgery, so overeating (for a WLS patient, anyway) became more of a risk.

start logging your food and after a week or two, figure out what your average calorie intake level is (you have to do an average since it could vary from day to day). Then if you want to lose weight, take it down by a couple hundred calories. If it's still not enough, then drop it again. And so on. Eventually, you'll find your sweet spot..

On average you eating enough calories to maintain your current weight.

80-20, is IMO really off to help you losing weight. Looks like it is OK to maintain.

For me to lose I need to do at least 95-5. And it need to contact calories and eat low carbs. IF always help me losing weight.

To get to IF 8/16, I changed things slowly. For me I need to eat close to bedtime, not only because then is where I get really hungry, but also to prevent low blood sugar in the middle of the night.

For me I eat between 1pm to 9 pm. Some days I may even start later, and my last meal would be at 8 pm or before.

When transition from normal to IF diet I pushed my morning meal to be little later each day. I think it took me app 2-3 weeks to be able to start eating around noon or after.

Unless my BS dropped low, I could ignore hunger, drink more coffee or hot tea, or even some bone broth until 12 or 1 pm. Now it is almost no big deal. Not eating until lunch also allows me to drink more liquids. I often drink around 120 oz of liquids a day. I often drink more than 60 oz of liquids until noon. That helps not only with me feeling better, but more liquids help with my constipation due low carb diet, and there is theory that more water helps with weight loss.

Good luck to getting and maintaining you goal.

I have also been slow to lose after a VSG and have seen my weight start to drop when I eat mostly dense protein and little else. Also, my surgeon suggested eating egg whites rather than whole eggs, and that seemed to work, too.(Doesn't taste that bad.)

But if you stick to turkey, chicken, cornish hen and the like, with maybe a little cottage cheese and little to no carbs you will lose weight.

It's a lot easier with the VSG than without.