I had the surgery to get my health back, now I care more about my looks then ever.

Sorry you can't sell that service here.

Eat less and move more. There is no magic to it. Weigh and measure every bite and track your calories. Stop at 7 before you gain it all back.

I think there was a part of me that didn't think I would gain it back. During my time recovering from my tummy tuck surgery I ate very little, I thought. In retrospect I was drinking a lot of juice and snacking on cracker's and other carby foods. I maintained my weight throughout the two months following the surgery but I never lost the weight that they took off. I maintained the exact weight that I was prior to the tummy tuck, but they took of 6 pounds, so I should have lost at least a little something even if i was retaining water due to inflammation. Then, all of a sudden two months ago I couldn't fit in my jeans and had gained an additional 5-6 pounds. I spoke to the nutritionist yesterday and she says I should be consuming 1000-1200. How am I going to be able to do that? I am starving at 1,400. There must be a trick to getting back down to a thousand calorie diet. What is the trick to quitting that hunger? 

Are you tracking your food? If so, what are your carbs per day, and where do they come from? If you're eating a lot of refined carbs, that could definitely contribute to the hunger.

1000-1200 calories would not be low enough for me to lose weight, because after surgery our bodies seem to burn calories less efficiently than those who did not have surgery or did not have a massive weight loss.  Some doctors estimate that we burn at 80% of people who did not have a large weight loss.  So 1000-1200 is really 800-960 for us post-ops. 

To lose weight I have to cut back to 800 calories a day.  If I do that for a week, I lose one pound.  My secret to doing that is to cut out almost all carbs.  Meals are cheese or meat with some low carb vegetables and salads.  No shakes, no juices, very little fruit, and no breads, rice, pasta, or sugar.  The hunger does disappear when the carbs do.

I know that this is not what you want to hear.  It is the truth.  After much trying with what the nutritionist told me, I learned on my own that I would not lose weight until I cut to 800 calories a day.

Do you use artificial sweeteners? When I cut them out of my diet, my cravings went away.

I eat 2000 calories on a regular day and cut back to 1500 when I need to lose. We are all different.

I did not have the surgery for my health as a primary thing--I was shocked by a photo and saw for the first time how obese I had become and how awful I looked. I did not have any co-morbidities yet, but I am sure they were coming. 

Fast forward, 145 or so lbs down late last year and I was getting dressed to go out and asked my 18 year old son if an outfit made me look fat. His response caught me, HARD, and then I laughed.

"Mom, you are like half the size you used to be and NOW you worry if you are fat? I don't get women. I just DO NOT GET WOMEN."

And while I do want to rid my body of these last 18 lbs, it did put things in perspective for me and I appreciated that. I have a mirror in every room and hallway. I used to have maybe 5 in my house and that included 4 bathrooms! I want to look good, put together and fit.  

Please do not be frustrated on your 7 lbs, please just get back to following your plan and stepping your exercise up a notch. I'm sure you'll have those 7 gone soon enough!

:)

It's taken me a long time to get to the place I can accept me and my body as I am. I sag and bag a lot, some because of my age and some because of my weight loss, but I look pretty good in clothes.

I just figure it's the only body I have or will ever have, and it's my only time around as far as I can tell. So I might as well like me- that's preferable to the alternative.

And I do like being stronger and in good health.

So SO many of us have body dysmorphia - and try desperately to reach 'perfection' - which doesn't exist.  EVERYTHING is Photoshopped these days.  I have seen numerous super models in real life, and while quite pretty, and with good facial structure, are NOT what you see in magazines.  I just read an article about how editors are now asking artists to put weight ON the models because they look so unhealthy!  So it's all fake, and it's all a lie.  DON'T FALL FOR IT!  You sound like you're in great place physically, you're healthy, and since perfection is unattainable, you need to let that go!  A good therapist might be an answer... it helps me.

Maybe some of you didn't realize you were depressed before the surgery with your weight.  And now you rightfully are excited about your new self and want to show it off :) I think that's completely normal and even though I have a good self esteem, I definitely know I'll be buying some of my old more revealing clothes and putting make up on every day again :) you know people will be looking at you now and so now you want to look nice!  Kudos to all of you :)