Do you Eat When ya Feel Hungry or do you eat Because you know you need Nutrition? Pre Op...

 This Question can be for Pre op and Post Op. I have had this issue ever since being pregnant with my first child.  I  ate when I was hungry, never on a time schedule just ate when I felt hungry. Which was about twice a day.May be how I was able to stay the same weight back then. When I got pregnant with my son, (now 38) gained 60 lbs .Never lost it after I gave birth the same happened with my second child Daughter (now 30 years old ) I gained 60 lbs again, Never lost it. I started with this "I have to eat to feed this baby" attitude. To this day I have that same attitude. Now Post Op I have this attitude I have to eat for Nutrition even more so. This time I have the Anxiety that goes with it attitude Post Op.

I am almost 8 years post op and want to lose that last 20 lbs I never got to my final goal when I first started my weight loss. I have never regained my 100 lb weight loss but I am desperate to lose that last 20 lbs.  before June. I have started walking in the mall 3 rounds which takes me 55 minutes. at a medium pace. I stay walking not stopping to window shop. I am diabetic so I have to eat before and right after my walk or I will faint. My legs get weak and I get dizzy. I drink plenty of water before , during and after my walking. I haven't seen the scale move in 7 days. I stop eating after 7:30pm this was the way I have lost weight in the past I increased my walking and stop eating after 8pm. I have to eat, every 3 hours sometimes I eat every two hours. I eat all healthy things.  I watch my fat grams daily don't go over 40 grams per days . This morning I am eating 1/3 c. Fiber one cereal with Lactose free milk. and Coffee. I stay on track about 90 to 95 percent of the time. So why isn't the scale moving? I do not eat many white carbs , I eat 100 percent wheat bread, no white flour, I watch my sugar intake. No rice.. I ask again, why isn't the scale moving down this time? Is it time to go get medically checked or am I still doing something wrong in my eating habits? I am in menopause , age 57. I don't suffer hot flashes.. Well any ideas to help me get that scale moving? I have many plans for this summer. Thanks a bunch for your time. PeaceV Wendy

I forgot to mention. I Eat even when not hungry Post op. Would that scale start moving down again if I go back to eating only when hungry? I remember early post op when I walked 3 miles every day and ate only when hungry I ended up in the E R because I was so weak. I was dehydrated. I don't want to go back to this routine back and forth to the E R because of dehydration.

If I want to lose weight, then I make it into a project.  I will write down my goals for each week.  I calculate how many calories I burn and then eat 500 calories a day less than that.  For me, I maintain at 1400 calories a day and lose a pound a week when I cut that down to 900 calories a day.  To lose 20 pounds, I would need to do that consistently for 20 weeks.

I spent years trying to find a better solution.  Not eating at night, walking, exercising, high protein, cutting down on fat and/or carbs and it never ever worked.  It might work for a week or two but then the scale would go right back.  The system that does work for me is called If It Fits Your Macros.

I use My Fitness Pal to track every bite that goes in my mouth and every bit of exercise. 

I eat six times a day and keep most meals to under 200 calories.  I have two "big" meals where I eat 300-400 calories.  When dieting I cut down to 900 calories total.  I accept the fact that I sometimes have to diet.  I never skip weighing myself.  I need that constant feedback from the scale.

Before surgery I could lose three or four pounds a week on Weigh****chers points.  Now my body seems to hold on to weight much more efficiently and only calorie counting works to make the scale go down.

Right on! One of the best posts I've ever read on this site!   

yes I use that scale everyday also. I've always felt like I had to eat even more because of my height which I stand 6'0 Doctor did tell me I will be ok eating 1,800 calories a day. I have been staying that all these years.

So 1800 keeps you 20 pounds overweight.  Cut down to 1300 a day and you should see that scale go down one pound a week.

Have you actually counted carbs? 

Bread - wheat or white = Carbs

Cereal -= Carbs

Milk = carbs

You may be getting too many of these.  Try limiting your carbs to 50g instead of fat.

Carbohydrates such as bread will cause most of us to stall out or gain. Cut them out. You don't need bread and cereal. Try protein first, lean vegetables, dairy, and complex carbohydrates.

Thank you all so much, reality just set in..Ditch the Carbs. ...  ....Gotcha!