10 1/2 years post op and 8 weeks until summer!!

I am 10 1/2 years post op today. I haven't been under 200 lbs. in 5 years. Because of insurance, I can't have a revision. I have to do this myself...somehow!

I burn 10 calories for each pound of me. If I eat 1600 calories I will eventually weigh 160 lbs. If I eat 2100 calories I will weigh 210 lbs. It is very easy for me to eat 2100 calories a day for long periods of time...thus my current weight of 211 lbs.

I read a book 40 years ago which recommended tracking calories in and out and coming up with how many calories you can eat to maintain your current weight. Then decreasing the calories by 500 per day to lose a pound in a week. As an accountant and Lifetime Weigh****cher member I have tracked calories in and calories burned for decades. I am great at tracking but not so good at not eating...oh well!

It takes 3500 more calories burned than eaten to lose a pound. If I eat 500 calories less each day, in a week I will lose a "real pound" of body fat. Salt retains water and muscle weighs more lbs. per volume. That throws off short term weight...think long term.

I want to maintain 160 lbs. so I should be eating 1600 calories. The trick is to be honest with what I or we eat. Hopefully you will burn 10 calories per pound of you too. If your metabolism is slower than mine you have to eat less.

That being said, it is so very easy to eat an extra 400 or 500 calories in a day. 400 calories of food is so easy to eat (a McDouble, 1/2 cup whole almonds, an apple with 3 level tbsp. of peanut butter, a bran muffin etc.)

I personally only need to eat 300 calories less a day and clean for 1 hour a day (200 calories more burned) to maintain 160 lbs. Seriously, my brain knows that and yet it is so hard to do! 8 weeks until summer. I really want to be under 200 lbs. asap. Tri

Everything is always easier said than done. Yet, you can do it. You've got 8 weeks @ 1 lb a wk. That's 8 lbs. If you exercise....then you may be able to get under 211 by summer.

Think positively and get going! You've got this. Determination and the resources here can make all the difference.

-Jan

thanks for your support and encouragement. Tri

Yeah.

But ..If I eat carbs - I have a very hard time to limit my calories. Veggies, fat and proteins - that keeps my BS more stable and my hunger limited.

Processed foods can have a lot of calories in a very small volume. It is very easy to overeat. When I get really hungry, or get low blood sugar- or BS lower then my body like to have - most bets are off...I would eat anything...that is available and has carbs

I can't and will not eat more than a good serving of chicken. But cheese and crackers? I can eat that all day and still feel hungry.

For me - calories are only a part of the solution. What are chose to eat often determines? if my hunger gets better of me.

Edited: to correct some words my tablet decided to include.

Hi Hala

You have been so encouraging over the years.

My dietitian has ok'd 140 gm of protein and most days I do that. Above that she worries about my kidneys (diabetes). I eat tons of veggies and fructose from fresh fruit is ok. It metabolizes differently than sugar which is out or I need too much insulin. A few whole grain starches are ok too, but those calories really add up. Crackers and tortilla chips...yikes! Easily can add that extra 400 calories!

Bottom line I eat just a few too many calories every day.

It has to stop because the extra 40 or 50 lbs. makes me feel badly about myself.

thanks for the help...take care, Tri

Calories matter, but so does the type of foods you are eating. Fruit does metabolize differently than sugar, but it still reads as sugar to the body. Whole grains may be "healthy" but they are still excess carbs. The body is an efficient machine that will go to the easiest source of fuel to burn for energy. If you are eating too many carbs (fruit, bread, crackers, chips) that is what the body will burn first, leaving the fat behind. If you want to lose fat, you must cut the carbs. Cutting carbs forces the body to turn to your fat stores to burn for energy.

I wi**** wasn't true. Carbs are fun and easy to eat, but this is the science of weight loss.

You can do this!

My surgery was 2006 and things may have changed, but my surgeon's office suggested eating the number of calories in your BMR (Basal Metobolic Rate). This is the number of calories that your body needs to function (breathe, heartbeat, etc). This rate will change as you loose weight. It seemed to work for me, when I followed it.

The thing that struck me in your post is the trick is to be honest about what you eat. I can really relate to this one. I'll tend to think of low/no carb foods as "free", but they still have calories. I need a dose on honesty with myself, too.

A trick I heard before is to start counting your calories at lunch or dinner. Instead of staring the morning at 0, start before dinner at 0. I'm stronger in the morning so it's easier for me to skip the extra calories at breakfast or lunch than at dinner or evening snack.

Good luck

Hi Tri_harder

YOU CAN DO THIS! I am not just blowing smoke I am doing it and walking the walk. I have lost 50 pounds of regain and almost at goal. I want to lose another 15. It took a lot of starts and stops but when I had a come to Jesus meeting with myself about my regain affecting my health I got back to the basics!

Here are some steps I hope will help you. They have helped me...

Planning/Preparing

Remember when we were preparing for surgery? How many meetings, classes and such did we attend? We were told the more prepared we were the better our chances were for success. And they were right. Go through the house, car and work place and get rid of trigger foods. Stock up on foods that will keep you on track. I removed every bad carb/sugar temptation and replaced it with lots of protein, veggies, grains and fruits.

Journaling

Get back to journaling. This will help you identify when you feel like eating, stress factors and any triggers in your life. Once you identify these factors, this will help you put tools in place to keep you from eating. It became clear I was not taking time for me anymore. I worked my day job and then spent the rest of my time caring for my husband. It was easy to reach for fast, prepackaged food. Since I purged my home I have to eat clean as there are no other options LOL

Use a tool to track you're eating and exercise like Getting Started with Health Tracker. Once I started to track ever bite and drink it became clear why I had gained.

Goals/Rewards

Make a list of goals for yourself. Make them realistic and small. Some of mine were move more, purge all junk from my home, eat more protein.

Food

In general, a long term post-weight loss surgery eating plan includes foods that are high in protein, and low in fat?, calories, and sugar. Important, vitamins and minerals are provided as supplements. (if you had a different surgery adjust this to your food plan).

Water

Water is our Best Friend. I have to say I never went back to pop or any bad drinks, however I was drinking tea like crazy. What is wrong with drinking tea? I was either using sugar or 3 equals and 3 sweet n lows per 32 ounce glass. So I was either pushing to be diabetic or get cancer. I found once I started carrying a bottle of water around 24/7 (yes had one at my bedside) I lost the cravings for the sugar and I KNOW those artificial sweeteners are not good for me. Look I am old and if you add up all the artificial sweeteners I have consumed I am sure I am at the rat in the lab getting cancer threshold.

MOVE!

I can't say enough about how key this was for me. The reason I kept my weight off for almost 10 years was no matter what, I kept moving. If I could not go to the gym I would walk. I loved Zumba, bootcamp workouts, lifting weights. When I stopped, the weight started coming back. So for me I am starting slow to avoid injury by walking and using some of the workouts on my Demand TV. Find something you love to do and it won't feel like a pain in the *** to do daily.

Support

If it's an option "run" don't walk to a support group.

Keep me posted on how you are doing.