frustrated....

 so for the last year i have been writing down everything i eat and drink.. making sure i get in enough protein most days especially since surgery.. ya know... but stopped counting calories... cuz i have to do that online... got bored with it.. today just for heck of it... i did a total for the day.. an its about my average intake daily.. nothing more or less usually.... totall was only  725 calories... now in all honestly i was thinking it would be more like 1400 least it was in my head...no wonder im always tired an yawning etc... not enough fuel to give me energy... according to my Nutritionist. im supposed to be eating 1200 by now. so im getting like half the amount of calories i should be eating an i feel like i have over ate all the time.. (mentally) i stop eating before i feel psyically full, so i dont get that over stuffed feeling.. and most days not drinkin required amount of 64 oz usually like 50oz give or take a few... cuz i cant drink 30mins b4 or after i eat an i feel full all the time.. an if i make my self drink when i still have that full feeling... i get tummy ache an feel like im gona puke or end up puking... sorry to dump all that on ya... just so frustrating when i gain a couple pounds (because of not eating enough) makes no sence in reality... ya know?  since i was young was always told eat less lose weight.. now everyone an everything, i read tells me to eat more.. ugh. well everyone but my close friend he says "you have to eat sensible to lose weight" how can i do that when it doesnt make sence to me tho??? sighs.... just needed to vent...

Peggy

It is indeed a foreign concept that we need to increase our calories to lose! So hard to wrap our heads around that! I haven't stalled yet so I haven't logged & studied my caloric intake (though I should as I'll be six months post-op end of this month). But stories abound here on OH about the necessity of upping calories for maximum weight losss AND energy. So look for little ways (peanut butter, cheese, sauces and dressings, extra snacks) and do get in yer liquids (maybe keep Crystal Light or whatever at your desk, in your hand, and make it a point to drink 24-32 oz. each morning and afternoon stretch...Greek yogurt with unflavored protein powder and suger-free preserves is great "slider" food that you can keep drinking around if you're not hungry...best of luck; you will get creative and do this, AND you'll feel better!

~Linda in S. Fla

Peggy,

You are doing so good.    Look... you had the surgery in February. Just a little over 6 months ago and you have lost 140 lbs...  and lowered your BMI from 75.4 to 52.1... DO the happy dance baby because you are doing just fine.. I don't remember the exact number of inches but I know it was way up there. Way over 100 inches lost.. ..you lost 29 inches off your waist alone.. What an accomplishment.

You have lowered your monthly medicine bills from *$800 to $80 a month.. You are now officially not considered diabetic anymore..  

I see such great accomplishments and it is so inspiring to all of us here who have not had the surgery yet.. Especially me..

I know you know what you are doing and your doing fantastic.. You know that you need more liquids then you are getting in. Being low on fluids will also make you tired.. Sip Sip Sip Peggy.. You know the routine.. I know you can do it..

As far as calorie intake.. well that does not always mean that you have to cram alot more food in.. You just need to look at what your eating and add a few calories here and there.. Add sauces to your meats...stay away from such low calorie items all the time.. Now that don't mean eat junk.. that just means don't always look for things like fat free low calorie mayo. use the regular ones. You need the extra fat now anyway so your hair and skin are not so dried out..

I am sure if you just add a few little things to your menus you will be able to get the calories up there. Keep arguing with that part of the brain that keeps telling you to eat less calories to loose more weight. You can tell it "Look I have tried it your way now I am going to try it the other way".  

You are right to keep a journal of what you are eating. Go back and look at them and see if you can figure out how you could have increased the calories without having to increase the food amounts.  A little BBQ sauce on the grilled chicken or steak sauce on steak, or gravy on turkey, that will add more than you think and not make you that much more full. ...

I am sure you can figure this out Peggy. You are a smart girl.. you are keeping the journals for a reason.. now go back and review them and see what you can change..

Do not get down on yourself for your old habits trying to take over because that will happen to all of us.. Just keep telling your self that the old ways are gone ... this is a new life and a new Peggy.. to hell with the old stuff..

You go girl ... I am so very proud of you for the accomplishment you have made so far.  BE proud of yourself and think.. like you always say.. I think I can I think I can I know I can..   I know you can too.... You will get this figured out I have all the faith in the world in you..

You have done so good on the vitamins too.. wow that is so great. I am glad all the reports have come back so good.  keep it up.. don't slip up on that it is so important..

If you need help with looking back at menus pm me and I will try to help... But remember girl adding calories does not mean adding junk food.. you have done too too good for that.

I will pray for you that the solution will present it self to you and you will get to feeling better and have more energy..

your admirer..

 Peggy-

Keep perspective, it took us years to get to the weights we started at and with just having bypass in Feb I would say that all you have accomplished rocks~~!!!!  I am in envy, my total is higher only due to the weight that I lost prior to surgery.  I hear the frustration and totally get that you just want to get through this phase to " start a new life"  well we are in this for the long haul, it is not a race and our new life has already begun.  Take credit for your accomplishments and celebrate the achievements as you have a lot to celebrate!  You are already so much healthier!!

Remember weight loss is about a calorie deficit.  We have been depriving our bodies of fuel in my case by like 1/4 of the required calories required to maintain weight at rest...now I am more active and moving more than I had in the past few years so 'eating more" is just moving that deficit closer to the required calories to keep our body from thinking that is starving and wanting to go into hibernation mode to sustain your life.
I am trying to think of food as fuel for my body to do what it needs to do and what I want it to do.  That helps me somewhat in dealing with these issues of "feeling like I am overeating" when I struggle to get in 100 calories some days.  
Hang in and be proud of yourself!! I am so very proud of how far you have come in such a short time!
Cynthia 

 I love this forum... you all are always so understanding, encouraging, and insightful! thank you all for such kind words an for always being here when i need an opinion an can count of it always being an honest one.. at that...  i dont do local support groups  yet... ive tried its just to overwhelming an crowded for me.. but i love all teh support i get here.. an couldnt of made it this far with out all of u... 

luv u Peg.. I am always here for you.. anytime..

You are my idol....

 Teresa, u always make me  thank you... i wouldnt concider myself an idol tho.. sucha  fabulous compliment .... im doing a lil better past couple days... getting in a few extra calories peanut butter, a lil extra fruit here an there, reg mayo an cheese... so far been tolerating everything fine... thank goodness.. was so afraid anything that wasnt fat free or low fat would make me sick.. by the way u  said something about needing some fat in my (food plan) i hate the "D"iet  word.. anyhow i hadnt thought of that.. no wonder i have been so dry an itchy all summer an my hair is like hay very brittle no matter how much condtioner i use.. or how long i leave it in..or how much lotion i drench myself in.. thanks for bringing that to my attention.. i  managed to drink 75oz of water yesterday.. so i know its possible..
GO ME  hehe

Huggles with unmeasurable gratitude for ur kindness,
Peg

go you is right.. that is great 75oz of water.. I would feel like I was floating.. That is so good though.  the more water in the more fat flushes out.. literally flushes away hehe.. Yes I am not sure where I read that but the fat is very important to have in your foods.. we have always tried to eat everything low fat or no fat but that is not good now.. you cant absorb the fats right either so you have to eat more for them to get absorbed at the level you need to keep you hair from being dry adn breaking and your skin being like an alligators... I knwo how hard that is to phathom and I have always used miracle whip free.. I have to start buying the regular or just plain mayo after the surgery,... everything we have learned about (dieting) ok a bad work.. sorry.. is out the window now.. It was all lies..  all lies.. isnt that amazing.. well not really lies but eating the right food and exercise works for some people but not the obese.. and all those miracle ways of getting it off were not the right way ... just think of it this way. if it was right all the things we have learned and tried all these years we would not be where we are at today.. so if they don't work don't hang on to those ideas...... throw them out with the trash... this is a whole new way of life..
I dont claim to know alot about this but I have researched and researched for almost 5 years now and I have learned a few things that are helpful and if I can share just one good idea with someone then it was worth loggin on to OH.. I am still learning too... there is just so many things to learn.. the ones that are farther out are so much more expereinced than anything you could read in books and their advice and help is invaluable.. I still lurk on here just to learn from them, but I ahve bought a lot of books over the years and studied all I could about it.. Glad I could throw a good tip to you about the fat..
I am so glad to hear you are doing better.. You just seem to have a bad day or two here and there. You need a little encouragement and then you are right back on track.   kudos to you for that..  It would be so easy to just give up like we all have so many times when we get discouraged with looseing weight but no you keep plugging along.. that is one of the reasons I do look up to you..
By the way. I suffer from depression and I was journaling to try to write down all my feeling and such and it was working but I really needed encouragement. So I am not making a journal of quotes and postive sayings... I love it.. Thank you for the idea.. that has helped me more than you will know.. when I get soen I get out that journal and read the quotes and before long I am saying positive things in my head and I am able to move on..  great idea.. thanks so much..

hugs and kisses to you my friend..

YaY, Peggy---improvements already! This forum is indeed gratifying. Starting at a very high BMI makes the journey longer than a lot of RNYers...for example, I'm noticing envy when I read of others in my surgery date range within a few pounds of their goal weight at six months post-op! Since I have more than half of my excess weight still with me, even 110 lbs. down, I feel some emotions. I just really really want to lose all my excess weight in the 12-18 month window. It's a race, though I know it shouldn't be....You are all wonderful supports I consider friends...thank you from my heart!

~Linda in S. Fla