WAAAAAAAH!!

I just need someone to tell this to, someone to vent to, because I feel like I'm going crazy.  I had a VSG July 2 of last year, and for the first five months lost 77 pounds.  Since then I have not lost any weight, and have been stable between 143-146 pounds.  My ultimate goal is 130 pounds, which is the weight at which I felt most attractive and fit.  In an attempt to get to that weight, I upped my exercise, and for the past couple of months, I have exercised four or more times per week, and do one and a half to two hours of hard cardio each time.  I am also following my diet plan, and even on my worst carb-muncher days never eat more than 900-1100 calories.  However, I am STILL not losing weight.  I don't understand how this is even possible.  I don't think my resting metabolic rate could be that low, and I am so frustrated!  I feel like all of my free time is spent trying to exercise and do everything right, and I feel like crap, but the weight won't budge.  And if this is what it takes for me to maintain THIS weight, not only will I never reach my goal of 130, but I will always have to eat like a WLSer in the losing phase, and will always have to work out like a fitness model.  

Please just say something nice to make me smile.  

 Vent away, that's why the board is here lol

Sometimes our bodies just stop at a particular weight for no reason.  It takes a "jolt" of doing something different to get things going again.

Are you doing any strength training?  Maybe instead of 90 min of cardio, you do 1 hr, then 30 min of circuit training.  Doesn't have to be huge weights, but lot of reps and little rest in between to keep the heart rate up.  Also mixing up cardio is good too.  Running, then elliptical or elliptical and stairmaster or biking and rowing...lots of combos to do.

You look pretty great at 143 or 146 or whatever number :D  Hope that got ya to smile

Brian

This might sound crazy, but it doesn't sound like you are eating enough. For all the exercise you do, I think you need more calories. Your body could be in starvation mode and hanging on to every pound. Try upping to 1500 cal/day and see what happens.

Jan

I was stuck at 145 for a bit....I added weights to the mix (body pump class 2x a week) and I am now 115lbs.  I have had to add some calories back in because I was actually dropping really fast once it started and I felt like crap!  I average about 1500/day (I am short at 5ft 2in and old at 49....so that is all I get....even with exercise!!!!)

It is amazing what 2 hours of weights/week has done.  In addition to the drop n weight, my hips are smaller then thay have ever been (33") and i have trouble finding age appropriate clothing now becuase I have to shop in the jr. department!  

Why are you stuck on a certain number? 

Answer these questions:

1)  Are you in the normal BMI range?
2)  Are you healthy?
3)  Do you have good energy?
4)  What does your doctor say about your current weight?

Your body knows best sometimes and the number you desire isn't where your body is going to be "happy".  Yes, you can diet yourself to any magic number you pick--but you will likely have to live with a very strict, unrealistic exercise/eating regime.  Is it worth it to you just to reach a certain number?

You may be a goal--and it does sound like you aren't eating enough.  Up the calories and the weight training--if you are really meant to lose more, this will probably get you moving again.  Or, if you aren't meant to lose more, find a way to be proud of what you've done and get on with life in your amazing new fit body!

Wishing you the best!

Kim

If you do up your calories, please don't do it more than 100 at a time and wait 2 weeks before you up it again. Otherwise, you risk starting to regain because you've made too big a jump.

Other things to check that haven't been mentioned yet:

- are you measuring and weighing your food. If not, you could be eating more than you think

- are you getting enough protein? You want to get 70-100 g a day with your workout schedule

- are you drinking enough water? Water makes all our systems 'flow' so to speak.

- how much loose skin do you have? You probably have 6-8 pounds of it after losing 77 pounds. Mentally subtract that off and that's your "real" weight.