WHAT THE %&$#@ ?!?!?!

Oh ....... my ... god .... I just weighed myself and GAINED almost a lb !!! I went from 317 to 318 !!! I'm at 4 weeks post op soon, and lost 23 lbs in the first two weeks and then nothing and now I gained about a lb !?!? WHAT THE HECK !!!!??!?!??!? Erica thinks the chili in the can, the summer sausage on wheat crackers, may be way too salty and I'm retaining fluids.. but I'm drinking more now, and no sweets, just following her plans.. this makes NO SENSE !!! I'm eating the 5-6 small meals a day, 5 wheat crackers with tuna fish, chicken breast, breaded from oven, kashi crunch cereal with 1% milk, deli meats.. each meal fits into a 4oz container (the small GLAD tupperware, round things) .. I mean.. what the heck man .. god this is frustrating .... jeff

Hi-ya Jeff, By any chance are you keeping track of how much protein you are getting? I've read on the main board that not getting enough could slow your weightloss and cause a plateau. Have you thought about going back to what was working for you the first two weeks? Also, I think you may be right about the salt, that's what happens to me all the time. Depending on the deli meat, they usually carry a high salt content. HTH. - Sharon

Hi Jeff. I had my surgery on 4-12-04, and I have lost a considerable amount. There are 3 things I do, and I can share them with you, they may help you. Thing 1- Water, water, plenty of water. I drink about 48-64 ounces a day. Thing 2- Protein, I eat about 70-90 grams a day. Thing 3 Exercise- I jog, walk, swim, jump rope, generally move around frequently, and this has really helped me drop weight. I hope this helps you. Good Luck Joe

Joe, how are you managing to get in that much protein?? I still can only manage about 40 at best.....

Well, for breakfast I have 2 eggs and 2 slices of cheese = 24 grams Morning Snack- Atkins Advantage Bar (cookies+cream is yummy) = 18 grams Lunch is 3 ounces of chicken or fish (18-21 grams) Mid Afternoon Snack -Another Atkins bar + 18 grams Dinner is usually veggie and a small hamburger 3oz (20 grams) 9 PM Snack - usually pineapple or watermelon (1 gram)\ Sometimes I skip a snack, or have fruit instead, so my daily intake is about 80-100 grams a day. I also drink a ton of water all day, but do not eat or drink within 30 minutes of each other. I exercise when I wake up, jog or walk about 2 miles, during the day I play with my 2 kids, then I work 3-11 but avoid the elevators for extra exercise, then I walk one more time when I get home, sometimes I swim instead. I have lost 64 pounds in 10 weeks, started at 279 and now I am at 215. I still have a beer gut, so I will start crunches and sit-ups soon..LOL

Relax Jeff you have hit your 1st plateau and it usually sticks for 2 weeks. Your body is trying to figure out what is going on. You will begin melting soon. It is nothing you can do at this point - just follow your diet to the T. Best of luck. (PS. I have been stuck on plateau now for 6 weeks - uggghhh) Dawn -78

Jeff, I don't understand why you are eating canned chili and wheat crackers. You are supposed to have your protein first and above all. My doc says make your plate as follows: protein....then green.....then carb. Eat all of your protein first, then eat all of your green, then go to carbs. Nine times out of 10 if you do that and chew each bite 32 times, by the time you get to the carbs you are full. Do not drink with your meals or for 1 to 2 hours after. Drink a lot of water, whatever you can before you eat. We are only allowed to eat 3 meals a day with constant sipping of water or Crystal lite between meals. You shouldn't be having crackers at all, they are bad carbs, the watermelon, veggies are good carbs. Canned chili is an absolute no no. It is full of sugar, check your label and see how many carbs it has. Plus at 4 weeks post op, you should still be having only 1 to 2 oz at each meal. Of course, there may be a difference in docs and their programs. I'm just starting but my brother lost from 367 to 185 in less than 10 months on this program and is now a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines at 48 years old. Anyway, I wish the very best on your journey. Andrea

Hi Jeff You are right - it can be very frustrating especially if you read about how much everyone else has lost in what time frame. (Very tempting and hard not to do but as I am a s-l-o-w loser...........) One thing else you might want to check is the amount of sugar int he Kashi. I eat Kashi with blueberries and Carb Countdown skim milk (more protein) every morning and the only Kashi I can find with 0 sugar and 0 sodium is the Puffed Kashi. Not as good but doable. And breaded chicken breast - maybe you should forget the breading. Someone said that I good rule of thumb is to avoid the white carbs - pototoes, rice, bread, crackers, or anything with sugar or white flour. Seems to make life easier for me. Good luck to you. It will be worth it. Joanne