Head Games

OK,...I think I am becoming a nut case but maybe others have had or are going throught this too? I am at 226 lbs this morning.  12 month followup next Thursday.  Down from 408 and quite happy about that but not at goal I really wanted to be at in 12 months.  This 230 plateau thing has been at a stuck point since July 9 (232) and my weight  bounces from a low of 224 to a high of 232 and anywhere in between.  I am tickled to be in a 40 pants froma 60 and a loose large to exceptably snug medium shirt, but i don't accept being done at 12 months. Am I being impatient or is this it? I am abiding by diet guidelines and exercising regualry, getting ready for a 10K Oct 13 where I hope to improve my March 06 time of 1hr 38 min to 1:10 or better.  I think I should be content but I am more frustrated with the lack of progress.  Maybe I jus t liked the weight loss so much I want more even though this would be a healthy spot to level off at; at least according to family and friends.  Its not a 36 pants and its not 200 or my goal of 180.   Maybe I'm just nuts?  Maybe more loss is upcoming in the next 6 months and I just want too much too fast??  Maybe 6 months from now I'll be whining about having lost too much weight and needing to gain some back to look healthy.  Maybe I need a hobby oe some cheese with that whine!!! Editorial comments, free counseling requested, a voice of experience would be something to tie a knot into and hold on too.

Hello Brother Joe.... Of course congrats on your lose so far...you and me are a little different...I didn't start to really exercise till I was a year out...so you are so much a head of me there... I'm not sure what happened then, maybe like you, I wanted more out of my tool, maybe being so close I could taste it...(no pun intended) but I remember, I really kicked it into over drive...800 cals a day, and an hour of cardio...(.I did no muscle exercise just cardio) I got fanatical, every bite was logged into fitday...I talked to DXE, and found the guide like to kick me into ketosis...and I wnet gonzo....extreme....I lost my last 50# between 12 and 18 months.... You are doing the work...and DAMN you have some so far...the Ketosis route is tough...but that is how I did it.... But yes I felt exactly like you...if you have not...do the self inventory thing...I'll suit up with you if you want a wing man for this Russ

Thanks Russ.  I was glad you responded. I enjoy your frankness. I have thought about the ketosis thing and have reread some stuff from Dxe regarding such.. I think I kicked into ketosis this past Monday and Tuesday,.. I had some serious gas and it was some deadly fumes, but after pulling my left hamstring (a bit, its tender but not bruising) some Tuesday night, I got a bit torqued and ate,... oh about 6 packs of Lance PB crackers over the course of yesterday and got way too many carbs.   I also went back on one BP med at bedtime Tuedday night because I was hanging pretty regular at 154/84.  After two days, I am back at 132/72 this morning and sleep better the last two nights. I may seriously return to the ketosis effort to see if I can't jump start this losing without sapping my energy and exercise regime.  Good to hear you think that might work too.  I appreciate the suggestion, direction, and your experince.  Hope your healing is still progressing well.

Joe I wish I was traveling with you next week to Alabama, but I as I told you I am running in a 5K (Walk from Obesity Charity in Charlotte).  I wish we had the hours in the car so we could talk through your concerns and some of mine in depth. First of all we are all a little nuts!  Secondly you've lost 184 lbs in one year.  That is amazing.   My guess is that your body has gotten comfortable with it's weight versus the intake.  Thus the "plataeu".  Plus you really don't have that much to loose.  If your like me you likely have between 10-15 lbs of loose skin, that means I shouldn't loose but about 10 more pounds and maybe 15 or so for you.  Those last lbs are the hardest to get rid of as we have all heard and experienced. My guess is if you changed your diet around for a couple weeks, like going high protein and little to no carbs (even those sugar alcohols = no protein bars) you would see a great increase in your weight loss.  Maybe you have already tried this.  I noticed that when I have gotten stuck for a few weeks, I change the intake, by eliminating carbs (even most fruit) and I get a drop on the scale.   I've started attending a "Men's Fraternity" (like a bible study) at church and it reminds me of the Fraternity we have here in the locker rooom, no brother is left behind and no one is left with a rope without a knot to hold onto.   If you want to talk and share experiences/challenges send me a personal message and I will give you my cell#.   Keep the faith and focus on the goal even if that goal can't get here fast enough - be a warrior and finish strong!! All the best Chris

Hey Chris, Thanks for the ideas and support. I choose to back out on the AL trip frst of the week.  Car repairs, homecoming dress for HS daughter, car payment for college daughter that isn't currently employeed while trying to transition from waitressing to banking job to coincide with her degree in May 08 and Christmas upon us,... gas, food, and lodging seemed frivilous expense, so as much as I wanted to go, I cancelled. I did try backing off the protein bars and went back up from 224 to 230.  I am working back down now and am at 226 but I am living off protein bars, bananas, and whey protein banana and strawberry fruit smoothies for the most part.  I probably do need to rethink my diet and shake things up a little.  I am leaning toward trying to kick into ketosis for a few consecutive days or a week and see what that does. The bananas and sugar alcohol in the bars may be working against me. My contact info is on my profile for the support group I have inherited and am enjoying getting involved with.  Call or email anytime.  I would have enjoyed the ride and talk too but such is life.

Maybe we can get together some time went I make my fireworks run to Sheltons in SC which could happen anytime the spirit move sme between now and May 08. I like to beat the 4th of July rush.

Hey Joe... been thinking about the same things in my own head.... I'm down from 404 to 229 right now, and my goal is 225 -- so I'm 4 lbs away from that. But, I would like to "change" my goal to now be 202 -- just so I can say I lost "half" of me.... But that's just vanity, I think. The truth for me is that my body WILL let me know when it's done losing as the rate will slow and slow and then I think I'll "bounce" in a range like many others here have said they've done. Really, in my mind then, the "choice" of my goal is outta my reach....it's my body that will decide that. I've got my diet and all pretty mu*****ontrol and I think that my 40" waist might decrease a bit to say a 38" one, but that's about it.... And you know -- that's fine for me! I'm one VERY happy camper and I love my new look and all that I can do now....being 175 lbs thinner is like a new life. So I'm not going to sweat the final goal or number that I hit....it's enough that I have my life back, eh? Jim

Jim, Thanks.  I am struggling at coming to grips with that possile and probable resolve.  I'm just not ready to accept current status yet as reality.   My concern I amd tormenting myself with is if additional loss requires a real push of an effort, if I settle into an acceptable lifestyle that isn't as intense, does all the additional weight come back plus some like before surgery?  Or do I want to get as low as possible so the set point the body settles on is higher than the lowest weight obtained but still a nice low and lean 180-200 or be content and hope I stay stable without putting on 10-20 in the next year.   I really don't want to get back into that pre-op vicious cycle of losing and then regain plus some.  I think they call that,...dieting??  Ooooo the agony, the MO skeletons,...make it stop!!!

Joe, Don't get discouraged - I know what it's like to be working it extremely hard and not getting the results that I wanted to see.  Like Russ talked about, he changed things up pretty drastically to shock his system back into fat-burning mode.  Hearing him talk about that reminded me of a "rule of thumb" that I follow that has served me well: "If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always got."  And so it goes with our weight loss journey.  Making adjustments is so critical to the entire process in order to get you all the way to where you want to go.  Whether it's your exercise routine or nutrition and/or supplementation, it's highly unlikely the things that made you successful for the first 100-150 pounds are the same that will get off the final excess pounds.  You've got to do something...give your body a wake-up call to get things firing once again in the direction you want to go. My dilemma was this...my weight dropped down lower than I wanted it to and I was finally able to gain a few pounds back with significant increases in protein and work in the weight room.  I stayed at the same weight for 13 months.  I was working my ass off to keep my weight steady - it was a constant battle.  I couldn't gain a pound and I couldn't add any muscle mass.  It was not until I started working out LESS - yes less - that I was finally able to pack on some muscle mass.  So instead of working out to excess, I backed off and gave my body adequate time to rest and repair before I went at it again.  Yes, workout intensity increased big time, but I spend less time per workout now and few days in the gym to achieve what I need to.  So the lesson I learned...sometimes less is more. So if you're really concerned - as long as it's not counter-productive to your preparations for running events this Fall, shake things up...take a look at what you've been doing and do the opposite.  Deliver a healthy shock to your system and wake it the hell up!  Trial and error is good - don't be afraid of it. Best wishes! Cards Fan loseSMART!  loseSTRONG!

Intersting twist.  Thanks for the input.  I have been putting a lot of focus on my road work to improve my time, jogging distance and breathing. I also am of the mindset that burning more than I take in is a positive.  The adiditon of alternating distance days with HIIT workouts did make a difference in my abiity on the distance days after 2-3 weeks.  I was actually trying to up my HIIT workout time and distance when I pulled my hamstring which lends itself to my insanity and maybe going the erong direction if I am understanding your suggestion(s).   Altering the diet intake and maybe lessening the road work and go to something different like more focus on the weights and upper body which I have been wanting and meaning to improve on anyways. Or is that just moving the obsession?? Gad zuks,... you can't be suggesting I take a week off slow down this close to race week?? Would ketosis be counter productive to preparing the body for the 10K? Or maybe the weight loss should be more important that the 10K time in Oct?  Just when I thought I had a handle on post-op this thing,......grrrrrr!! 

It's all a matter of what your priorities are.  Which is more important...Jump-starting your weight loss or the 10K?  The nice thing about it, either choice is a healthy one so it's simply a matter of the priority you place on each of them and timeframe you're willing to work within.  Now that being said - that is if you're looking at this as "it's one or the other".  It's possible to do both. If you're considering placing an emphasis on the weights, it's true that building of lean muscle and the presence of lean muscle is highly conducive to weight loss.  So from that aspect, I would encourage it.  If you work the core with greater focus on upper body - only light weights on the legs with higher amounts of reps - there should be little to no adverse affects on your running...and you can keep to your running schedule for the most part.  Doing something like this is not necessarily moving an obsession...it should complement what you're doing.  And no, I'm not suggesting you take a week off...but increasing time between workouts to allow a little more time for recuperation could help ensure you're at your strongest at race time. CF