HI

I'd like to introduce myself to this forum.  I've been on the main forum for about 3 weeks but never visited this one before now.  My surgery was planned for this Wednesday but I've had a reprieve of sorts and it's been postponed.  So I got to thinking about having one last try at losing weight on my own before I have my stomach rearranged.  I keep thinking about this but then I remember the many times I've lost weight only to regain what I lost plus some, you know, the usual story.  So, what are the stats like for non surgical success?

 Welcome to the Non surgical board, we have lots of success stories around here, I too was pursuing WLS and decided to give it once last shot before I committed to surgery, Im very glad I did, you will find some great inspiration around here,  glad you decided to join us! 

May I ask how you are doing your non WLS loss?

 I sent you a friend request and also a PM 

Hi Gloop and welcome to our neck of the woods. Like you and Michelle I seriously considered WLS - started through the process, even had the sleep study where they found I indeed had sleep apnea and I got my CPAP. But I decided to give diet one more try because I was scared of having my digestive tract rearranged, especially since I started to see so many people on OH regaining weight a few years after they had lost it. I realize that I might have been one of those unlucky people if I didn't make significant changes in what I ate. I'm glad that I've done it without surgery because I'm much healthier having my organs intact. And I  will not regain what I lost because I have completely changed my lifestyle.

I'm following Dr. John McDougall's Maximum Weight Loss plan. You can read about it here at his website http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=11 He has a regular program with the free info here http://www.drmcdougall.com/free.html . You can lose weight on either plan, but it's faster with the MWL. I bought his book recently on Amazon for $1.81 + shipping - can't beat that price for a used book in great condition. LOL but I originally borrowed it from my local library. I have lost a lot of weight, changed my diet completely and no longer crave junk food or eat mindlessly. This for me was a lifesaving change and I'm now reaping the rewards - I don't know my actual starting weight, it might have been as high as 350 but I have a record from somewhere when I was 326 so I use that as my starting point. I'm now 177.5 and just a few pounds away from being considered JUST OVERWEIGHT - I'm so excited. And I didn't starve, didn't measure any food, didn't keep any records - I just ate what is allowed on the diet and ate till I was full. And we've saved a ton of money of food too as a bonus. DH lost over 100 pounds on the diet and I no longer have sleep apnea LOL. BTW I always suggest people read Dr. Colin Campbell's book The China Study which is about nutrition and what people eat around the world. Excellent book and was on the New York Times best seller's list a few years ago.

Even if you do go ahead and have surgery, if you can lose some weight now and increase your exercise you will be in better shape for surgery.

 Hi Gloop, 

Welcome to the bored. I'm sort of new here myself. I've been researching surgery and very lightly considering it. At this stage I'd probably say my considerations of it is pretty non existent. I'm doing my own thing for weight loss, basics of calories in vs. calories out. 

Not sure how long it will take or if how far I'll make it- but it doesn't really matter since each day I work towards it I'm doing something healthy for me. 

Hi Peachpie, I get your point about working at it each day and not getting stressed.  I try to keep reminding myself to take it day by day and one step at a time.  I tend to get myself all worked up about further out in the future but I have to learn to just focus on the now and live in the moment.

Hi Gloop,

Wow, you have done really well on your own so far!!

I didn't go so far as to have a surgery date booked, but the money for the surgery is still sitting in an account, just in case this doesn't work.

But, I feel ready to make the changes - and that is a big part of it I think.  I wasn't truly ready before - hard to believe I could be 360 pounds and not ready!!  But, there you have it.

I have started exercising, which was key for me.  But, I am trying to make better choices.  I'm not eliminated anything all together, but trying to have less of it.  I am tracking my food on a website called "livestrong".  There is a free portion, and that is all I utilize.  It includes the daily plate, which you can look up just about everything you can image, and it calculates your calories, carbs, proteins, sugars, etc. 

It is discouraging when you see people who have had the surgery and lost 50 pounds in one month, and I lost 8.  But, I want this to be a change I can live with for the rest of my life.  When I read that they have to keep their calories under 1000 a day - yikes, no wonder they lose so much! 

It isn't an easy road, but neither is the surgery.  I wish you all the best on your journey, whichever way you go!!

Heather.

Thanks Heather, I've actually been using a similar site called fitday and I'm loving it.  Yesterday I had a few dates and when I put it on my food intake on fitday I was startled to see how many calories just a few little dates had.  Before I would have had a bunch of them and fool myslef into thinking they are just little dates I can eat as much as I like and no harm, I wouldn't count something like that but using fitday really makes me realize how much I'm actually eating and it's good to see it like that.  Even though in my past diets I have tried keeping a food diary but it's not the same. 

It is eye-opening to see these things!  I have kept food diaries in the past too - but never really considered more than total calories or points when I was doing Weigh****chers.

I am allowed a lot of calories in the day because of my weight, so I treated myself to a grande Tazo Chai latte from Starbucks - I had enough calories.  But, it put my daily sugar intake at something like 200% of the recommended daily amount!  That was a real eye-opener for me! :)