Nobody here but us chickens!

Hoping some of you other chickens (at least we're dense protein) will come out and keep me company. The only hi-carbs I'm eating are steel cut oatmeal and a variety of gummy vites (i know!). Need to start exercising.

Reading posts from ten years ago. Helloooo???

HW: 278 Ht 5'4" Aug 1 2017 SW: 270 CW: 265

your doing great

there aren't many posters here cause most ppl have found out that the only way to maintaining weight loss is through surgery.

Good luck to you though.

I'm not a chicken but I lost enough waiting for my referral for surgery that I no longer qualify for WLS. So I did an Optifast program and am now losing with just diet and exercise.

Good luck with your journey!

I have lost hundreds of pounds doing it without surgery, only to gain it all back plus more. What is your plan for maintaining your weight loss for the rest of your life?

My plan is to keep eating exactly as I am right now. I weigh and track every bite that I eat and I don't go off plan. Basically, I follow the same diet a WLS patient would, except that I can have lots of non-starchy veggies and I stay between 1100-1200 calories.

People can and do out-eat their surgery; to be successful either way, vigilance is necessary. I would have liked to have the surgery but I am not going backwards. My BMI is 27 now so WLS wouldn't be an option unless I gained a lot back. I have lots of support from family, including my husband and children, and a good therapist if needed.

I've also discovered a love for exercise and spend an hour or two at the gym every day. I know that needs to be part of my life forever and I genuinely enjoy it.

Finally, I weigh myself every day to track changes. This way, if the scale starts moving in the wrong direction, I can correct behaviours before it becomes significant.

so , this is the first time you have ever dieted and exercised, then?

It's the first time I've done it with this plan and mindset. Prior attempts were done on 'diets' where It was something I had to do until I reached my goal. As expected, I'd lose 10-20lbs and then fall off the wagon. This time, it's not a diet, it's just the way I have to live. The program I did was focused on living the healthiest lifestyle possible that was still enjoyable and sustainable for us. As long as I do that, my weight will sort itself out. It's also the first time that I've dealt with the underlying emotional and behavioural reasons for my overeating.

I understand that somewhere around 98% of people who lose weight will gain it back, but I have to try; I'm not just going to assume that I cannot succeed long term. Clearly WLS is not an option for me right now and I hope it never will be again.

Ditto ALL that! (Except the Optifast; I may use another product)... And Giant Kudos!!

Hi Heslsey, I just found your posts today along with others in this forum, and I posted a reply under Chunky423's post (re Can't Have Surgery But Can't Go On Like This). It is a long post (sorry), but also had you in mind as I wrote it. I hope you are still around and are doing well.

There are at least a few of us (I suspect) who want surgery but for whatever reasons aren't having it, yet still appreciate all the terrific posts from everyone because they are so helpful - educating, motivating, and real. I may not be able now to be a part of the official WLS club in this world, but hope to continue enjoying and benefiting from all the posters here - hope you do too!