How honest have you been with yourself??

Hi there, I read constantly on the WLS main board that people tried diet after diet and only succeeded in gaining the weight back. While this is possible it is also possible to gain the weight back after WLS as well. As we all know it is a matter of changing the lifestyle, not just for a little while but forever. So, the question is, how many of us have been REALLY honest about our weight loss attempts. How many have started a program, lost all of their weight and went on maintenance??? I know that I hadn't, in all the years I had been on programs I did it for short periods of time, to fit into something, to go somewhere, to lose weight for a special event, etc. I never saw one through to the end. I must have started 50 diets, but only succeeded on one, the one that I put myself on about 8 years ago. So, have we all been honest with ourselves and tried hard to fix our heads before we embark on any program?? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Donna

Hi Donna, Great question. I have to say that I have been very successful on a number of diets - to a point. I have stayed on a diet for as long as a year and lost lots of weight but have never actually gotten to my goal. I have been SMO most of my adult life and have never stayed with a program long enough to "lose it all". I have to admit that working on the head issues is where I always dropped the ball and in fact for a long time did not even realize that was a component of the whole thing. One of the things I have learned from the WLS folks is the importance of making the permanent life-style changes and of "fixing my head". One of the reasons I opted not to have WLS was because I realized that two or so years out many post-ops are dealing with weight gain and old habits. I decided that I would give real effort to changing my habits this time and finding ways to deal with head hunger. I am finding that it is an up and down journey and I have hit a few stumbling blocks but I remain focused and committed. At this point this is the longest I have been on a plan that I have not just given up when I hit a bump in the road. I attribute a lot of that to finding this sight and seeing that it is possible to to get there with AND without WLS. Sorry about the ramble. As you can see I am passionate about this. Blessings, Maren

Hi Maren.....what type of plan are you on? Im hoping for surgery but Im not sure its going to happen....I have thought of trying to PRETEND that I have had it by eating and doing the same as they do ...but Im scared to start that alone. How is your plan going? Lost any?

Pamela, I am doing pretty much just that, pretending. I eat very similarly to what a 2 yr post op eats (based on what I read on the main board). I have lost 118 lbs so far. I have not lost but a few pounds in the last 3-4 months (actually gained 11 pounds, lost them again plus a couple more) as I have been struggling with grazing. I seem to have gotten back on track now and am hoping to stay there! I try to drink lots of water, eat high protein and stay away from the "white foods". I keep it at between 800 & 1400 cals a day. When I stay with it I lose weight really well and feel great! I do take a good multiple vitamin daily. I walk a lot more than I used to and am a lot more active but still have not established a regular exercise routine. Again, something I continue to work on. Hope this helps. Gook luck to you. Blessings, Maren

Maren, I remember seeing your posting to the "what have you eaten today" on the main board and saw that you were a proud non-op. I was happy to see that and it made me feel better about posting my own "what I had eaten today" post on the board. I saw what you wrote about eating high protein. I had to get a chuckle out of that based on a conversation I had with my doctor. At my 3 week checkup to see how I'd been losing I showed him my food logs. He looked at them for a moment and then raised an eyebrow and said, "why so much protein?" I said, well, all of the post-ops on the WLS board eat high protein." Well after he had finished laughing he said "you don't have the same problems with malabsorption. The most an average woman needs to eat is about 40 gms a day and an average male perhaps 60 gms." I found that rather embarassing. So what you said about following the program of a post op is exactly what I've been doing. I still have a rather high protein diet, and it is devoid of "white foods" as well. I am on South Beach and that works very well for me. I keep my calories between 800 and 1000 but you are further along than I am, I am still at the point of losing the bulk of my weight. As far as exercising I also walk and do strength training consisting of small dumbells for my arms and using them to do lunges and the like, as well as crunches. I am up to 50 a night right now. I am hoping to delay some of the skin softening that is already happening!! You should be very proud of your weight loss and your journey so far!!! Donna

Hi again, I agree. We don't need as much protein as WLS post-ops. My plan is high protein by default I guess. Kind of a modified Adkins (I eat a lot more complex carbs than Adkins allows and than most WLS post-ops eat). I have kind of an odd outlook on food plans, eating, diets, etc. I believe that if you are getting the things your body needs, you feel good and you are losing (or maintaining if that is where you are) weight then that is all that matters. It is just a matter of each of us (post-op & non-op) finding what works for us and going with it. Don't get me started on what the "average" woman needs! I am a bit of a radical when it comes to doctors, medicine, medications, etc. Blessings, Maren

I have been on around 22 or 23 diets, starting when I was 11-1/2 years old. On a few of them, I reached goal weight. Then I failed to figure out how to eat to maintain a weight. I don't know how to do this. I've lost weight plenty of times, but never really maintained. The longest I stayed thin was two years, and I was constantly having a battle between staying thin and my eating disorder. I have issues that keep me from being thin permanently. Also, my schedule makes it difficult for me to exercise right now. Still, I won't give up. I very seldom binge now, and I am following Weigh****chers Core Program, and sticking to it. I've lost 3.2 pounds so far. I hope to lose alot more. I did Weigh****chers ten years ago, and completely screwed it up. I wanted to eat whatever I felt like, and I didn't want to cook, just eat their frozen dinners. That's where I was ten years ago. I know now that eating healthy involves some cooking, not salty frozen dinners. Also, that eating primarily healthy foods is the way to go, not just eat anything I feel like. It's taken me a long time to get to this point in my thinking. I don't feel that Weigh****chers Core Program is restrictive or unreasonable. I'm sticking to it because I enjoy it. I feel satisfied, and I feel I am eating healthy. Diets that make me feel deprived just don't make it for me anymore. I can't go back to that. It just doesn't work for me. Good luck to you in your journey to a healthy body and lifestyle. Denise Phares