Any advice? I'm feeling frustrated!

I'm feeling a little frustrated. I had RNY in May, 2017, so 9 months ago today, and before that my highest weight was 365. My weight at the time of surgery was 317. This morning and all week long, my weight was 225 and though I am proud of the loss I've had, I am feeling a little frustrated. What frustrates me is that last Sunday when I weighed it was 219. Why the gain? I've been logging my food, eating right, walking a lot, exercise ball, elliptical. I get between 60-80 grams of protein a day, keep my carbs between 60-70. I just finished my time of the month last week, so it's not premenstrual. What's the deal? Am I just being silly? It really scares me to see that scale go the wrong direction. I don't know what to do.

Can you post your actual menu for the last few days? Anything high in sodium (water weight)?

February 7, 2018

February 8, 2018

Nothing stands out as being that terrible but the other advice given makes sense.

I couldn't even maintain on your menu -- and it isn't the calories -- for me, it would be the carbs. I would never have reached a normal BMI eating a 1:1 ratio of protein:carbs. No way.

Again, every person is different, and you have to adjust for you. My eating plan is based on weighing/measuring every single thing that goes in my mouth and logging for 1501 days as of this morning. I am meticulous -- so I know exactly what does and does not work for me.

I would not eat: tortillas, burritos with tortillas, chicken poppers (if they are breaded), yogurt with grains added, diced potatoes, or corn on the cob.

My macros to maintain are over 85 grams of protein, under 45 grams of carbs, over 80 oz of water per day, and less than 950 calories. I am not sensitive to salt, thus I don't worry about it -- and I don't worry about naturally occurring fats. I never choose low fat options. I have excellent lipid panels.

My macros to lose (at 5'5" when I am between 140 and 160 pounds -- remember, I had to adjust down as I lost!) are under 800 calories, over 85 grams of protein, under 30 grams of carbs, with at least 80 oz of water.

Again, you may not yet need to adjust down, but it's likely coming since you are a lot less than when you started.

Edited to add: I also NEVER EVER deduct my exercise. EVER.

Thank you for the information. Just to clarify, the chicken poppers, were from the bariatric eating website and were not breaded. I had a sausage burrito, but I took off the most of the tortilla.

As you go down, the sad facts are that you will need to eat less to continue losing. It takes fewer calories to maintain 225 pounds than it did 317 pounds -- therefore to continue to be in deficit, it will require fewer calories and carbs.

I started at 347 pounds and found it very disheartening as I went lower, that I actually had to become stricter the closer to goal that I got. I believe that's why so many people stop and settle for higher weights as they go down -- it just really sucks to be rewarded for our hard work to have to work even harder.

That said, a fluctuation of a few pounds could just be water retention, salt intake, etc -- rather than actual gain. It's really impossible to know without seeing what you are actually eating. You have not listed your caloric intake.

I will say that there's no way I could eat 60 to 70 carbs a day and continue to lose. However, every person is different. I am 5'5" and about 138 pounds and eat less that 45 g. carbs per day to maintain. I eat under 30 grams when losing.

Hmm, it didn't occur to me that I'd have to eat even less to keep losing. I was going by the guidelines the dr gave me for where I am as far as the 60-70. They say the protein vs carb ratio should be 1 to 1. I should maybe lessen my carbs, then? Have any idea how much sodium I should allow myself per day?

Can you show me what that looks like for you as far as daily food consumption so I can get a better idea of where to go from here?

Sure, would you like a menu from when I weighed around 220, or from now? Which would be more helpful?