How badly do you want it?

Elina....do you think the type of carbs matter?  fruit vs grains?

Thanks!

Anne

Anne,

Carbs are carbs and you should keep them as low as possible no matter what the source.  I did not introduce fruit or grains for a very long time and even now in maintenance, I eat very little of either.

Just to give another point of view, I'm maintaining 100% EWL on a mostly-vegan diet based on vegetables and whole grains and some but not a lot of fruit.  Everybody is different and although many people do best on low carb, none of this is one size fits all.   (Elina, you know I love you!)

Refined carbs, though, are most certainly the devil.  ;)

Thank you so much for this. I would not have come back around to WLS if I did not want the 100% plus loss. I am glad to hear I do not have to settle for 80% of EW as the numbers suggest. I know where should be and the loss has to be more than that! Knowing I need to work for it is part of it, but knowing I should try is even more important. Not believing "average" statistics are a final goal helps a lot. I will work on maintaining the warrior woman thing even though it is not my natural bent.

-11 days and counting

Ellena -

I don't know what to say that others have not already said but I love this post.  I am 6 days hshy of 6 months out and at 74% of EWL.  I am 3 lbs from my surgeons goal but I want to be like you and the other vets that have gotten to the 100% EWL.  The weight loss has slowed down but I know what I need to do and that is to consistently keep my protein up, drink, drink, drink and to exercise.  I don't want to lose this window of opportunity and not make it to 100%.  99% of the time I am within the 600-800 calorie mark, under 40 grams of carbs and above 60 grams of protein.  For the most part my food choices are good but I need to make sure I eating enough and drinking enough which is my biggest problem.  CONSISTENCY is what I need to maintain.

It is time to buckle down and get this last 34 lbs off and hopefully a little more for a cushion.

Thank you for your inspiration!

Elina, as always you hit the nail right on the head:  how badly does one want this?  Yes, it IS a full-time job, early on in learning the ropes and later on in the "keep on keepin' on" department.  It requires honesty, planning and sometimes white-knuckle decision-making. 

For some of us this is **it** as in our last chance.  It certainly is for me.  I do want this badly.  I choose to want this badly every day. 

So far I am at 77% EWL, but my goal is literally a moving (downward) target.  :) 

People really need to ask themselves what's more important, that cupcake or that health and freedom?  The health and freedom tastes so much sweeter.

Well let me ask you this. How many calories did you eat early out? I'll go see my nutritionist in 2 weeks I'm so ready!!  But since I have you on the line(lolol) I'm 5 weeks out. I'm burning between 300-600 calories in the gym 5 days a week. I got up to 800 calories this week. I felt pretty good...what do ya think?

I will tell you that I didn't even get close to 800 calories until about five months out.  I was closer to 300-400 calories, all or almost all protein early out.  This might not be what your nutritionist will tell you, but it is what my program called for and demanded of me.  My doctor does not have a low end for calories only a high end.  He is absolutely fine with me eating less calories as long as I get my protein in, otherwise, the lower the better and he did not have me add in the burned calories, what would be the point?  He wanted me to burn as many calories as possible, why would I add them?  The only time he add in calories is for people that are true athletes, I am talking about marathon runners and people training hours every single day.

Thank you SO much for the well detailed information.  I hope this isn't a pain to ask, but would you mind telling the new kids what a typical menu was for you, early out?  You wrote that you stayed around 300 - 400 calories, early out and that was almost all protein.  Did you mainly drink shakes?  I am asking because every bit of information you have written has really been a godsend to me these past 5 weeks. I took that information and have incorporated it into my daily life at work and at home.  I, along with many others, appreciate your generosity in sharing!

Becky

Hi Becky,

My diet would look like this or something close.

B: nonfat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt or one egg

L: shrimp ****tail, or fish or chicken breast or turkey breast (very lean homemade protien with nothing else).

D: Same as lunch

I would eat about 2-3 ounces of protein at a time.

One to two protein drinks with very low carb and calorie counts to boost the protein. 

That was it for the first few months.  I added veggies in around the third or fourth month, but only in between meals as snacks and only low carb veggies.  Everything I did was to maximize the protein and reduce the carbs and the calories.