18 months out and at a stand still
Hi folks,
I'm new to the message board, so, hey. I had my surgery in April of 2005 and within 10 month**** my 100, YAHOO. But since then I have stopped losing. One of my problems is that I can eat almost anything I want and I have Fibromyalgia real bad, so exercising is not fun. But, I want to lose the rest of my weight. I haven't been able to attend my support group because of time problems, and now I am in the middle of a move to a different state (MO). So, I need some help, some suggestions how to get back on the ball (I have another 80 lbs to go) and some encouragement. Thanks.
Julie
Congrats on your weight loss! a hundred pounds at just under 10 months is amazing! Who set this goal of 180 lbs loss for you? You or your doc? You have to remember we all lose at different pace and different total poundage depending on our lifestyles, height, and bone structure, and skin, too! So be proud of the weight you've already loss.
If your trying to lose more, they always so go back to the basics. Protein, protein, protein..and lotta water!
I think the honeymoon stage is up to 24 months, so it's not over yet. Don't fret. Make good food choices and remember that that piece of ____ isn't worth being chunky monkey, is it?
Also, try to CHEW CHEW CHEW. that'll fill you up without as much calories.
Hi Julie,
First of all, congrats to you on your accomplishments so far! Seems like you're doing great. I tried to look at your profile - I guess with the new system, nothing there yet. So just going on what you posted, I would make a couple of suggestions.
I hear you about the loss slowing down - I had my surgery just before you, 3/28/05. I didn't dump on sugar at first but I do now, even some sugar substitutes. Bah! It only happens sometimes, of course, Crap shoot! 
I have another 25 lbs to go to my goal. I was not real big on exercise for my first 14 months or so post-op. There are 'reasons' for this - I have an extremely painful chronic skin condition (hidradenitis suppurativa) which makes working out rather torturous. Even just walking. And time - I commute an hour each way to my job, and I have a pretty busy, high-pressure job. I have to travel about once per month, which is a real challenge, too. Especially with the working out.
But then i got to over a year out and things were slowing down and I started to panic. Is this IT??? I really wanted to see this thru, and I started to feel really badly about having put my life at risk to have this surgery, and swearing I would not be lackadaisical about it afterwards, and yet here I was, not doing much exercise due to various "reasons" (excuses), and dabbling in foods that had little protein or nutritional value, shall we say.
What I did was buckle down. I went more to the basics for my food, only a rare occasional treat. 3 bite rule for any treat. I keep my meals to 4-6 ounces total per meal, protein first. I stick to the no drinking with or 30 mins before/after meals deal. I keep my carbs under 50 (or as close as I can!). I use www.fitday.com to track my food.
Most importantly for me, I started working out pretty intensely. I some tough choices about how I was going to use my time, and I made the time to exercise EVERY DAY (except Sunday). I started getting up at 4:30 in the morning and I got a locker at the gym where I have all my stuff to get ready to go to work so I can leave from there. I arranged some flex-time at work so I can get ina little later some days. When I travel, I take my same old gym bag, and I do a minimum of my cardio (usually walking). I have rarely had to "skip it" while on the road - there are tons of gyms that have guest deals with hotels, public parks, and many hotels have fitness centers right in them now. The month before my surgery, I bought a treadmill so that I would have NO EXCUSES for not at least doing some walking.
It didn't come naturally at all! I had to force myself to be super organized to pull this off - which was a challenge for me. But every night, I get my breakfast stuff ready, coffee (decaf) set up, gym clothes laid out, clothes for work packed in my gym bag, stuff for work ready to go, etc. Nobody who knows me can believe I have stuck with it. But I have.
And I hear you about the fibromyalgia, in terms of chronic pain. But I would encourage you to see what you can do to work with or around your pain. Due to my skin condition (and more recently, kidney stones of all things! OUCH), I hurt whether I work out or not. So I thought what the heck. Some days I have to adjust and some days I just cannot do it. As you said, it's NO FUN, but...neither are lots of other things I find that I "have" to do, ya know?
As of June 29 06 I committed to six days per week of exercise, and I have done it! I mean, I'm not insane, as I said I take days off when pain or health demands it. But otherwise, I'm in there working out. I hooked up with a personal trainer at the Y where i'm a member and that has been a fantastic investment in my health. I like knowing that I am making my body stronger and more healthy, more able to deal with my various health "challenges."
I attend support groups as often as I can. Usually at least one per month. My surgeon's group is an hour away, and I'm blessed to have another one very close to where I live. I get SO much good stuff from going. Well worth the time, for sure. I don't really buy into the whole "window of opportunity" thing, either, because of all the continuing longer term weight loss I have seen with my own eyes in support groups. Almost everybody I have met who was 1-2 yrs out in early 05 has lost a good bit more weight up to and well past 2 years out.
If you look at the stats at the bottom of my profile (in the "my story" section, you will see that I have had a roller coaster of weight loss - by 8 months or so I was having months with total loss as low as 3-4 lbs. Then at 18 months out, I'm having months of 10 lb losses again, as recently as this past June and September. Also, MANY plateaus, long ones. The longest from June when I started working out until the end of September! Drove me nuts.
So...wow I am long winded, sorry, it's laaaate! But I would suggest that you first consider how realistic your goal is. What percentage of your excess weight would losing 180 pounds be for you? Be sure you are not setting yourself up for disappointmetn and frustration there.
Then, if you decide that you do want to lose another 80 lbs, I would suggest that you consider shifting your priorities for how you use your time and energy so that you can make your continued post-op success your #1 priority. Make time for some form of exercise. Make time for a support group. Once you are moved, find on near where you are. Star****ching your food (write it down for awhile?) and seeing if you are on track, and if not, you know what to do to get back on track. Can you see a nutritionist for some support on this?
Most of all, HANG IN THERE! This tool is a life-long helper for managing our weight. Window, schmindow! Keep your shoulder to the wheel and continue to reap the rewards. I wish you all the best with the rest of your journey!
Kathy
I have another 25 lbs to go to my goal. I was not real big on exercise for my first 14 months or so post-op. There are 'reasons' for this - I have an extremely painful chronic skin condition (hidradenitis suppurativa) which makes working out rather torturous. Even just walking. And time - I commute an hour each way to my job, and I have a pretty busy, high-pressure job. I have to travel about once per month, which is a real challenge, too. Especially with the working out.
But then i got to over a year out and things were slowing down and I started to panic. Is this IT??? I really wanted to see this thru, and I started to feel really badly about having put my life at risk to have this surgery, and swearing I would not be lackadaisical about it afterwards, and yet here I was, not doing much exercise due to various "reasons" (excuses), and dabbling in foods that had little protein or nutritional value, shall we say.
What I did was buckle down. I went more to the basics for my food, only a rare occasional treat. 3 bite rule for any treat. I keep my meals to 4-6 ounces total per meal, protein first. I stick to the no drinking with or 30 mins before/after meals deal. I keep my carbs under 50 (or as close as I can!). I use www.fitday.com to track my food.
Most importantly for me, I started working out pretty intensely. I some tough choices about how I was going to use my time, and I made the time to exercise EVERY DAY (except Sunday). I started getting up at 4:30 in the morning and I got a locker at the gym where I have all my stuff to get ready to go to work so I can leave from there. I arranged some flex-time at work so I can get ina little later some days. When I travel, I take my same old gym bag, and I do a minimum of my cardio (usually walking). I have rarely had to "skip it" while on the road - there are tons of gyms that have guest deals with hotels, public parks, and many hotels have fitness centers right in them now. The month before my surgery, I bought a treadmill so that I would have NO EXCUSES for not at least doing some walking.
It didn't come naturally at all! I had to force myself to be super organized to pull this off - which was a challenge for me. But every night, I get my breakfast stuff ready, coffee (decaf) set up, gym clothes laid out, clothes for work packed in my gym bag, stuff for work ready to go, etc. Nobody who knows me can believe I have stuck with it. But I have.
And I hear you about the fibromyalgia, in terms of chronic pain. But I would encourage you to see what you can do to work with or around your pain. Due to my skin condition (and more recently, kidney stones of all things! OUCH), I hurt whether I work out or not. So I thought what the heck. Some days I have to adjust and some days I just cannot do it. As you said, it's NO FUN, but...neither are lots of other things I find that I "have" to do, ya know?
As of June 29 06 I committed to six days per week of exercise, and I have done it! I mean, I'm not insane, as I said I take days off when pain or health demands it. But otherwise, I'm in there working out. I hooked up with a personal trainer at the Y where i'm a member and that has been a fantastic investment in my health. I like knowing that I am making my body stronger and more healthy, more able to deal with my various health "challenges."
I attend support groups as often as I can. Usually at least one per month. My surgeon's group is an hour away, and I'm blessed to have another one very close to where I live. I get SO much good stuff from going. Well worth the time, for sure. I don't really buy into the whole "window of opportunity" thing, either, because of all the continuing longer term weight loss I have seen with my own eyes in support groups. Almost everybody I have met who was 1-2 yrs out in early 05 has lost a good bit more weight up to and well past 2 years out.
If you look at the stats at the bottom of my profile (in the "my story" section, you will see that I have had a roller coaster of weight loss - by 8 months or so I was having months with total loss as low as 3-4 lbs. Then at 18 months out, I'm having months of 10 lb losses again, as recently as this past June and September. Also, MANY plateaus, long ones. The longest from June when I started working out until the end of September! Drove me nuts.
So...wow I am long winded, sorry, it's laaaate! But I would suggest that you first consider how realistic your goal is. What percentage of your excess weight would losing 180 pounds be for you? Be sure you are not setting yourself up for disappointmetn and frustration there.
Then, if you decide that you do want to lose another 80 lbs, I would suggest that you consider shifting your priorities for how you use your time and energy so that you can make your continued post-op success your #1 priority. Make time for some form of exercise. Make time for a support group. Once you are moved, find on near where you are. Star****ching your food (write it down for awhile?) and seeing if you are on track, and if not, you know what to do to get back on track. Can you see a nutritionist for some support on this?
Most of all, HANG IN THERE! This tool is a life-long helper for managing our weight. Window, schmindow! Keep your shoulder to the wheel and continue to reap the rewards. I wish you all the best with the rest of your journey!
Kathy 
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