Am I going to have to work this hard?

Michelle, I am only too aware that we are not cured.  I only wish that I had stuck to my original pledge to myself to NEVER touch sugary foods and chips again.  But with time, and then a series of stressful events and chronic pain, I started grazing on JUNK.  At first, I handled it ok and then after a less than successful knee replacement, the pain and depression about the pain got the better of me and I really let my guard down.  I quit weighing and became the proverbial ostrich - ignoring all the signs that I was gaining - like my clothes not fitting.  At first, I even convinced myself that they had shrunk - right.   So now I must face the music and instead of losing 5 pounds I have to lose 35.  But I am dedicated to doing it.  The program I'm on now is very specific and dictated by my surgeon. Thanks for the post. Patty

Yes, we are all probably going to have to work hard to maintain our loss.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/health/08fat.html?pagewant ed=2&_r=2&adxnnl=1&ref=science&adxnnlx=1178987582-1FKtGocauW xsO9XQj/wiig

We are worth it.

Your surgery was over a year ago - right? the amount you are losing is just fine. do not cut your calories - eating too little  will screw up your metabolism even more.  You can increase your metabolism.  eating enough is one  component.  I eat 6 small meals a day. my whole program is on my profiel. Cardio exercise is the second thng to do.  You have to be woking hard enough to get your heart rate up into the cardio zone -   to calculate that  subtract your age from 220.    multiply that answer by 75-80%  using my age as an example. ie 220 - 46 = 174   X  .75 =130   (80% is 139) So in order to get an effective cardio workout I have to get my heart rate to 130-139 and work out at that pace for at least 30 minutes, monitoring my heart rate frequently to make sure I stay in the zone and increase my intensity as needed.  talk to  your Dr and be sure you are cleared for a cardio workout.  it is important to be sure that you are healthy enough for the strenuous activity you need to up your metabolism. the next component to a good metabolism is muscle.  weight training.  puming iron. yep.  a good all around total body work out.  www.sparkpeople.com  has several workouts and video demos of the exercises.  I would also recommend a trainer for a short time to teach you a good routine and make  sure your form is correct so you dont injure yourself.  maintainence is a lot of work, but thank GOD I have the opportunity  to do the work necessary.  to have the strength and mobility that I have now and not to be morbidly obese and hardly able to walk a fight of stairs.  Thank  GOD I have enough energy to do the things I do instead of laying on the couch every night exhausted and unable to live life to the fullest.