frustrated

Well I'm on my last month of my 3 month pre op diet with the doctor. Ive met with the nutritionist and physiologist and the doct, i have changed my eating habits, been working out at least 3 times a week and upping my protein as much as possible, I drink 64oz of water and watch my carbs as much as i can. This month i started a 2 day a week boot camp and do cardio the other days.  i have a food journal and have been substituting breakfast and dinner for a low carb protein shake. Point is Ive been really trying and on my second doct appointment yest they told me i GAINED a point , WTH IS THAT??? I COULD HAVE BEEN EATING WHAT EVER AND STILL MAINTAINED UGH!!!! ANY SUGGESTIONS WHAT I SHOULD DO GUYS???? 

 it may be the working out upping your muscle. any difference in how your clothes are fitting? or do they do a body fat/muscle test?

no everything is still fitting the same.. i just dont get it, i read a post about a lady doing the same exact thing im doing and she lost 9 lbs ... wth!!!! is my body broken or something

I would be strict with JUST cardio. Do not do any toning. You may be gaining muscle mass (or toning it)... muscle ends up weighing more than fat does.

Are you eating every 3 hours (at least)? You need to keep your metabolism going at all times.

Watch your salt intake. It retains LOTS of fluids.

You should be watching out for CALORIES and carbs equally. I am not your nutritionist or dietician but keep it below 1,000 a day (calories).

Your protein should be at least 60g a day (to keep you feeling full).

DRINK DRINK DRINK...

I wish I could help you more Vanessa!! HAng in there!

girl my nut wants me at 1200 cal, i have a my fitness pal page and i watch Everything.  I drink so much water i wouldnt be surpeised if i start swiming in my sleep soon, and i feel you on the cardio part, but i really want to tone as much as possible so that i have less loose skin. Thats really the point of me tonning and mind you im not like bulking up weights or anything  i do more reps less weight. it just sucks !

*Sorry in advance, this might be a long one*

I agree with some of the other posters. You really want to burn and not tone. I have had success with two different ways. Either I cut my cals to 1000 and cut out all dressings, sauces, toppings, anything extra on food...basically eating VERY plainly and not exercising at all OR I add some extra cals, about 1200 up to 1400 (if you are tall and have a larger frame) and focus on BURNING at least 1 hour per day through high intensity cardio workout. I need spice in my life so I go with the 1200-1400 cals per day and I try to drink 12-14 glasses of water a day and what I think is the real cherry on top is that I try to eat every couple hours (2-4). I do about an hour of ZUMBA a day and have managed to lose 2 pounds per day consistently. Now if you choose the 1000 cals, which I have already asked my NP about and she says is a great plan, then you will see the weight literally melt off. I remember I did this for about 4 days and lost 10 pounds but was really struggling with mental and physical hunger. In the end I decided I would rather eat a little bit more and focus on burning the rest off with cardio. I wouldn't be doing reps, toning, or anything strength-related at this point if I were you because it is building muscle and I do believe muscle weighs more than fat. I am mad worried about loose skin but I tell myself that after my surgery, once I am able to exericse again, I am going to focus more on toning. I just think that now is not the time and my NP told me this as well. Also, really watch your salt intake. Sometimes when you're body is used to a certain lifestyle and you switch it up, it scares the **** **** out of your body and it will often retain every grain of salt in order to "survive". That can add up to 20 pounds of excess water. I know this also from experiene because I am currently dealing with pitting edema in my feet. Finally, and I know this sounds crazy but your body is going to be super confused. On a Saturday or Sunday have one meal thats not exactly "diet" food but not exactly filled with calories. Just have a subdued version of what you normally would have at ONE meal, that way it tricks your body into thinking that you are not "starving" it anymore and you'll drop an extra 5 at the end of the week...trust me I have experienced this weird phenomenon. BUT, DO NOT however eat whatever you want for a whole day or you will start gaining again. Other than that log everything and all your exercises. Do you have an Android phone? If so, there is an app I use called MyFitnessPal and also a website if you can't get the app. I love that thing because its on my phone so I am able to log wherever and whenever and I am able to create new foods and exercises and also search the exisiting database. It also lets you track water intake and daily progress through weight and measurements. The basic mindest is that if you greatly lower your caloric intake plus burn more calories, you will create a deficit thus causing you to lose a pretty good amount of weight quickly enough for surgery. I wouldn't worry too much about keeping it off in the long run either because you are just doing this to prepare for surgery. Good luck and message me with any questions. I am in the same boat and need to lose 38 pounds by November 14, 2011. We can do this! Never lose faith, just think how 6 or 7 months from your operation, you will be about 100 pounds lighter if not more! xoxo 

Thank you so much for that info! i guess i can try and do 1000 cal, but i go to boot camp and that takes alot of work and energy so idk if that would be best. I do this twice a week and on the other days i do 1 hr of cardio.  i have the app on my phone, i logg everything i eat, i drink alot, i mean alot more than enough water, and i up my protein to almost 80grms per day.  now what do you do about carbs?  i honestly have to almost cut them out to see a difference. My NUT however told me not to cut them out cause she wants me nutritionally ready and healthy for surgery and i will need my energy and the stored carbs then.  I Cant wait to be 100 lbs lighter !!!!

Honestly, I probably should but I don'****ch my carbs that religiously or by grams. I only really pay attention to protein, sodium, and overal calorie counts. I really just avoid anything white as in white bread, pastas, tortillas, rice, muffins, bagels, potatoes etc. I NEVER drink anything bu****er and occassionally diet soda or crystal light but am cautious with the diet soda. I also try to avoid heavy or hidden calorie dressings and sauces-ranch, thousand island, blue cheese, real mayo, anything creamy. It also helps to know your high carb veggies. I try to limit carrots, water chestnuts, peas, corn, onion, leeks, certain types of beans. The same applies to fruits. I try to avoid eating a lot of fruit only because it is high in sugar but I freely eat any type of berry as they are pretty low in carbs and fructose. Avoid cranberries and blueberries like the plague. I do try to have at least one healthy "carb" at each meal but I usually make it a whole wheat, whole grain, oat, fiber, etc type of carb that way its healthy and not that bleached, enriched BS. I like to have my biggest meal at lunch, my second biggest meal at breakfast, and my lightest meal at dinner (In terms of how much I eat). On the days I exercise I make sure to have whole wheat pasta or brown rice for dinner that way I have more energy to workout. Plus it gets burned right away. A sample menu of the plan I put together myself and have been following is below. Of course I mix it up but I make sure to research healthy foods all the time or foods with a lot of flexibility (i.e foods that can be eaten at different meal times, like eggs) that way I keep my diet from getting boring which keeps me from losing interest and helps me stay motivated. With this sort of menu I tend to lose about 2 pounds per day. All in all, its honestly a daily battle and it doesn't get easier. I have been in my surgical program for 1 1/2 years and I am barely beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My surgery is tentatively scheduled for Dec/Jan. But, I am kind of glad it took this long though because I have learned so much and feel better prepared for the journey I am about to embark on. Hope this helps.

Breakfast:

1 Cup Rice Dream
1 Scoop Pure Protein Chocolate
1/2 Large Banana
6 Ice Cubes
=
315 Calories

OR

1 Pouch Original Flavor Instant Oatmeal
2 Large Eggs (Any Way)
1 Lean Turkey Sausage Link
= 285

Snack Options (2-3 Per Day):

1 Plum
= 45

1 FiberOne Chocolate Oats Bar
= 140

1 Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
= 170

1 Apple With 2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter
=150

Lunch:

1 Cup Brown Rice
6 Oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 Cups Veggie Blend
= 415

OR

2 Slices Roman Meal Whole Wheat
4 Slices Deli Fresh Turkey
1 Tablespoon Light Mayo (Optional) 
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard (Optional)
1 Slice or 1 Oz. Cheese (Optional) 
1 Cup Romaine Lettuce
2 Tomato Slices
4 Cucumber Slices
2 Tablespoons Low Cal Italian Dressing (I Like Ken's Lite Northern Italian or Wishbone Bountifuls Tuscan Romano)
= 350

Dinner:

3/4 Cup Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Rigatoni
4 Oz. Lean Ground Turkey
1/2 Cup Prego Heart Smart Sauce
1 Cup Broccoli-Cauliflower Medley
= 490

OR

1 Cup Rice Dream
1 Scoop Pure Protein Chocolate
6 Fresh Strawberries
6 Fresh Raspberries
6 Ice Cubes
=
290 Calories

this is great thanks sooo much. I will deff try a couple of the items . IDK about bananas tho, they alone have 31 gms of carbs,and if i eat alot of carbs i dont lose. Blah i know i love them !

This is my honest opinion...maybe you are cutting out too much. There is such a thing believe it or not. I think your body is definitely in survival mode. I think you should try focusing less on grams by "carb" and pay attention more to getting in good carbs that will help your body have energy and help your brain stay sharp. Having too little carbs can be a detriment to your health. I think as long as you are having wheats, oats, fibers etc. and not eating a whole loaf of white bread you should be on the right track. Especially if you are doing boot camp, your body really needs those carbs to fuel the workout. Try eating some good carbs right before your workout. You burn them off right away and I have found that it really helps me to stick it out through the whole workout. This is all my opinion though, I wish you luck in whatever you do but know I am speaking from trial and error through my own pre-op journey. Let me know what happens. Try one day of adding healthy carbs to your diet and don't stick to a certain number of grams jus****ch portions and stick to serving sizes (i.e 3/4 cup cooked brown rice, 3/4 cup cooked whole wheat pasta, etc.). Balance each meal out with 1/4 carb, 1/2 protein, 1/4 greens. Get in your 12 glasses of water, do your workout and I am sure that you will lose 2 pounds at least that day.