Frustrated

I am very frustrated right now.  I have only lost about 4 lbs in about 4 weeks.  I've lost 49 lbs total right now.   I'm scared I won't lose anymore weight... How can you not lose weight when you are eating so much less?  Although lately it seems like I'm hungry all the time.    This week is going to suck.  Not sure if I can get to the gym, they'll be bringing in food for training class.  Don't know what to do right now....

I started a food log again too...

Any ideas?  Did you get to a lull and then pick up again? 

Thanks
Gwen

Hi Gwen,

You've done great so far. 49 pounds since Dec 1st is awesome!!

If you've strayed, go back to basics. Pack yourself full of protein so that it will stay in your Sleevie longer. That will keep you from getting so hungry. Track your food. Keep your carbs low. For me, over 20-25 carbs and i get hungry much faster. I use myfitnesspal .com.

Training class, take your own food. Eat on break if necessary. Don't buy into the myth that you need to eat what they serve. Most trainings provide something like sandwiches. Dump the bread and eat the insides. I'm not a fan of protein bars because I can't lose while eating them, but I always have an emergency bar when at meetings, in my car etc.

Try upping your exercise. There's always 20 minutes in a day to do something.

You can do this. My weight loss crawled in November and December but going very low carb, I seem to be picking up again.

Good luck!

OH, let me clarify, the 49 lbs is since May.  I lost 17 while working with the nutritionist and 12 while on the 2 week vlc diet just before surgery.  So they count that 12 plus what I've lost since surgery.  So that would be 32 so far?  But if you count since actual surgery, only 20 since Dec. 1.  Man, I get wrapped up in numbers, don't I ?  LOL

try not to get to worried about this . the rate at which you lose in the first few months is usually faster than later. its normal to slow down to a lesser rate. I did - losing maybe only 4 or 5 lbs a month. my surgeon said to up my protein by 10 g and i did for awhile and it did seem to speed up loss rate. every body has slow times and as long as you are following your program, don't get too upset. the weight will come off. i was a slow loser but got to goal and you can too. the food log is critical. do it. its easy to get stressed when you start doing all sorts of things to make that scale move and nothing happens. your body will lose when its ready. just stay the steady course. and lee was right about bringing your own food to the training class if you thing they will have bad stuff. might be easier to have a protein drink and just not even get near that stuff.   anyway, a slow phase happened to me and i got through it. you will too. you have actually lost more in your first months than i did and appear to be doing well. celebrate that and keep your attitude good.   diane

Thanks to both of you for your input.  It always helps to hear from others.

Lee said most of the things I would have said to you, so ditto what she said! In addition, would you share a sample menu of what you eat daily? I might have some ideas for you.

Sure, I can do that.

About 7am
Usually for breakfast I have eggbeaters with a small amount of cheese and sometimes one whole wheat toast.  Sometimes I have coffee no cream no sugar, sometimes I have a skinny latte--fat free milk and sugar free vanilla.  I try to drink the coffee either 1/2 hour before I eat or 1/2 after I eat, but not while I'm eating.

Sometimes I have oatmeal... but not very often as I find the eggbeaters hold me better and while I know oatmeal is good for me, the carbs confuse me :) 

About 10:00am
I may have a 4 oz Fiber One yogurt (no fat, lowest sugar) and today I also had 8 raw almonds with that.

sometimes I have 1 string cheese.

Sometime around 11:15-11:30 I will eat lunch.

I try to have 2-3 oz of meat--chicken, turkey and small salad made with dark greens, about a tablespoon of kidney beans, and tomatoes.  I was using fat free ranch (cafe doesn't offer much) but today switched back to basalmic vinegar and just a teeny drizzle of olive oil.

Other times, I might eat a frozen meal such as Smart Ones or Lean Cuisine. 

Sometimes I get a sugar free jello but often save that for afternoon snack.

Between 2-3 pm

I will either eat the sugar free jello or a string cheese

Dinner is usually after 5

I usually eat about 2.5-3 oz meat, baked or broiled. And some cooked veg or lentils

I sometimes save some of that meal for later especially if I eat too early.

In between all that I am contantly drinking water.  The nutritionist suggested I stop the protein drinks so I wasn't "drinking my calories".  She felt that they wouldn't hold me as long as solid food.  They want me to stop all caffeine, but I am having trouble with that and usually only have the one in the morning. 

I have been getting to the gym 3 days a week for cardio and strength training.  But this week, I may have to push myself to do things at home and I liked what the one lady said about finding 20 min a day to do something so I am going to try to practice that as well.  

While the above food list is generic, I have gone outside of it on occasion and eaten things I shouldn't and I am trying to get back to my food log to prevent that from happening as often.  I use mydailyplate on Livestrong.com

Thanks everyone !!! 

So from what I have seen, usually the best foods for weight loss tend to be lean meats and green veggies. Essentially natural, low carb, low calories. The more you have of things outside of that, especially high calorie or higher carb foods, tends to slow down that process.

So for instance if I want to lose weight fast, I'll eat nothing but lean meat and green veggies for as long as I can tolerate. I can't always tolerate that forever but I strive every day to get as close to that as possible. Also sticking to natural, quality organic foods really makes a difference, along with watching calories.

I see several foods that you are consuming that for ME would be problematic, and seem to be problematic for others.. especially metabolically challenged insulin resistant individuals. These are foods I would suggest you eliminate, or limit as much as you can until you get to goal:

- Eggbeaters (I would do real eggs as they are more balanced)
- Cheese (limit as much as you can... I recently eliminated it from my diet until goal)
- Whole wheat toast (I would never eat this while trying to lose.. too many carbs)
- Skinny Latte (replace fat free milk, too high in carbs, with either almond milk or vanilla protein drink)
- Oatmeal (same reasons as toast above)
- almonds (too high in calories for weight loss phase)
- yogurt (limit for now)
- beans (same reasons as toast and oatmeal above)
- Balsamic vinegar - higher in carbs and issues with intestinal flora.. try lemon juice instead
- Sugar free jellos, etc. (artificial sweeteners impede weight loss in many studies)

I'm sorry if this seems hyper critical, but I would ask that you give my suggestions a try and see how they work for you. If you replace anything, replace with some type of lean meat or green veggie. If you feel the need to have something different for variety, I'd do low fat cheese (mozzarella) or the yogurt once in a while but limit as much as you can.. hope that helps..

OK, sounds goodl.  The whole carb / fiber thing is frustrating to me as the nutritionist was always suggesting whole grains and lentils.  But I'm with you thinking the carbs are high.  I don't eat the yogurt every day.  I eat the light mozzerella string cheese, but I can try without.  so do y ou use lean meat then as snacks as well?  Is Soy milk also too high in carbs?  I do not make my own latte's and may have to forgo them for a while or limit myself to one a week or something? 

Don't apologize for the suggestions.  I asked for them!  :) 

Thanks everyone.

So snack ideas of string cheese, almonds, and yogurt are off the list?

I'm also a nutritionist and will have to disagree with yours.  She is giving you very mainstream advice which is not necessarily in your best interests. Much of mainstream nutrition science is very heavily influenced by economics.  

I would eat the same things for all meals, and treat snack time like a mini meal.  Snacks can be something like homemade deviled egg with fage greek yogurt or homemade beef jerky.  Measure your foods and eat every 3-4 hours on a schedule.

 If you look in my previous posts, you'll see recipes for my sleeve buster chicken salad and homemade beef jerky which are great for all day eating/snacking as you can make them ahead and bring them with you or snack on them.

Yes, I would wait to goal before doing much, if any, of the cheese, almonds, yogurt, etc. If you DO have cheese,  nuts or yogurt, I'd have as little as possible and try to avoid them.  Soy milk is very unhealthy.. it makes your body produce estrogen.

I usually make one thing in the morning (soup, chicken salad, stir fry, etc.) and eat that one thing all day long, once every 3 hours.  But if I need to snack on something I usually do my homemade beef jerky.

I apologized for the suggestions because I know they probably sound very difficult, but I have found that a rigid diet gets stellar results. :) I thought an apology would soften the blow of having to suggest such a spartan diet. ;)

Hope that helps.. hugs..