Six months out and feeling out of control!

I need help.  I had my surgery on July 11th of last year with a preop weight of 380lbs.  As of today I've lost 100 lbs.  It was 102lbs and according to my little chart I was right on schedule, but the scale crept up 2 lbs and before that I noticed that others at my date are closer to 120lbs. 

One thing that I do well is to exercise moderate to high intensity at least 6 days a week.  What I do bad is, I have no idea how much to eat.  I've lost my guide.  How many calories?  How much protein? 

I'm feeling scared.  Someone talk me down from the ledge (ok it's not that bad but let's not wait till it is)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and support.

Kathy

((((Kathy)))),

I'm so sorry that you are struggling. You have made an enormous strides towards the healthier you that you strive to be. I had my surgery through Duke as well, as did my husband. He also had your surgeon, so I know that basic drill through them. First of all, you may be being hard on yourself. Secondly, realize that while the surgery will 'guarantee' that you WILL lose weight during the first year, but it will be your changes in behavior that will help you maximize the loss and maintain the loss in the long run. Sooooo.... If you aren't doing it now, consider logging everything that you put in your mouth. This helps to develop awareness and if we are honest with ourselves now, we have to admit that we had not been honest with ourselves before; we used to have ostrich syndrome and like the hear no evil monkeys we never really looked at what we were doing. So accountability and knowledge can be key here. I find that when I log my intake I make much better, measured choices. You need to be getting about 800 to 1000 calories a day and need to have about 60 grams of protien at a minimum. I like to use www.mydailyplate.com to log my intake because it has nearly everything in it and I don't have to re-invent the wheel everytime I want to log something. If you aren't moving you tail, then get yourself a pedometer and see how much you are moving; you should be shooting for a minimum of 10K steps a day. If you aren't then start working up to it. Statistics show that those who participate in support groups and exercise are much more likely to reach goal and maintain their goal weight in the long run. And remember, you are in this for the long haul.

I would also suggest that you log your intake for at least a week and then call Patrick and ask him to help you evaluate your eating to see if you can do anything differently.

You can do this and we are here. We will listen and try to help.

 

Thanks so much for the advice.  I am will check out the website.  The good news is that I exercise everyday and can see a major difference in my stamina and health.  I'll keep you posted!