Question:
6 months out and need help!!!

SO I am 6 months out and been at a plateau for a while. I signed up for the mini challange that ends in Feb. I am 29 pounds away from my goal weight. My question is what do I eat and how much of it. I bought some apples, bananas, strawberries, carrots, celery, cashews, and stuff like that. I just dont know what I should eat and how much. So i you could suggest some menus and amounts that would help soooooo much!!! THANK YOU!!    — IamMrsMcDole (posted on January 6, 2009)

January 6, 2009
I am almost 6 months out and I still go by the rule of thumb.....a serving can not have more then 10 grams of sugar and 5 grams of fat..your protein which is usually meat, should be about the size of a deck of cards, get protein in first then veggie, if you still have enough room, a small amount of fruit. Don't for get to EXERCISE!!
   — [Deactivated Member]

January 6, 2009
I agree, I will be out 6 months the 16th. I still follow the same as I have been protein first stop when full. No snacking I know it is hard but think how far you have come. You can do it get back on track. You are in my prayers Tammi
   — Tammi Sandoval

January 6, 2009
Rule of thumb is stop when you feel full. No snacks, drink water or plain gelatin or a protein drink instead. They are better for you. And a lot less calories. Water has 0 calories so its the best. Good Luck and God Bless, vinnigirl, retired RN
   — vinnigirl

January 6, 2009
The reason you are at your plateau is because you are so close to goal...THIS IS NORMAL! You are near goal at only 6 months...Is there a reason you are in such a rush? This is when the weight loss naturally slows down as a part of the process...You realise that you may continue to lose weight for a year or more, right? Have you considered how you would feel about going below goal? And possibly significantly below goal? Just something to think about...You are doing GREAT! You should not be eating til you are full as some will suggest...But til you are no longer hungry! When an RNYer eats til they are full, they have over eaten. How much you eat depends solely on what you can handle...You never want to eat more than you need...so if you ever begin gaining, you KNOW you are eating too much and do need to cut back...At this point you should just eat a recommended serving amt and no more (measure, weigh or count your serving size) or less if you are satisfied with less!...I personally eat 5 fruits and or veggies a day...my protein and carbs are about equal in grams and I aim for 30ish g's of fiber...My calories are whatever they want to be so long as I am not gaining...I adjust my diet to the scale with only the few main rules...No drinks with meals, low sugars, high fiber and high protein and complex carbs...Many times my carbs are higher than my protein...but fiber cancels out carbs...so I eat 100 g's of protein and 100 g's of carbs...I also eat 30 g's of fiber...You subtract the 30 fiber from the 100 carbs and are left with only 70g's of carbs! So...Since most fruits/veggies are lower carb, low (if any fat) and low calories PLUS fiber...I don't even count them! Plus the antioxidants, vits and nutrients in fruits far outweigh any carbs they may add to my daily totals! Try this site for caloric intake calculators that are for your specific body/weight and age! There are no one diet plan fits all! That drives me INSANE that so many surgeons tell us all the same amounts as IF we were all the same age, height, weight, shape and with the same metabolism too! UGH! The calculators are cool...You will get an idea anyway...You might be able to eat more or less depending on soooo many of the things I just mentioned! http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
   — .Anita R.

January 6, 2009
Hi Jessica! Congrats on the weight loss. I too am 6 months out and about 17 pounds from goal. I have been a slow loser and found that the last couple months I have lost 11 pounds each month. I don't know why the last few have been greater instead of the first few, but it is working. I still measure out my food. I eat between 2-4 ounces of food per meal and have a caloric intake of between 700-950 a day. I get between 60-70 g of protein and 60-80 ounces of liquids...mostly water, these are the only things I monitor. I am not sure of the amount of food eaten at this stage, but I feel comfortable eating this amount and am still losing a good amount. I walk 30 mins a day for 4 days and go to curves 3-4 times a week. I feel good and hope to hit goal in a couple of months. I have lost 93 lbs so far, Dr wanted me to lose 110. I hit plateaus, and usually increase my calories to get over it. But the way I lose is this. I lose 2-3 lbs and stay there for about a week , then lose 2-3 more etc...works for me. Good Luck to you and hope you can take something positive away from what I have said. Take care and God Bless! hugs, kim
   — gpcmist

January 9, 2009
Congrats on all your success and hang in there. You can get to goal. In my nutrition class, I was told two ounces of protein, two ounces of veggies and two ounces of fruit at each meal and two 8 oz protein drinks a day along with the chewable vitamin and the chewable calcium citrates a day should keep you where you need to be. Everyone is different though, and you have to do what works for you. One thing that I think a lot of wls patients don't realize or think about is that when you are obese, you expend a lot more energy and calories, just to move around and live. After you've lost a lot of weight, your body doesn't expend as much to maintain itself and you actually have to work harder at it than you did when you were heavier. That's where I think a work out regimine with weight lifing really comes in hand. Keep up the great work! Regina
   — Bigwyfan1964

January 10, 2009
Go to The web site: Living After Weight Loss Surgery.com It's a great site and has lots of good info. Good Luck. Paula
   — paulajaneb