Question:
Please help me????? I need any advice I can get!

Ok...I am freaking out and need ya'll to slap me out of it. I am on a plateau....for 3 weeks. I am 6 mo post op and have lost 83 lbs...183 lbs as of now. What am I doing wrong? I have to admit that I have not been watching my carbs that closely and I am in a phase where I am hungry all the time. But I have always lost..I am exercising 3 times a week for 30 mins at Curves and getting so much water in I feel like a fish. I am ready to cry because I am sooooooo scared of getting back to where I was. PLZZZZ any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Anyone who can tell me how they got over their plateaus.    — dixieb (posted on September 3, 2003)

September 3, 2003
I'm here to "Slap" you out of it! lol I'll be 7 months out on Sept. 11th and I have experienced no weight loss during month 5! I mean not a pound. My weight seems to wait till the last week of the month. Although, it's discouraging at times I feel we have to realize our bodies have to play catch up. Also, as in my case my favorite weight for my body is at 160. Come "hell" or high water it doesn't like to budge! Stay positive and persistant. I remember thinking my weight will never get to 200, then 190,180 and so on. It does goe down. Sooner or later. Try increasing exercise or changeing routines of exercise. Your body comes accustomed to workouts, just as your body does medication after awhile.Walking a mile is good, but walking 2 miles/more is better. Same with any exercise. The more the better! Trick your metabolism. The satisfaction is paid by good health 1st and weight loss 2nd.I've been there and done that. Good Luck! Lap RNY...2/11/03..250/158/03
   — Hazel S.

September 3, 2003
Track exactly what you're eating on fitday.com to get an honest look at how many calories and carbs you're intaking. *Now* is the time to get a handle on that, so you can start to learn what your permanent eating plan will be down the road. It'll be much, much easier to face the fact you can eat more now -- and you'll be able to eat even more in the coming months -- if you are working on retraining your eating habits. Once you know your calories and carb gram intake, you can start adjusting what you eat. Add more protein foods and protein snacks to your day, and cut back on the carbs (they will only make you hungrier). Also, at some point, you may find that 30 minutes, 3x a week, at Curves, may not be vigorous or often enough, by itself, for exercise. It doesn't mean you have to become a "gym rat," but adding a good cardio exercise would probably help, too. Good luck!
   — Suzy C.

September 3, 2003
Dottie, I know it seems like this plateau will never end. But it will. I think you actually did a little "self-help" thing by posting your problem because you seem to know exactly what the problem is, even though you asked for help. CARBS! Those nasty little carbs. Pay a little more attention to those carbs and you might just suprise yourself. You also said that you are in a phase that you are always hungry. I can tell you, from what I have read....... it's those darn CARBS again. I have read numerous times that the more carbs you eat, the more hungry you feel. Especially if you are eating them early in the day. The hunger will continue all day. They are tough to stay away from for sure. I still struggle everyday. But you've come this far, you can do it. Sometimes we just need to hear someone else say it. Good luck girl! This of course coming from a recovering carb-a-holic! :)
   — Laurel C.

September 3, 2003
I'm pretty predictable, of course. You've already got fins, so we know the water is covered. Protein supplement? How much before & after your workout? How bad is the carb monster on your back after? What is the first thing into your face for the day? Carb or protein supplement? And I mean, no milk or juice--no carbs except what it in the naked powder. If I didn't use protein supplement, I would have NO control over my intake by now. I'd be a round mean eatin' machine. As it is, I still have to watch the carb monster & it CAN gety ahead of me. The only tool I have to beat it back is the protein supps.
   — vitalady

September 3, 2003
You've pretty much hit the nail on the head - carbs. I also hit a plateau and an increase in hunger at 6 months. I was 7 months yesterday. The last week or so I have had to make a conscious effort to not eat every 2-3 hours. Fortunately it is getting better. Over the long weekend it just got a little out of hand. Not with lots of carbs or something just eating when I really did not need to. <p>What are you doing in your 30 minute workout. Ideally (in my opinion) it would be 30 minutes of weight training and then 30 minutes of walking. If you are doing both things but your total time for both is the 30 minutes then that's probably not enough. I do the 30 and 30, two days a week end that has been enough up till now but am feeling like I probably need to consider going to 3 times a week. For me it is driven a lot by how much my body will tolerate, but it's doing better so I should take advantage of that. Easier said than done. <p>I think you may be at a crossroads where you need to decided which you want more - the weight loss or the "not been watching my carbs", because one is likely sabotaging the other. I'm not saying no carbs but you need to make reasonable choices and you need to make sure the majority of the food going in your mouth is protein and thats for the rest of your life. The plateau will go over if you do what you need to. You are still early in the process so dig down and find that strength to do what you need to do and the weight loss will come. Plateaus will likely come more often to us now so it is ever more important to stay on track and work through those plateaus and don't let them give us carte blanche to sabotage the process. Good Luck!
   — zoedogcbr

September 3, 2003
Dottie-- You've experienced a problem that many of us have: dealing with the return of natural hunger and actually being able to start consuming larger quantities of food. To help me through that stage, I stocked up on protein drinks (sipping Isopure Zero Carb throughout the day), consumed a couple of protein shakes a day (high protein, low carbs and very filling) and tried to have at least one protein bar a day (I have always found them to satisfy any hunger while also making my stomach a little upset so it dampens any desire to eat much more). By boosting your protein intake and trying to get as low as possible with the carbs, you should find that your hunger is minimized and your weight loss pick ups. Good luck.
   — SteveColarossi

September 4, 2003
I know Curves is popular and everything, but to me it's more aerobic exercize than muscle building. (I am a member too) Maybe in addition to the 3 days at Curves you could do some muscle building exercizes every other day. Buy some light weights and work on building/toning your muscles! Muscle burns more calories! I also think that 3 days a week working out is only enough to maintain your weight not lose it. Good Luck! :)
   — Kara J.