Question:
stuck 50 lbs away from goal/ post op

I am 2 yrs post op I have lost 110lbs and I'm 50lbs away from my goal weight and have been for 6 month now. I eat small portions 3 times a day drink 64+ oz of water daily and walk 30 minutes 4 times a week. But I still am not losing that excess weight. Any suggestions?    — Lesa Y. (posted on June 8, 2004)

June 8, 2004
Lesa, do you track on fitday.com? I find that it helps me not only eat better and more completely, but it is fun to enter in my daily activies to see how many calories I've burned. Sometimes, I find myself doing some different exercise just to have something new to enter. It sounds like you are doing many good things for yourself now. Perhaps you should strive for 100 oz per day of water and be sure that you are getting in enough calories, especially protein. Personally, I find that when I push the water more, not only do I feel better but I seem to drop weight easier. I was told years ago (on a previous diet LOL) that water is the only way to flush fat out of our systems. I don't know if it is true or not, but it always gives me a good visual image. I'm sure some posters will suggest the South Beach diet. I don't know much about it (I refuse to do the "diet thing" anymore. I make good choices most of the time, balanced meals and smaller portions. I understand that South Beach promotes leaner proteins, veggies and fruits, water, etc. and to not overeat on refined carbs. Ummm, that seems pretty much the way all of us should be eating as part of our lifestyle, not a 'diet". Anyway, if you eat healthy most of the time, drink LOTS of water throughout each day, exercise/just get up out of the chair every day, then you will succeed. By what you posted, you are already a success. Be kind to yourself. Good luck on your continued journey. I look forward to being as successful as you when I hit the 2-year mark. Lap RNY 05-02-03 336/172/???
   — Jodie P.

June 8, 2004
You are in a maintenance range of exercise. Now that I am longer out my nutritioinst says I need 5 hours of cardio a week to lose, 3 hours a week to maintain. I would join a gym or the Y, do some weight lifting. You may gain a few pounds but you will drop a lot of inches. My body is built to gain weight, I take it as a compliment from nature that it wants me of all the people in the world, to survive the ice age. So since there isn't an ice age, I have to be active all the time.
   — mrsmyranow

June 8, 2004
Lesa, sounds like your on a plateau and you need to add an extra workout to your routine. Try 5 days of excercise intead of 4 or try a different workout altogether. Hope it helps! Sherry
   — sac287

June 8, 2004
Walking is great, but try to vary your excercise, I am 29 lbs from my goal, so I know what you mean about those last lbs. I do 30 mins of water arobics and then swim 30 minutes of back and forward laps on Tuesdays, on Wednesdays I do two miles of walking, on Thursdays, I do 20 minutes on the rolling machine and 10 minutes on the machine for working the inner and outer thighs, and on Fridays I walk two miles. On Saturday mornings I ride my bicyle for a good 30 minutes, so I get all types of different excercise, if you do not have access to workout equipment, you may want to try getting a workout video and add that to make a extra day of workout from walking.
   — cindy

June 8, 2004
I was never an exerciser-- didn't sweat to the oldies to reach my goal weight and don't intend to thigh-master or aerobercise my way to maintenance. Not that there aren't wonderful health benefits from forced perspiration, and not that I don't wish I actually liked physical work, but for me the method that worked best was to increase my protein dramatically (from my usual 6-80 grams per day) while simultaneously decreasing my carb intake (from an average of 44 grams per day to a low of about 20 when I wanted to kick start my system when the weight loss slowed). Maybe examining the protein-carb balance in your eating may help in dropping those last few pounds. It worked for me. Good luck.
   — SteveColarossi

June 8, 2004
South Beach Diet! Worked for me.
   — mom2jtx3