IcanMakeit

I am sorry that so far your results have been so much less than you hoped. I think you might need a better support team. Maybe you should try to find a good endocrinologist who can help you with your hypothyroidism. It sounds like that might be your biggest hindrance to losing weight. I don't know a lot about it, but you need someone who is better at diagnosing and treating this condition than the average primary care doc. If you haven't already, you should also find a good nutritionist who has a lot of experience working with WLS patients. Good luck.

I am sorry for the loss of your mother. I hope time will help you find ways to cope with your grief. You should focus on yourself now. A good way to get motivated is to set and achieve small goals. The large, long term goals are daunting and can be discouraging when you don't achieve them in the time that you hoped. Set small goals based on things you can control, like go 10 days without eating an unplanned snack, or go 7 days without skipping exercise. Then give yourself little rewards for your accomplishments. These rewards should be actvities and things that lift your mood. Maybe something like long baths with aromatic soaps and candles, or pretty lingerie (that's my current favorite).

You don't look too thin to me. You look wonderful! I wouldn't recommend trying to gain weight. It's probably time to work on maintenance, though.

@@Elode, I applaud your candidness. I'm hiding my loose tummy skin from the world as best I can. (Which is not actually working too well. In most of my outfits I look like a 61-year old pregnant woman.) But I'll take loose skin over obesity and ill health any day.

I second @Elode. The Atkins Dark Chocolate Royale shake was my go to when I needed something sinful-tasting but permissible. Now that I'm eating much more and relying on supplements a lot less, I'm missing my Atkins shakes.

I hate commercials and avoid them whenever possible. The one that irks me is where an extremely beautiful young model eats this huge burger that's way too big for her mouth. It's shot like a porn film (or how I think they are filmed). There is no way that skinny model eats those burgers on the regular! I think it's supposed to be funny, but it doesn't hit me that way.

I experienced something similar back in the 80's when I was a commercial weight loss program. My intake was about 800 calories per day, I exercised regularly and I had an infant and a toddler to take care of. My weight stayed at around 165 lbs for a couple of months. (I am only 5' 3".) When I talked to a doctor about it, he disbelieved my report. I was eating only the foods provided by the program, but his only explanation for my long stall was that I was cheating, which I was not. Since it actually happened to me, I get really impatient with people who claim that it's impossible to eat so few calories and still not lose weight. After two months, I got totally discouraged and quit dieting altogether. My weight then began to climb rapidly and I ended up becoming morbidly obese. Looking back on it, I now realize that 1) the diet I was following was totally inadequate nutrition-wise and my body reacted by holding onto every ounce and, 2) giving up was the absolutely wrong reaction. I suggest that you talk to a nutritionist about your diet to make sure you are really getting the calories/nutrients that your body needs. The 900-1000 calorie range you report seems reasonable, but you need to make sure that it is accurate and adequate for your body. Good luck.

Your fears are extremely common. I can remember having the exact same thoughts. I agree that the fear of failure is a powerful motivator as long as it does not become an obsession or a self fulfilling prophecy. Just keep going in the right direction and eventually you'll get to where you want to go.

I had intended to follow a plan similar to VSGAnn2014's, but when my weight loss slowed down too much around 6 months post-op, I chickened out and reduced my calories back down to the 800 range. Now I am just where I hoped I wouldn't be: maintaining on less than 1200 calories per day. I also weigh much less than I originally intended, but I'm kind of enjoying the novelty of actually being thin.

106 this morning.

@@brandnewme2015 Congratulations on your great results. You're still in an early phase and your weight is not too low for your height, so in your shoes, I'd keep cruising along on the program. Getting too thin is usually a temporary problem that takes care of itself. Most people regain some weight after the initial period of loss. If you don't push all the way to goal, your long term outcome may be compromised.

My hunger never really went away although the intensity of it changed. In the beginning, my stomach was delicate and even when hungry, I ate sparingly and carefully. Now at 14 months, I get hungry about every 2 to 3 hours, depending on how dense the protein in my previous meal. So far, my capacity continues to be greatly reduced and my hunger is more manageable than before.

I reached my surgeon's goal weight at 7 months, and my personal goal at just over 8 months. I now, at 14 months, have finally (I believe) stabilized at 18 pounds below my personal goal. The rate of weight loss is highly individual. You can't really make projections based on others' experiences. For instance, my 7 months to surgeon's goal was aided by the fact that I lost 42 pounds before getting WLS.

You guys are lucky. Around here, you don't get the senior discount unless you ask for it, no matter how old you are (or look).

I know I'm supposed to be tut tutting, but this thread is making me hungry. It's a good thing my meals for the day are already planned. Some of these gastronomic excesses sound pretty good at this moment.

You shouldn't have to put off the surgery. At 10 weeks out most people are feeling pretty normal. You probably won't be able to try very much of the cuisine (or any of the alcohol) offered in the all inclusive package, but I'll bet you'll be having so much fun otherwise, you won't miss it.

Starting weight: 107 Labor Day goal: 110 Since I am already below goal, I am in this challenge to really learn good eating habits for long term health.

My surgeon set my goal at 135 lbs. I'm 5' 3" and my starting weight was 244. I reached that initial goal weight in 7 months but knew I needed to lose more to really feel healthy. My own private goal weight was 125 lbs. That was my college weight, and I remembered feeling pretty strong and fit at that weight. Well I blew past 125 only about six weeks after reaching my surgeon's goal. Now, six months later, I'm down to 107 lbs. I know that sounds scary low, but I actually still have visible fat (concentrated on my abdomen) and don't believe I need any more. I just need to build some muscle so that I won't look scrawny. I'm hoping to maintain at around 112-115 lbs. Let me second the comment about not expecting to look like you used to once you reach your goal weight. The older you are and the longer you were obese, the less likely you will snap back to your youthful appearance. I look much less fit at 107 lbs (and age 61) than I did at 125 pounds in college.

I'm really wanting plastics, too. It's disappointing to finally be thin, but not be able to really appreciate it because of the prodigious amount of loose skin on my abdomen. But on a more positive note, my husband and I just took a long twilight walk (well I walked, he used his mobility scooter) and both of us were amazed that I could walk so much further and so much faster than last year. I'm no longer 60 going on 82. I'm now feeling like 61 going on 45.

I agree with @SuzeMuze. It's the extra skin that keeps me from seeing that I am actually thin compared to the average American woman. I have a pouf in the front that I focus on when I look at myself in a mirror. Makes me wish I had not delayed my tummy tuck.

I really empathize with the "when can I have a drink" posts. Even though I have always been a very infrequent and light drinker, I backed out of getting the lap band about 10 years ago, mostly because they told me I could never have alcohol again. Since then, most surgeons have moderated that recommendation, but the 7 months that I waited before trying a few sips of champagne did seem pretty long to me. I associate wine drinking with fine dining and enjoyment of great company. I'm very glad that (in maintenance) it's allowed as an occasional treat.

@ Let me start by saying that I hear and sympathize with your frustration and disappointment. It is totally unfair that you cannot lose weight on a 1200-1400 calorie diet, especially since you exercise regularly. Although that calorie level is low enough for an athletic person who has never been obese, most of us post-ops have to be on more restrictive regimens to lose weight. That being said, you deserve to achieve your goals. Please don't give up. You have already achieved a lot. A good nutritionist who is experienced with WLS patients should be able to guide you to your final goal.

I have come to believe that tracking is the real key to long term success. The people who track are able to spot problems and patterns right away and adjust accordingly. If you don't know what you've been doing, you can't easily correct it. In the past, I would put my head in the sand and just hope for the magic fairies to take care of everything for me. That didn't work so well.

Final weight: 107. I've gone too low, but I think I've finally hit the bottom. On the next challenge, I'll work on adding a few more healthy calories without going overboard.

We are all so different. I appreciate the taste of beef much more than I did before. Now, in maintenance, I occasionally enjoy "Protein style*" burgers from In and Out. Especially when I get them with lots of pickles. *At In and Out Burger, protein style means wrapped in lettuce, no bun.