Weighed in this morning at 188.4 which for me is a BMI of 24.9 (healthy range). This is down from a high of 412lb on 4/27/17 and a BMI of 54.4 (super obese range). Thats a loss of 223lb (or 101kg). Of this 102lb was pre op. I know how long this journey is for each and every one of you, I really do. It is so easy to get discouraged and have your mental stability rolled by one bad weigh in. Feeling your progress is never enough, never quick enough, that you are failing etc. There are very few easy days and in this battle against yourself there really is nowhere to hide. However, it can be done,
Things I have learned along the way. One weigh in means very little. The trend is the truth. If you are loosing or gaining over time, if you keep records you will see that. The result of one days weigh in good or evil, is accurate only +/- a couple of lb. So don't be too discouraged (or take too much of a victory lap) based on one days results. You are in this race for a lifetime.
We all have good and bad days, and everyday the calorie count starts again. Everyday, every moment we make a choice about our future but we cannot change our past. So having a good or bad day means nothing tomorrow, it starts again, learn from it and move on. You are really only going to fail if you stop trying.
I am an obsessive data junky. I weigh in every day, which I intend to continue and track everything I eat, my streak in Myfitnespal is now 241 days. It is tempting to under record what you eat, because having a low number of calories in your diary feels better, but you can't lie to yourself. It is easy to cheat, but who but yourself are you cheating? This may seem like a haste land waste of time, but I spend less than 5 minutes per day on this. Of course I have a huge spreadsheet as well on which I spend a considerable amount of time obsessing over, but to me that is fun. It has my daily weigh ins since surgery as well as calories consumed and forecasts my weigh loss half a dozen different ways and tracks my performance against my progress goals. But this helps me, and I enjoy it.
I read the labels on the food I eat and make a conscious choice about where I am to my calorie goal and whether what I am about to eat is worth it. This process has been a real eye opener because it is amazing just how many calories all our food contains, It is no wonder to me now why people are overweight as it really seems that every product in the supermarket and on sale elsewhere is designed specifically to be nearly as bad for you as possible, even those things we are sold as being healthy.
There is no one way to do all of this. Some people exercise obsessively nearly from day 1 post op. That wasn't my way and I didn't start on the treadmill until I had lost more than 200lb. My learning here is find something that works for you and just do that. For me it was to really only eat one meal per day, plus a small snack (usually a Protein Bar, Oatmega bars are yum) for Breakfast and lunch. Now that wasn't easy and I have been hungry a lot and that wouldn't work for everyone. However, you will find a place where you can sustain the level of effort and see results. Whatever that is for you, do that and remember what that was. If you have a bad day or week, then you will know what to go back to. This wont be easy, but you will get out of this what you put in. Surgery is not a magic bullet, it only gives you superpower of being able to eat less, the rest is up to you.
The only remaining question is, "Is this all worth it?". For me the answer is definitely yes. I feel and think I look so much better. I can stand for long periods of time without the pain of my huge belly, pulling out my back. I no longer use my horrible CPAP machine. I have actually started running on my treadmill (only a few minutes at a time, but I am getting there). The downsides, so far as I can see are I am a huge ball of loose skin, and there are parts of me that as quite skinny and boney. My shoulders and arms look a bit skeletal. I have no padding on my tailbone, so I need to sit on a coccyx cushion at my desk or while driving and I am also cold all the time. Hopefully over time I will be able to overcome these, but even still if nothing changed on a net basis, for me, it was totally worth it.
My next challenge is to maintain all of this. How do I start to increase my calorie intake to go from loosing to maintaining, is what I need to discover. All I know is I don't want to go back and getting here has been too much work to ever want to go back.
I’m pleased with the weight loss. I’m happy to see the scale going down instead of up. Don’t forget that you’re losing inches too! I’m trying not to weigh myself to much.
I also tried a bite of a meatball last night and didn’t feel good! I had to lay down till I felt better! I had a scrambled egg this morning and it was so good!
Keep up the good work don’t rely to much on the scale!
You know what’s super exciting? When u go to the store to buy a couple outfits for your new gym membership and you can comfortably fit into a xl from a 3xl
Yep, I eat them all. Love them. They're a daily part of my diet. Sometimes multiple times a day.
OMG, they're carbs!
Yep, they are. But they're not refined, over-processed, or bad.
And you know what else they are?
Excellent sources of plant based Protein and Fiber.
A baked potato has 160 calories. By itself, it has 4g of protein. Throw some vegetarian chili on there and you're in the high teens. Awesome lunch!
Brown rice...half a cup has around 100 calories and 3g of protein. Add some bean or peas and you've got complete amino acids...tons of protein... and a crazy awesome amount of fiber.
Why is dietary fiber important? To grow good gut bugs. Your microbiota and the health of your gut (and metabolism) depend on happy little bacteria. The strains of gut bugs that live in the guts of skinny people....have a favorite food: dietary fiber. Feed your good bugs good things and they'll be good to you.
They like to eat fruit, veggies, Beans, whole wheat bread...
Whole wheat bread? I eat this A LOT:)
For instance.....A lite Thomas English wheat muffin has 5g of protein for 100 calories. This dietary powerhouse has 8g of dietary fiber! Smear that sucker with your favorite nut butter or fruit preserves, and you're in business.
One of my favorite go-to dinners these days...... is fresh homemade wheat bread with 16 veggie soup...and fruit for dessert.
I eat about four servings of fruit a day...and that's not even counting the watermelon I huddle over in the car while hissing "My Precious...." LOL:)
A banana is not "a candy bar" A banana is a wonderful healthy food. I eat lots of them. Hell, I have a Yonanas that makes them into ice cream. They're terrific.
Normal weight does not HAVE to mean giving up carbs. It means being carb smart, balancing, and making mindful choices.
More than one way to do this whole thing.
Weight loss success does not mean ONLY eating meat for the rest of your life with broccoli on the side. That's great once in a while, though!
Not trying to tell anyone they're doing it wrong.....just sayin'....there's more than one way to do it right:)
Extreme thinking, extreme dieting, extreme self denial....is not sustainable.
Work on a forever diet you can live with.
Be mindful, be accountable....but be kind to yourself.
I’ve only told my husband, my best friend, and people who have had it. I have terrible chronic back pain, which is part of why I am having it, so I’ve told work I’m having a procedure and I’ve mentioned to a few people that after, I will be on a medically supervised diet. I don’t want to tell people and it’s none of their business. :)
Susiern56 got a reaction from GirlShrinking in October 2018 Sleevers