Hi everyone,

I have had my band for about a year and have lost 35 pounds. I have been at a plateau for at least 6 months. I have great restriction so that is not the problem. I only exercise 2 times per week but thought with limiting my food intake that I would be able to loose. Any words of encouragement or suggestions?

Thanks.

Your body has made the adjustment to your new eating habits. And, unfortunately, I've discovered that over time even though you THINK you're doing pretty good, a few extra calories start creeping in and you don't realize it. For me it was stuff like I was eating a can of Soup for lunch every day....calories controlled by the fact it was pre-packaged. Then I started making my own Soups, which meant I was sort of eyeballing my servings......you get the picture. Happens with all sorts of things you eat every day.

So try these things:

1. Add another day of exercise

2. Don't do the same exercise every time.

3. JOURNAL every bite you put in your mouth. And remember, nobody's going to see that but you so be brutally honest. If you ate 3 M&Ms, write them down.

4. When you are looking for a snack, analyze how you are feeling (bored, angry, whatever) and see if you can adjust your attitude/mental position to help avoid snacking.

5. As a side effect of journaling, you will be measuring your foods. Get back to the EXACT eating plant that was working for you in the very beginning.

Hi everyone,

I have had my band for about a year and have lost 35 pounds. I have been at a plateau for at least 6 months. I have great restriction so that is not the problem. I only exercise 2 times per week but thought with limiting my food intake that I would be able to loose. Any words of encouragement or suggestions?

Thanks.

Keep in mind that plateaus don't happen mystically. They happen because we are only expending the same amount of calories as we are taking in.

A person weighing 250 pounds needs more calories to maintain that weight than they would if they weighed 200 pounds with the same activity level. That means that as you lose weight, you need to either reduce your calories or expend more energy.

Cathy gave some wonderful advice. Sometimes we eat more than we think we are and all those little 'bites' or 'just one' add up.