A few things to think about for all of you who are stuck in a rut or in the middle of a major stall...doing everything 'right' and still not losing...or worse, gaining.

This was me for many months. I was getting more and more frustrated that at some point I stopped losing and, despite 'doing it right', I was roller coasting between the same 10 pounds for several months, but I never gave up. I would try something different for a month to see if that would make a change. When it didn't, I tried something else. I was so desperate that I even started to exercise (even though it's proven that exercise is not necessary for weight 'loss'). So, now that I finally figured out *my* problem, here are some possible ideas for those in a similar situation. Just my .02 and YMMV (your mileage may vary).

• First, track everything you eat in something like fitday.com or whatever method is easy for you. It's too easy to 'mentally' calculate that you're on target with the caloric needs of your body and, in reality, be way over. Not counting or tracking is only acceptable if you're losing or maintaining (and intending to maintain, not just maintaining as a stall). If you're still trying to lose...and not doing so...then track your food. It's the only way you'll really know what your intake is.

• Calories: Find out how many calories you actually need. There are so many things that factor in, but it's a good place to start. Here's a handy little calculator that will tell you what you need to maintain your current weight based on age, height and activity level...and how many you need to maintain your ideal weight. Some people may do better below this recommendation. You'll just have to find your individual requirement.

• Carbs: Most WLS doctors prefer their patients on a low carb diet. Unfortunately, some of these same doctors don't really understand 'low carb'. Yes, 130gm of carbs per day is 'lower' than 300...but it's not low carb. The standard set for low carb by people (like Dr. Atkins) who have been doing this for *decades* is under 60, but maybe lower depending on the individual's tolerance. I lose best when I keep my carbs below 30. If I keep my calories the same but increase my carbs to 60, my weight loss slows down or stalls.

• Protein: The body does not store Protein and if you don't burn it up, it will be stored as fat. Even on a low carb diet where you can eat more calories and still lose weight, excess protein will still cause stalls. Years ago I could eat about 140gm of protein and 2500 calories a day and lose 4-5 pounds per week...and that was without exercise. Now, for many reasons, I've had to cut my protein down to about 60. I'm not obsessed with that number, but I try not to go over 70gm because my weight loss stalls. Another consideration for diabetics is that it affects our blood sugar. I went from spikes after meals (despite no carbs) to not having to take my insulin at meals. A general rule of thumb: 1 gm of protein for every kg of your *ideal* weight (-6gm if you are small boned, +6gm if you are large boned...and circling your wrist with fingers will not tell you whether you're small or large boned. It will only tell you if you have short or long fingers. ).

• Fats: I'm not even going to get into a debate about cholesterol since much of what is touted as 'fact' by the medical industry has already been refuted. If interested, find a low carb forum and someone there will direct you to the relevant websites. Suffice to say that while a high carb, high fat diet is bad for you...a low carb, high fat diet is not. Evidence shows that people (I'm one of them) can eat a diet higher in fat and combined with a low carb (below 60) diet and their good and bad cholesterols will move right back into the normal range. I'm not suggesting you can eat unlimited quantities of fat...slathering butter on everything, but you can lose weight eating a diet that is 60% fat...and get your cholesterol levels within normal range.

• Exercise: Recent studies have proven that exercise is not necessary to lose weight. I believe that. I lost 70 pounds without exercising. I also did start exercising a couple months ago and it affected my weight loss not one little bit. Will it make you healthier? Yes. Will you most likely feel better? Yes. Will it help you lose 'faster'? Maybe...that has not been my experience, but others say it did for them.

I finally found that in order to lose weight, I need to keep my Proteins at 30% of my total calories, fats at 60% and carbs under 30. Interestingly, this is what Dr. Atkins recommended to aim for after the first two induction weeks. Guess I should've read more closely. I do aim for about 1200 calories and some days I'm a little lower and some days a little higher depending on whether I put cream in my coffee.

Let me say it again...YMMV. We are unique individuals and there is no one way of eating that is right for every single person. If you've hit a stall, change something up. *Any* change will most likely break your stall, but do *something*.

.

Elfie,

Can you please list a typical day's meals for us? I havent figured out how to hit 1200 cal and not have an incredible amount of Protein.

This was yesterday's menu

B: 2 eggs cooked in .2 oz butter and .5 oz cooked bacon (works out to about 2-3 slices of Oscar Mayer bacon)

L: 6.5 oz can of tuna drained and mixed with 2 Tbs mayo and a bit of onion, 1 cup french green Beans

D: 3 oz (after cooked) hamburger on an Oopsie bun (see recipe below) with 1 Tbs mayo and a bit of mustard, 1 cup steamed broccoli with 1 Tbs grated parmesan sprinkled over it.

In between meals I have a mug (about 1-1/2 cups) of chicken bouillion with a splash of soy sauce and 1/4 tsp of toasted sesame oil. I usually have one (or two if I really need it) in the evening. It helps with the empty feeling in my stomach that I'm still not used to.

My days totals came in at 1260 calories, 21 carbs and my fats and Proteins were in the ranges I set for them (fat was 62% and Protein was 32%).

OOPSIE ROLLS (found the original on a low carb list and made a few tweaks based on people's comments)

6 lg eggs

dash salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

6 oz cream cheese

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp Splenda (optional)

1/4 tsp onion powder (optional)

1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Separate the eggs while still cold (yolk is more stable). Let them come to room temperature. I let the cream cheese sit out during this time as well.

Using the whip attachment, I whipped the eggs with the salt for about 1 minute, then added cream of tartar and whipped for 4 more minutes (soft peaks). In a separate bowl with the flat paddle, I beat the egg yolks, cream cheese, baking powder, and seasonings. It kind of looked a lot like the Atkins version made with cottage cheese (little bits of cheese throughout). Then I slowly folded the whites into the yolk mixture until most of the whites were incorporated. It wasn't perfectly mixed in but that's not possible without breaking down the whites.

I scooped the mixture out onto two baking sheets lined with parchment paper and put in a 300 deg oven for about 40 minutes (switching the pans so they'd cook evenly after about 25 minutes -- didn't want them to fall).

I let them cool on the pans though just in case the centers needed that residual heat to finish cooking.