So I'm supposedly at goal. I wouldn't mind losing a bit more fat from my panus and boobage but I look fantastic in clothes and most of my problem areas are from loose skin, not fat.

But I'm having trouble stopping the weight loss. I've been losing 1.5-2 lb. a week still and I'd be losing more but I've been actively fighting it. Should I? Some people say to "let my body decide where it wants to be" but I'm already a size 2 on top and a size 4 on the bottom and I'm getting kind of boney on top.

Also, I've calculated my calorie requirements and I think I'd get down to 95 lb. if I don't start eating more. But when I eat more, I feel bloated and overly full. I forced myself to eat 1500 calories today and I hated it.

Here are my weight loss stats:

Highest Weight: 223 (as of Feb. 2008)

Weight Date of Surgery: 191 - 32 lb. loss in 7 months

First month: 179, 12 lb. loss

Second month: 167, 12 lb. loss

Third month: 159, 8 lb. loss

Fourth month: 151, 8 lb. loss

Fifth month: 144, 7 lb. loss

Sixth month: 134, 10 lb. loss

Seventh month: 128, 8 lb. loss

Eighth month: 122, 6 lb. loss

Ninth month: 116, 6 lb. loss

Tenth month: 113, 3 lb. loss

Eleventh month: 113, 0 lb. loss

I did stop losing for 6 weeks but then I started losing again. I wasn't losing when I was tracking my food and making sure I ate enough to replace what I lost via exercise. But then I decided to try to only eat when I was hungry and then I lost a bit more. I think I need to do something in between as I need to fuel my workouts better or my performance suffers.

wow that is phenomenal. you are literally 1/2 the person you were in 11 months.

good on you. you are inspirational:thumbup:

Great weight loss Mac - thanks for sharing. It's definitely inspirational.

What I find phenomenal is how she has gone from being overweight to now training for an ironman. That is so amazing and inspirational.

It's like a switch flipped in my brain, susan. It's weird, but I was kind of hoping it would happen.

I wish I had that switch in my brain to flip! I hate exercising and really procrastinate doing it. The thing is, once I am there I feel so much better that I wonder why I tried to come up with excuses not to do it. But, I just really have to force myself.

If you have to force yourself a lot (not just once in a while), then maybe you just haven't found the right exercise for you.

I just go to the gym. But, we recently started a new one and they have a lot of classes you can take. I am more excited about that than I was just working out on my own. Hopefully that will motivate me more.

I find I do better with "appointment" workouts than just trying to convince myself to do things on my own with no set time. I like having a group too. I'm social. :glare:

At my first f/u, I lost 17 lbs, but doc wasn't that happy w/me. I track everything I put in my mouth and showed it to him. On average, I had 700 calories per day and he said that was too much. And, I was walking 30-45 min per day and he wanted me to do more. Yea, it kinda got me down. Now, I am freaking out because my weight is already stuck. My Protein is at 70, fluids at 64 oz, and my urine is freakin full of ketones, cause my carbs are low. But, I have been super constipated and am taking MoM tonight..hoping to drop....a pound. By my next f/u on 10-30, Dr. C wants me down to 170-175. That means 10 lbs per month or more and at this rate..worried I won't make it. I have brought my calories down to 600, but just can't walk more than 50 min w/o getting overly tired right now.

Steph

213/195

VG 7/28/09

I think 600 calories per day is too low. That's just my opinion.

At my first f/u, I lost 17 lbs, but doc wasn't that happy w/me. I track everything I put in my mouth and showed it to him. On average, I had 700 calories per day and he said that was too much. And, I was walking 30-45 min per day and he wanted me to do more. Yea, it kinda got me down. Now, I am freaking out because my weight is already stuck. My Protein is at 70, fluids at 64 oz, and my urine is freakin full of ketones, cause my carbs are low. But, I have been super constipated and am taking MoM tonight..hoping to drop....a pound. By my next f/u on 10-30, Dr. C wants me down to 170-175. That means 10 lbs per month or more and at this rate..worried I won't make it. I have brought my calories down to 600, but just can't walk more than 50 min w/o getting overly tired right now.

Steph

213/195

VG 7/28/09

I'm glad I don't go to your doctor - I would think he should be pleased with any weight loss -- it means you didn't gain. I don't really care what my doctor thinks about my weight loss - the fact that I am losing on a regular basis makes me very happy and to me, that's all that matters.

I'm sorry your doctor wasn't happier for you -- if it's any consolation -- I'm very happy for you -- keep up the good work.

LOL, if that were my doctor I would say F*** what he wants and be happy for myself. I did this for myself and I will not be happy on what a doctor says or wants, but on my own satisfaction. We give the MD's toooooo much power.

Hi MacMadame,

Research hemp hearts, the inner part of hemp seeds. They are so healthy, have lots of calories and all your essential fats, protein, and so much more, besides they taste wonderful.

I have been sprinkling these on my oatmeal now for a year or more, but can be eaten with a spoon all by themselves.

I get these from Alberta here in Canada but I am sure you will find some closer to your home.

I will incorporate them back into my diet when I am able after sleeving, as I like them that much!

Dr. C likes to see people lose 50% of their excess weight by 3 months out and 80% by 6 months. He thinks that the patients who do this have a higher success rate overall. By 6 months out, we are able to eat a lot more and hunger starts returning for a lot of people. Weight loss slows down. Some people never get those last 10-20 lb. off. The more you get off during the first 6 months, the better set up you are for the next phase.

I found these goals to be doable, but aggressive and a bit stressful on the one hand, but, on the other, by striving towards them, I really did maximize the "honeymoon period" and I lost a lot more weight than I thought I could. I *never* thought I'd get under 120 or be a size 0-2! My original goal weight was 145 lb. and my eventual goal ended up being a "normal BMI".

When it comes to listening to your doctor, my approach is that the doctor is the expert on medical matters, but I'm the expert on me. So, if he tells me something that I know just isn't going to work for me -- like doing a form of exercise that I hate -- I'm not just going to just blindly do what he says. OTOH, if he says "X% of my patients who get to goal eat a high Protein diet and lose the weight faster than those that don't", I'm going to listen to that and follow it the best I can. Because that's the kind of info I am hiring him to provide me.

In the end, I think you have to be open to doing things out of your comfort zone. When I lost weight before, I was able to do it on 1200 calories a day and exercising moderately 1-2x a week for 30-40 min. There is no way I would be able to lose 50% of my excess weight in 3 months doing that and, to some extent, I'm not sure I could have gotten to goal doing that. I'm older now, for one thing, and my metabolism is slower.

But I could keep my calories under 800 and I could exercise 4-5x a week for 45 min. and I did. My weight loss picked up and, as a result of needing more variety in my exercise routine, I discovered triathlons ... a new hobby that burns thousands of calories a week!

But it wouldn't have happened if I was content with a slow weight loss. It happened because I was discontent. :thumbup: