Hi everybody, I am approaching my one year anniversary, 14 July. I have lost 111 pounds and am still 33 pounds away from surgeon's goal, 54 pounds from personal goal. I haven't lost anything in over 53 days. Around that time I started eating carbs again, baguettes from the bakery, chocolate, croutons, rice in my sushi. A month ago I began driving from CA to KS it took over a week so no exercise. Then it took a solid week just to move into the house so, no exercise. Then I started my new job which includes a commute so, no exercise. Finally at the end of my 2nd week of work I went to the gym and went to a zumba class but I am still making bad choices with my food, chocolate coated tea biscuits, chocolate in many forms but I genuinely think that more than my choices it is my volume that has become bad. Suddenly, I am able to eat normal portions!! The other day I ordered a lettuce wrapped cheeseburger - I was able to eat the entire thing!! Granted, it was half for lunch and half for dinner but still, time was when one bite of burger would have had me sliming and staying the hell away from ground beef. Suddenly I am able to eat 2 scrambled eggs without stopping when once half of one egg would have filled my like thanksgiving dinner.

I don't know what to do my peeps. I'm afraid that I have stopped losing and am really afraid that I will begin gaining. A supply of Protein bullets has finally arrived in the mail so I will have much better protein intake and I will no longer purchase any carb products for the house or order any in a restaurant AND I have made time in my schedule to exercise daily from here out.

But what if it isn't enough? What if I'm just not going to make it to goal? How could my short body want to still be fat? Because, at 5'3", 183 pounds is still fat.

You know what you need to do so I will just try to give you encouragement and a pep talk. You are making bad choices, yes, and you are not measuring your food and undereating your sleeve, but you ARE still in control of what you buy, put in your mouth, move your body. I have seen people with a couple hundred pounds to lose keep at it and they continue to lose 18-24 months after surgery. You can do it, too. Take the steps you need to take and get back on track. Log the food and Water, up the dense Protein, jettison the junk food. We can get to goal together!

YOU CAN DO IT! Don't sabotage yourself! Throw out all the trigger foods and start journaling. That will help put your caloric intake into perspective. Maybe you should do that five day pouch test. It's a good way to clear your system of all the cravings from sweets/carbs. Google it and you will find specific directions. When I get the sweet cravings back, I always do a couple days absolutely no carbs. It's hard but it helps. When u want a sweet, chew some gum. It really helps.

Good Luck

Nina

I threw away the tea biscuits and the only carbs in my house right now are from goat cheese, greek yogurt, and raw nuts. Some a$$clown brought Krispy Kremes to work yesterday, AND pepperonie pizza. Yes, I ate one plain doughnut and yes, I ate 1/3 of a slice of pizza. BUT, I stopped. I know that's not much of a triumph but it could have been much much worse, you all know what could have happened. I could easily have eaten several doughnuts, the whole slice of pizza, but I didn't. I've danced intensely for several hours the past two days and will attend a Zumba class today. As I mentioned, those protein bullets arrived and I've started up with my protein powders again in the mornings. I am getting back into the positive habit of journaling my intake in my online food tracker and taking it one day at a time.

I never put much stock into that whole 5-day pouch test but it does make sense to try to zero out the carbs for a period to reboot my system. What with the move and all I'm just feeling lonely and vulnerable in this journey right now.

You have been through a lot! And we all go for comfort when that happens.... now you are "coming too" and starting back on the right trail. Just think about it, before the sleeve, those 53 days of staying the same would have been 20 pounds of weight gain! At least it would have been for me.... so back on the horse, and head in the right direction... its NOT too late. Stock up on treats you CAN have, sf pudding, cheese sticks... or whatever you like in that department. You can still enjoy life without sabotaging your progress. Good luck!