Gonna Get To Goal. Wanna Join Me?

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,280]

As for me, full disclosure here, I gave myself a DAY off from tracking and I did eat quite a bit off plan this weekend, esp. yesterday with it being the superbowl, we went to a party and I GRAZED and SNACKED and ate very little Protein. BUT today is a a NEW day and I'm back on the wagon....CHEER to that!

Interesting you mention that. This is my plan as I slide into more "normal" eating. Monday through Friday I'm a good girl - but Sat & Sun I am not going to track or trip anymore. Also, I'm going to start making all of my meals more balanced. Protein AND Carbs now, where before i would restrict my carbs - I think I was starting to go a little nuts there. I started this morning, and crazy thing, but the weird cravings in my head are all but gone.

I did think about something but then thought, well, if I still want some by this weekend then I can have some. Then it just disappeared. Neat trick. LOL

I'm carrying on with my 1,000 calories per day burn, in fact I burned over 1,200 on Saturday. I'm doing good! My body is toning up already and I can see a major difference. I still have some work to do but hey, that's life right? Maintenance is so close now (and I mean true maintenance where I'm not always thinking of new things to work on...) and for that I'm so looking forward to it.

[AutumnLily 77]

Today is my first day at my new gym. They are going to fit test me and then design a program to help me tone and tighten up. This should help me kick start my losing again as I have been stuck in the 210's for awhile now. I will update my progress.

[MegInNOLA 531]

Hey y'all: I think I may have accidentally discovered the source of my shortness of breath. My husband and I were talking about our vitamins--we got new ones and were figuring out what wasn't in the multi that we might need to get separately, and lo and behold, NO Iron in our multi. And those of you who have read my numerous posts about how picky my sleeve is know that I eat mainly dairy and vegetable protein--minimal Iron intake, maybe 1 serving of legumes a day, and not even that most days--no red meat, no eggs, and I don't eat spinach or kale or a dark leafy green every day, either. I realized that in October, my iron level on my 6-month blood work was "low normal." Now, I imagine it's quite low--I haven't had blood work done since October, so I don't know for sure, but with the type of diet I typically eat and my symptoms of shortness of breath, I figured I might be iron deficient and decided I would try a supplement to see how it felt.

I got the Bifera (two kinds of iron in one tablet) and have taken it for the last three days. Guess what's gone? YES--no more shortness of breath, and no more trouble swallowing. My energy level is higher, my sense of fatigue is gone--I am tired after work, but it's a good tired, not a feeling of utter fatigue and being totally wiped out. Along with the shortness of breath, I used to get additional symptoms that made me think it was some kind of asthma--my ears would block up, my nose would run, etc. After only three days of iron supplementation, all of that is gone. I've had some intense rehearsals and lots of physical activity at work (stairs, conducting, vigorous singing, etc.), and if the symptoms were going to show up, they would have. They didn't.

So Swizzly, have your iron level checked. I'm going to have mine done in a couple of weeks just to verify that it's okay, but in the meantime, I'm going to keep taking my iron supplement daily. I'm thrilled to feel better--and iron supplements are relatively inexpensive and don't require a prescription!

[Lila21 36]

Holy WOW, Meg! That is sooooo awesome!!! I am so excited that you figured out your breathing issue! Really super happy to hear this news!

[Lila21 36]

@ M2G--thank you for the suggestion! I'll add that to my list. I might prefer the flexibility in measurement!

@Diva & M2G: I have actually seen a couple of diets that suggest taking a day off from tracking as a way to "reset" your metabolism a bit, and also give you break from the routine. In fact, I just saw a Dr. Oz show where he called it "Faturday"-- I think it might be worth a try!

@ Globetrotter: I'm sorry you are struggling! Please keep checking in with us, we know how it feels. I think I am kind of doing the same thing with sweets. I noticed that I was snacking more on sweets than I had previously thought (hence the tracking). But, it might be worth taking sugar out of your diet for a while until you feel more in control. I am going to work on this, myself, if you want a "no-sugar buddy." My plan is get sugar out completely for a couple of weeks just to break any addiction I might be having. I plan to start next Monday because I have kind of a hectic schedule and a lot of socializing for the rest of this week. At any rate, please try to keep believing in yourself. I know it's frustrating, but DO NOT FORGET how far you have come!!!

[swizzly 901]

So Swizzly, have your Iron level checked. I'm going to have mine done in a couple of weeks just to verify that it's okay, but in the meantime, I'm going to keep taking my Iron supplement daily. I'm thrilled to feel better--and iron supplements are relatively inexpensive and don't require a prescription!

Excellent news!! I never would have suspected anemia as the culprit -- weird how these things manifest, no? I don't think that is my problem (using the word 'problem' quite loosely, as the only thing that's weird is my lame cough -- I have no real breathing problems per se), though, as my iron levels were normal-high at the last two checks. Though I will be on the lookout for this at my next check, which is coming up in a couple of weeks...thanks for coming back and letting us know what was happening!! I hope the iron continues to make things rosy (groan) for you!!

@LilDiva -- my Nut has advocated for 'days off' since I had the surgery. They are very big on the moderation plan here, and they want you to take the whole weekend as no-count days. I didn't do that much during the first few months, but I do try to do it at least one weekend day now. I still of course am tracking in my head, can't shut that off, and I don't really go overboard or anything, but it's nice to feel like I *can* give myself a break without thinking I'm going off the deep end.

[coops 1,790]

Hey you guys...

just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the lovely comments on the pics... that was a real ego rub I have to say!

Swizzly, I know you said that you can't see the apple in me, but it is there...lol... however, in saying that my hubby said that I am seeing myself all wrong. He agrees with you guys, that I am getting small! I really think I need to work on my 'head space' now. Since the new year, I have remained positive (YEY) even when the scale doesn't move, so if I can do that with my food, then I have to do that with my self image. We'll call this part two of project Coops!!

I've been thinking about how important this could be to my overall success... I read a thread about whether or not someone could get to their goal weight (130lbs I think it was) and I repleid saying that I would be happy with a couple of stone lost as it was more than I had done before! Anyway, al the other posters basically said that they had no doubt that the goal was achieveable. This made me think that since the beginning of this I never BELIEVED that I would get to goal... I think what I am trying to say is that I need to work on believing in myself?

Not really sure how to do this but I am starting by 'seeing' myself at my ulitmate goal weight! And also wearing my ulitmate goal size... which is a UK12. I will work on maintance when either of these come along, and I don't mind which is first. All I really know at this stage is my sleeve is for life and there is NO EXPIRY date! And with that in mind, I am feeling really focused on 'me'!

I will keep doing what I am doing, three meals a day 1200 cals max, I will add a good snack if I need to. I will continue to exercise and enjoy it...and find alternative things to do when my leg/groin is being naughty - touch wood it has been ok for a while - basically I will keep on keeping on!

Over the last few days I have been feeling poorly - headache and sicky feeling, and had time off work - which I hate! Friday I came home early from work and slept the whole afternoon through. The weekend was up and down, and Monday and today I am at home. Monday I slept in till way into the afternoon... I haven't felt this tired for such a long time... but I think it did me good as I do feel a little better today and I have to go back to work tomorrow as we have parents' evening.

I'm still at 166lb 'offically' - ie on my weigh day, which is Sat/Sun, but I have seen 165lb this morning! Lets hope that something is working!!

Phew! Sorry this has been sooooo long! xx

[coops 1,790]

,Hey guys, I'm starting to distrust myself. When I still had faith that I would lose weight, when I saw it coming off steadily at a pound every other day, I was so sure of myself and my sleeve that all manner of evil foods could pass under my nose and have little affect on me. Now, I can't be trusted, and that makes me sad. Also, even though the scale hasn't moved, I just feel fat, and no it isn't TOTM. Sigh. I ate bread over the weekend, and carrot cake, and lemonade =( Is my only choice to empty my house of everything and go back on liquids? I'm starting to have a sweet tooth like never before in my life, always I have been a savory/salty snacker, I never even liked carrot cake! =( =( I know I'm slumping big time, my house is a filthy mess, I'm not putting any effort into my appearance, etc. etc.

Hey Globetrotter,

Sounds like you are in a bit of a dark place my lovely friend...

I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you are being SOOOOO bloody hard on yourself! Ok, so you are having a few moments with some empty cals ... so what?! Isn't this why we had the sleeve, to lead a normal eating lifestyle. I don't know if this will help but I have seen this pattern with my 'naturally thin' friends...The one that comes to mind immediately is tiny... she is a UK 10 and weighs around 133lbs. She will eat like a mouse for weeks; healthy wholesome food and no snacks... then for a week or so she eats like a beast! She will chuck in as many biscuits and chocs she can on top of her meals, which are chips, pies, Pasta etc... then she naturally goes back to the healthy stuff. I think she basically gives her body what it wants. She doesn't stress about her weight... she doesn't stress about her size... she just gets on with it! Infact, she enjoys her food; the good, the bad, and the indifferent! I think we have a lot to learn from this.

Back in Nov I was starting to feel the same as you... fed up with all of it... tracking, calories, Protein, carbs... just food! So, I took the month of Decemeber off... I didn't worry about anything that I put in my mouth. I can tell you now, it was very liberating and I maintained my weight until Christmas week... that is when I did gain above my bounce weight. Now, I feel that this did me the world of good, as I could see that my sleeve did its job! I know exactly why I put those pounds on. This time out also gave me the momentum and focus to get back to it seriously in Jan... which is what I have done. All but one pound of my bounce weight has gone...

Not sure if this is an option for you... but perhaps some time out of worrying will help? Stay with us though... don't vanish again...lol!!

Remember, we are here for you... x

[coops 1,790]

Meg,

YEY!!! You have no idea how relieved I feel for you... something as simple as iron... my goodness! I bet you are feeling over the moon. So, does this mean you'll be hitting to pool soon???? LOL

Great news my lovely!

[Globetrotter 1,340]

Big Luvs 4 all! =)

@Lila21, definitely I will take you up on the offer, let's be anti-sugar buddies! Now that I have finished my morning tea latte I will not eat or drink anything for the rest of the day that contains added sugar, and the sweetener I use will be stevia. Tomorrow, nothing remotely sweet unless it is a fiberous piece of fruit.=)

@Coops, I know it sounds like I am being hard on myself but I'm really not hard enough! Fretting isn't the same as doing, and I need to do. I kind of scoff at the notion of someone my size being "addicted" to exercie, but I only feel good about myself and positive about my weight future during exercise. Of course, during yoga I can get terribly upset because my f***ing gut is still in the way.>:[

I really have got to look into finding a good deal on a juicer, I think 2 weeks on juice and Protein Shakes would be an excellent reboot. =)

[MegInNOLA 531]

It's definitely the Iron, or let me say that Iron is definitely a huge part of the issue, since I feel fantastic now---I'm kind of kicking myself for not thinking of that sooner, honestly, since I post so often about what I eat/don't eat and I do read my Multivitamin label!!

Can I confess something here? I have never tracked anything except during the first few weeks post-op--I tracked my Fluid intake, for no apparent reason, anyway, since I never met my Water goals! I stopped tracking when it became clear that I tend to use unmet goals as clubs against myself--the voice that says, "Yeah, so you know you're supposed to get in 64 ounces of Water, and you only drank 32 today. You're such a failure." I refuse to give myself that kind of negative ammunition. I'm thinking along the lines of the "days off" in the above posts. I had this surgery in order to be able to enjoy a "normal" amount of "normal" food like a "normal" thin person would--much like Coops' thin friend. I wanted to have the freedom from my "fat suit," but more than that, my goal was to eat in a "normal" (which to me meant healthy, adult, sane, logical, not-what-I-was-doing-preop) way. I knew I couldn't continue to eat like a kid or like nothing I put in my mouth had consequences. That's why I had the sleeve--to hopefully find the key to freedom from whatever mindset that was, from the physical cravings, from the overwhelming sense that I was eating myself to death.

I just typed a huge, long ending to this post, but decided to just say that I think taking days off from tracking seems like a great way to transition out of strict eating and into maintenance, and as a non-tracker, I say welcome to the dark side. :-) Just because you stop tracking doesn't mean you start going crazy with what you eat. Trust. Live. Enjoy!!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Sorry your sick Coops... I have been under the weather too.. days off from work, and this last weekend was spent mostly on the couch. Its catching everyone at school here too... drink lots of Water and take care! It will come back on you if you don't.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,280]

Meg, I'm so very glad to hear you've figured out your issue! It wasn't something so serious (well it might become if now diagnosed quickly)... Can I get a "Whew!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I personally have been obsessed with food since I was a very young child. I was tormented growing up being I was a little fluffy, and back in the 70's even being 5-10 Lbs above the normal childs weight was considered huge in comparison to other boney children. I look at pictures of me now at 5 years old and think that I wasn't really that big of a kid. A little pot belly but can be endearing in a child.

Anyhoooo... again I was always berated by the adults around me for being a little chubby. I think I went on my first diet around 9 or 10 years old, and by the time I was 15 my pediatrician told my Mom that I could be considered anorexic/bulimic. She had to rush me to see him because I kept fainting and getting sick. That's when she found out I was never eating (I did binge and hoarde...) and to burn off any calories I did eat I would use laxatives and workout non stop. Yep, I had an eating disorder growing up.

Once all that stopped and I finally decided to eat WITH the family instead of in spite of them, and stopped working out all the time I started gaining massive amounts of weight. I gained my first 100 Lbs in about a year I believe. *sigh*

Why am I telling you all this? Well, I just want to say there is a method behind all my madness. It has come time for me however to learn to live with food. I'm always going to have to eat it, and I'm always going to need it to survive. BUT!!! I do need to realize too that it CAN be used for more than just survival. I love it, and I need to learn to co-exist in a manner where I can have my little fun WITHOUT guilt, and there is always a time and place for that. Thus, having my Freedom days. But, to keep the weight off I need to realize too there will be days where I do have to be "good".

Workouts are like breathing for me however, I love it and I'll always do it as long as I'm physically able to.

I'm not expecting this to work immediately. It's going to take a lot of time. It's almost like a sort of recovery for me. Learning to love ME for who I am, and learning to accept ME and look for ways to work around my faults. Food I believe in my heart will always be my biggest frenemy.

[Lila21 36]

@Globetrotter: Yay! I'm glad you are going to do this with me. I wasn't going to start until Monday, but since you are starting today, I'll do it, too! For me, it's going to be a matter of getting out the chocolate (gotten into the habit of having a little every day), and paying attention to the treats that I tend to "not count" like the free Cookies that show up at work, and the free Bagels that show up at work.... hey, if I just didn't work I wouldn't have all these sneaky free treats :-)). Also, I have been putting splenda in my coffee and tea, but I think that sort of serves to keep my sugar cravings going, so I'm going to cut that out... Let me know how it goes for you or if you need any cheering on (or up!). The first couple of days are a battle, but I find it gets easier after that... keep me posted, and chin up. I know you are feeling down, so I hope this helps!

@Diva: I'm sorry to hear about your eating disorder issues. I think it's so sad when we put little kids on diets because they just get so confused by it. I went through some of that stuff, too. But, I wanted to recommend a blog to you; it's called "Escape From Obesity", and the blogger, Lyn, is working to heal from a binge eating disorder and also losing weight. But, what's really refreshing about the blog is that the way she describes her experiences is so spot on! She's transitioning from medifast, but she struggles with binges and also guilt around eating, but her journey is really inspiring in that she really thinks through what's going on and describes it really well. I've learned a lot from reading her blog. Well worth reading.

@Meg, I totally agree. Part of the reason I chose the sleeve was that I really want to feel "normal." and at some point I hope to stop counting carbs/calories/protein, etc... :-)

And a little update on me... i have not been feeling very well, either, and I am super bummed because I don't need this right now! I MUST work out tomorrow no matter what, though, because I don't want to lose momentum on the strength training I'm doing. Going to sleep and hoping I wake up better tomorrow!

[SouthernSleever 228]

Just checking in really quick. I'm 3lbs from goal so I've lost a pound or two in the last month or so. I've started working out 3x a week for an hour each day and the pounds just started coming off. I do hooping (hula hooping dance) and I'm LOVING it. What I'm not loving is the way my body is so saggy and melty (for lack of a better word). I need a TT sooo bad, and a boob job, and a thigh and arm lift. Blah! Keep your heads up girls who are having a hard time. Being hard on yourself is only going to make you depressed which leads to binge eating.