Hello fellow sleevers,

just thought I would start a thread for all those who want to get to goal in 2012, regardless of where we are in the process.

I posted it the 'Slow Loser' thread, because that is what I am!! (I am not complaining by the way, just pleased to be a loser...lol)

For me to get there, I know that at 18mths out I need to be strict, accountable and have support from those in the same 'place', who understand that the sleeve isn't a miracle but a tool.

I have done well so far, but the weight hasn't 'melted' off me and since 6mths post op I have had to fight for each and every pound. At first it made me a little bitter, frustrated and I started to get into a 'dark place' about it, now the scale victory tastes sooooo sweet!

I have taken the month of December 'off'... I needed to rest from the constant worry of food, cals, water, carbs and protein... my head was spinning and I was starting to feel very frustrated and overwhelmed at not being at goal again. I needed time out!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas period and I have eaten what I wanted and when I wanted it; this includes ALL foods, no food was off limit and I let my sleeve do its job! The quantity was low but I still enjoyed every mouthful. Interestingly, I found that my cravings were satisified very quickly... 1 or 2 biscuits/sweets, and so on, hit the spot, instead of 5,6,7,... you get the picture. Subconscious damage limitation? I don't know but I like it!

I have learnt a lot by doing this. I now know that I can eat a little more if I 'try'... I know that I can enjoy food again without feeling guilty and I know that food doesn't have to be the enemy. So, with all that, what was the outcome? Yep, I have gained 2lbs above my personal bounce! Oops!

I am not, in the slightest, worried about this because I KNOW what is the cause... sugar and salt! And this time, I am sure it will come off as quick as it went on!

So, what is the plan?

Per my surgeon's instructions: I am going back to basics... yep that ole one...lol

• 3 meals a day - no snacking.
  
• Weighing my meals between 6-8oz depending on what is on the plate.
  
• Protein first, followed by veggies.
  
• Plenty of water.
  
• A limit of 1000 cals a day.
  
• Continue with my exercise - boxing twice a week, gym in work 1-2 times a week (depending on work load) and walking my dog (just over a 2 mile circuit). The exercise is the only thing that I have stuck to in December... I actually enjoy it now!!
  

As a side note, and I ain't sure if my American friends can get this, but here in the Uk, on SKY there are a few fitness channels. I have recorded some aerobic workouts that are really good... they're free and can be done at home... this is saving me some money on classes and DVDs and if I don't like the workout I can delete and look for another!! Bonus!!

Ok, who is ready to join me on the final stretch to goal... hope on board and enjoy the ride my friends...

What is the vets forum??

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/352-gastric-sleeve-veterans-forum-new-forum/ come on in Swizzly!

Okay, what did we used to call those "non pounds loss" happy things that happened to us? Was it NSV(non sleeve victory)? can't remember, but I've had SEVERAL today!

We had a focus group meeting in my office of several Financial Advisors from around the state that I have worked with over the past many years but whom many have not seen me in a couple/several years. I had not one, not two but at least three of them single me out over the course of the 4 hour meeting and tell me how "wonderful" I looked and how much had I lost and how long, etc?

FIRST, it made me realize - You know what? I HAVE accomplished a lot and I AM almost three years out! When I told one who asked when did you lose it, "Three years!" And it HIT ME! It's been three years!!! THREE YEARS!!! That made me feel really good!

Just to have the affirmation again of a "job well done" and a huge accomplishment meant a great deal to me today. Not bragging, simply stating that perhaps we need to "lighten up" on ourselves some and see what others see. A real change in who we are and what we have accomplished. It surely opened my eyes today.

And then... I went and ate 3, YES THREE, donuts. Oh well, its back to low carb.. ))

We've got this, Pals!!!!!!

Right ... I'm on a mission!

I haven't tracked my food intake for ages... so, I decided that I am going to give it a go. The last time I did it I gave myself a target of 1200 or below... but after reading up on TDEE and BMR. thank you FYE, I am thinking of going a little higher?

My new target is to eat 1400 or under that would mean that I am eating just over my BMR by 50 cals but and nearly 500 under my TDEE ... so, we'll see if this helps get the scale moving... or not as the case maybe!

I am so close to my surgeon's goal... I really want to do this now!

Wish me luck my lovelies... x

Good luck!

Coops, what is TDEE?

so, day two on the new tracking thing hasn't gone too bad... I was under by 300 cals yesterday, and I'm under by about 50 today, so getting there... I did add an extra nut snack to make up the difference.

Globe, will this help?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/680246-tdee-bmr-what-they-are-and-what-to-do-with-them

TDEE is the total daily energy expenditure... and apparently to lose weight, albeit slowly, you must eat between the BMR and the TDEE... that is why I raised my cals by 200.

Like I said, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain...lol - excuse the metaphor - if it works happy days, if it doesn't after a good couple of weeks doing it, I will go back to 1200!

Fye, thanks for link to vets forum!

Coops, that link you posted is also awesome. I've been reading abt that only ever so little so far. But it fits with my beliefs and experience so I've sort of been doing that anyhow. For me it works very well. My body really doesn't do well at all on too few kcals per day!

in the TDEE plan, you count your exercise cals... as part of your TDEE. My TDEE is around 2300 cals for the exercise I do every week + my bodily needs, breathing, sleeping, digesting and such. My energy needs if I am laying in bed all the time is around 1600 cals, so If I eat less than 2300, and more than 1600(to keep from going into starvation mode) I should lose weight very very slowly. That being said, I eat less than 1600 many days a week at this point... I have a baseline of 1310 cals a day, then eat back all my exercise cals.... so I eat between 1310 and ? around 1750 usually.... This is less than the TDEE plan recommends, however, when I was eating 1200 and not eating back my exercise cals I was not losing any weight... I took that up quite a bit, for a while, did not gain, the made a cut to where I am now, and have lost around 5 pounds in the last 3 months. Its an improvement. To do it right you need to eat at your TDEE until you stop gaining weight (!!!scary)then make a cut of around 20% or less depending on how much you need to lose, and go from there....they also say cut back on cardio/aerobic, and up your lifting time and weight.... please read the links, I may have something wrong or be saying it poorly....

FYI, that makes perfect sense... and well put! Sums up what I have been reading very well! I am a little scared to eat enough to put weight on though... and I'm still not exercising properly, but all in good time.

I've been tracking my food really well this week, the weighing and measuring hasn't been a pain as I thought it would be and I've been eating between 1200 and 1400 - very consciously! Some days I have had to add a snack to get me to the higher amount. Then I woke up today HUNGRY! Proper hungry too... not head hunger. So, I decided to eat when I was hungry... my total for today was a tad over 1900... bloody hell!

Now, this is the bit that you will like... I do not, in any way shape or form, feel guilty. Ok the food choices weren't the best, but they tasted so good (fish and a handful of chips for dinner! yum!). Each mouthful was eaten in the full knowledge that it would take me over my 'allowance'. I just felt that I needed to listen to my body and eat real food.

Not sure how this will affect things on the scale, or whether I will wake up in the morning and not want to eat anything all day...lol... but I don't care.

In saying that, it isn't an excuse to eat like this every day and I won't be doing it again... we'll call it my re-feed day...lol!

Hope everyone else is doing well... keep on keeping on ladies x

FYI, that makes perfect sense... and well put! Sums up what I have been reading very well! I am a little scared to eat enough to put weight on though... and I'm still not exercising properly, but all in good time.

I've been tracking my food really well this week, the weighing and measuring hasn't been a pain as I thought it would be and I've been eating between 1200 and 1400 - very consciously! Some days I have had to add a snack to get me to the higher amount. Then I woke up today HUNGRY! Proper hungry too... not head hunger. So, I decided to eat when I was hungry... my total for today was a tad over 1900... bloody hell!

Now, this is the bit that you will like... I do not, in any way shape or form, feel guilty. Ok the food choices weren't the best, but they tasted so good (fish and a handful of chips for dinner! yum!). Each mouthful was eaten in the full knowledge that it would take me over my 'allowance'. I just felt that I needed to listen to my body and eat real food.

Not sure how this will affect things on the scale, or whether I will wake up in the morning and not want to eat anything all day...lol... but I don't care.

In saying that, it isn't an excuse to eat like this every day and I won't be doing it again... we'll call it my re-feed day...lol!

Hope everyone else is doing well... keep on keeping on ladies x

See this is where I get pissed off sometimes (not AT anyone but myself!) when I have a BAD day of eating and I top out at 1,850 calories, something is FREAKING wrong with that. That is why the mystery of the metabolically altered body comes into play. FYE, I want to try that! Upping my calories in hopes of breaking this weird cycle of low-calorie eating and LOSING NOTHING!!! arrgh!

On a completely different note, I went to a plastic surgeon yesterday (Coops, feel free to ignore this as I've already whined to you about it and I owe you a letter back...can I just say you rock my sleeve sista!!!) and I just want to say how incredibly depressing it was. For over $20K I could get an extended tummy-tuck and a breast lift (not implants, I don't want implants), and having the photos taken, and then being poked and prodded moving the extra skin around, well let me just say it was NOT my best day. I was moody and cranky the rest of the day. I'm better today, and I do NOT need to make any decisions on this anytime soon. It was just frustrating overall.

If you want to read about my experience, I blogged about it.

http://www.thisonebody.blogspot.com/2013/05/for-only-20000.html

Anyone else out there besides Coops had plastics or looking into having plastics?

I'm sorry but this whole "well your gonna eat more, and gain weight, and then you will cut your intake by 20% and you will lose" just sounds like some used car salesman stuff. It's "buy one get one free" thinking - it's not really free if you had to buy one in the first place, ya know? If you eat a lot and cut down on your exercise yeaaahh .... you are gonna gain weight, that's what got us in this mess in the first place isn't it? And when you are eating a lot, and suddely cut your intake by 20%, yeaahhhh... you are going to lose weight, but it won't be authentic weight, it will be the pudge you gained from eating a lot and not exercising.

won't it?

I exercise an hour + a day, 30 min of cardio, 20 min weights, 20 min yoga. I stagger my weight lifting days; upper body, lower body, none, repeat. I maintain my optimum heart rate during my cardio ... for

and I am up four pounds.

I feel so lost, lost and betrayed by the system.

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

Thanks Laura-Ven, but my final calculations indicate -2.4 grams carbs per day? What does that mean? And it wants me to eat 1520 calories a day!!

Thanks Laura-Ven' date=' but my final calculations indicate -2.4 grams carbs per day? What does that mean? And it wants me to eat 1520 calories a day!![/quote']

No way on the carbs!! Try it again must of been wrong...

Oh don't select the low carb just stay with the suggested option and low fat if you want..

I did, I left it at IIFYM diet, left everything as they suggested, and it came up -2.4