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...

Just FYI, starvation mode is not a thing: http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com.au/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

Yes it's just a blog post, but it cites several credible sources.

Well, at least all of you are at or near goal - my stupid body thinks it's a grand idea to be obese. Here I am, a solid 60 pounds overweight for my height, and my body just won't fu**ing cooperate. severe calorie restriction like post-op + consistent cardio = not a single pound lost, after 3 weeks. Switching it up to TDEE/IIFYM eating and adding strength training to the cardio = not a damn thing after 5 weeks. Oh excuse me, I GAINED 5 pounds. And no, I don't want to hear how its muscle and I'll put on muscle before losing weight and I probably look better blah blah BLAH. My pants are really tight, I don't look better, I'm just FAT. ALL MY ******* WORK AND IM STILL ******* FAT!!!! I ******* HATE THIS STUPID BODY.

Taking the title of this post YES I WANT TO GET TO GOAL. I chose a personal goal of 100lb loss (this will still leave me in the overweight category so I might look at it again If/when I get there. So far I am 82lb down - sleeved April 12.

What I am doing different today is that I am sitting here in my house waiting for a personal trainer to arrive. I have booked a course of 10 (1 per week) and I am going to follow her program by myself for the rest of the week. I do exercise at home, I have an elliptical and I have recently started with kettlebells. What I don't know is am I doing an efficient workout, I decided that if I am going to spend the time exercising I had best use it right. Hope the lovely Bev will sort me out.

I have been at the same weight for about 7 weeks, I won't say stall as I think it is my own fault as I have taken my eye off the carbs so hopefully by committing to these 10 lessons I can get my mind set on the food side too.

Wish me luck

and why did the thread star out my swear words when I had already self-sensored?

Just FYI, starvation mode is not a thing: http://fattyfightsba...ation-mode.html

Yes it's just a blog post, but it cites several credible sources.

Dear Sleeve Evangelist, thanks for the wonderful info! I can really understand this info and have read through some (and will finish more later since I am at Work! lol). To me this makes much more sense and hopefully, gives us more hope. I, personally, just started FastDiet (dont get alarmed at the word diet) which is alternate fast days (500 calories). One fast day under my belt (at first VERY hungry but as day went on I found myself actually enjoying the REAL hunger pain and GOOD food tasted really yummy!) 3 pounds down this morning. I know a lot is probably Water but knowing today I eat "normal" (and that will be within 1300 calories) I have regained my sense of hope and determination.

Let's be honest with ourselves, we knew going in that the sleeve was a tool. That tool really works well and most of us reached goal or pretty doggone near it pretty quickly. Maintenance in any area of life is the tough part. But with two and three, and some more than that, years out we have "maintained" pretty well. I have regained about 15 pounds but I'm basically the SAME weight I was 4 months out from surgery - 80 lbs down!!!!

It's life as we know it now. And we are all winners!!!!!!!

Well, at least all of you are at or near goal - my stupid body thinks it's a grand idea to be obese. Here I am, a solid 60 pounds overweight for my height, and my body just won't fu**ing cooperate. severe calorie restriction like post-op + consistent cardio = not a single pound lost, after 3 weeks. Switching it up to TDEE/IIFYM eating and adding strength training to the cardio = not a damn thing after 5 weeks. Oh excuse me, I GAINED 5 pounds. And no, I don't want to hear how its muscle and I'll put on muscle before losing weight and I probably look better blah blah BLAH. My pants are really tight, I don't look better, I'm just FAT. ALL MY ******* WORK AND IM STILL ******* FAT!!!! I ******* HATE THIS STUPID BODY.

Globe, you have been eating at TDEE for 5 weeks? You are supposed to gain a little if you do that... when you quit gaining at your tdee(usually by 8 weeks), then you make a cut of 20%, that when you start losing and go below your original plateau- and you shape changes...thats the story anyway! As the "eat more/lose more" posts say, not for the impatient! It is super scary to trust the plan too, gaining is NOT what anyone here wants to do! I know your super frustrated, I can be too and I am only 20 pounds from goal and I do not do half as much stuff as you do! I think find some joy in life, I worry about how much stress and anger and frustration you have... I know I have to have a place of joy going on, when all else fails, life is still at least a little sweet...

I try to look at each new day as just that, a new day... whatever happened yesterday is now history and cannot be undone.

I too feel frustrated at the lack of progress - even having the TT I can just see imperfections... at Curves I was told that I had a 36% body fat ration and that freaked me out knowing that my body is unwilling to lose more weight... I don't like that! And, depending on what day, my BMI bounces between obese and overweight - again, that is not a label that I am comfortable with.

BUT ... I am smaller, healthier and fitter than I have been in 20 years! I hang on to that fact each and every day I don't see the numbers that I wan to see - it gives me some hope.

I feel that I am on the fringe of saying shi*t to it! And just focus on maintaining where I am and concentrate on getting fitter, but I find this really hard. Hard to let go of my goal weight - what will I strive for then? Those precious and seemingly

un-achievable numbers are what has kept me going for nearly 3 years! If I don't have that goal will I just dive head first into all the foods that I used to eat.

At nearly three years out I can honestly say that the only regain I have had is about 5lbs... that is 'normal' for a 'normal weighted person, isn't it?!

Perhaps NOT being at goal has helped me, in a weird and almost perverted way... I dunno!

I too am running really scared. Yesterday I was eating even when I wasn't hungry and I could not stop myself. Those old eating habit hit me. Today I will do a protein day. I am so tired of all these programs that claim they will help us lose weight. Now I'm reading about how Leptin Hormones effect our metabolism too. I get periodicals from Josh & Joel of Biotrust. I posted a little about it on this site somewhere. It talks about how to get your Leptin Hormones up. Then at the end, they're trying to sell you a supplement. So i don't know anymore, but I am tired of this up and down syndrome that my body is doing to me. So I have almost given up. I do end up getting back on track the next day. Today i will be eating nothing but the basics of protein.

Sounds like a tough week ladies! Chin up! Most of us know how to maintain, its just that most of us have called it a stall in the past! I don't mean to make light of it. This whole weight loss, weight gain, maintain thing is still pretty much a mystery at times! Glad I'm alive, glad I have some tools, and loving life is the tool that REALLY pays off.

I'm sitting getting a pedicure! That's how I'm dealing with it today... I am stuck it goes up and down but always the same for a month now.

But I feel better than I have in a long time. I went to my sons band concert last night, and even though I feel fat, so many people came up and said "your so skinny" (liars!)

But they are right I am a lot smaller than I was so today I am trying to feel nothing but peace in myself...

I try to look at each new day as just that, a new day... whatever happened yesterday is now history and cannot be undone.

I too feel frustrated at the lack of progress - even having the TT I can just see imperfections... at Curves I was told that I had a 36% body fat ration and that freaked me out knowing that my body is unwilling to lose more weight... I don't like that! And, depending on what day, my BMI bounces between obese and overweight - again, that is not a label that I am comfortable with.

BUT ... I am smaller, healthier and fitter than I have been in 20 years! I hang on to that fact each and every day I don't see the numbers that I wan to see - it gives me some hope.

I feel that I am on the fringe of saying shi*t to it! And just focus on maintaining where I am and concentrate on getting fitter, but I find this really hard. Hard to let go of my goal weight - what will I strive for then? Those precious and seemingly

un-achievable numbers are what has kept me going for nearly 3 years! If I don't have that goal will I just dive head first into all the foods that I used to eat.

At nearly three years out I can honestly say that the only regain I have had is about 5lbs... that is 'normal' for a 'normal weighted person, isn't it?!

Perhaps NOT being at goal has helped me, in a weird and almost perverted way... I dunno!

Oh Coops, you took the words right out of my heart <3 ! I am terribly frustrated and depressed and still grieving the loss of my father. I have spent the last year exactly, from June to June, being in a depressed state, with one thing after another going catastrophically wrong, one tragedy after another and I just don't have the chemicals to cope.

When I got to country I was 194 lbs, I wasn't exercising at all and I was eating crap. Then I got my $h!t together, got back on the super low cal 750 high Protein and daily exercise and promptly dropped to 189. Then nothing for weeks. Then decided to do TDEE/IIFYM and gained weight, as of this morning I am 196. the TDEE frankly feels like a con to me. It makes you gain weight, then you cut calories and surprise surprise, you lose weight - then it takes credit for you losing weight? No, duh hello - it's because you cut calories, not because you were eating more. Grrr. It just feels like a con.

I am joyless, it's true. I see no reason for anything, no point in anything, hard work and effort clearly means nothing to my body so why bother, it's not like looking any different has brought me anything good.

Hey, thought I'd share for those who are interested in yet ANOTHER venture to lose the regain. (smile) I told ya'll (yes, I'm southern!) about alternate fast days and that I started this week. Well, I ate normal Monday, Fast (500 calories) Tues, Normal Wed and today fast. After the first fast day, I weighed 4 pounds less! Yep, exciting but figured it was just Fluid ('cause truthfully something about this has me tinkling a lot more!). So after my Normal Wednesday, I weighed this morning - the four pounds is still gone! SHOUT! And I've found kinda a cycle that I think will work - I don't eat until around 10:30-11 ish for breakfast/lunch - So far what I've found that works (and there are lots of combos but its what i have on hand at work right now) is one packet of SF oatmeal - 110 calories and then about hour later 1 WW String cheese - 50 calories. Later, midafternoon I have some cantalope chunks or fresh fruit (around 30 calories). So going into dinner tonight (somewhere around 6:30-7pm) I'll have a big 330 calories to work with!!! Last time had grilled chicken tenderloin, green Beans (a lot cause they only have 20 calories for 1/2 cup) and fresh veggies salad (cukes, red, orange and yellow bell pepper with little lemon juice and olive oil/herbs) for basically 20-30 calories. I was HUNGRY and it tasted good but I could only finish about 1/2 the plate so Sleeve kicked in and I was good! Surprising part of this all food tasted great and I am enjoying being HUNGRY because it's real hunger! lol And knowing, TOMORROW is normal, it's all good! (By normal I mean don't pig out and eat mostly healthy. I'll let you know how it continues but I'm pleased with the last three days.

http://thefastdiet.co.uk/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/9480451/The-52-diet-can-it-help-you-lose-weight-and-live-longer.html

http://www.fivetwofastdiet.com/

Of course, it's like everything else, it works if you do it right. Enjoy!

7 weeks ago, almost 8, when I started exercising again and eating like a post-op (700 cals) I too dropped weight, 5 pounds in 5 days. And then nothing. Nothing nothing nothing nothing. Almost 8 weeks later and those 5 pounds are back, plus 2. I didn't switch over to IIFYM eating until afer 4 weeks of the super low cal, so I gave the super low cal a chance. Nothing. I'll be following your experience closely to see if this is something I could try - I'm desperate at this point.

Well, weighed this morning day four 5:2, down two more so that would be 6 lbs from Mon weight. Really hard to believe. I know it won't continue or hold but sure works better than anything else I've done over last year so far. And it really seems truly lifestyle doable. Of I can get back to original goal then maintenance would seem much more manageable with this concept. We will see if I can keep it up. Choices. Determination. Health. Got to! ????

Nannie, a few of my friends have tried this with a bit of success and the feed back was similar to yours, they did get hungry too but of course, they haven't got the portion control tool we have.

I'm with GT... I might give this a go and see what happens...

Like you, I'd be happy to shed a few and maintain... I would ideally like to get to 154 which is about 10 lbs from where I am sat now!

Gotta tell ya though, my weight is going up and up and not down so much... I am hoping that it is swelling from the TT and not actually fat because I am as swollen as a very swollen person... my tummy feels like it will pop! What is strangest thing though, is that I have put on a few pounds, I feel swollen and bloated yet I've been wearing a size UK 12 trouser and top all day in work no problem, not too tight or uncomfortable! Just doesn't make sense, which is why I am hoping the few pounds extra is swelling!

Anyway, let us know what happens over the next few days, how the fastdiet works out and in the mean time I will have another google on it! Thanks for letting us know! x