I'm a little apprehensive about saying this here but I'm feeling like a failure. I'm stuck at the same weight for some time now and I haven't lost nearly as much as most that are out as long as I am..almost 5 months. I'm finding that some of my old habits are coming back and my family keeps bringing bad food in the house. I keep saying how hard it is for me to have it around and throw some of it out so they might get the hint but it's just not working. I'm excercising like I should but that's about it. I'm eating all wrong. I'm really struggling and want to do better but finding it more difficult everyday. I keep swinging these 4 pounds around but can't seem to drop past 241. I went to such drastic measures to make a change and now I feel so weak and like I'm failing. Does anyone else feel this way? I've read so many positive posts here and they are great but it would be helpful to find someone who could relate. So many here seem to be doing so well, it seems so easy for them (not that it is,,I know they are working hard,,,I just mean they are doing so well and I'm not) I feel very depressed and disappointed in myself.

Did you have a leak previously and was in the hospital for a long time getting feed IV? Or am I thinking of someone else?

No worries. Your plan is fairly restrictive but it wouldn't be that way if there hadn't been any success with it. My nutritionists want me eating more calories (I'm still working hard to hit 600 - 650 and they want me closer to 850) by adding more carbs. I'd been extremely low-carbing it, probably not many more than 20 a day. I'm not supposed to aim for 60. I'm trying to get most of it through nuts & fruits, and the occasional whole grain. She told me "Strawberries & crackers..."

Like Wheetsin posted above, maybe make a separate area for your food. I finally had to. I would buy/get me things to eat and snack on and when I would go to the pantry mine was gone and all I could see were bags of chips and cookies and all the stuff I'm not supposed to have anymore. I have a husband and 3 kids (ages 21, 22, & 23) in the house. When I finally got tired of "my" food being gone, I set them down and told them that these items ARE MINE. You cannot have/eat them. I can only eat a small amount and it needs to be healthy. I showed them all my plastic containers and said if they are in the ice box with food in them, LEAVE THEM ALONE. That is probably either my dinner or my lunch for tomorrow. I told them if they want to eat what I'm eating to please let me know and I will buy more of it at the grocery store. Since I had that talk with the kids, things are good. They aren't eating my meals/snacks and they have actually had me start to buy them a little bit healthier food for them to eat.

I may be totally wrong here but I often wonder when people say they are in a stall whether they are eating too many carbs. I am 11 weeks out and have never had a stall - BUT - my surgeon's diet plan does not allow me to have carbs until I am 7 months out. I can have 2 oz fruit or veg at my meals but that's it. And, to be honest, I cannot even tolerate that. I know that other surgeon's diets allow carbs right away or much sooner than 7 months out. Until I had this surgery I honestly did not realize how horrible carbs are for us - mostly because they bring on cravings for more carbs.

Like others have said you are doing great - especially considering that you had a leak early on. It's very good that you posted here for support because here is definitely where you will get it.

Hang in there and take it one day at a time. I know it's always easier to say but we are all here for you.

No carbs until 7mo out? That's extreme. I wonder why you are put on such a restrictive diet.

I think you really need to say what you are eating and how much of it? If you had a bad day why was it bad? What did you eat to make you feel like you did not eat right? At first I beat myself up over a piece of pizza, but not anymore, but that is because no matter what I ate/eat the weight comes off because I don't eat too much of anything. You say your eating is out of control so what are you eating? I lost 113 pounds without doing anything physical. Good program on HBO about metabolism...part of a series on obesity in America. Really brought into perspective our metabolisms when we are losing weight. You might really need to cut back more on what you are eating or find a better schedule for when to eat.

I'll try to answer everyone,,thanks for all the feedback, concerns and motivation. Yes, I had a leak and it held me back about a month so I guess I am more like 4 months out. As for what I eat, I eat most whatever I like but carbs do a number on me,,like bread mostly so I try to avoid it but it's hard sometimes. And I need to step back up and say something nice about my husband,,he's so wonderful and supportive in almost every other way but he thinks he is doing me a favor by stopping by the store on his way home from work and pick up a "few" things..but it is mostly unhealthy food like sweetened cereal (which I had a LOVE for preop), crackers, chips, nuts (the salty yummy kind), sometimes he'll pick up things for me but it's like protein bars that he doesn't know is full of carbs and sugar..the ones he picks out anyway. Most of this stuff is not intentionally meant for me but if it's here,,I'm gonna eat it. Just cause I had surgery doesn't mean it changed my brain and the way I think about food. I'm in therapy, I am trying so hard to stick to everything but find myself with those old habits pulling me back down. I excercise almost everyday, for at least an hour. I do inclined walking, weights on the home gym and floor excercises. I have a hard time with high impact because I have osteo issues and myasthenia gravis. I have a small pool and just got it ready for the summer so I've been swimming as well. Even though I'm eating some things that aren't good for me,,I'm only eating them in small amounts so I'm not sure why I can't shed weight faster. I'm obviously doing some things wrong and will need to make a change. I really appreciate everyone's support here, it is helping me so much.

I'll try to answer everyone' date=',thanks for all the feedback, concerns and motivation. Yes, I had a leak and it held me back about a month so I guess I am more like 4 months out. As for what I eat, I eat most whatever I like but carbs do a number on me,,like bread mostly so I try to avoid it but it's hard sometimes. And I need to step back up and say something nice about my husband,,he's so wonderful and supportive in almost every other way but he thinks he is doing me a favor by stopping by the store on his way home from work and pick up a "few" things..but it is mostly unhealthy food like sweetened cereal (which I had a LOVE for preop), crackers, chips, nuts (the salty yummy kind), sometimes he'll pick up things for me but it's like Protein bars that he doesn't know is full of carbs and sugar..the ones he picks out anyway. Most of this stuff is not intentionally meant for me but if it's here,,I'm gonna eat it. Just cause I had surgery doesn't mean it changed my brain and the way I think about food. I'm in therapy, I am trying so hard to stick to everything but find myself with those old habits pulling me back down. I excercise almost everyday, for at least an hour. I do inclined walking, weights on the home gym and floor excercises. I have a hard time with high impact because I have osteo issues and myasthenia gravis. I have a small pool and just got it ready for the summer so I've been swimming as well. Even though I'm eating some things that aren't good for me,,I'm only eating them in small amounts so I'm not sure why I can't shed weight faster. I'm obviously doing some things wrong and will need to make a change. I really appreciate everyone's support here, it is helping me so much.[/quote']

It really sounds like support issues. The seminar put on by my surgeon of choice addressed this head-on; you need the support of those around you. It might be a matter of educating your family and explaining the importance of weight loss to your health and longevity.

I had fairly good weight control from the age of 16 to the age of 32. Then I married a person 11 years my junior. She was one of these people that could eat anything and never gain an ounce. The problem was that she couldn't understand how difficult it made things for me when she kept sweets around the house. It was pretty frustrating.

If I were in your shoes I'd have a coming to the lord meeting with your family and insist upon their informed help.