Use Your First Six Months Wisely

[swizzly 901]

This is awesome input swizzly.

How did you determine your resting metabolic rate? is there a "scientific" way to measure that, how accurate do you think it is? or did you use a commercial thing like a fitbit?

Hi, thanks! I had a test done pre-op at my clinic, where you have to put this whole thing over your head (it's hooked to a computer and some monitor thingies) and lie utterly still (seriously, they tell you to try not to blink LOL) for 30 minutes, and it measures your basal metabolic rate, or the calories you burn just by being alive and breathing. Mine was 1887 pre-op, and they said that was pretty good for my age/gender/size. I would love to find out what it is now, but my doctor said it's probably 200-300 calories lower than that now.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Rather than re-type my response' date=' please look up a couple posts and you will see what my typical day looks like. I am pretty focused and disciplined, but I think that is to be expected. Having this surgery was a major life event, not something to play around with. One thing you will notice repeatedly in my posts that diet truly is king. A fine tuned and disciplined diet is far more effective towards achieving goal than over extending yourself in exercise. The diet has to be nutritionally sound and be in the appropriate range of calories that optimizes your BMR. This information is given freely from my personal experience. I am not discounting exercise at all, but do advise everyone to find what works for them and something they can maintain for a long period of time. At one time, I was overdoing it in exercise because it was a little like a drug for me. However, i could not maintain it because of exercise burnout and my diet was messed up because of the need to consume lots and lots of calories. i then started rationalizing that it was ok to eat this and eat that because after all, i was busting out 1000s of calories a day in exercise. I never could find the right amount of calories to eat and ended up gaining weight, especially after the exercise slowed down. all in all, Exercise is more about body shaping and toning and less about weight loss. Others will have their own approaches and opinions. Best of luck.[/quote']

That's good advice. I exercise daily and consider it part of my "plan", but I've had to ratchet things back a bit so I don't get carried away. I've toned down my exercise goals for the time being....no marathon training lol. It's also why I don't allow my "exercise burned" calories to affect my daily intake. I keep my intake relatively consistent. The only thing that exercise will affect is what I eat and when, but not how much. Otherwise, I can see myself doing this same thing. Giving myself justification to eat a second piece of cheese cake every other day.

But I will keep exercising because I like the way it makes me feel, and I want to look better naked....not just be lighter.

[cherrybombknits 184]

That's good advice. I exercise daily and consider it part of my "plan"' date=' but I've had to ratchet things back a bit so I don't get carried away. I've toned down my exercise goals for the time being....no marathon training lol. It's also why I don't allow my "exercise burned" calories to affect my daily intake. I keep my intake relatively consistent. The only thing that exercise will affect is what I eat and when, but not how much. Otherwise, I can see myself doing this same thing. Giving myself justification to eat a second piece of cheese cake every other day.

But I will keep exercising because I like the way it makes me feel, and I want to look better naked....not just be lighter.[/quote']

I keep thinking I need to eat more because I'm working out so much, but there's just no room! I'm hoping I can break that mentality before I have the room for cheesecake :-)

I have to admit, seeing negative net calories on MFP alternately thrills and freaks me out. I'm one month out tomorrow.

[germen 40]

love this thread. LOL

[mylifeinpink 349]

We all are fat right. That is why we had or are having the surgery. It has been impossible for us to lose it on our own. Sure if we could all take a year off from life and go on the biggest loser we would be able to' date=' but who really has that luxury. So we get the surgery. Yay for us! I am so glad I got the freaking surgery.

So when you get to one year out and can eat like a semi-normal person you will not be able to lose it on your own - If you can't do it now, you won't be able to do it in a year from now. Eventually you will be able to consume enough calories and stop losing and it will be a struggle to lose the rest...IF YOU EVER DO.

So you have this window of opportunity. For me it was a good year, but for a lot of people it might only be six months and some of the lucky ones will have it forever. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR "FOOD" LIFE WILL BE LIKE IN SIX MONTHS, A YEAR OR FOREVER, but you do know you have the six months! That is six months to basically allow your body to survive off of all of your stored goodness, fatty cells. You basically could just drink Water and eat very little and be fine. So do that! I really ate 500 calories the first six months, and I didn't eat much on the weekends. I wasn't hungry, and I didn't like food because it made me feel all yucky.

My good fortune lasted me a year and two months, but I am done losing now.

I am really sad when I hear people say that they are struggling to get the weight off after a year. They still have 60 more to lose. That window is closed and the only way they will lose weight is through diet and working out and a lot of it. To get that weight off they might have to work out 3 hours a day and do all the impossible things that were a struggle to do in the first place which is why we had surgery.

Use the first six months wisely...make them count. If you are stalling then eat nothing. I am serious. Drink Water and cut your calories in 1/2. Work out for like 4 hours. You don't know how much time you will have. So for the first six months push yourself harder than you ever have. It is just six months and you have this excellent tool to help you.[/quote']

I just did a video blog on this very subject! Great post

That's why I made a lifestyle change, not another diet.

So agree!

[mylifeinpink 349]

I can't stand enabling or fake hiney kissing. Tell it like it is. We are adults. Not everybody wins a medal' date=' gets a prize, nor are they entitled to win praise every time they sneeze. This is a serious topic and doesn't really have a lot of wiggle room for whining. Questions, yes. Advice, sure. Exchanges of stories and open communication, absolutely.

My doctor first yanked a knot in my attention when he told me I could survive for four months on Water alone due to my fat stores. We weren't built to exist in a constant environment of "feast." Our bodies are great at storing energy for those time periods that food is scarce, not that we have to think about that any more.

[/quote']

Love your post! Tired of everything being sugar coated- I think if people were more honest- there'd be less of the whiney little "I can't" posts!

Say it!

[mylifeinpink 349]

It is nasty' date=' and was uncalled for. I doubt you liked being judged by "skinny people" before your surgery. It's not very appropriate to turn around and behave that way to another forum member.[/quote']

Naaaaah not nasty- just to the point and factual!

[swizzly 901]

Naaaaah not nasty- just to the point and factual!

Not too nasty, I've seen worse. To the point, yes. But not entirely factual, thus my further posts in this thread.

[chad2rad 491]

I just did a video blog on this very subject! Great post

That's why I made a lifestyle change' date=' not another diet.

So agree![/quote']

I would like to see your video blog. What is the link? Great job on your losses!

[iggychic 1,405]

I had already planned to take advantage of the first 6-12 mo' date=' but this post really put a spotlight on how important it is to take advantage of the tool A S A P --- no "I had surgery a month ago, I can't work out!" excuses for me! (still pre-op for now)

So while I'm sure some people are quick to say this was bad or misguided advice, I appreciate it. Personally, I plan to only eat when I'm hungry.....![/quote']

I am two months post op and am now able to do light exercise. I still have weight restrictions (lifting) and am not allowed to do vigorous exercise involving twisting or bending. It's not an "excuse" it's a doctors requirement.

In addition...eating "when you are hungry" is easy to say when preop because you haven't experienced the changes your body will go through. I'm never hungry frankly...ok maybe if I go too many hours without solid food I do get a tummy rumble but Water will satisfy that or a latte. If you only eat when you are hungry you will likely suffer slow weight loss because you aren't taking care of your body properly.

You are motivated and I think that's great...but given you haven't gone through the process all of the way, it's difficult to read your "advice" because it is misguided. Its your speculation on how you'll do, not reality.

I'd suggest reading your doctors requirements for exercise as well as your diet guidelines. You are likely to find that after surgery you get a big wake up call about that eating when hungry...and please don't knock others who are following their doctors guidelines for exercise. They give these guidelines for a reason and it has nothing to do with excuses.

[iggychic 1,405]

We all are fat right. That is why we had or are having the surgery. It has been impossible for us to lose it on our own. Sure if we could all take a year off from life and go on the biggest loser we would be able to' date=' but who really has that luxury. So we get the surgery. Yay for us! I am so glad I got the freaking surgery.

So when you get to one year out and can eat like a semi-normal person you will not be able to lose it on your own - If you can't do it now, you won't be able to do it in a year from now. Eventually you will be able to consume enough calories and stop losing and it will be a struggle to lose the rest...IF YOU EVER DO.

So you have this window of opportunity. For me it was a good year, but for a lot of people it might only be six months and some of the lucky ones will have it forever. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR "FOOD" LIFE WILL BE LIKE IN SIX MONTHS, A YEAR OR FOREVER, but you do know you have the six months! That is six months to basically allow your body to survive off of all of your stored goodness, fatty cells. You basically could just drink Water and eat very little and be fine. So do that! I really ate 500 calories the first six months, and I didn't eat much on the weekends. I wasn't hungry, and I didn't like food because it made me feel all yucky.

My good fortune lasted me a year and two months, but I am done losing now.

I am really sad when I hear people say that they are struggling to get the weight off after a year. They still have 60 more to lose. That window is closed and the only way they will lose weight is through diet and working out and a lot of it. To get that weight off they might have to work out 3 hours a day and do all the impossible things that were a struggle to do in the first place which is why we had surgery.

Use the first six months wisely...make them count. If you are stalling then eat nothing. I am serious. Drink Water and cut your calories in 1/2. Work out for like 4 hours. You don't know how much time you will have. So for the first six months push yourself harder than you ever have. It is just six months and you have this excellent tool to help you.[/quote']

Honestly I think you are still struggling with some diet issues that you need to get under control. The things you've posted are not factual. You do not have to quit losing at six months, nor do you have to exercise 4 hours a day (that's actually bordering on an illness in it's self). Cutting your food back to nothing or less than 250 cals a day is NEVER a good idea. This whole post is about excess in so many ways. Excess is not healthy, be it one one side or another. My doctor warns that you have to ensure that you don't obsessed with the weight loss, you have to live your life in a healthy way, not obsessed with food, nor obsessed with exercise, weight loss, muscle gain, etc. You've traded one excess for another basically, which isn't living. BALANCE is necessary for a healthy life. That never includes the words "never" or you can't or not eating. Your advice is dangerous and unhealthy and I hope for your own long term sanity you find some help to get to a balanced, and not an obsessed life style.

[swizzly 901]

I am two months post op and am now able to do light exercise. I still have weight restrictions (lifting) and am not allowed to do vigorous exercise involving twisting or bending. It's not an "excuse" it's a doctors requirement.

Yes, I also had strict restrictions on lifting or any kind of exercise for the first six weeks post-op, apart from walking. And I wasn't supposed to do any big weights or resistance for the first three months and then only after being cleared following a physical.

[Banned member 320]

lol about the poster who said the OP statement was "factual". OP is entitled to his or her opinion but that doesn't make it true or right for everyone else. I'm sure OP wasn't saying that everyone should follow what they did but it would suck if someone felt the need to starve themselves just because it worked for someone else. I guess since most of us have been at one extreme of the weight scale, they may tend to think that going to the other far end will be better. I worry about what vicious cycle this could lead to such as anorexia, bulimia, etc. What happens when people get into the habit of starving themselves every time they gain a pound of Water weight? Just because we all are/were fat that doesn't mean that we are immune from developing eating disorders. I'm sure I'm not the only person that cringed while reading the OP. I do agree that you should try and maximize weight loss during the 6-12 month period after getting sleeved but I don't think starving or telling someone that they should exercise for 4 hrs is the way to do it. JMO. I hear from a lot of vets that during the weight loss phase you should aim for around 800 cals and that to me sounds a lot more reasonable than the under 500 cals advice or the person who mentioned you can survive on water only. To me it just doesn't sound like a "way of life" lifestyle. I don't know about anyone else but I've done the crash diets and I couldn't sustain them in the long run and that's what the advice sounded like coming from the OP, one big crash diet or a quick sprint to the finish. I just feel that if I crash diet to goal, I wouldn't have learned a damn thing about what it takes to be healthy and deal with my issues when it comes to food. To each their own I guess

[germen 40]

Severals years ago (had lot of free time) i lost a lot of weight doing Atkins but most for exercising. First thing on the morning and last thing on the night. i didnt want to sleep because i think it was a waste of precious exercise time. Then I just to stop to eat because if i was hungry in mind this was a sign to exercise. I was sick, Great shape but on a dangerous game. I was fortunate and open my eyes just in time. Sadly i gain all the weight plus 20 pounds but im still alive and have a new chance to do the things the right way with the help of my slevee. My point is that 4 hours a day of exercise just remember this chapter of my life.

[SummersGirl 41]

So you have this window of opportunity. For me it was a good year' date=' but for a lot of people it might only be six months and some of the lucky ones will have it forever. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR "FOOD" LIFE WILL BE LIKE IN SIX MONTHS, A YEAR OR FOREVER, but you do know you have the six months! That is six months to basically allow your body to survive off of all of your stored goodness, fatty cells. You basically could just drink Water and eat very little and be fine. So do that! I really ate 500 calories the first six months, and I didn't eat much on the weekends. I wasn't hungry, and I didn't like food because it made me feel all yucky.

Use the first six months wisely...make them count. If you are stalling then eat nothing. I am serious. Drink Water and cut your calories in 1/2. Work out for like 4 hours. You don't know how much time you will have. So for the first six months push yourself harder than you ever have. It is just six months and you have this excellent tool to help you.[/quote']

Okay now I am freaking out! Of course I only read this "6 months" warning when I am 4 months out I lose slow, but I was thinking "it just takes time". I am 5'2" and the top of the healthy BMI chart for me is 137. So this is my goal (with my giant boobs that are NOT shrinking, this is a good weight). I started at 227 on July 3, and my weight is now 184, 43 pounds down and 47 to go. I am almost at 50% of extra weight gone. So are you saying I really only have 2 more months of losing time? That makes me so sad! I eat 1000 calories per day. I know you and most other people aren't hungry but I am. I get rumbly tummy and well, hungry, so I eat. I just don't know what to think or say, I'm sooo depressed right now Any encouragement, or am I just f$&@#d?