Trying to find the sweet spot at 5+ months out - Help?

[discoveringme 31]

Hi all,

I am hoping to gain a little bit of insight to what others are doing post op around the 5 month marker as far as calories and Protein levels? I had surgery May 21st 2013 - SW 225 CW 161 ( was 159 for a day? ) and GW 135-140.

I have been losing slowly the last month and then this last couple of weeks bouncing between 159 and 161. I have never gained a pound in this journey so far so i am really freaked out i am doing something wrong??!! Or maybe i am getting closer to goal and this is how it plays out?? maybe i just need to do something a little different to move things along?

Hoping for some advice for those of you that are here now or have been here already :-)

I watch every thing i put in my mouth on my fitness pal and use a fitbit to monitor exercise etc... I thought maybe i was not getting enough calories in? Until recently I had my fitness pal goal set to 800 calories, Protein 80 - 90 but i was averaging about 60 - 70 gms. I walk a pretty good distance every morning also - usually burn about 300 calories average a day for exercise.

I thought maybe it was time to up the calories? maybe i wasn't getting enough in and causing my metabolism to resist a bit more than it had been. So i raised my calorie goal to 1000 calories, and my protein to 80 or 90 gms a day. I suck at hitting the protein goal without a Protein shake and hate drinking them most days but will go back to it if that is what it takes.

It feels very scary to bump up my calories and i worry i will gain even more?? I wonder if i bump them up now - what happens at 8 months then at 18 months out when i here others saying they can eat so much more. I feel like i am so close (24 lbs from goal), but that i do have time to keep working on this, its just that GD fat girl that talks way to much, telling me she might come back if i mess this up - man she makes me crazy some days lol....

[Fixerupper 335]

I am also five months out. I have always had a 2-3 pound bounce and then back further down. My capacity has increased a lot! I have been stalled for almost three weeks until 2 days ago. I ate 1200 calories for 2 day and lost three pounds. I have no idea why! I'll take it but it is very confusing sometimes.

[discoveringme 31]

It is so confusing! :-) and awesome with the 3 lbs!!!

Thanks so much for your reply! Outside of the couple of days at 1200 calories what do you try to reach for your norm?

[mamachez 2]

I'm 8 months out and had always exercised, but at 5 months out I turned it up and started doing a strenuous hike 3-4 days a week, and it turned my body into something I hardly recognize. I consume no more than 1,100 calories a day, and about 80 grams of Protein.

If you're looking for the scale to move, I suggest kicking up your exercise routine. You'll see a difference!

Good luck!

[discoveringme 31]

I definitely could kick up the exercise. I will give it a shot also. Thanks !