Understanding daily intake when closing in on goal

[Djmohr 6,965]

Good morning everyone! I need a bit of advice/guidance. I am closing in on my 1 year surgiversay at the end of September. I have done extremely well the past 11 months losing just short of 120lbs.

I have struggled in the last few months with exercise as I have been on restriction doe to a major spine surgery. Even without that restriction I would be struggling with exercise other than walking. I try to walk outside or on my treadmill at a brisk pace for 30 minutes about 5 times per week. That bit of walking right now is the majority of my exercise. I am still not allowed to do housework but I do cook and do the dishes. I am not allowed to bend, twist, reach....you get the picture.

Anyway, in the last 3 months I have stalled once for 28 days and now I am 2 weeks stalled. The good news is I am not gaining but to be literally stuck for that long has been frustrating.

I track my food and beverage(I only drink water) every day. I usually will consume between 1100 and 1200 calories a day. I always get between 70 and 90 grams of Protein per day.

I am pretty good about sticking to my food plan from day to day but it just does not seem to be working for me as it once did. I am wondering if I am literally not eating enough calories at this stage or if I should be backing off. My meals consist of the following:

Breakfast - Premier Protein shake

lunch - 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 3 strawberries or a salad with chicken on it

snack - either pistachios or beef jerkey or an apple with Peanut Butter

dinner - chicken, fish, beef or pork with a vegetable or garden salad

snack - either pistachios, beef jerkey or a pudding

I really appreciate any insight you might be able to provide. I would really like to break this stall soon!

Thanks!

Deb

[Babbs 14,681]

Your menu and calories look good. With you not being able to excerise much, I would think your caloric intake is pretty spot on at this point. But your body obviously has become complacent, so something needs to give.

I'm at goal, but still want to lose a few more pounds for a buffer. I have lost 2 pounds in about 2 and a half weeks. Not record breaking weight loss, but loss none the less. I'm going to suggest upping your calories to 1250-1300 if possible. I notice when I eat more than usual, the weight comes off.

Also, since you are so close to goal, have you tried adding carbs in the form of whole grains to your diet? I have also done that since month 11, and have experienced steady weight loss more or less. I'm not saying to go crazy with them, but a piece of multi grain toast with your eggs, or a little brown rice with your protien? I know you're bypass, so I don't know how those will effect your little pouch, either

Try that for a week or 2 and see how it goes?

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@Babbs

Thanks for the suggestion. I may give the whole grain idea a try. If I toast the bread I might have more success with it. bread is usually hard on my pouch.

Also I usually can tolerate a bite or two of rice so maybe that will help.

I have been at this calorie count now for about 6 months so I was tempted to bump it up and see if it makes a difference. I feel like my body is definitely complacent.

[James Marusek 5,244]

You may be near your bottom weight. We tend to set a goal, but that is just that - a goal. 119 pounds isn't a bad loss of weight. Your body will determine when you are at your bottom. On the other hand your major spine surgery, may have thrown a right curve to your WLS goal. So you may want to keep trying for a couple more months.

Once you have entered the "Maintenance" phase, that doesn't mean that you can't lose more weight. I bottomed out at 6 months. Then my weight was stable for 6 months within a couple pounds. Then I lost a little more weight. I have lost 15 additional pounds in the "Maintenance" phase without really trying. The approach to eating is different between the "Weight Loss" and "Maintenance" phases.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I cannot possibly believe you are "done" losing weight.

Do not listen to James. I know he's had a lot of success. But if you're like me, things like he said have a way of sticking in my brain and screwing me up. (Your experience may vary, of course.)

I think you can reach your goal. Yes, you need to do something different. So try what Babbs said. If that doesn't work, go the other way. If that doesn't work, try a third way.

Very best to you.

[Babbs 14,681]

I agree with Ann. I don't think you're done losing, either. Our bodies just get used to things, and we have to change things up once in a while to get things moving along again, whether it be how much we are eating, or what we are eating. A little shock to the system seems to do the trick a lot of times.

[Alex Brecher 10,515]

Djmohr,

Those stalls are frustrating, but as you get closer to goal weight, stalls are more frequent and last longer. All you can do now is to keep doing what you’ve done to get to this point: eat right, and be patient. I know it’s hard!

Sometimes stress plays a large role in plateaus. Try to relax! Get enough sleep, and find fun things to do. Also, you might be able to mix up your exercise with an exercise bike…maybe that can help reduce stress – or take a spinning class to make it more fun.

It sounds like you’re eating right, so the stall MUST end sometime! Let’s see what the others have to say. How have you gotten over stalls? Did you experience more stalls when you got closer to maintenance? How long did it take you to lose the last, say, 20-40 lbs?

[toasty 371]

I feel like a pygmy in the land of the Gods here with all of you veterans. It's almost blasphemous for me to reply in this thread, but I'd like to add my $0.02.

It seems to me that the calorie load you are talking about is still likely below your daily burn. If that is the case, then as @@Alex Brecher says, the stall must end eventually. And remember that things the scale doesn't measure may be changing.

At my surgeon's office, some of the other team members do something called "metabolic testing". This measures the number of calories your body uses in a day. Maybe if you can get such testing it would help you to find out what that caloric level is. In the end, it's calories in vs. calories out, right?

Finally, at your point, I think I would measure my success not by a number on a scale but by how you feel about yourself. Are you satisfied with how you look and feel, and if not, then continue to work on losing until you do. Don't be a slave to a number on a scale.

@@Djmohr, you are one of the most inspiring people to me. Your insights and advice are invaluable. Best of luck on your journey, and I send positive thoughts your way.