Having a very hard and discouraging time at the plateau

[arex 9]

I've been stuck at 260-265 for several months now, and it's getting very discouraging.

I think I know what the problem is, but I'm not sure how to address it. I eat a good Breakfast of protein-boosted oatmeal, a mid-morning snack of fruit and low-fat cheese, and a late lunch of boiled eggs and raw unsalted vegetables. By this point I'm at about 1000 calories for the day and 70g of Protein.

dinner is where I run into issues. First, I'm usually dog-tired by the time I get off work and often don't feel motivated to prepare something suitable, and second, my wife will have not eaten much all day, and is ready for a "real" dinner. I cook, she does not, to clarify.

I've been so discouraged that too often I just say "eff it" and get some tacos on the way home or something else equally terrible, or I cook something quick but unsatisfying and relatively unhealthy, so I wind up cruising the cupboards for Snacks later on.

And, unfortunately, the longer I go without progress, the more I start saying "eff it", which has been creeping into my days at work, as well, in the form of inappropriate Snacks from the cafeteria.

I try to rein myself in and eat healthier for a time, but my mood yoyos and I make no real progress. I don't think that my healthy eating is lacking in any way, I can eat properly and be satisfied, it's not a hunger issue (I think). It's a motivation thing, saying "eff it", and getting that damned cinnamon roll in the cafeteria or the easy sack of tacos, because...I don't know why. I think I'm rambling at this point.

Procedure was August 2015, 7 months ago.

[Valentina 2,642]

Maybe going to some support group meetings will help.

I think you "need a talk'n to".

Your "mojo" needs a boost.

It's worth a try, isn't it? Everyone every now and then needs a revamping.

Get moving! Your journey is not complete. You got this, my friend.

[kaitlynm 335]

How much oatmeal are you eating in the morning? I aim for 1000 calories per day, and well over 100 grams of Protein in that 1000 calories. Seems like even your healthy food choices are a bit high on the carb side. What about boiled eggs for Breakfast and a Protein Drink for a snack mid am. Try for some sort of meat for lunch like leftover chicken from the night before (hint hint). I know how it is to be tired after work, and the thought of cooking can be overwehlming. I used to make most of my dinners on Sunday night. I would buy everything (meats) on Sunday afternoon and grill it up that night. I would make ground turkey Chilie and that would last for a few days. You can get some pretty good frozen or fresh veggies that you can nuke pretty quickly to go with the Protein.

You know you have to give up the junk food to move on. So need to lecture you on that. I would really try upping your protein intake at all of your meals and Snacks. Also how much Water are you getting. More Water may help with your hunger.

Are you getting any exercise? Just trying to work that in a couple of days a week could get you somewhat motivated. I used to go every day at 5 am before work. It was hard getting up for about a month, but then it just became a routine.

If you get re-motivated and start following the rules again you should loose weight. Hopefully that would be enough motivation to continue. Did you see your Surgeon for a 6 mos check-up? Maybe s/he can give you some ideas to get back on track as well.

[Christinamo7 4,041]

so - one thing I do is when I cook a healthy meal for me (tonight it is grilled chicken breast and lima Beans - I cook enough to put 2-3 small plates for me in the freezer - so on busy week nights if I am hungry I can grab a plate of something, thaw it out and an easy healthy preportioned meal is ready. I will usually do a couple with larger servings for the hub.

a second thing I do is brown turkey/ground beef early in the week with just salt, pepper, garlic.

This can easily make a big mac salad (with appropriate amounts of each topping for my needs) or it can make a red sauce that they can have on Pasta, and I can have as is. or it can make a little nacho topping and I just have it without the chips.

I think if you plan ahead you can do a good job with your week night meal prep and not feel pushed to the limit.

[cbrr 70]

I do the same thing that Christinamo7 does...I cook up several meals at once. If you have a George Forman grill, you can grill up lots of chicken breasts in a short time. They can be used for chicken salad, Soup with some broth and frozen vegies, shredded for tacos, cut up for salads, stir fried with vegies or just plain. I fry up ground beef and season half with taco seasonings and half with italian seasonings. These go into small bags and are frozen until needed. I will mix the taco meat with cole slaw cabbage and put salsa on it for a taco salad. I will put the italian meat on a rice cake with some mozzarella and put under the broiler. They both go well with spaghetti squash, also.

You can also keep some Lean Cuisines in the freezer for when you are too tired to deal with any cooking.

Is your wife an adult? Is she physically unable to cook or prepare food for herself? Mentally challenged or paralyzed? You need to take charge of your eating and let her take care of her own. I'm sure she'll find a way to feed herself. This is a time for you to focus on yourself and developing good eating skills.

Best of Luck!

[arex 9]

1/3-cup of steel-cut oats, uncooked, fortified with powdered milk for extra Protein, a handful of frozen blueberries and a couple teaspoons of chia seeds, and sweetened with a little honey. This yields about 1.5 cups of cooked oatmeal. The dietician says this is a good breakfast, that the whole-grain oats and unsweetened fruit are necessary, in spite of the carbs and relative low-protein.

The dietician also has me shooting for about 1300-1500kcal/day, given my height and muscle mass. I'm fairly muscular under all the fat, and we're trying not to lose too much of it. Unfortunately, I find myself hitting 2000kcal/day too often. We've started doing veggie/protein smoothies for dinner about a week ago, and that seems to be keeping the calories down. It remains to be seen if we can maintain it. The smoothies are tasty, in any case, tastes similar to gazpacho.

Exercise - I walk about 3-4 miles a day at work (according to Fitbit), and I ride my bike a total of 4 miles/day commuting to work. I put in about 10 miles/day riding on the weekend. I'm going to be participating in a 50km charity ride in about a month.

[kaitlynm 335]

Still kind of sounds like you are low on Protein. How many grams per day are you getting? If you are trying to preserve your muscle mass that is really important. Also are you getting in at least 64 oz of Water? It sounds like you are getting enough exercise, but you should try to stay at 1500 cal. If you want more food, then you probably need to up your exercise. Maybe just changing the type would help. I'm amazed how quickly my body gets used to my routines.

[arex 9]

90-110 grams of Protein, typically 72+ ounces of Water, sometimes as much as a gallon. I'm guzzling Water all day at work.

[sleevenv 483]

Meal plan! Your wife and you, together, should spend a few hours each weekend to shop, plan, and prepare all your meals for the week. You'll be off and losing again in no time, and you'll command more respect from your wife. Let her help!

[perforce 243]

Some dietitians don't necessarily give the best advice for bariatric patients. Try getting a higher protein/lower carb breakfast for a while, it sounds to me like your carbs are too high.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely to help if you don't get your evening eating under control.

[PaulaB72 49]

I had to give up my oatmeal breakfasts too when I realized how many carbs were in it (for the interim at least).

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