I quit tracking about a month after my surgery. Since my food choices were so limited, it didn't make sense to track the same things every day, especially when I was eating less than 700 calories a day.

I have been fluctuating between 282 and 284 for the last two weeks. This is my first stall and it's playing with my head. I know I need to start tracking my food to make sure that isn't the source of my stall. Do any of you track without using an app? I hate adding new foods or trying to find foods on the apps. It seems like it would be easier just to write it down in a notebook when you have the label right in front of you. Maybe I just need to quit being a whiny baby and realize that this is part of the process.

Help me get back on "track" and tell me how you track your foods.

It's always good to track.. but stalls are also normal. So if you track and notice same results, don't worry too much about it, just stay on course with the program. I've been stalled for 3 weeks now, not worried.

Edited June 22, 20179 yr by PatientEleventyBillion

I have tracked everything that has gone into my body since I began my six month insurance-required pre-op diet program on March 21, 2016. I track old-school using a word document that keeps up with calories, carbs, and protein. I eat the same thing (more or less) every single day, so a lot of it is cutting and pasting at this point, but I am aware of exactly what I consume every single day. I consider it a key to my success.

And get used to the stalls. They will happen. Post-op, I have found that periods of stall are of the same duration or more than periods of loss. Nothing about the post-op journey is linear.

I'd definitely recommend that you get back to tracking. It is worth the effort. Good luck!

My fitness pal is a great app and has a great deal of food in the database, if not an exact match you get close enough. Only think I don't like is not a great size converter (i.e. volume vs weight) for all items.

Also, has function to scan the barcode, which I find very helpful

Thank you for all of your responses and support. Intellectually, I know that stalls are going to happen. I have even said the same thing to others who were concerned about stalls. But it's different when it happens to you. Haha! I am thankful that this is my first stall.

blizair09 - I know that you are very regimented. I ate the same things over and over at the beginning but know that isn't sustainable for me. I am really curious what your meal plan looks like for a typical day. Your results are amazing and you are always helpful on here.

4 minutes ago, shannybananny71 said:

Thank you for all of your responses and support. Intellectually, I know that stalls are going to happen. I have even said the same thing to others who were concerned about stalls. But it's different when it happens to you. Haha! I am thankful that this is my first stall.

blizair09 - I know that you are very regimented. I ate the same things over and over at the beginning but know that isn't sustainable for me. I am really curious what your meal plan looks like for a typical day. Your results are amazing and you are always helpful on here.

Here is a typical day for me:

Meal #1: 1 scrambled egg with 1/2 piece of American Cheese and 2 oz of chicken breast

Meal #2: 4 oz of cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves

Meal #3: 3 oz of chicken breast, 1 string cheese, and 10 ParmCrisps

Meal #4: 3 oz of salmon, 1 oz of green beans, and 10 ParmCrisps

Meal #5: 3 oz of chicken breast, 1 oz of green beans, and 10 ParmCrisps

Meal #6: 3 of oz hamburger steak (93% lean), 1 oz of green beans, and 10 ParmCrisps

Meal #7: 3 oz of chicken breast, 1 string cheese, and 10 ParmCrisps

Meal #8: 4 oz of cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves

I have 32 oz of water between Meals 1 and 2 and between Meals 2 and 3, 16 oz of water between Meals 3 and 4, 16 oz of PowerAde Zero between Meals 4 and 5, and 8 oz of water mixed with 8 oz of PowerAde Zero between Meals 6 and 7 and after Meal 8. I allow for the 30 minutes before and after, so the whole thing takes about 12-14 hours each day.

Wow! You have it down to a science. Do you ever deviate from that with a treat? Do you know how many calories a day that is? I need to find ParmCrisps!

2 minutes ago, shannybananny71 said:

Wow! You have it down to a science. Do you ever deviate from that with a treat? Do you know how many calories a day that is? I need to find ParmCrisps!

No treats. I never deviate from this outside of an alcoholic beverage every now and then (and when I do that, I have protein shakes to meet my protein goals and open up calories for the alcohol) and occasionally when I have to travel for work (and I rely on protein shakes again). I have trained myself to look at food as fuel. It took a while, but it is worth the effort!

I'm now in the 1500 calorie range per day, 20 carbs, and 120-140 grams of protein.

I get ParmCrisps at Sam's Club. I found another brand at Wal-Mart in a smaller bag. They are awesome (and, as you can see, I have made them a staple in my diet...)

I am preop and I just started usig the app - Lose It. It's pretty good. It's just my opinion and what works for me when I am losing - but I vary my food choices and my calorie amounts. There is usually one day a week that I have less and one day a week I up the calories 200-300 more but only on one day and not with junk. This was always my system when I was doing the core plan in weight watchers and lost over 70 pounds (yes I am fat again and why I am preop going for surgery now). I read somewhere that keeping your body expecting the same foods all the time leads to plateaus. I can't speak for doing this post op, but you never know.

@blizair09 do you ever get bored with the food? If I eat the same thing over and over it actually can turn my stomach ( like eggs or tuna salad ). I would love to be able to do what you do. It's so simple. I just know I couldn't do it long term.

I eat so much less than that! lol! Reading your list I'm like...holy ****, I don't have TIME to eat that many meals in a day!

I get 5 in:

Breakfast: 4 slices precooked bacon, 1 slice american cheese, 1 low carb English Muffin - Make a breakfast sandwich

Lunch: 4 oz roasted chicken/chicken teriyaki (home made low carb)

Snack: String cheese, peanut butter

Dinner: Veggie patty/roasted chicken/amazing pork street taco from next door with only pork, onions, cilantro, spices and 2 avocado slices ( don't eat the soft taco part - I'm diabetic so I pack most of my carbs in the AM)

Snack: Unsalted nuts, string cheese

Water water water water water. I always have water with me. Of course, I ended up in ICU last year super sick and part of that was dehydration so I'm kind of a stickler about water. Once you get so dehydrated you need medical assistance your attitude about water changes....lol!

33 minutes ago, Joann454 said:

@blizair09 do you ever get bored with the food? If I eat the same thing over and over it actually can turn my stomach ( like eggs or tuna salad ). I would love to be able to do what you do. It's so simple. I just know I couldn't do it long term.

I don't. But I had to work really hard to get to this point. Food is fuel and macros for me now. It has to be this way. I don't want to be overweight (let alone obese) anymore. It all boils down to that for me.

15 minutes ago, LittleLizzieLilliput said:

I eat so much less than that! lol! Reading your list I'm like...holy ****, I don't have TIME to eat that many meals in a day!

I get 5 in:

Breakfast: 4 slices precooked bacon, 1 slice american cheese, 1 low carb English Muffin - Make a Breakfast sandwich

Lunch: 4 oz roasted chicken/chicken teriyaki (home made low carb)

Snack: String cheese, Peanut Butter

Dinner: Veggie patty/roasted chicken/amazing pork street taco from next door with only pork, onions, cilantro, spices and 2 avocado slices ( don't eat the soft taco part - I'm diabetic so I pack most of my carbs in the AM)

Snack: Unsalted nuts, string cheese

Water water water water water. I always have water with me. Of course, I ended up in ICU last year super sick and part of that was dehydration so I'm kind of a stickler about water. Once you get so dehydrated you need medical assistance your attitude about water changes....lol!

I get what you're saying. I decided a long time ago that I had to make the time. I do work from home (unless I am traveling for work), and that helps, but I have to stay on top of it every day. My way isn't for everyone, but it is what I have to do for me. I had to make food a fuel source to deal with the issues with it I have had my entire life.

I don't. But I had to work really hard to get to this point. Food is fuel and macros for me now. It has to be this way. I don't want to be overweight (let alone obese) anymore. It all boils down to that for me.

Do you think it'd be a slippery slope for you if you deviated your foods? Not the schedule, just the foods? If so, why?
Sorry if I'm being intrusive
I'm trying to figure out what would work best for me through others.

Just now, blizair09 said:

I get what you're saying. I decided a long time ago that I had to make the time. I do work from home (unless I am traveling for work), and that helps, but I have to stay on top of it every day. My way isn't for everyone, but it is what I have to do for me. I had to make food a fuel source to deal with the issues with it I have had my entire life.

AHHH!!! Ok, working from home, that makes sense. When I have time at home I make more than just my roasted chicken. I make low carb butter chicken, chili, etc. And then I have lots of little meals in the day. But in general I leave my house at 7 AM, I get back around 6:30-7:00 and then exercise for 1.5 hours and then basically shower and crash and do it again. I only get about 20 minutes of time at home on an average work day where I could make a meal.

Lots of times I will pass on activities with friends in order to prep on Sunday for the week. But with Summer here my schedule is totally crazy and it's way too hot to cook. lol!

1 minute ago, Joann454 said:

Do you think it'd be a slippery slope for you if you deviated your foods? Not the schedule, just the foods? If so, why?
Sorry if I'm being intrusive
I'm trying to figure out what would work best for me through others.

You're not being intrusive at all. I am afraid that any additional carbs would be a slippery slope, yes. I could completely change out the meats, but I like these okay, so it works for me. It isn't that I don't like the things I eat. I do; that's why I picked them. I don't trust myself and this approach deals with all of my issues.