AM I doing this right??

[stormy]

This is frustrating. Am I doing this right? I am stuck at 214. The scale is not moving. I guess I should be happy. I am down 32 pounds since surgery but it has been over a year. I know it is my fault because I put off my fill for 6 months, I am sure I would be further ahead if I would have done it earlier. But I got my fill over a month ago and it just dont seem to be moving. I am stuck. What am I doing wrong? I hardly eat at all. I have a banana or yogart for breakfast and then coffee. Then I have a salad for lunch or sometimes soup, then for snack maybe a yogart or some crackers. Then for dinner, I have a small piece of chicken, if I can keep it from getting stuck, or a yogart with cottage cheese or a small slice of hamburger. Could that be it, that I am not eating enough? Maybe I am not getting enough calories, but that just seems weird. I guess I need some food ideas because in the morning, I am tight. I seem to go for the things that wont get stuck, like soup. But I know that I am not overeating. This is really getting me down. I want to get back under 200, I did it before, but his 15 pounds will be the hardest to lose this time. UG, anyone got any ideas?

[RevyD]

Hi Stormy. Looks to me like you are not getting enough calories. When you don't eat enough calories your body goes into starvation mode and hangs onto everything. Your metabolism even slows down so you won't burn the calories that you do it.

I eat on average 1400-1700 calories a day. I was banded Sept 29th/2009 and have not had a fill yet. My weight loss has been consistent at 2-3 pounds per week.

I think the key is eating enough calories, solid food so you chew, enough protein and exercise every single day for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Oh and I swear to God the Tomatoe Pie is my secret weapon ( hahahahaha). I eat it every morning and everyone on the forum thinks it is the secret to my weight loss

Good luck

Debbie

[bogiesmom]

Stormy,

I concur with Debbie but I am about to say something you do not want to hear so brace yourself...

I have attended many a Weight Watchers meeting where plateaus lasting up to a year have been reported despite all the best efforts. I myself recently experienced a plateau that lasted 28 days.

What you may want to try along with eating more calories:

1. Switch up your diet completely and try tricking your system by avoiding foods you eat on a daily basis and start eating foods that are different.

2. How is your water intake? Maybe kick it up a notch?

3. Take you diet to the next level - eliminate a catagory temporarily. For example, try cutting out white foods (salt, sugar, flour), starches, meat, or wheat.

4. It kind of sounds like maybe you are too tight...is this a possibility worth exploring?

5. When all else fails - make an appoinment with your GP a week in advance. For one week log everything in detail from the times of day that you eat, what you eat, when you work out, how you work out, how much water your drinking, and the hours that you are sleeping, along with any medications you are taking. Take this journal with you to your appointment and see if your GP can catch something that you missed. This log will also back you up (CYA) and be helpful in getting some general tests done.

[Lindsay]

This is frustrating. Am I doing this right? I am stuck at 214. The scale is not moving. I guess I should be happy. I am down 32 pounds since surgery but it has been over a year.

Stormy,

That being said, the majority of women can not lose fat with diet alone.

You do need to incorporate at least 45 minutes a day of HIIT (high intensity interval training) - in both resistance training & cardiovascular.

(And while pole dancing may be fun, it`s definitely not what I mean in terms of increasing your heart rate for a specific amount of time.)

I would be interested in seeing specifically, what you eat in a week.

Have you tried keeping a detailed food diary (fitday.com, etc)

A few crackers, a small slice of hamburger ... it all sounds so vague, and I`ve worked with a lot of people, and that`s usually a red flag. People often don`t eat as little as they think they do - OR, the calories they are taking in, aren`t valuable.

[jhawkchick75]

The thing that helps me best is journaling all my food. In another threat many of us journal every day you should join us! I also agree w/ the others that you might not be eating enough that happened to me for a while.

Plateaus suck! I have been on one since Oct and I think I have finally broken it. Keep your chin up!

[funmama707]

Plateu's are the worst. I'm starting to journal and I think it's helping.

Also the exercise. I really need to get on board with it.

I also agree about not eating enough.

[Elizabeth36]

Stormy,

I concur with Debbie but I am about to say something you do not want to hear so brace yourself...

I have attended many a Weight Watchers meeting where plateaus lasting up to a year have been reported despite all the best efforts. I myself recently experienced a plateau that lasted 28 days.

What you may want to try along with eating more calories:

1. Switch up your diet completely and try tricking your system by avoiding foods you eat on a daily basis and start eating foods that are different.

2. How is your water intake? Maybe kick it up a notch?

3. Take you diet to the next level - eliminate a catagory temporarily. For example, try cutting out white foods (salt, sugar, flour), starches, meat, or wheat.

4. It kind of sounds like maybe you are too tight...is this a possibility worth exploring?

5. When all else fails - make an appoinment with your GP a week in advance. For one week log everything in detail from the times of day that you eat, what you eat, when you work out, how you work out, how much water your drinking, and the hours that you are sleeping, along with any medications you are taking. Take this journal with you to your appointment and see if your GP can catch something that you missed. This log will also back you up (CYA) and be helpful in getting some general tests done.

Wow! You have so much info...Thanks..now can you and Lindsay move to TN and be my new best friends..lol

[Elizabeth36]

Stormy,

That being said, the majority of women can not lose fat with diet alone.

You do need to incorporate at least 45 minutes a day of HIIT (high intensity interval training) - in both resistance training & cardiovascular.

(And while pole dancing may be fun, it`s definitely not what I mean in terms of increasing your heart rate for a specific amount of time.)

I would be interested in seeing specifically, what you eat in a week.

Have you tried keeping a detailed food diary (fitday.com, etc)

A few crackers, a small slice of hamburger ... it all sounds so vague, and I`ve worked with a lot of people, and that`s usually a red flag. People often don`t eat as little as they think they do - OR, the calories they are taking in, aren`t valuable.

Hey may I be nosy and ask what you do for a living? Are you a trainer, nutrionist, or dietician? If not, you should be. I know the home health agency I work for consults dieticians and the pay is excellent.

[Lindsay]

Hey may I be nosy and ask what you do for a living? Are you a trainer, nutrionist, or dietician? If not, you should be. I know the home health agency I work for consults dieticians and the pay is excellent.

I used to work in the fitness industry (did for quite a few years!) and then branched out of it almost 2 years ago to go back into advertising

I'm certified here in Canada, but also have:

America College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist

ACSM -Certified Health/Fitness Instructor

American Council on Exercise (ACE) - Certified Personal Trainer

Stott International Pilates Method - Certified Mat Level 1

[mandyfsc]

Hey Stormy, I'm putting off my 1st fill too. (Money reasons) but that just means I have to work even harder to get to my goal on my own! So I feel you pain. I started using www.myfitnesspal.com and I LOVE it. I track my food intake as well as all my exercise. I always keep it at 1200 but add in extra for the exercise I do. I try to burn 300 calories per workout and therefore on those days I eat 1500.

But after reading what I have, I'm wondering if I should eat more.... hmmm....

Anyone heard of calorie cycling? It's basically the idea of eating the same amount of calories weekly but changing the amount daily so that your body never gets used to it. I'm going to try that starting Monday. I'll let you know how it goes.