[Shrinky Dink]

Hi Everyone,

I'm glad I found this place. I'm a little over 2 months out now and I'm just so disappointed at how slowly I'm losing
It's so hard not to compare myself to others, but you just sort of let that happen when you see other people losing so much faster!

I get about 90-100 grams of protein per day. Drink lots of water, my calories are around 800-900. I exercise, but it just comes off so slowly. I'm glad it's coming off, but I just get so jealous of people who lose twice as fast as me.

I tell myself that "oh, some of the other people weighed more, so that's why they are losing faster"... Then I see someone who weighed less and lost more, Ahhhhhhh.... LOL I'm driving myself crazy!

Thanks for reading if you made it this far

[jiffypop]

LOVE your name, ShrinkyDink! and hmmm. not quite sure what to say - people lose at different rates - it's really REALLY hard to tell ahead of time who'll lose fast and who'll lose slow. but let's take a look at your ticker - you're 2 months postop and you've lost 40 pounds???!!!! 20 pounds a month? 5 pounds a week? nearly a pound a day?

that's a phenomenal weight loss! and, of course, there are stories of people losing much more and all, but it really sounds like you're doing fine. from what you wrote - the very high protein and the 800-900 calories - it looks as if there's very little room in there for carb calories. carbs are the killers at your stage.

but, if you are really concerned about this, how about sharing a typical day with us? maybe someone around here will have a couple of suggestions for tweaks that'll help

now, having said ALL THAT - take a look at POOKIE88's journey - she was a slow loser, but slow and steady works GREAT. the whole goal is LOSS, and it's not a race. HONEST!!!

glad you're here! and you're right - it 's time to stop making yourself nuts about this!

[Leenie]

Yep, some times when you eat to little you lose slowly. How about upping your calories to 1200 and drink lot of water.

[Shrinky Dink]

Heehe, my normal screen name that I use for message boards was taken and that just popped into my head

Thank you both so much! Your posts really helped me feel better! I was thinking about upping my calories, but was scared to. I always wanted to be able to eat at least 1200 calories on this! Otherwise it just seems unnatural, you know!

OK, here is one of my typical days (totally boring):
(Oh, and I just started eating 6 small meals instead of 3 meals, my doc had wanted me on 3, but I just get way too hungry in-between. The 6 small meals also make me crave less)

On the way to work: 36g protein drink

9am: 1/4 can tuna w/light mayo and mustard

11am: 1/4 can tuna w/light may and mustard

1pm: same..... 3:30pm same LOL..... (maybe the lack of switching it up is my problem???) I really am enjoying the tuna though! I'm a little anti-chicken right now. Over chickened I reckon

6pm: 1/4c cottage cheese w/sugar free jelly or grapes

7:30pm: lowfat cheese stick.

I think the 40lbs is pretty good, it was just weird, the first 25 were like in the first 2 weeks, and it's taken a month and a half for the remaining 15. Ugh!
I'm just glad I'm going in the right direction. I do feel a lot better.

I'll definitely check out Pookie88! I really do believe slow and steady is good, but can't help but to be jealous of those quick losers!

Thanks again! I'm really glad I came to this site

[KO]

Welcome!!! You're doing great! Mine comes off in spurts too! The first 2 weeks I lost 15 pounds then after that it slowed right now I stall and whoosh don't loose anything then 3-5 pounds come off. so it's a process! you're doing great!

[KO]

PS one thing i love with cottage cheese Grape tomatoes and sprinkle a lil italian herbs and garlic powder in the cottage cheese YUMMMMMM

[Shrinky Dink]

yum! That sounds really good!
I love putting spices in it also to make dips

[LAnneCarrington]

You know, 42 pounds in two months post op is not that bad; as a matter of fact, that is awesome!

Sometimes, we tend to think what we lose in the beginning isn't much, but here is something to think about: Put two one-pound boxes of butter and then four ten pound bags of sugar with that beside each other---that is the weight you have lost!

My doctors also told me you have to EAT to lose weight; I know, it sounds weird, doesn't it? But it is true. What happens when we don't get enough calories from food consumption is that our bodies go into starvation mode and start feeding off the muscle instead--not a good thing. So while protein is good for us, a few carbs won't hurt either. And hang in there and keep active too; it WILL take time, but it will come off!

[jiffypop]

ok darlin - here's my two cents. there are a couple of things that'll make losing weight this way extremely difficult and frustrating. one of them is not eating enough, and the other is eating more often than every 3 hours.

So, here's what i'm going to suggest. and it's based ONLY on my experience - at 2 months post-op, i had to eat 15 grams of protein every 3 hours or i'd get dizzy. That's what i did.

first, don't know if your doc told you this, but we can't absorb more than about 20 grams of protein at a time. So, chances are that the 36 gram protein shake isn't doing as much as you'd hoped.

Try to make it two 'meals,' and see if that helps.

1/4 of a 6 oz can of tuna has 1.5 oz of tuna, and at 7 grams of protein per ounce, you're eating about 10 grams of protein. no wonder you're hungry!

try eating closer to 1/2 can and see if that helps. and add in a few veggies - doesn't have to be anything big or exciting, but 3 cherry or grape tomatoes, or a slice or two of pepper or celery or cucumber can help fill you up. if you must go with a carrot, shred it and take just a few shreds. it's carb-y. not the end of the world but something to be aware of.

[one of my FAVES to this day is to take some nice lettuce leaves, layer the protein - tuna, sliced deli turkey, chicken, or roast beef - with some shredded carrot, cucumber, chopped tomatoes, etc., drizzle with some balsamic. and roll it up like an egg roll. YUM!!!]

Try to wait at least 3 hours between each 'eating event,' [i hesitate to call them MEALS!], and be sure to drink lots and LOTS between them. If you eat more protein at each event, you should be able to go the 3 hours. and the reason for the 3 hours is to keep your insulin from going up and staying up.

whaddaya think?

[Shrinky Dink]

Hey Jiffypop

That's what I was originally doing, but just got sooooo hungry waiting the 3 hours. Not head hunger, really yucky painful stomach pains. I have not changed the food, just the number of times it takes me to eat it. So I was eating 1/2 can per meal originally. When I do the 6 meals, I don't get hungry in-between, I also don't get the urge to binge when I get home. I was coming home so ravenous that I would get sick when I ate dinner because I could not slow down.

I've only been on the 6 meals since Thursday though, so I don't know if that will change.

I'm bummed about the shake. Duh, I have read that somewhere too, that you only can absorb 20g at one sitting. Convenient that I forget LOL.

I should add veggies! I'm really skittish with them now. Lettuce has not been my friend, but I really need to be good and start on some others. It will be very cool that carrots will actually fill me up.

My mother told me I should eat carrots instead of cheetos (before the surgery) because they are orange and crunchy just like cheetos. Just didn't do it for me heehe!

Thanks so much for your help. I'm going to try some of those meals you suggested too. They sound great! I LOVE balsamic vinegar!

[jiffypop]

darlin - you're gonna have to experiment here. if you divide your 36 gram shake into two separate meals, that might help. and let's face it - you might need 20 grams of protein at each eating event to get you past the 3-hour point.

as for the veggies - i had a TERRIBLE time with leafy things. just couldn't do it. fortunately, there are lots of non-leafy, good-for-your veggies around. and the lettuce works better with the addition of other stuff to help break it up. just watch the carbs. limit the winter squash, peas, sweet potatoes. [notice i didn't say NO, just BE CAREFUL with them].

and i STILL have trouble with fresh, cooked spinach. and i couldn't just sit there and munch on a carrot - it got stuck. ugly ugly ugly. but shredded worked fine for me.

it sounds like you're doing just fine - but tweaking the types and amounts of food you're eating will help bring you a more healthful relationship with food, better weight loss, and improved overall health. honest! you can do this!

[jiffypop]

oh dear - about other proteins. at your stage, i ate a fair amount of deli stuff. the as-close-to-real chicken, turkey, and roast beef. i'd get 1/4 pound VERY thinly sliced, and then do the best i could.

if you can get buffalo chicken at your deli, layer that in the lettuce with some crumbled bleu cheese and some raw veggies [the cucumber, pepper, shredded carrot, chopped tomatoes], and OMG!!! so good.

i pretty much avoid tuna because i ate SO MUCH OF IT during my WW years. i just can't eat it anymore.

and my 'famous' deviled eggs - for each egg, take 2 tbs salsa and drain it WELL on paper towels. mash up the yolk with the salsa, and add chili powder, cayenne, hot sauce, cumin, chipotle to taste. then a little mustard [jalapeno if you can find it], and a few drops of mayo. and then fill the egg with it.

yeah - i'm a hot-head. at 3 weeks after my surgery i was putting hot sauce on everything. my surgeon just shook his head. it felt a little, ummm., PAINFUL - because i was still healing inside. think about what it feels like when you have a cut on your finger and accidentally get some tabasco on it -

i guess what i'm trying to say is to eat a variety of foods for several reasons: you don't want to get bored, and, perhaps most important, because you're eating SO LITTLE, variety will give you the best possible nutrition.

oh. and one more tip. every once in a while, when i'd get real fed up with the protein shakes, i'd mix some protein powder into some yogurt. turned into something resembling pudding, and that made me happier.

[Shrinky Dink]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm going to have to print this up and save it! I love the protein in the yogurt idea! That way you are actually EATING something instead of drinking it!

I'm going to try those things, I'm chicken'd out like you are tuna'd out! I totally forgot about Deli meats. I really do need to switch it up a bit.

[jiffypop]

shrinky - PLAIN yogurt - or anything that has less than 15 grams of carbs,. otherwise, you risk dumping BIG time =

and glad to help! come back and tell us what you're trying. EVERYONG needs to tweak now and then!

[Leenie]

Doesn't a 6 oz can of tuna only have approx 3 oz of actual meat ? I remember weighing the actual meat drained out of the can at one time and thinking *insert naughty word here* how can they fool us like that??? 6 oz is the teeny can right? or is that 4 oz ?

Don't forget to squeeze the water out of it b/4 you weigh it.