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Struggling to Stay on Track

G

GRITS Gal

Member
Hi all-- I am embarrassed to admit all of this, but I need some encouragement. I am 4-1/2 months post-op with VSG. I have lost 45 pounds and am feeling pretty great! My issue is that I have about 70 more pounds to lose, but I am stalled, self-sabotaging, frustrated, and really mad at myself. My weight loss has been slow but very steady so far, but I have been at my current weight for almost three weeks!

I am struggling to drink my water, am eating carbs, and am even drinking some wine. I know that is ALL wrong, but it is like I have lost my motivation. Previously, when I have been able to lose to this current weight, I also self-sabotaged and stopped losing. I am not sure what mental issue I have with getting below this weight, but I am OVER IT. I have been super busy lately and stressed. I think that may be part of my issue, but it feels like there is something deeper going on here.

I know I need to go back to the basics-- protein, water, no carbs, good activity-- but I am really struggling to find the motivation and stay on track. Any suggestions? Am I the only one who is totally blowing it like this?? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
What motivated you to have the surgery in the first place? What are your long term goals? Maybe break down long term into short term and do something fun for yourself, non food related, when you achieve those goals. What has helped in the past when you’ve been stressed? Journaling, meditation, just talking to friends, counseling? You’ll get back on track, I believe in you!
 
Hey G.G. So glad you reached out here for support & suggestions, which means you ARE truly motivated to continue your weight loss journey. 3mom's advice is spot on.

I have a notebook where I track each start & stop time for my 16 oz water bottles, and I try to eat only 1/2 hour after I finish drinking, take about 1/2 hr to eat, and wait 1/2 hour before drinking again. 30-30-30

I try to eat only at mealtimes, with a protein or veggie snack if I need something between meals. Putting my fork down between bites & chewing thoroughly helps me slow down and ennoy what I'm eating.

If you know certain foods create unhealthy cravings, try not to bring them into your house, and try buying snacks that you can munch on safely. Carrots are naturally sweet, and you might choose savory snacks like hummus, baby bel cheese, etc.

Losing almost 2.5 lbs a week is fantastic. All of us have had stalls somewhere along the way. I don't know if you do walking for exercise, but you might incorporate movement to add to your daily routine. For example, do leg lifts or arm lifts holding weights or soup cans while watching tv. I sometimes do my own version of dancercize when the tv's on.

Sipping water all day long may help increase your metabolism, and you'll start losing again when you least expect it.

Good luck, and please don't give up on yourself. You are a wonderful person who deserves the healthy life you are already beginning to enjoy. Just try to picture lifting up 2 20lb bags of dog food and carrying them around a store for an hour & you'll realize how far you've come already.
 
3momchaos said:
What motivated you to have the surgery in the first place? What are your long term goals? Maybe break down long term into short term and do something fun for yourself, non food related, when you achieve those goals. What has helped in the past when you’ve been stressed? Journaling, meditation, just talking to friends, counseling? You’ll get back on track, I believe in you!
Click to expand...
I love the goal-setting idea-- break my long-term goal into some more attainable short-term goals. Thank you, 3moms! I have my journal out now-- I'm going to work on all that! And I do have a life coach/therapist, but I haven't seen her since my surgery... thought I was doing okay. Ha! I may give her a call, too. Thank you!
 
KarenWV said:
Hey G.G. So glad you reached out here for support & suggestions, which means you ARE truly motivated to continue your weight loss journey. 3mom's advice is spot on.

I have a notebook where I track each start & stop time for my 16 oz water bottles, and I try to eat only 1/2 hour after I finish drinking, take about 1/2 hr to eat, and wait 1/2 hour before drinking again. 30-30-30

I try to eat only at mealtimes, with a protein or veggie snack if I need something between meals. Putting my fork down between bites & chewing thoroughly helps me slow down and ennoy what I'm eating.

If you know certain foods create unhealthy cravings, try not to bring them into your house, and try buying snacks that you can munch on safely. Carrots are naturally sweet, and you might choose savory snacks like hummus, baby bel cheese, etc.

Losing almost 2.5 lbs a week is fantastic. All of us have had stalls somewhere along the way. I don't know if you do walking for exercise, but you might incorporate movement to add to your daily routine. For example, do leg lifts or arm lifts holding weights or soup cans while watching tv. I sometimes do my own version of dancercize when the tv's on.

Sipping water all day long may help increase your metabolism, and you'll start losing again when you least expect it.

Good luck, and please don't give up on yourself. You are a wonderful person who deserves the healthy life you are already beginning to enjoy. Just try to picture lifting up 2 20lb bags of dog food and carrying them around a store for an hour & you'll realize how far you've come already.
Click to expand...

Karen, those are really good strategies, too! We have been bringing in food items that I should not have around me. I have just gotten sloppy, it seems. I am not enjoying this, though-- it is so much fun to lose weight, see the numbers go down, and feel better each day. Thank you for the tips and encouragement!
 
packersfans said:
I am so glad to see I am not the only one feeling this way. I feel like I am slipping and keep talking myself out of slipping only to have something stressful happen in my life and I am back at it again...(I am a major stress eater). @KarenWV , I am going to give your idea a shot 30-30-30. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Okay, packersfan-- we can do this! Stress eating is the worst, and I know that is part of my issue right now. Journaling usually helps me so I am back on that. Hoping you find some strategies that work for you, too.

Thank you all so much!
 
Hi GG
Wow, I'm in a similar place. I had VSG in July & lost 50 lbs. However, I still have 60 lbs to go. Now I'm FEELING emotions, so I've been adding crackers & my weight loss stalled for a few weeks. Thanks for being so honest and thanks for all of the helpful replies!
 
Ladies, please keep in mind a stall is temporary. We've all had them, they aren't a permanent stop sign. As you get further post op, all those foods you love start to haunt you. Carbs are not your enemy. Neither is wine. Learning how to moderate your intake is hard. The first few months are easier; you can't eat so much. And when it's coming off like water off a roof, well, it's easy to believe the surgery is magic.

It isn't. It's YOU. You've put in the work to lose. And you can continue losing and get to the weight you want. But the way to get there is not to beat yourself up for being human. It's a horrible habit and will derail you faster than fudge. You cannot be motivated 100% of the time, so you have to rely on the good eating habits you have developed and continue to develop them. Crackers can fit into your new lifestyle. So can wine. You just have to stay aware of your overall intake.

So., my advice is as it always is. If you're having trouble, go back to tracking your intake. You have to know just how far out of bounds you are in order to get back in your lane.
 
The responses within this thread are golden! If you're a newbie, tag this and read it often. It's not natural for us to change our eating obsession by surgical intervention alone. It's a holistic process and your head hunger is the thing that will trip you up. Thanks to all the people who contributed such great experiences and tips. This group is the Best!!
 
GRITS Gal said:
I know I need to go back to the basics-- protein, water, no carbs, good activity-- but I am really struggling to find the motivation and stay on track. Any suggestions? Am I the only one who is totally blowing it like this?? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Be proactive. Create a dedicated shopping list. Make sure you have what you need on hand.

You can portion meals in advance and refrigerate or freeze. The biggest stumbling block is preparation. If you're not prepped, you're going to grab whatever's there when you become suddenly, achingly hungry.

Make Magic Milk. I can't stress this enough. Search for the recipe here. You'll hit your protein goals easily AND lose weight steadily. You can go a long time on the post-op eating plan, and return to it if you hit a stall.

But I think it may even be more profitable to develop your permanent eating plan, and ADD MOVEMENT. It doesn't have to be strenuous. It just has to be more than you're doing now.

In other words, go slow and steady for a long, consistent result.
 
One of the important things is to stay in a support group such as this one. Surrounding yourself with others, watching not only successes but struggles can be comforting, motivating and inspiring. There is so much info here in this group.

We even have a monthly thread going where you can join anytime and log your eating and/or goals. You can tailor it to your own personal needs, there are no set rules. It just is a place where we can stay in touch to how we are doing and sometimes putting it out there makes us more accountable. Even when you have bad days (and I have had more than a few!), you will be supported and encouraged to keep going.

Welcome to the group!
 
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