Plateaus and eating too much vs. not eating enough? - ThinnerTimes

electrichoney · 11-21-2007, 07:59 PM

Hi everyone and Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are all enjoying the holiday with your loved ones.

I have a question for those of us who have been on plateaus in their weight loss. I've only lost about one or two pounds this month, which is MUCH less than my average over the last eight months, so I'm starting to wonder if I'm on a plateau. For those of us who have been on a plateau, have you figured out whether your weight loss slowed down because you weren't eating enough or because you were eating too much? I'm only getting in between 1000 and 1300 calories on the average day, which doesn't seem to be so little that starvation mode would kick in and slow down my weight loss, but on the other hand, I can't imagine I'm eating so much that my weight would remain stable for so long. (I'm also going to the gym two to three times a week doing cardio and weight training, so it's possible I may be building muscle at the same time as my weight loss is slowing. ) This is getting frustrating!

If you have any experiences that might help to answer this question, please do post! Thanks!

MiladyB · 11-21-2007, 08:32 PM

Rhonda, besides calories how much protein are you getting in? I was able to get myself off my first major plateau by increasing my protein to more like 100 grams vs the 70 grams I was getting in.

AlabamaChick · 11-22-2007, 06:53 AM

Plateaus are HORRIBLE! I'm on one again now and it's killing me. Been here for a month or more. My last plateau lasted about 6 weeks or so Rhonda. It's your body having a resting notch, so give it time to catch up and reset itself. Just stick to the plan and it will start going again. You will be fine!

electrichoney · 11-22-2007, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiladyB

Rhonda, besides calories how much protein are you getting in? I was able to get myself off my first major plateau by increasing my protein to more like 100 grams vs the 70 grams I was getting in.

Beth -- How in the world did you manage to get in that much protein?? I'm lucky if I can get in 60 grams a day, maybe a little more if I consistently use the New Whey 42 gram vials. From what source was your protein back then? I guess I need to redouble my efforts with respect to protein...

electrichoney · 11-22-2007, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlabamaChick

Plateaus are HORRIBLE! I'm on one again now and it's killing me. Been here for a month or more. My last plateau lasted about 6 weeks or so Rhonda. It's your body having a resting notch, so give it time to catch up and reset itself. Just stick to the plan and it will start going again. You will be fine!

Trina - I totally empathize with you! Actually, it's really amazing to me that you have this problem, given all the issues you have with eating...I'm surprised that you aren't 100 pounds yet!

Good luck getting off your plateau... I keep telling myself that after losing more than 160 pounds off my highest weight, I'd be happy if I stopped losing today at the weight I am now...YEAH RIGHT!!

MiladyB · 11-22-2007, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electrichoney

Beth -- How in the world did you manage to get in that much protein?? I'm lucky if I can get in 60 grams a day, maybe a little more if I consistently use the New Whey 42 gram vials. From what source was your protein back then? I guess I need to redouble my efforts with respect to protein...

Rhonda, I would make smoothies in the mornings to start my day. Lets see if I remember what I put in them. 2 packages sf carnation instant breakfast (10 grams), 8 oz milk (8 grams), 2% Fage yogurt (17 grams), plus a 20 gram protein powder but I can't remember the name of the kind I had. That would give me 55 grams of protein just to start my day. I tried to have a lunch and dinner each have about 15-20 grams of protein and then I would have one of my surgeon's bariatric products that had 15 grams. Total for the day would be about 100-110 grams of protein.

Jennifer Miller · 11-22-2007, 05:45 PM

No worries today.. my pouch said OK .. then I ate a piece of apple pie.
Last night I dumped on turkey.. UGH
Jenni.. Oh I've been on a plateau for about six months.. It will be two years post opt in Dec.

electrichoney · 11-22-2007, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jennifer Miller

No worries today.. my pouch said OK .. then I ate a piece of apple pie.
Last night I dumped on turkey.. UGH
Jenni.. Oh I've been on a plateau for about six months.. It will be two years post opt in Dec.

Aww, Jenni, I'm sorry to hear you dumped on turkey of all things! It's all protein, why would you dump on that?? I've never dumped on meat before, and I hope I don't start -- it's too big a part of my diet these days!!

I was semi-good (or semi-bad, depending on how you look at it

) today at my family Thanksgiving party. I had a little of everything (turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, veggies) on a sandwich-sized plate so I didn't overdo it. I was a little fuller than usual after dinner, but not too much. I'm starting to discover that I don't dump on sugar anymore if I eat it in small quantities so I had a few tablespoons of my mom's cherry and pumpkin pies just to get a taste. I know I shouldn't have done that, but damn, they are good, and sometimes I just want to feel a little normal! But tomorrow it's back to the program. I'm going to try Beth's suggestion of upping my protein and decreasing the carbs I do eat to see if that helps get me off this plateau, and Mom and I are going to the gym tomorrow afternoon so that should help work off some of what I ate. And even if it doesn't help, it decreases the guilt anyway.

electrichoney · 11-22-2007, 06:01 PM

Beth - thanks for the protein suggestions. I haven't done any smoothies since my first month after surgery when my mom made one for me and I had my first dumping episode from it. I should try it again, though, maybe it will get me off my plateau like it did for you.

The funny thing about this plateau is it's making me think a lot about how I feel about continuing to lose weight. I've said in this and several other threads lately that I'd be happy if I stopped losing weight now, and even though I really do want to continue losing, I've realized that my issue with continuing to lose weight isn't so much about me actually losing the weight or feeling bad about myself for not losing, it's more about me being worried about what other people will think if I don't continue to lose. I've lost so much already and people keep telling me what a dramatic difference there is (even though I don't see it as much as others do), but inside myself I guess I'm worried if I don't get down to a "normal" size that my friends and family will think I've failed. Does this make sense? Has anyone else felt this way? I'm actually happy with myself and my body at this point (even though I haven't reached the magical Onederland yet) and could be happy at this weight permanently if it turns out that this is it for my weight loss. I defintely want a tummy tuck though!! LOL