Saturday, March 5, 2011

Feeling stuck

This week has been tough.  I feel like I'm stuck, even though I'm still taking in a ridiculously low number of calories per day and doing my cardio.  I lost about a pound and a half this week.  I know there are people who are having 2, 3, and even 4 week plateaus after Weight Loss Surgery, but I sometimes wonder if they are eating the wrong stuff.
For the most part, I am not eating the wrong stuff.  My surgeon says that I should be eating 7-800 calories per day.  I find it counter-intuitive to think that eating more calories will help me lose weight.  So, I make sure  I eat less than 5-700.  Maybe that's what is slowing me down, and what is making me feel down too.
Could be that mother nature has made her appearance for the month as well.  Cramps never make a girl feel good.
Currently, I am eating a protein shake for breakfast most days, other days I'll have an egg and a slice of turkey bacon.  Haven't tried oatmeal yet because of the high carbs.  Lunch is sometimes leftovers from dinner the night before, but can also be about 1/3 can of tuna with light mayo and relish, or canned chicken with the same.
Dinner is usually something like fish or chicken with (if I can get it down) a bit of veggies or rice.  I need to start eating some fruit, but am not sure where that fits in to a diet supposed to be so low in carbs.  Scares me to try a banana.  Am I getting too twisted here?
:-/

4 comments:

  1. A few things that I know apply to weight loss, maybe they'll help?

    Eating less calories than recommended is actually counter-intuitive. Your body needs X amount of calories to function properly. When you regularly dip below that, your body goes into 'starvation mode' and your metabolism will slow significantly, which will in turn stop your weight loss right in its tracks.

    Additionally, exercise boosts endorphin and adrenal production, which both have an affect on your metabolism. Because of the nature of upping your heart rate, most people think cardio is the best solution for weight loss, but in reality cardio and weight training combination is the best and fastest way to lose weight. This is because they both affect the metabolism differently so you end up with a longer metabolic 'burn' rate than just with straight cardio.

    Before I go into another segment...is the low-carb diet the doctor recommended one for those who've had WLS?

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  2. Yes, the idea is to eat protein first, to maintain energy levels and reduce side effects of losing weight rapidly. Carbs enter the bloodstream more quickly and can hinder weight loss.
    I will be doing a variety of workouts, including walking, jogging, Zumba, yoga and some weight training.
    Thank you so dearly for your suggestions! I would love to hear more of your ideas!
    Lisa

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  3. Did you doctor give any indication of "good" carbs (i.e. natural) v. "bad" carbs (i.e. processed)?

    Carbs are a source of energy and my understanding is that the ones that occur naturally in things like fruit are digested differently than those in processed foods like pasta.

    Think of it this way...people who did the Adkins diet lost weight--lots and lots of weight because they eliminated the carbs. BUT, when they started incorporating those carbs, which are necessary components of a well-balanced diet, almost all of them gained the weight back.

    I think cutting them out completely or almost completely, though it may slow weight loss a little bit will end up hindering the overall weight loss in the long term.

    I'm not sure if it works the same way with WLS, but it might be something worth asking your Dr. about?

    And it's really good that you're mixing up your exercise...you muscles won't get complacent and bored which will continue to keep your metabolism boosted. Good going on that one! And if you ever get really adventurous...I just got Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and it kicked my butt seven ways of Sunday! Amazon has it for $7.99 so I couldn't resist the cheap.

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  4. By the way, I did actually eat an entire banana at work yesterday. That was part of the reason I felt bad--twisted I know, I'm just thinking of the carbs. But at the same time, I have to remember, it's a natural fruit, right????? What can be wrong with it except for the pesticides?
    Jillian's Shred sounds very scary! Is it hard on the joints? I have hip/knee issues (which I'm sure are related to my weight).

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear your comments! Keep them coming! :-p

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