| November 7, 2004 |
 |
 |
 |
| E-MAIL I RECEIVED:
Hi Mickey, I hope you don't mind me emailing you directly, but I was just reading your profile and I was hoping you could offer me a few words of advice. You look so awesome in your pictures. Your weight loss is so amazing and the difference in your pictures is amazing. I'm 5 weeks out (from open RNY)and I've lost about 41 pounds (which I know is amazing) but I haven't lost any weight in the last 2-3 weeks. I don't understand how I can be on a plateau already?!?!?!? Do you have any advice for me to get past it? It seems like you've had several plateaus and I was wondering what you did? I'm beginning to wonder if the scale is ever going to move again. Thanks for any help you can give me, Alicia MY REPLY: Well, I've tried several things to get over a plateau: Increase water intake (64+ ounces) Increase protein intake (I eat nuts or peanut butter & celery as a snack, and I make sure the meals I eat are high in protein) Decrease carbs (I eat very few net carbs in a day) Increase fiber intake (I've started taking Ultra Fiber) Increase exercise (I ride my exercise bike for 1 hour and my gazelle for 30 minutes. I just bought an Ab Lounge as well, and I do 50 sit-ups a day. I work out late at night, so buying workout equipment to use at home is really my only option. I wanted to join Curves, but they are closed at the only time during the day that I'm free.) Increasing calories (I don't think this is good) Decreasing calories (Don't decrease them too low, or you'll go into starvation mode) The conclusion I've come to, though, is that I have no control over it. My body has a method/system, and it is going to stick to it no matter what I do. Just about the time I think I can't take it a moment longer, my body starts losing again. Most of the long-term PostOps say: increase water intake increase protein change up your exercise routine Are you getting your full 64 ounces of water in? I have trouble getting that much in a day; I usually get in 40-50 ounces, though. I have started noticing that getting AT LEAST 64 ounces helps me lose weight faster, but I have to pee a hundred times a day, which can get annoying. It flushes the impurities out of your system. Also, on the days that I get AT LEAST 80 g of protein, I lose weight faster. I buy Sci Fit Fruit Punch Protein Twist drink with 40 g of protein each, so I drink one (sometimes 2) of those a day. Also, I buy the Atkins Advantage Chocolate drink with 20 g of protein a day, and I drink one of those a day as well; it tastes a little like cold hot chocolate. I've just started this new routine in the past week, and I think it is helping. As for changing up my exercise routine, that is kind of hard b/c I'm so busy. I have added walking up the 3 flights of stairs to my classes rather than take the elevator. Also, I try to park kind of far away in parking lots so that I have to walk further. Walking around Wal-Mart is also fun (try not to spend too much money, though LOL); mine is open 24 hours, so I go there LATE at night sometimes when I just want to get out of the house. Maybe you could try some of those things and see if they work for you. Hope this was helpful :-) |
|
 |
 |