Momoftca,

Congratulations on the 72 pounds; you are right, that is GREAT!  I’m sure you feel like a different person and can do so many things that you couldn’t do at your heaviest.  I know that is true for me.  It makes sense that you have hit a plateau and there are several things you can do.  I would be conscious of how much protein and water you are getting in every day.  If you’re getting the minimum of each then that is great.  You may need to up your exercise too.  I now work out 5 times a week for an hour each session.  I also change up my routine because our bodies get used to doing one thing and then won’t let go of the weight/fat until we challenge it up some.  I don’t focus on a specific diet, I just eat what I want and try to focus on protein first.  For most of my second year of banding I was consuming alcohol on a regular basis.  I know that is one reason my weight didn’t move down steadily during that time.  There is no doubt in my mind that I could be at my goal weight by now if I had done things differently this past year.  I recently decided to cut alcohol out completely for a while to help me start losing again.  One other thing I can share with you is a “Plateau busting diet” that was posted years ago.  It’s says it’s Dr. Fox’s diet and I printed it off and showed it to our Dr. Fox and he said it wasn’t his but he thought it was a great plan.  I’ve pasted it below.  I hope some of this helps and please don’t be hard on yourself or feel like you’re alone in this because we all hit plateaus at some point.  Take care.

Jen

6/30/05

308/213/175

Helpful tips that may help:

Tip #1;Dr. Fox's Plateau Busting Diet

#1 Do for 10 days to break plateau
#2 Drink 2 quarts of water a day
#3 You must have 45 grams of protein supplement and all your vitamin & mineral supplements each day.
#4 You may consume up to 3 oz. of the following high-protein foods, 5 times a day:
a.. beef,
b.. pork,
c.. chicken,
d.. turkey,
e.. lamb,
f.. fish,
g.. eggs,
h.. low-fat cheese,
i.. cottage cheese,
j.. plain yogurt (or artificially sweetened),
k.. peanut butter,
l.. beans/legumes.
#5 You may also have:
a.. sugar-free popsicles (avoid juice popsicles),
b.. tea or coffee,
c.. sugar-free sodas,
d.. sugar-free Jello,
e.. broths & bouillons,
f.. Crystal Lite drinks.
#6 IF IT IS NOT ON THE LIST YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT!
#7 Keep a food diary and try to get 30 minutes of exercise daily.

A great way to get your protein without the calories!!!

Tip #2; Syntrax Nectar Protein **You can find at the Vitamin Shop