Folks, I'm Stuck.

I had a minor stall early on, but this is a biggie.  over 3 weeks now.  Just need to vent a bit.  My surgeon said to me that there would come a time that how much weight I lost would be determined by how active I could become.  I always thought it was 98% diet.  I am a little worried. I have completely healed, reflux has greatly improved with a Pepcid complete nightly, however a while back all of a sudden I could eat a little more and now I do get hunger pangs again. I was concerned that it may return, but it is not like pre surgical hunger.  It is a tiny kitten rumble vs a huge lion roar. It doesn't seem to set off the same processes extreme hunger did before so I am relieved about that.  I am going for all my water, getting the protein in, and exercise 4 times a week.  Thoughts, suggestions, experiences??? Only plan for now is to add some sort of exercise class to my regular walks.  There is a pay as you go place here and they offer Zumba and the like... going to try adding one.

P

What are your daily calories and what is the daily breakdown of your macronutrients? 

I've heard good (and neutral) things about ClassPass.com.  You can go to a bunch of different classes, depending on what is available in your area.  Think it is around ~$50/mo.

I haven't had surgery yet, but taking a very good look at your consumption (calories) and your measurement system sometimes yields interesting discoveries.

Class Pass is great! 

Exercise is important for many other reasons. If you are doing everything right it could be stress (i.e. cortisol) related or it could be lymph (lack of exercise) related. Lymph is the garbage removal system. If you don't stimulate it your body because very bad at dumping the bad stuff (i.e. fat). So you need to get moving. Doesn't have to be extreme, 60 mins per day of walking (all at once or 15 mins 4 times a day) will make a world of difference. It is true that weight loss is mostly diet, but 98% is a huge stretch. Exercise also helps to stimulate the lymph system. So walks are your friend. Its great time to self reflect and even meditate walking through the neighborhood. I find that walking in places that provide some connection with nature to be the most beneficial and enjoyable walks. I tend to look forward to them and never dread them. I wake up at 5:30/6 am without an alarm on the weekends so we can drive down to the beach to take our walk where as I find it difficult to wake up on a weekday to go to work.

It IS 98% diet. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Exercise is great for many things. It is a vital component for health and well being. But WEIGHT is determined by how many calories you eat. You can eat calories far, far faster than you burn them. Just like you can spend money much faster than you can earn it. You can earn a little more money if you work a second job, but not a huge amount. And you can earn a few more calories from working out, but not much. The way to reach your goals is by cutting back.

Hunger returns for the vast majority of us. How much we can eat goes up, for all of us. The best thing you can do is watch your intake like a hawk. Weigh every bite of food. Log it all. Watch your calories. If you do that, you'll do fine.

In addition to what other people have said... 

hunger can often be a sign of stomach acid.  I know you said you're taking Pepcid, but you might consider a PPI instead like nexium or prilosec.  

I am a prime example. I am 11 months post op. I have reached my goal weight. I have not exercised. Last week I started doing squats, lunges, and leg exercises.. may 15-20 min worth twice a day. That's it. I would like to do more now that I have reached by goal weight. 

I also reached goal without exercise - it was all about what I put in my mouth.  Now that I'm at goal, I've just started walking regularly and I've taken a few Barre classes.

I would add to what everyone else said to make sure you're drinking enough water.  When I get small hunger pangs, I try to drink water first to see if they go away and they often do.

Thanks everyone for all your input. I'm averaging 800-1200 cal and between 50 and 80 grams protein. 80-100 carbs and around 30 grams fat. Info have  somewhat stressful job as a retail pharmacist. Maybe constant dress does have some effect. Exercise now is only 3-4 days per week walking for around 40 minutes. I know I'm not drinking enough and it is a daily battle for fluids. I have never been able to drink as.much water as I was supposed to. I can work on that and maybe getting more rest and exercise. I guess I thought I would lose a little more before this happened. Will update when the scales are moving again.

P