Need Help? Support? No weightloss? Normal?

Hi Everyone, This is my first time on the December board. I didn't even know it existed until yesterday. I'm hoping to get some insight from everyone that is at the same stage post-op as me. I had my RNY 12-6-04, I have lost 127lbs, I have not lost a pound in the last 5 weeks, my weight has actually been fluctuating up a couple of pounds then down a couple pounds but never below my lowest weight of 193. I exercise, walking 3-4 times a week. I do 2-3 miles in 20-30 minutes. I keep my calories between 800-900, mainly protein foods and I get in 80-100oz of water a day. This is the first time my weightloss has stopped like this and it is freaking me out. I'm scared, frustrated, angry, scared, scared, scared. Any insight or suggestions ya'll can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Mandy 320/193/*goal 145*

I posted on the main board, in regards to your stall. Another thing that I have found really helpful, are the posts where we see what is on the menu for other post-ops. It opened my eyes to the types of food I was consuming. Even though my calories were low, my carbs were too high of a ratio for what I required. Try following the "what's on the menu today?" posts, when you see them. You will get some good tips. I also, use the fitday.com website to track my intake and view the carb / fat / protein ratios. You might want to try it. Let me say, you have done fantastic. WOW. Karen G

Mandy, You have done fantastic to lose 127 pounds in 9 months!!! Your body is just adjusting to the loss. Keep doing what you're doing and the weight will start to come back off again. I would suggest that you increase your protein if possible. You also may not be taking in enough food and your body has adjusted to that. My dr wants me to take in around 1600 cals a day, and you are taking in half that amount. Our bodies will hit a plateau to adjust all our functions to run on the weight we have now. It just takes a while for it all to catch up. I have not lost as much as you, but I have hit a couple of plateaus of 3 weeks each, then I started losing again. Blessings, Becky L.

Expect it Anticipate a plateau and prepare your mind for the challenge. "People have to realize that everybody goes through it and this, too, shall pass," says Ann Louise Gittleman, author of The Fat Flush Plan. Be honest with yourself Are you sure you're not cheating? (Not even a little?) Make adjustments OK, you haven't slackened on the food or exercise front. So look for inventive ways to budge your bottom off the plateau."Often it's a good time to see if there's something you can tweak," suggests dietician and iVillage columnist Lynn Grieger. "Maybe it's time to start lifting weights, walk longer than 30 minutes, or stop drinking wine with dinner." Up your metabolism Dieting is a double-edged sword: You modify your food intake to lose weight, but losing weight slows your metabolism, the very thing that burns calories. Increasing exercise is the most obvious way to speed up your metabolism. Gittleman contends your weight loss may also resume if you eat an extra four to six ounces of protein per day. "Protein has the ability to increase metabolism by up to 30 percent," she says. Balance your brain chemicals According to Gittleman, you can eat an additional serving of healthy, high-fiber carbohydrates every two days while you're on a plateau. These "friendly carbs" balance serotonin, the brain chemical that soothes and satiates the body. Free of irritation, you're less likely to make poor food choices that will bust your diet, she says. Dump toxins: Eat high fiber foods (such as flaxseed crackers) or high fiber supplements to spark internal cleansing, too, Gittleman says. "It helps to release toxin-laden fluids and waste, which can sometimes allow you to lose another two to three pounds." Try a magic bullet?: Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is a supplement that proponents claim burns fat and enhances muscle growth. One gram, three times a day, recommends Gittleman. Ask for help: Turn to support and motivation wherever you can find it during your slump. If it isn't forthcoming from family and friends, consider reaching out to a virtual community. Hey! That's us! Anyway, so here is that often requested... Plateau Buster "recipe" seen here on OH: #1 - Do this for 10 days to break a plateau #2 - Drink 2 quarts of water a day #3 - You must have 45 grams of protein supplement and all your vitamins/minerals supplements each day (some suggest at least 60 and up to 80 gr) #4 - You may consume up to 3 oz of the following high protein foods, 5x a day beef pork chicken turkey lamb fish eggs low fat cheese cottage cheese plain yogurt or artificially sweetened peanut butter beans/legumes You may also have: sugar free popsicles tea or coffee sugar free soda sugar free jello broths crystal light drinks #5 - If it's not on the list, you can't have it for 10 days!!!! #6 - Keep a food diary and try to get up to 30 mins of exercise daily Tammy 275/180/140 then/now/goal

Your body has lost a LOT of weight and now it's slowing down. Mine is slowing down also but I'm still losing. Relax and it will start coming off again, give it time Donna 338/180