What's going on?

I will try to list as much information as possible...

Very recently I was cleared to start solid foods, which is going well - nothing getting stuck, etc.  However I was on a bit of a stall weighing in at 328 (Surgery was on 12/18 weighing in at 368 then), but now I jump on the scale and it reads 332...I gained.

I am trying to understand how this is possible, as I was so upset my hands started shaking

For instance, I cooked Chili in the slow cooker with 93% lean beef, pasta sauce with nothing added (Traditional flavor), kidney beans and spices (oregano, garlic, pepper).  I weigh out my food (under 1/4 cup for everything) to I ensure I am not taking in too much. If the foods seems "heavier" (Chili vs Soup) I will put less in my body (I was not told this, but it just seems right?).

I know I AM getting in a lot more fluids and protein in than I was able to before. The fluids are all decaf tea, water, or sugar free drinks and I always honor the waiting period in between eating and drinking.

Even though I am not having my cycle, this is the time of the month I should be.

I walk 30 min every day with increasing it as I feel able.

My clothes feel a lot loser, so I believe I am loosing inches.

I do have a severe issue with the vitamins coming back up, it is not a matter of "just suck it up and take it" but more of a issue that I have fought with all my life and this was the number one reason for me debating on getting the surgery for two years.  I can't explain it, I have always had a issue with gagging and throwing up medicine.  The vitamins I purchased actually taste fine, and yet I still gag and violently throw them up (this does not happen with anything else). When this happens, I give it a few hours and try again, sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.  I have tired on a empty and full stomach and my body just does not want to take the vitamins down. My NUT told me to leave them alone for one week, and then go back to them but the break did not help.

I have been experimenting more with food, such as a dill pickle slice (one sandwich stacker), but nothing that I should not be (junk food).

I know for a week this month I did not eat much at all, possibly one meal a day, as I just did not feel well.  Maybe this put my body into the "starvation mode" or whatever it is? I am really struggling with this as I hate eating, and now I have to eat much more than I ever did before.

I do not feel I am doing completely terrible on any of the below, however the only thing I can think of is to:
Increase Protein even more (I am going to keep a more thorough journal of how much I am getting lately)
Bump up the exercise
Keep trying on the vitamins
Stay on track with eating every 3-4 hours or so

Do you have any ideas or thoughts? Am I cooking wrong?  Is it normal to have a stall this early out? Does this have a possible link with progressing to solid foods?

I am going to feel like a complete fool if I go back for my check-up in a few weeks and I only lost a few pounds, or even worse gained.

Stalls are normal - they happen, the secret is to move on and not fight them to harshly.  I know its hard to do, but keep doing what you are and you will start moving again.  Just keep getting your fluids and protein and the rest will happen when it is ready. 

I don't have any profound advice, just wanted you to know what you are dealing with is normal and that you are not alone in your efforts!!

Have you tried liquid vitamins?

stalls and gains are normal.   weight loss is not predictable or linear.   we go up and down all the time.

are you taking pills for your vitamins.  can you try chewables?

pickles have salt.  salt causes water retention...

we eat by volume now so if you are supposed to have half a cup you have half a cup regardless of what it weighs....

hubby just had a big stall he was at 338 he gained up to 342 (clearly no PMS for him) and I had to HIDE THE SCALE.... but he finally got on it after a few weeks and had lost 12 pounds...  


eat what you are supposed to eat
drink what you are supposed to drink
move as much as you can

and it will happen...   

Thanks ladies. 

I have tried pills, liquid and chewables with the chewables being tolerated the best.  I do find if I keep the chewables in my mouth for too long (trying to chew them up good) I begin to gag a lot more.  I told my NUT I may look into going to a hypnotist and she said that is a bit too extreme, lol.

I won't have any more pickles, I didnt go crazy with them (one stacker a week) but I do not want anything I can help to contribute to not losing weight.

"we eat by volume now so if you are supposed to have half a cup you have half a cup regardless of what it weighs...."  Thanks, I was doing that wrong :/

I eat pickles with no problem - on the days I do, I up my water intake.  I've had stalls (just broke through one)...but its all normal.  Just keep on doing what you are doing.

As for the vits - I had a horrible time with the chewables - the taste made me gag.  My surgeon's office told me it was ok to switch to a gummy vitamin for adults (I found them at BJs) and I have no issue with those.

Bernice everything I've read tells me that gummy vitamins are not going to hold us in the long run

here  are some threads from some folks who have had vitamin deficiency issues:


www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/3718892/Multivitamin-Info-De tailed-info-on-Flintstones-Optisource/


I like this one:  www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/3829000/adult-chewable-gummy- multivitamins/

where ANDREA U says:

Post Date: 1/7/09 7:53 pm
Adult gummy's are crap.  If your doc had actually looked at the label before giving his goahead, he would tell you the same thing.

Vitafusion is an adult gummy.

Gummy Vite comparison
on October 15, 2008 8:08 am
Published
(Hey, if it works for Rob Uzzel, it works for Andrea)

There is often a ton of hoopla on the boards about flintstone vitamins.  Another day, another post.  But the newest craze of vitamins is the "gummy vitamin," and these are the absolute worst things you can call a vitamin.  In comparison?  Flintstones are a ton better.

Not only are pediatric dentists warning against the various gummy vites (because the first two ingredients of Flintstones Gummies are two forms of sugar), they hold very little nutritive value.

Now, keep in mind, that I am speaking of multivitamins.  I have seen a D gummy that looks acceptable for normal-gutted folks.  Is it oil or water-miscible and thus usable by us?  I don't know -- and maybe I'll check some day.  The calcium gummies are alright for normal-gutted folks, but not for us as they are either carbonate or dicalcium phosphate (which, like carbonate, requires a fair amount of stomach acid to absorb properly).

So I've decided to pull out a few of the biggest offenders -- including an adult gummy multivite and let you make the decision for yourself.  I can preach the horrors of these pieces of candy until the cows come home -- and some will listen to that.  But I'd rather you take a gander for yourself and learn *why* I am so freaking adamant that my toddler does not even get them.

So come along now. 

+ For purposes of this post, I am using the RDA's for Males 31-50 and non-lactating non-pregnant Females 31-50.
+ Conversions from IU to mcg are based on an average of values set forth by the RDA.  It is not an exact science as various forms of each vitamin will translate from IU to mcg differently.  If you really want this specific info, lemme know.
+ This test will evaluate a single dose adult dose per the label (2 vitamins, 6, etc.) for the following vitamins - VitaFusion Adult Gummies (dose = 2 vites), L'il Critters Gummy Bear Vites (dose = 2 vites), Flintstones Gummy Vitamins (dose = 2 vites)
+ RDAs do not take in account lack of Intrinsic Factor or malabsorption -- *we* need more of these things, but until they form a Bariatric RDA, then we have to go with what the government is giving us
+ Values flagged in red do not meet the RDA for either subgroup

Vitamin A
RDA M 900 mcg/day, F 700 mcg/day
VitaFusion 400 mcg
L'il Critters 400 mcg
Flintstones Gummies 320mcg

Vitamin C
RDA M 90 mg/day, F 75 mg/day
VitaFusion 30 mg
L'il Critters 20 mg
Flintstones Gummies 30 mg

Vitamin D
RDA M 5 mcg/day, F 5 mcg/day
VitaFusion 5 mcg
L'il Critters 5mcg
Flintstones Gummies 2.5mcg

Vitamin E
RDA M 15 mg/day, F 15 mg/day
VitaFusion 7.5 mg
L'il Critters 8mg
Flintstones Gummies 10mg

Vitamin K
RDA M 120 mcg/day, F 90 mcg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Thiamin
RDA M 1.2 mg/day, F 1.1 mg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Riboflavin
RDA M 1.3 mg/day, F 1.1 mg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Niacin
RDA M 16 mg/day, F 14 mg/day
VitaFusion 10 mg
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Vitamin B6
RDA M 1.3 mg/day, F 1.3 mg/day
VitaFusion 2mg
L'il Critters 1.04mg
Flintstones Gummies 1mg

Folate
RDA M 400 mcg/day, F 400 mcg/day
VitaFusion 400mcg
L'il Critters 260 mcg
Flintstones Gummies 200mcg

Vitamin B12
RDA M 2.4 mcg/day, F 2.4 mcg/day
VitaFusion 6mcg
L'il Critters 5.1mcg
Flintstones Gummies 5mcg

Pantothenic Acid
RDA M 5 mg/day, F 5mg/day
VitaFusion 10mg
L'il Critters 5.2mg
Flintstones Gummies 5mg

Biotin
RDA M 30 mcg/day, F 30 mcg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 60mcg
Flintstones Gummies 75mcg

Choline
RDA M 550 mg/day, F 425 mg/day
VitaFusion 40mg
L'il Critters 40mcg (note, MCG, not MG)
Flintstones Gummies 38mg

Calcium
RDA M 1,000 mg/day, F 1000 mg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Chromium
RDA M 35 mcg/day, F 25 mcg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Copper
RDA M 900 mcg/day, F 900 mcg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Fluoride
RDA M 4 mg/day, F 3 mg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Iodine
RDA M 150 mcg/day, F 150 mcg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 42mcg
Flintstones Gummies 40mcg

Iron
RDA M 8 mg/day, F 18 mg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Magnesium
RDA M 420 mg/day, F 320 mg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Manganese
RDA M 2.3 mg/d, F 1.8 mg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Molybdenum
RDA M 45 mcg/day, F 45 mcg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Phosphorous
RDA M 700 mg/day, F 700 mg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Selenium
RDA M 55 mcg/day, F 55 mcg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Zinc
RDA M 11 mg/day, F 8 mg/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 2.7mg
Flintstones Gummies 2.5mg

Potassium
RDA M 4.7 g/day, F 4.7 g/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Sodium
RDA M 1.5 g/day, F 1.5 g/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0

Chloride
RDA M 2.3 g/day, F 2.3 g/day
VitaFusion 0
L'il Critters 0
Flintstones Gummies 0


So given this information, why would *anyone* take a gummy vitamin, much less an adult bariatric patient who needs a ton more vitamins than the normal human?  If you can help me to understand, I'd appreciate it -- but for all I can see, these are just expensive candy.  Period.

Bernice

Nessa beat me to it but yes from what I have read Gummies will not do it for us!!

I agree with the other ladies stalls are normal and will happen.  I would go up and down several pounds and then drop 10 pounds all of the sudden. That was common with my losing. Also I found out it was during those stalls that I was losing my inches, wierd but true - at least for me.

As far as the vitamins, I know its hard but you really need to try and find someway, anyway to get your vitamins in.  As RNYers we have different 'guts' so to speak and do not absorbs vitamins and nutrients the same. If you do not find a way to get your vitamins in, it is possible you will have SEVERE deficiencies that will cause health problems later. Sure you may not notice a difference now, but eventually you will.

Try:
http://www.bariatricadvantage.com

For different vitamin options.

HTH~

I know a stall can be so very stressful but you will get past it honey. During most stalls your actually losing inches. All the best to you. (((Hugs)))

from what i read, it looks like you lost 40 pounds  in a month! that is fantastic! one thing i was told from the begining is dont get on the scale on home. it will most likely be different than the "official" one at the doc's office. dont stress yourself out.

as far as vitamins, i had to try a few and i settled on chewable senior vitamins from centrum (and thier generic version) i dont have any issues with them. how about looking into liquid vitamins? they are more expensive, but they might help.

just my opinion... hth





brian