Should I be upset, cuz I am.

In the first 3 weeks after my RNY Dec. 9, 2010, I lost 22#.

But since then, the wgt is just CREEPING off and I"m nervous about it. I've only lost an additional 5# in the last 3 weeks. WHAT'S HAPPENING??? How could I be at a plateau this early on?

I record everything I eat....I exercise a minimum of 5 days a week......I'm eating about 1200 calories a day.... I read stories of people losing 100# in 6 months or a year....how can that be? 

SIGH. Have any of you had the same experience?

1200 calories????  That's your problem....OMG, who told you to eat that many calories???

I'm 3 years out and that's what I eat, maybe.....

Hey Leda,

I agree with the PP, you have to be careful and stick closely to your doctors plan at this point. When I was seven weeks out I was eating closer to 600 calories (though I only counted protein intake). How are you doing on your protein intake daily? What is a typical day in meals for you?

If you are following your surgeons plan you WILL lose weight! Hang in there.

-L

      I also was only able to eat 600 calories at first, then up to 800. I am about a year out now and eating 1200-1500 calories and have not only stopped losing, but put on a few pounds. So I am adjusting my behaviors.
    Go back to basics, protein first, no liquids near the meals, drinks lots  of water. The plan works, but it doesn't work with soup (doesn't fill nor give you the protein you need; and grazing those calories really add up and you can do it all day  or evening ( I know this, because I have moments where I am a good example of a bad example.)
    NO EXCUSES, Follow the doctors recommendations to the letter and it WILL work.

      Oh and plateaus.... I have had several, one which lasted 8 weeks (two months!) but I was losing inches not pounds during that period. Find more ways to measure success than just the scale. My original belt now hits me in my spine, I know I have made some progress. Oh and it isn't a competition with your peers, it is a travel towards person health and a more quality life. Don't get discouraged, press on towards your goals and adopt your new eating challenges as badges of courage, because it takes a lot of small victories to add up to the larger goal.
  

Thank you all for your wisdom and encouraging words.  I think my mistake came when I began recording my calorie intake and exercise on a web site which then produced net calories.  So instead of just maintaining the low-calorie count, I thought I could have a little bit more to eat because I was exercising and burning calories that way.

I have been very diligent about the protein intake and water intake and making sure I'm not drinking 30 minutes before a meal and 30 minutes after the meal.  I think that website confused me leading me to ingest more calories than I should have been.

I know that many people don't feel hunger for about the first year, but I am experiencing hunger which is a little bit difficult.  It's not hunger like before but I'm still experiencing hunger.  I tend to want salty foods  especially at night.

I do like soups and I make my own so I can calculate the protein content, and I try to have more of the protein and vegetables than the actual broth.

Perhaps you all have experienced the fear of failure.  I know that we all have failed on diets throughout our lives and I am feeling some fear that I will fail once again. But I try to put those feelings aside, continue to reach out to supporters such as yourselves, continue to be in contact with my doctor's dietitian and be diligent but not crazy!

I have to keep reminding myself I'm not even seven weeks post-op, and I'm still trying to figure out what I can tolerate and what I can't tolerate.

I'm also experiencing quite a bit of fatigue and hope that that will soon improve.  One of my intermediate goals is to lose 55 pounds by April 19th.  I'm going back to Southern California to visit friends.  I used to live in California and have only been in Minnesota for about three years.  Since I've already lost a total of 37 pounds, 10 pounds pre-op and 27 pounds post-op, I don't have that far to go to reach my first goal.

Thank you for being my support group.  Since I teach on Saturdays and into the evenings six days a week it's virtually impossible for me to attend a support group in the Cities.  I'm trying to begin a support group here in Southern Minnesota but haven't had anybody join in yet.

Leda

I used the Livestrong website for a bit (before surgery) and I didn't like the way it added back your exercise-burned calories and allowed you to eat those calories, too.  I now use Sparkpeople, which I like better.  If you like to use an online service, I recommend it.

I also hit a plateau at 3 weeks out, and I've heard that from a lot of people.  Your body is adjusting to a tremendous change, and it's not sure how to react.  So be patient, follow the recommendations, and hang in there!  Weight loss will happen.  Good luck!

   I used a site to log my calories also and found it a great help. I did it for a year and when I stopped, so did my losses. Put your bar at 750 or so and work within that, balancing that calorie level with exercise.
  I found beef or turkey jerky to be a good friend. It is salty, full of protein and gives you plenty to chew on. It will really fill you up and you will be able to easily go 4-5 hours before feeling the need to eat again.
  Hang in there it is really worth your efforts. Is gets harder when everything heals up and you can tolerate things that say NO!!! today. i am learning the hard way the docs are right! eat the dense protein first, and eat slower. stop when you get the sign ( a burp or runny nose.)  The only thing that makes me stop sooner than protein is a teaspoon of rice. Yikes that hurts, but doesn't fulfill our body's needs.

For the majority of people, the WLS "honeymoon" phase is more like desending a staircase. Either you're losing pounds, or you're losing inches.

_ inches lost
|_ weight lost
|_ inches lost
|_ weight lost

You're body is shocked by the drastic drop in calorie intake, so it stops losing, hanging on for dear life to what it has. (Although I agree, you are taking in a surprising number of calories for as early out as you are...) Once it realizes you are NOT starving yourself, it'll let go of more pounds. While you're stressing out over the scale not moving, you may not even notice your clothes get looser ****il you drop trow out in your driveway... )

Be sure you are getting your protein in first and foremost, it'll keep you feeling full longer. And keep up with your water. I'm with Paul, I found beef jerky to be an AWESOME way to feed my cravings - I was a Frito ***** pre-op, salty has always been my favorite. Jerky gives you a ton of protein, a lot of busy work for your mouth, and it feeds that craving for salty stuff (although if you don't chew it REAL GOOD, you'll be sorry!)

As for hunger? You really have to pay attention to it. Is it PHYSICAL hunger? Or a CRAVING? Head hunger can really mess up your efforts if you don't defeat it. Next time you think you're hungry, drink something instead. Even chicken broth, if you're craving salty. Put off feeding the urge for 10 minutes - clean something, go for a walk, read something. Then re-visit that 'hunger' - was it real? Or boredom masked as hunger? Maybe an old "munchie" tape playing in your brain? (Evenings are the worst for me.) Just don't assume you are actually hungry. Maybe you should even try to assume you ARE NOT hungry. I know some people DO get back the feeling of physical hunger, but for me, I never have. I know I need to eat when I get the shakes. But my stomach never growls or gives me that old familiar 'pain' signaling me that it's empty.

Trust me, I consider myself lucky that way.

Just hang in there. Unless you sabotage your efforts from the start, you WILL shed pounds! Patience, perserverance and determination are your best weapons.

Hi I had my surgery on the 15th of December, and still can hardly do 800 calories a day, so I would think calories are your culpret!  I am still losing and loss about 3 lbs a week.  I work out 5 days a week as well and think losing 3 lbs a week is good, so NOT so much flabby skin!  Good luck.