I'm Depressed

Hey Everybody:

I am relatively new to the board, but I love getting on here and getting your advice.

I am almost 6 weeks post op.  I have only lost 19 pounds.  (my total goal for weight loss is 100 pounds.)  I have been at the same 19 pounds for about two weeks and it's driving me crazy.  I feel like I am doing something wrong.  I am eating right, walking, getting water in, so I don't know.  Should I go back to liquids?  I am soooooooooo frustrated because I thought I would lose continually.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Deb

The book I bought, Life After Gastric Bypass, by my nutritionist, Katrina Segrave, suggests that when you hit a plateau you need to change things up.  Eat different foods, change your exercise routine, basically do things differently for a few days until you start losing again.  I love Katrina's book.  It's so easy to read and understand.  She explains everything, suggests foods, recipes, and gives advice on exercise, vitamins, etc.  Great book.

Hi Deb,

You have hit the first wall. Most of u**** it somewhere between 10 days and 2 months. It can last anywhere from a week to three weeks and is really frustrating. I hit mine at about ten days post op. It's not that you are doing anything wrong, it's that your body is doing all it can to hold on to your 'precious' fat reserves because it thinks something is terribly wrong and you are going to starve. The good news is that you will start losing again. Be sure to keep up with your protien and hydration. Make sure that you are getting in 'enough' protien and calories, per your Dr's program. If you don't have enough of either, your body can go into something known as 'starvation mode' where it starts holding onto and hoarding fat reserves to try to be sure that you'll 'survive' the famine. Check to see how many grams of protien and calories your program wants you to have ... Mine wanted a minumum of 40 grams of protien and 900 calories to maintain a healthy weight loss. You should not need to go back to liquids. Just keep doing what your Dr has laid out for you and the weight will start to come off again. One of the things that you might be able to do is look for the other 'measures' of success, such as loss of inches... If you haven't done so already, be sure to take detailed measurements. You can find a great way to track your measurements at www.thinnerself.com and click 'chart weights and measures' then enter all of your details there.

Hang in there. It will get better.

Thanks for your reply.  I am going to back up a step and take it a little slower.  I haven't measured anything on my body yet, but I'm sure I have lost.  I can tell in my hands and feet.  I'm going to get my big notebook down and review everything else.  Maybe I'm eating the wrong foods too soon.  I am going to change things up a little bit this week. 

Thanks for your advice - it's always great and I usually follow through with it,

Deb

Deb,

Honestly, you are most likely doing everything just fine. It's just that your body is needing to take a break. Do check your notebook and review, but sometimes, this just takes a little time. Be gentle with yourself and realize that this is just another part of the journey.

 Hi Deb (nice name, by the way!)

1st of all, relax.  You are completely normal.  EVERYONE hits stalls on their weight loss journey.  Most of u**** one in the early period like Barb mentioned.  I did too.  I think it was somewhere around week 2 and 3, and then once a month after that (oh goody!)  I remember it's scary, because we all have this fear of "this isn't going to work for me."  But hang in there.  You've lost already and you will lose more.  Your body is just scared because you have thrown in into complete chaos.  It's just adjusting.  The weight loss will start up again.  Keep following the rules and give it some more time.  Continuous loss isn't realistic for most of us.  But this time next year, you'll be looking back thinking, "wow, that went fast!"  

Hang in there.  Keep on drinking your fluids and getting your protein.  Don't cut back on calories.  As a matter of fact, many say eating more calories can help break a stall.  That did work for me a few times.  Try to keep your spirits up.  This WILL work! 

Deb:
THanks for your words of encouragement.  It does soooooo help me when I see that I'm not the only one.  The 19 pounds off feels so good and so I'm so anxious to get more and more off.  Like the saying goes, you didn't gain it all overnight and you can't lose it all overnight.

THanks again for your help.

Deb

Hi Deb! 

Oh honey, I know where you are coming from!  I just posted in my "1-month Surgiversary" post about my dreaded stall.  It really wreaked havoc on me emotionally, though I knew mentally that it was going to happen and that it would break eventually! 

Everytime I'd step on the scale, I'd think all sorts of things like, "This surgery isn't going to work for me...I'm always the exception to the rule!  It's just like dieting...NOTHING works for me!  My metabolism, age, total hysterectomy (you name it) is going to sabotage me!  My fat body is in charge...I don't know that the RNY can overpower it and win!"  Oh my gosh, sympathies to my poor hubby who has put up with my hysteria the past couple of weeks!  lol

I am 1-month post-op today and have lost 17.8 pounds since surgery day.  I was *hoping* to have lost 30 pounds post-op by now, so I've had to readjust my expectations.  My New Year's goal is -40 pounds total (including the -10 pre-op) and, even though I haven't changed it, I'm pretty sure I will have to readjust that expectation as well! 

I am with the advice that says, if you are playing by the rules you were given, don't change anything.  Just give your body 2-3 weeks to catch up.  If you're a daily weigher (like me!), I'd also suggest you stay off the scale for at least a few days to give yourself a mental break from it.  That was so hard for me this past week but I did it and now I'm so thankful I did! 

Hang in there!  I can almost betchya when I hit another stall I'll have me another mini-breakdown!  lol 

Shauna:

Thank you so much for your response.  I can see from everyone's experience I am in the same boat as everyone else.   I guess I just thought it was going to be 30 lbs like FAST.  The first 19 feels great and I'm just ready to get this thing rolling.  I' m sure I will be like you and drive people crazy with all my thoughts and Ideas, but then again we are women and have that right!  lol

Again thanks for your words.  It always helps me tremendously.

Deb

Only 19 lbs???  Only 19 lbs???  Only 19 lbs???

Honey, you are doing great!!!    Don't put yourself down by saying "I've ONLY lost 19 pounds."   Your body is just adjusting and like everyone else has said, it will try it's darndest (I just made that word up by the way!! lol!!) to hang on to the weight because it thinks you are starving!  You are doing everything right and everyone else has given you great advice.  Frustration is natural because we expect and want to see the weight just literally fall off but the reality is that everyone loses at different rates and your body is just reacting to all the changes it's undergone in such a short period of time.  Hang in there and have patience (I know, easier said than done!).  Congrats on your success so far!

Hugs,
Donna