Please tell me this is normal....

Hi everyone,  It's been a while since I've posted.  I had my lap RNY on 9-19-07 and the first couple of weeks were a little complicated for me but since then I've been doing pretty good.  I am pretty sure I get my water in because I am always thirsty, so I make sure I carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go.  Take my vitamins religously and still not really hungry feeling, so don't eat very much or sometimes just forget to eat and my family joined a gym and try to get there 3 times a week.  Here's my dilemma, since having surgery I have lost about 42lbs and feel so great about doing that but it seems that the scale hasn't moved down in about week, it almost makes me wondering if I am truly that one person where this will not work.  Please tell me that this is normal, where we stall momentarily and what can I do to break it.  I still have 120lbs to lose to get to my "goal weight".   Thanks.

Annie, Just hold on!  The roller coaster  has a few straight paths on it but the trip is mostly downhill!!!!!  Rare is the post-op who doesn't have a plateau.  I used to have plateu's lasting for 3 weeks or so and then all of a sudden I"d drop 10 pounds overnight!  ...ahhhhhh, those were the good old days!  LOL!  ........If y'all were at the O.H. Phoenix event....It's like Bo says..."we RIDE the WAVE"!!!! If you were to graph your journey at athe end of it all......the overall picture will reflect a definitely downward trend with a few tiny glitches.  I promise you are NOT going to be the only one that it doesn't work for! Congrats on your great weight loss so far! But....if you are worried about breaking the plateau then: Increase:  Exercise, Water, Protein grams, sex (just checking to see if you were paying attention!  *winks*) Decrease:  Carbs, Calories, Salt, Cheese, Nuts You CAN do it!!!!  Keep us posted!!!!

Thanks for the encouraging words and the little laugh (sex part); right now my diet includes soft protiens, veggies, (excluding potatoe, peas, tomatoe) and fruits and lots of water.  What is a good way to try to get all my protien in?  I have my 2 month appointment on Nov 19, I will update everyone on how things are progressing.  I wish I wasnt a addicted to that damn scale.  Every time I go into the bathroom I always want to step on it but have to keep walking.  Cassie (dietician) with Blackstone office recommends not weighing myself at home but only at my appointments because it becomes mentally challenging.  ( I hate to admit but I think she is right) She states that this should be my time to adjust to healthy eating habits and don't worry so much on the number right now.  Ohh, how hard  that is. Thanks again for the support.

Annie, Listen to Joyce, she knows what she's talking about.   A little pause is no big deal and not unexpected.  It should last no more than a week or two.  Sometimes, early on, you are not eating enough and your body goes into starvation mode.  It hoards every single calorie you give it.  Eventually it has to give it up and you will lose weight (if it didn't work that way, no one would ever starve to death) but if you want to lose weight earlier, eat more!  Log your daily intake in FitDay.com or something similar.   When I had a slow-down, I went "back" to entering things into fitday and found that I was only getting about 40 grams of protein each day.  Being a Blackstone patient, I really was trying to "eat" my protein but clearly, it was not working.  So I went out and found a protein supplement that was fat free and very low carb (don't use what the body builders use) and I supplemented myself up to between 90 and 100 grams.  The very next week, I lost about 15 pounds!  It did not stay at that rate but I averaged 10 pounds per month after the second month.  That actually became my goal and I watched it very closely.  It took me 18 months to lose 180 pounds (and I lost 40 pounds in the first two months and slowed as I got close to the end) but it did come off.  You just have to stay vigilant. Congrats on your progress so far.  Let us know what ends up working for you as everyone is different and we all learn from each other. Dj

Hi DJ,  Thanks for the comforted words.  I have my 2 month appointment with Blackstones office on Nov 19 and give you all a quick update.  I too am not able to get in alot of protien in, do you remember the name of the protien supplement that you found.  I need something to help me out.  The protiens that are in the shakes and yogurt are great (that's if I could ever finish one).   Thanks again  Annie

Annie, The one I'm totally addicted to is Achiev One but it is coffee based and Dr. B wants us to stay away from caffein for the first 4 months.  I managed to remain caffein free for the first 8 months but was really struggling to get the protein in, so when I sampled the Achiev One and LOVED it, that was it for me. My husband had RNY surgery in February, also with Dr. B, & he does two bullets per day of the New Whey 42 (42 grams of protein per 3.1 ounce bullet) plus any protein he manages to eat.  They don't taste great, sort of like melted Jell-O, but 84 grams of protein in only 6.2 ounces is so much easier to get down when your intake is so limited.   Just remember...no more than half of the tube at one time! Good luck & hang in there. Dj