Slow losers? Any hope of a healthy BMI?

My first month, I lost 18lbs...and it's been getting slower and slower. I'm down to about 10-13lbs/month. Only lost 66lbs since Jan 22nd. I have a lot to lose, starting at 356lbs. Is there any hope of me hitting goal?

Right now, I'm stuck in a stall...and of course there's the worry that I'll never start losing again. I'm logging all my food in MyFitnessPal and I'm not even losing as much as it says I should, not even counting the malabsorption. I could lose easier BEFORE my DS :(

Anyone else have this issue? I don't know what I can really do about it - eat around 50g carbs a day, get my protein in...

BTW I have a 100cm CC

When was the last time you lost 66 lbs in just over 5 months?  Keep pushing.  These ebbs and flows are perfectly normal.

Yes, you're doing great.  Keep doing what you're doing.  You didn't gain the weight over night and you're not going to lose it over night either.

I know, I know, but I'm just worried - if I'm losing so slow now, what about 50lbs from now? I just wish I had big results like others. 

Of course, the ultimate worry is that I'll have gone through all this for nothing, and still end up being obese....I don't want to fail with the best WLS there is. I also think that the staff at my surgeon's office thinks I'm like, eating cookies and candy all day or something. They keep telling me I'm below average on weight loss. But I don't know what else to do. 

You'll be fine - you're doing GREAT!  Everyone loses at a different weight and we all have stalls, plateaus, etc.  As long as the scale registers less weight and the trend continues downward, you're fine!

Try changing things up - are you drinking ALL your fluids???  VERY IMPORTANT to flush out all the stuff your fat cells are shedding - 64oz MINIMUM daily.  Try that.

Try reducing your carbs down to 30 - not easy but doable.

How many grams of protein - this far out you should be at 80 minimum - LEAN protein (first of course); chicken, turkey, fish.  Baked, less fat, etc.  Try eating 30 carbs, 80 protein, and 64 oz for two weeks - be RELIGIOUS - and don't get on the scale during those two weeks.  And add a little walking.  Can you do 20 minutes 3x a week?  If so, add that.  In two weeks step on the scale and see if there's a difference.  You have to find what works best for YOU and then keep doing it.

Shoot me a PM in two weeks and let me know how it goes.  You can DO IT!

I get my 64oz in most days. I get minimum 100g protein, usually between 100g-120g. I go to the gym anywhere from 3 to 5 times a week and do treadmill, stationary bike, some upper body strengthening stuff, and a liiiiittle bit of the eliptical (can only do like 5 mins on it, it wears me out!)

I could lower it to 30g carbs. I've done it before. I just start to hate eating and have more trouble getting protein in because it seems like it's all the same ol boring meat and cheese... but I'll give it a shot. It didn't seem to make much of a difference in my weight loss before when I did it...nothing I do seems to make a difference, which is why it's so frustrating!

Ahhhhhhh - the gym!  Are you taking your measurements???  VERY IMPORTANT!  You could easily be losing fat (inches) and gaining muscle - which would account for the scale not moving.  But that's not a bad thing at ALL.  You're losing intramuscular fat by working out and building those muscles (increasing your metabolism).  If you don't have your measurements, take them now and then compare in four weeks.  Measure that against your weight - I bet you'll see a difference!  Scales don't tell the whole truth so don't be a slave to it (although I DO understand how hard that can be).

My surgery was the day after yours and I've lost a couple of pounds less than you. My weight loss seems to be in steps, each time there's a little stall I get worried again that somehow I've done something wrong and messing up. For most people, that seems to be part of the process. 

It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Keep doing what you're doing and occasionally change things up (I usually up my fat intake for a day or 2). That seems to get things moving again.

My body seems to stall at what I consider previous setpoints...so for example, in the past, when ever my weight would be in the neighborhood of 325 lbs or 280 lbs, my body would need to hang out there for an extended period of time before the scales would budge. I now refer to those times as my body (& mind) "re-callibrating" to the new normal. 

If you're not already, start taking your measurements and/or try on things in your closet, so you can see and feel your progress, even when the scales aren't moving. 

The hardest thing for me is trusting that this is actually going to work when I've had a lifetime of weight loss failures. 

Good luck to you.

Tricia

I'm hovering around the 281-282 range for a week and a half now... admittedly I probably do need to up my fat. I don't avoid fat, but I don't go an extra mile to incorporate it, either. Which I should.

I have a measuring tape, but I still have not taken measurements. I guess I'll do that today.

Everyone is different, and our metabolisms are broken along with different hormone issues - all keeping the weight on us and making us very efficient at not burning calories.

For these reasons, and others, I suggest you keep your calories up.  Incorporate fat into your diet and don't drop your carbs till your weight loss stops completely - like a 2.5 month stall is the definition of completely.   Cutting carbs and calories just makes the metabolism even more stubborn and skittish.  You don't want to spook it by changing your diet drastically.

If you do drop your carbs below 50, then have one day or one weekend that you go carb crazy every 2 weeks or once a month.  You need to keep your metabolism guessing, and when you cut calories and/or carbs and then stay at that level, your body adjusts to it.  Shake it up every now and then to keep it off balanced.

 If you don't have any other medical issues, then hang on and see how long you can ride this down.