mourning the end of my honeymoon phase

Hi everyone,

I'm 16 months post DS and have had an AMAZING experience. I managed to lose 125 lbs and look and feel fabulous. I had hoped to lose an additional 15-20 lbs but that did not happen. I have stopped losing weight and I'm a little distraught emotionally by the realization that my honeymoon period is over. Have any of you experienced this? Was it still possible to lose the last couple of lbs for you. I'm soooo scared the weight will creep back on. I don't believe my new found body is here to stay. I was always a fatty and can not accept that I will be thin forever. Screwed up I know...was wondering if any of you's hear where I'm coming from.

Hi there,

   Not screwed up at all - just natural. I'll be interested to see what some of the people with more years of the DS have to say
too. I'm at 17 months and still losing 4 to 5 lbs a month but I am a lot bigger than you are. I'm about 25 pounds away from my goal weight
of 220. I wonder if I'll ever get there but I've seen plenty of posts of people that kept at it and still lost after the 12-18 month period.
It's really just what Doctor's think is the phase not like there is a switch that goes off so I'm hopeful.

   The first time I thought I might be done losing I was upset but the more I thought about it the less upsetting it was/is. Now the plan is 
to lose whatever else I can but more of a priority to keep as much off as possible. I don't want to see that regain - I much prefer myself
this way.

   Just keep at it and good luck.  

Pete

starlightlu -

Apparently, your pre-op training was based on RNY rules.

Most DSers do *not* have the so-called "honeymoon period", whre losing weight is nearly effortless, and stops at some point. 

24 months is not the end of the line for us, as is taught in pre-op RNY classes.

There is a reason that this is known as the most malabsorptive bariatric procedure to date.

You should continue to lose past the RNY honeymoon of 24 months if you so desire.  Many DSers, once they achieve their goal weight, have to increase their caloric intake to stabilize and maintain their desired weight. 

Our small intestine does grow more villi, to make up for the malabsorption, but the common channel, is the only place in our digestive tracts where food mixes with biliopancreatic enzymes, and breaks down into nutrients usable by the body. Therefore, we can "turn on" the DS when we want to, and honeymoon just does not happen for most DSers. Add to that the ultra high vitamin and mineral doses we use just to stay healthy.  Bottom line:  you can turn the DS off by adding more complex carbs, and turn it back on by eliminating most carbs.  Notice I say most, because there are carbohydates in everything we eat - the difference is simple (white flour, white sugar, syrup) versus  complex (whole grains, fruits, vegetables).  If you want to look at it this way, complex are the "good" carbs, that at least contain some of the nutrients that our bodies need.  Simple carbs are the "bad" carbs.

I have nicknamed my DS "The Freight Train", because it behaves like a runaway freight train if I don't eat enough carbs for maintenance.  I once "slept off" ten pounds!  If I keep my DS happy with complex carbs, it goes back to sleep, in terms of the rapid weight loss. 

I feel you on being "thin" for the first time, and afraid the weight will come back.  I am not "thin", but I'm a good normal weight for a woman of my height and age.  It will take you a while to even be able to "see" your new body.  It took me three years.  Probably a little long, but with this thing, you have to adjust physically and mentally, and it's not unusual to have a little body dysmorphic stuff going on while you're getting used to the new you.

Much happiness to you and your new DS! 

Pete, soooo impressed with your WL...JAZZ, thank you for your insightfulness...thank you both for your replies

I want HER DS!

Results from the DS are a Bell Curve.  So for every one of those lucky souls who post about losing too much there is someone else languishing out there feeling like a total failure because they can't lose enough.  The easiest weight loss is what you have right now.  The more time passes, the harder it gets.  If you really want to reach goal and stay there, cut every single carb and drink shakes till you are 10% below goal.  I wish I had done this!

I only lost for about 6 months.  After that it was a battle.  Today I have to diet like crazy just to stay overweight.  And I never reached my goal of a normal BMI either.  If you talk to others who are long term postop you will find this is a common problem.  By longterm I mean 10+ years.  The DS is the best WLS out there today.  When I look in the mirror I look pretty normal for a woman my age.  And as usual I have to settle.  It's not what I wanted but it is what I got.

It's decision time for you.  How bad do you want to lose the rest of the weight?

I fall in the middle here.  I lost most of my weight fairly easily during the first year.  I did have a serious slowdown just after a year but then I got an active job and dropped another 14 lbs within 2 months.  I am a happy size 12 without trying but I still have that active job.  I'm almost 5 years out.  If I wanted to lose more weight I would definitely decrease my carbs and up my exercise.  I feel like that would work for me. 

I bet if you aren't really working out that if you increase that you can still lose weight.  My surgeon and many DSers will agree there is a window where the weight falls off easily and then after that you have to work harder to get more results.  I'm happy to let my weight stay where it's easy to maintain.  I'm over dieting to lose weight.  If I gained weight then I would consider doing it but for now it works for me. 

I reached my goal in February and am now 16 months out.  I find that, like JAZZY, I lose very quickly if I do not eat a lot of carbs but I find only simple carbs work to keep me at maintenance and even with the simple carbs it's a struggle.  I do not have gas issues with any food.  Also, I find I need about 3500-4000 calories per day to maintain.  So, it's now monitoring my weight and eating accordingly to keep at goal.  And, being aware to get all my protein in and I've been a fiend about all the pills we need to take per day to maintain health.  That is of utmost priority.  This is exactly the weight I want to be and seems my body was meant to be at.

I'm only 16 months out though so still a relative newbie.  I'll update as I have more months under my belt!

I'm finding out the same thing ladybug, so glad you posted this! I started out at 350lbs and had surgery on June 24th, 2013. I'm 6'2" and now weigh 173lbs. So I'm at 15 months and even though they put me on creon a month ago the only way I can maintain is to keep that caloric intake quite high