9 months out and I haven't lost ANYTHING for 2 months

Hello everyone! I'm now 9 months out and I am feeling like a failure! Maybe this is just nerves, or being really really overly anxious.  For the past three months I have fluctuated between 5 lbs.  I haven't gone anywhere.  I was thinking of trying the Plateau diet, to see if this works.  I just have a feeling I am going to do it and try really hard but fail at that too, then I know I'm a failure.  I started at 305, and I am down to 185 right now.  Yes, I know I've lost quite a bit, and I should be proud.  I am proud, but I cant figure out why the weight loss has just stopped.  The inches have stopped too.  I have been at the same jean size/shirt size for three/four months now.  Something has got to be wrong.  Why is this happening?? Is this normal to be a plateau for this long? please any advice at this point would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to take the floor and let me know what you think.  Lectures are welcome too. I'm tired of feeling like a failure.  I had this surgery to better myself and feel like I've been successful, and while I know I'm a totally different person now, I still feel like a failure. I am three months away from being a year out of surgery, and my goal for one year out was to be down to 150, that is still another 35 pounds away.  And while that doesn't seem like a whole LOT, it feels like there is no way I'm going to lose 35 pounds in three months, especially beings I haven't lost anything for three month now.  Please help!! Please give me some words of encouragement!!!!!! I would appreciate anything at this point!

Maybe your body needs to adjust to the new weight.  You could try the cottage cheese test to see if your pouch has expanded.....measure out several cups and eat like a regular meal and stop when you feel full and you can actually see how much your eating.  You could try going back to more protein too.  You done great so far, hang in there!! Trish

Why don't you try eating nothing but protein for 2 weeks. Eat no fruits or veggies  or nuts and absolutely no bread, cereal or pasta. Try to do no more than 20 carbs a day for 2 weeks. I bet anything that will jump start your weight loss again!  Marianne C.

Frenchy,  I wish i could offer some encouragement, but it seems some of us are just f#*()$ed when it comes to trying to lose weight.  I am 19 months out from surgery and have not lost a pound since 5 months and 5 days after surgery.   I am exercising 2 hrs a day  and eating "appropriately".   In addition to the horrifying halt of weight loss, my type 2 diabetes has actually gotten worse since surgery.  My doctors are all at a loss to explain and/or treat my situations.  I think they are only beginning to realize what a mental and emotional toll this is taking on me. I am past the end of my rope, and have to get up and face the scale and mirror every day, only to remind me that I am a failure.     I was 330 at one point -- 275 at the time of surgery..... 190 now (give or take).   I have lost weight everywhere except where I needed to .... I have no butt, arms, legs, boobs, or facial fat -- but my middle is still a tub of lard that goes nowhere.  I lifted my shirt at a dr's appointment yesterday and pointed out to my endocrinologist that these are the same pants I was wearing 100 lbs ago - and that the waist still fits.  (whether he got the point or not, I"m not sure) Anyway-- I hope you find the answers that I have not.  I cannot keep facing life with this failure, but  am getting very little support from my doctors in taking any steps to change things.  It only makes it more painful to come on here and read everyone's "success stories" about how the weight just "falls off" and how they have to keep buying smaller clothes.  I feel like i"ve worked my ass off for every stinking pound I've lost -- and I still have to shop Omar the Tentmaker to find anything to cover this misshapen blob of a body.  Sorry to vent --- Cheryl

Have you contacted your surgeon?  Try upping your fluids and limiting your carbs.  You could also request an endoscopy that would determine the size of your pouch or whether or not there was a fistula. 

When I was ready for my revision, I had both an upper GI and an endoscopy which proved mechanical failure of my RNY.  Unfortunately the RNY does break.  Which is why I chose the DS for my revision.  I wish I'd known about it way back in 94 when I had my RNY.

Have you contacted your NUT? I hit a 2 month plateau at 9 months as well - you can read about it on my profile.... I tried everything OH'ers said with no luck - I saw my NUT made a few SIMPLE nutritional changes and WHAM - within 2 weeks dropped 11lbs.  More than likely you need to change what/how you are eating. Basically for me I was eating too much protein and fat (cheese) and not enough veggies (fiber). Its important to eat balanced. I was fine with my calories, just not fine with where they are comming from. As for setting goals - when you set a goal you have to be prepared not to reach it in the time you want - its not a matter of reaching the goal, but that you worked as hard as possible towards it. I had 'only' 100lbs to lose when I had surgery and it took me 1.4 years to reach that - I NEVER got discouraged because I knew I WOULD reach my goal and it didnt matter to me when that occured. When it comes to weight loss there is only so much your body will do - no matter how 'perfect' you are with the rules... you have to be proud of your successes and that you worked towards them... no matter what.  If you want any more info/help just send me a message - the posts about my plateau should be around March/April/May of 2007.

hey! thanks for the advice, it really means a lot to me.  I've lost a few more pounds since that post, but it was because i started exercising more.  I was eating a lot of cheese also, and it helped that i started eating more fiber.   It took me a while but i finally learned that i need to stop worrying so much about the goal, and just know that i'm going to make it there eventually!!! I'm just really glad that I am starting to get a little more self confidence, and i'm learning that I've done good for myself by getting this surgery, it took a lot of courage to do that being 20 years old, and i can't let anybody get me down because of it.  But again, thanks for your advice!! I do need to watch WHAT it is that i'm eating!! How are you on getting in your protein? do you have any trouble? and also, do you have any trouble getting the recommended amount of water?

I actucally hit a point where I was eating too much protein and had to cut back... I wasnt eating balanced and needed more veggies and bread carbs. Since I am further out I can eat a larger portion so I find it easy to meet/exceed my protein requirements - I am to eat a minimum of 60g so thats about 30g per meal... I usually do an afternoon snack as well. As for water - I just stay focused to get it in... I have about a 30 min drive to work in the morning so I pour a big glass of water and drink it during the drive, thats 1 glass (maybe more but I count it as one) I drink another 4 at work, I drink another glass during my drive home, then when I workout in the evenings I drink another 2, then I drink more the rest of the night. I find drinking while driving (lol) really helps because I can just keep chugging away... many times I can drink more than 1 glass in the time (my drive home is usually longer than here!). I always keep water with me and just keep sipping as much as possible - it really does make a big difference... I find I will feel hungry if I dont drink enough, its not really hunger but thirst.