Failed RNY at 1 Year Post-op

I feel like a complete failure at my RNY. I had surgery 02/17/2010. I am 5'4'' and started at 240 lbs. To date, I have lost a mere 44 lbs. I had extremely slow weight loss from day one, despite following the plan exactly and exercising 2 hours every day. By month 6 post-op I hadn't lost any weight for two months and was extremely frustrated and gave up my program. Since then my exercise has only been sporadic and I eat anything I want. I have never had a single episode of dumping and have been able to freely eat anything and everything. I have also fallen back into my old habits of grazing. Fortunately, I have not gained weight back, but then again, I haven't lost either. I'm feeling so badly about my failure that I find it difficult to get motivated to start back up. It's so frustrating to read about people complaining that they ONLY lost 40 lbs during the first month following surgery - when that is ALL I lost working rear off for the first SIX MONTHS! I feel as though I was given unrealistic expectations of potential weight loss. I remember the surgeon telling me the weight was going to "fly off" (his exact words). Unfortunately, I was one of the people that did not experience rapid weight loss. I feel so ashamed... and angry with myself... for having had this surgery in the first place. I know this surgery is a miracle for some people, but at this point, I could not recommend the surgery. Obviously it works wonders for some, but not all.

Does anyone have any explaination for why some people lose weight much more slowly?

Any recommendations on how to get back on track? I'm so far off that I can't even see the path anymore.

HI I am feeling you! I have a family member that had this surgery and her weight flew off. I had my surgery 10-14-10 and I've lost 39lbs that I had to work off. I feel like a failure as well I feel that it was a waste of time. I can't eat that much but I can eat whatever I want.

Hi,
My weight loss this past year wasnt like all of the posters either.  I was losing like a weigh****cher, 1 lb a week, maybe two.  Others were posting about their 50 lbs in 4 weeks and I use to just scream.  It took me about 9 months to get enough weight loss to not care about how others lost weight.  The only week I lost 7 was my very 1st week after surgery. 
That being said, I plugged along like the little engine that could.  I only weighed once  a week, walked a mile a day, and I have dieted from day one, literally.
For breakfast I eat 1/4 c nuts, 1/2 cup greek yogurt and sweetner.  for my first shake of the day I mix 1 scoop of good protein (gnc isopure vanilla) with ff half and half and then coffee.  For lunch, it is all protein with bites of fruit or veg.
mid day is another shake
dinner is protein based.  One more shake or premier protein bar, both have 30 grams of protein.
I dont snack,  When u r doing it right and getting your water in, there are not enough hours in the day.
Oh, and I came out of surgery hungry.  Not just head hungry, but starving.  So you see, I am not like the others either.  It took me one year of trudging along to make goal.
I dont think you are a failure.  Perhaps you didnt get support.  I hope you do now! 
By the way, some get back on track by following the 5 day pouch test, perhaps you can find a copy?  Good luck!

I lost 2-3 pounds a week from day 1.  But I made it to goal at 18 months and have stayed there.  I think that losing more slowly has stopped me from regaining.

Oh, I feel for all of you.  I was a failure at the lapband and then had the sleeve.  I didn't lose very much weight with the sleeve like everyone else said they did.  It was very slow and not even steady.  The one thing I keep trying to remember is that the slower the better at keeping the weight off.  I can say I have not gained any weight to speak of once it was lost.  Sure, I would go up and down 5 lbs but eventually I'd move on and lose some more.  Never a large weight gain like some I hear of too.

My problem is I was diabetic prior to the surgeries.  It finally went into remission I guess that is until an unfortionate incident with cortisone.  Now its bace and back bad!!  I am having it revised to a RNY next month.

I'm not sure how far out you are but just don't give up.  I'm a grazer too so I really have to work at it.  I was ashamed too for a long time until I realized I really was OK.  I was healthy and that was short lived.  Now I'm trying again hoping to get the diabetes under control.  Sure I would love to lose more weight but its more important to lose the diabetes.  I just hope I'm so positive in the next few months after my surgery as I am now.

I wish I had the magic answer to your weight being so slow.  One thing I was told is that lighter weight people like you and I do not lose the huge amounts of weight like others because we don't have that much weight.  I finally had to start to look at what their original weight was and think if I weighed that I would have lost more.  I was 225 at my heavest and I'm 5'4 too.  It's been 2 1/2 years and I now weigh about 165.  Like I said I would be happy at this weight if it was not for the diabetes.  I know my age is against me and that I'll NEVER weigh 120 again like I would love to weigh.  It is what it is and I'm finally OK with it.  Its hard but just don't give up!  If you have any more questions you can also send me a message.  Good luck!!  I completely understand!!

Joanne

I am 17 months post-op, gastric bypass. Staring weight: 353 lbs. Lowest post-op weight: 227 lbs. Current weight: 249 lbs. Haven't lost a pound in the last 12 months. Emotional issues pushed me over the edge into constant grazing.  Lost my job, been rejected for over 9 others in last 12 months, hubby got cancer, my dog died, house is falling down around us and no $$ to fix it...lotsa struggles, no outlet other than eating to comfort myself.

I don't have many friends. I need WLS friends I can talk to.

Can we help each other?

~Fawn
Washington, MO

OH my gosh. I feel the same!!

I had surgery June 2009. I actually gained 15 lbs the week after surgery!!! By December I had lost 80lbs. Since January 2010 though I have stayed the same. I follow the diet exactly and see a personal trainer twice a week. I am miserable. I am 345 lbs so still morbidly obese. I obsess about my weight and losing weight and feeling like a failure all of the time. I am extremely depressed. Everyone just gives me lectures on what to eat or to eat less (this was the surgeons response).

I struggled prior to surgery the same way and couldn't lose weight no matter how little I ate. I thought the surgery was supposed to fix this and it hasn't.

Do you have any underlying issues?  Slow thyroid, Hashimoto's or PCOS?  Have you had a full blood panel done?  Not just your TSH but your T4, Free T3, and Free T4?

Am I misunderstanding you here... You didn't exercise, you aren't following the eating program and you are saying that your WLS failed YOU?

In 6 months you lost over half of what you could have expected to lose TOTAL.. and you gave up?

Some folks are just slow losers.. Some of us have to continue to WORK at this every day..

Unless you build muscle, you will not boost your metabolism to a point where your body will burn more calories naturally.  If you don't exercise you won't lose weight.  If you don't exercise and watch what you eat, you won't keep it off.

It sounds like you sabotaged yourself for a short time and just need to get back on track.

Try not to look at other people and just focus on yourself, that might help.  It is very hard to not be discouraged when you see people hit goal in 6 months, but remember.. it didn't take 6 months to put it on.. IT's not going to take 6 months to take it off for most of us.

I hope at this point you are back on track and using your tool, instead of continuing to think your surgery failed you.

We have to work with it for it to work!... and it is HARD work for some of us - but the results are SO worth it!

You lost 44lbs in 4 months - that's a success to me. I don't know why you stalled out, but I have only lost about 3 lbs in the past month. That for me, has been month 5 and into month 6. Get back on track - we can't do it for you - you need to look at that person in the mirror and kick her butt back into the program. It will be double hard now that you've started eating bad stuff again - but get it done. Exercise will help a lot. What exercises do you do? FInd a program that you like - and make sure you're doing cardio and weight exercises (they help tone and build muscle).

You can do it. You're now 44lbs lighter than before - so keep it up. The next 44 might be harder, but it will sure feel good when you get it off.