Newbie/2yrs PO - Slow Weight Lost

Please respond if you have any suggestions. I'm new to posting to this particular message board but I truly need some advice from some people whom may know what I'm going through right now in my life. I had my Lap RNY WLS on 3/27/02. I'm 5'4 1/2" and my highest weight was 365lbs but the day of my WLS I weighed in at 341lbs which means that I had lost 24lbs prior to surgery. Well today I'm weighing in at 260lbs and fluctuate give and take 5lbs. My slow weight lost had always bothered me in the beginning and so I consulted my surgeon because it took me 3 months just to loose 31lbs and I was considered a heavy weight. My surgeon at the time just stated that I should increase my exercise. When this did not increase my weight loss the next thing I know my surgeon had relcoated to another state when I was only 3 months post-op and the hospital that I had my surgery at closed down there weight loss program and cancelled all of there support group meetings. Well as of today, I've been trying everything to loose the weight but I'm now experincing a 6 month plateau. I'm doing a 30 minuts exercise program 4-5 days a week and maybe 2-3 times a weightlifting program. I'm drinking at lease 64ozs of liquids which mainly consist of water and crystal lite (definitely NO soda). I get in at least 60gms of protein which is basically through chicken and fish because I consider myself a partial vegetarian and stay away from other meats. And finally di most definitely take my vitamins faithfully every day (iron,B12,calcium,biotin,pre-natal multi-vitamin). Please if anyone has any suggestions on how to break a plateau, please email me. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Before I forget, I did go get a second opinion from another surgeon and discovered that I'm as healthy as a horse and that my pouch was reduced to 4ozs and not the usual 2oz but that I should be careful about overeating because my pouch can hold more food that others. I did email my original surgeon and was told that he does make the pouch a little larger that other physicans because he wants his patients to be able to eat and have a normal eating habits without problems. Well needless to say that I can eat more than others and I've never dumped from any foods. My tolerance to foods is fairly high and I just don't get sick from NOTHING at all so I'm extra careful about what I put into my mouth and I keep a food diary as a reminder to me so that I will not go back into those old bad habits. I don't want to sound like a whinner because I truly feel blessed to have come from a size 30/32 to now wearing 20/22 and to come from weighing 365lbs to now 260lbs. Though I've lost a total of 105lbs, I've only actually lost 81lbs from WLS because I lost 24lbs prior to surgery. Thanks for listening to me and I look forward to hearing from anyone. Many Blessings Marilyn Lexington, KY 365/341/260/Goal Anything Under 200lbs

Hi Marilyn, Oh I am in the same boat as you! I am almost 14 months out and stopped losing at 4 1/2 months. I've only lost (depending on the day) between 65-70 lbs. I also saw my surgeon every 3-4 weeks to try to figure out what the heck was going on. We changed my excersise, diet, calorie intake, carb intake etc. every appointment and NOTHING helped. My scale has not budged in 10 months!! To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. I'm 5ft7 started out at 300 and am now bouncing between 230-235...I did get to 220, but that only lasted about a month. I can't remember what my surgeon told me as far as my pouch size, but I think it was something like 2.5 cc's or some such. He bypassed 100cm of intestine. We did talk of a revision, but at the time I thought "why would I do that? I've done everything RIGHT and no weight is coming off, why get surgery again? what if it doesn't work still??" I mean, I see pre-ops and non-ops doing the same stuff I'm doing and they are losing! If I'm doing it right, why am I not losing?? I bet you have struggled with the same questions. It just doesn't make sense does it?? Well, it looks like I have to have my gall bladder removed now. I was in the ER all day last Thursday, and thats what they narrowed it down to. I go back to see my surgeon tomorrow to see what he says. So, now I figure that I'm going to go ahead and talk to him again about going ahead and doing the revision. Maybe bypassing more intestine. I'm so desperate at this point, and I figure since he's going to be in there anyway, might as well kill 2 birds with one stone. Have you thought about getting a revision? To me this seems like my only option. Just like you, I watch what I eat, but nothing helps. I don't feel so blessed with this. I still have some co-morbids, and am still in the serverly obese catagory Good luck, and I really hope they figure out something for you Kari

Thanks Kari, I just have to thank you for responding to my post. There seems to be a lot of lurkers on this support sight but no one responds to others when they post. I just looked at your profile and you really look great. I hope that everything goes well for you and truly wish you the best with your WLS journey. Many Blessings, Marilyn Lexington, KY 365/341/260/Goal Anything Under 200lbs

Marilyn, I have to say, I think you are being very hard on yourself. You have lost over 100 lbs! That is a lot of weight. I too hit a plateau about 6 months into my weight loss and was very down. However, I started to switch my exercise program a little and was doing different things and I started to lose again. I am now 2 1/2 years post op and I have been at about 172 for over a year and I have recently (the last month or so) gained about 3 or 4 lbs and I cannot lose it. So I begin obsessing about it. Plus, I feel I can eat so much more (nowhere near what I could before) and I get down on myself. Then my husband and that little voice in the back of my head say, look what you have accomplished. If you are gaining a little, cut back and change your exercise routine! For me that little jolt usually gets my body back at attention and helps me over the rough spots. Hang in there and just keep doing the right things, your body will get the idea and begin to catch up! Congrats on your weight loss so far! Heather B

Hi, Just a quick thought - have you had a swallow study to test for a fistula? I am 3 mos postop and have been able to eat more than other postops from the start and never dump or get sick from any foods either. I have also been losing weight extremely slowly. When I discussed these concerns with my surgeon he tested for a fistula and sure enough my pouch has grown back together with my old stomach so the restrictive part of my surgery is a failure. I had never heard of this happening to anyone in the year I researched WLS prior to mine but since my diagnosis I have found this to be more common than I would have imagined. Just something anyone having slow weight loss & an increased stomach capacity might check into. Good Luck!

Sue - How does it grow back with your old tummy? The reason I ask is because I also have been able to eat more than most, and I never dump or get sick. In seven weeks I've only been able to lost about 26 pounds and most of that was in the first week. I'm very strict about my eating and drinking but can't seem to lose any. Maybe I need to ask my surgeon about a fistula. I've never heard of it. Thanks, Candy

how long is on sitting take for you to eat. because i am 16 months post op and if i had that much food it would take me about 3-4 hrs to get all of that down. i find sometimes that some food i can get down i one sitting like breakfast food or fish or tuna i can get about maybe 4-5oz down in about 30-40 min.

I wish I had a good answer for us heavy weights that turned out to be slow losers. I have spoken with you before if you remember. I have just now lost 120 pounds and I will be 2 years post op on March 7, 2005. I lost the 100 pounds within 11 months but only twenty pounds since then. I have started exercising faithfully 4 times a week. I am losing more inches than weight though. I started at 389 the day of surgery and now I am at 269, size 22. It is a struggle everyday to try to eat right, drink plenty of water and exercise. I am determined to make it to my goal though. Keep working at it. Try something different maybe in your exercise. I have thought about doing the South Beach Diet but that is all...I thought about it. I do feel your pain. Keep working at it. We have come to far to turn around now!

Hi Marilyn, I'm familiar with your story and have thought about you many times during my journey. I lost 106 pounds my first 4 months and have only lost 20 pounds since then and I am about 18 months out. My eating could stand to be a bit better, and I exercise for at least an hour 5-6 times a week. And that has made me lose inches like crazy. Otherwise, there is no way I could weigh 250 and wear a size 12 dress! I set a goal for myself of 160 pounds, but now, anything below 200 will be great! I keep telling myself that if I continue to do the same things I'm doing now, the exercise, and tighten up my eating, the weight will come off, slowly, but it will come off. I will keep praying it does, for both of us.

I guess we are all different. I ave not had WLS yet, but am considering it. After my first child built a condo size area in my abdomen (even though I only gained a small amount having him) I have had trouble not getting thick in the waist and abdomen area. I weigh 250 now & unlike you I am in a size 26. Actually some things I have to wear are larger than that. I have had 5 pregnancies, and with each it seemed my body wanted to go up to the pregnancy weight afterwards. All the way through school I exercised, but I have never been small. At my size now, I would love to be back in the clothes I wore in high school........... back then I though I was huge. After all the things I have read in the complications section, maybe I am just as well off that the insurance company has not given me approval. I would hate to go to all the pain and trouble and not lose afterall. I know I messed my metabolism up by only eating one small meal a day all my life. When I started getting headacheds my doctor insisted I should eat more meals a day, and over time it has added weight to me. That and the fact that every pregnancy slowed my metabolism down more and more. I was feeling like a lost cause until I decided to do WLS... but even that now seems like it may not help.