Hitting a big snag

I am 6 months out and I am realizing I have nearly stopped losing, dropping -12 pounds since the new year (-124 total).  I still have about 55 pounds to go. I don't think I am doing anything wrong.  I have been exercising more over the last week and the needle is still not moving. Any suggestions?

Don't really have a suggestion but I'm right there with you.  Have only lost 13 lbs. since 1/1  (131 total)  despite having increased my activity significantly.  Still have another 80 to go here.  My doc keeps saying it's normal - just my body trying to catch up to itself.  Do you notice that you're losing inches though?  I moved over another notch in my belt this week despite the fact that the scale actually showed a 1 lb. increase.

Have you made any adjustments in your caloric intake in the past month or so?  As you drop the weight and improve your fitness level, adjustments in diet are necessary.  It's a tough mindset to get yourself into, but you're caloric intake requirements are likely increasing...don't be afraid of additional calories and carbs.  This fear can often be a pitfall and folks find themselves dealing with those dreaded plateaus.   As the months pass, in order to burn more fat you need more fuel for the furnace.  Increases in calories, protein and complex carbohydrates will often do the trick and get that scale moving once again.   Make sure you're tracking your intake - establish your baseline and increase incrementally so you can determine where your weight loss is optimal.  This is just one strategy which may or may not deliver the results you're looking for.   Best wishes! CF

Ain't that amazing?  You've lost 124 pounds eight months out.  That is an accomplishment that you should celebrate.  Yes, you've hit a plateau and that is to be expected along the way.  Now, the only suggestion that I can give you is to check what are you eating and keep a log to see if you are making any "mistakes" in your food intake. In addition, most people only lose 80% of their excess weight after WLS. 

Slow Loss? Stall? Explanation…

Pull back from your ‘daily’ charting, and look at a weekly or even monthly. There are up and down spikes each day/week, But if you ‘graph’ the highest to the lowest, I’d bet there is still A downward slope over the course of the month. There’s an 8 to 10lb. volume of "wiggle room" due to water alone. And it comes into play a lot. This has to do with our bodies using glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, But it is stored in our muscles for quick energy – One pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, And the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, (Like when you drop down to your calorie intake) Your body turns first to stored glycogen, Which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, You also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it Voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of any diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, Your body starts to ‘realize’ that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue And burning fat for energy. But your body also ‘realizes’---- (by way of your liver releasing hormones signaling low Cal intake) ---That fat can't be used for short bursts of energy – Like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, And rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, (Thus showing negative Calorie load overall) Your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while As you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Yes? The whole ‘weight-loss’ process is not a straight "Slide" down the scale. More like "Stair-Steps," (Down then forward, then down, then forward, etc... As your body cycles fat out of "deep storage" and through the Liver Into the muscles as Glycogen. The muscles and Liver can hold about a 3 weeks supply. This is why many people find that their "Stall" or "Plateau" Breaks when adding a bit of exercise And upping their water intake, or in the case of an "extreme exerciser," The total Calorie or Protein Intake, To signal the liver to let go of more Glycogen. Fear not, many people who are now enjoying life at a normal BMI Once had a few weeks or so of thinking- "...my weight loss has been awfully slow, has it stopped..."? Several "Exercise" champs out here. I'd say they have a bit more insight into that angle From personal experiences. Keep up the Exercise, but maybe change up and add more protein Without adding Too many Calories. And, keep the water intake high. For yet more info- See "Plateau Buster" thoughts in--- http://obesityhelp.com/forums/men/a,messageboard/action,replies/board_id,5479/cat_id,5079/topic_id,3222514/ Hope this helps some. Best Wishes- Dx

Thank you all for the input.