Looking for advice when hitting Plateau 's

Hi everyone

I'm writing tonight seeking tangible advice on what to do when you plateau. Let me give you a bit of a history about me, in a nutshell. I had my R&Y surgery just over 3 years ago. Started at 300 lbs and reached my lowest of 205 lbs. I experienced some gain over the last 12 months and I currently weigh 227 lbs. Since July 2014, I have strictly followed weigh****chers. For weeks and months I have been following the program to a T (and I mean a T) without losing ANY weight. Finally I really started to eliminate my biggest undeniable bad habit (mainly drinking, even thought I was counting all of it via Weigh****chers). I assumed that cutting out booze and working out would be the kick start to getting back to my lowest weight; Unfortunately I was wrong! I have been finding it so incredibly difficult to lose at this point. I feel like I'm trying 3 times as hard and getting very minimal results. 

 Now i'm at the point where I've been working out 5-6, sometimes 7 days a week since Mid Dec 2014. Normally this alone would be enough for a reason (especially with R&Y) to lose at least maybe, say, ten pounds? I have only lost about 4. I know some may say that this is healthy, but lets be honest, I SHOULD be losing more given that I am following a very healthy diet and working out. 

To try and make a long story short, I feel so overwhelmed and frustrated and I have this gut feeling that my body and surgery just isn't working anymore. I am actually having blood work done because none of this makes any sense to me.  I use Myfitness pal, I track, I do a combination of weight training and cardio. I really feel like I'm following all the rules that should allow for a person to lose a healthy amount of weight.  

What are some of the basic things that I should try to kick this frustrating plateau?  I've never done the "pouch test", would anyone recommend this?  Has anyone else experienced feeling this way?  Also to give an example, my sister has lost twice as much weight as me doing virtually the exact same thing.... and I'm the one with half a stomach!! 

Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks so much
Emily 

Perhaps you should try a different diet such as cutting out sugar and starchy carbs. See if it makes a difference. Lots of info and recipes on the web. Drink lots of water too.

Hi Emmy

Its completely what you are eating.  If you are not losing weight then you are consuming too many calories. 

Start cutting back and see what happens with the scale.  We are different then non surgical people and you may find you cannot consume as much as a non WLS person. 

Calories matter!  You cannot exercise your way to weight loss.  Exercise will make you feel better and stronger and may marginally allow you to eat a few hundred extra calories - but it will not overcome a bad eating plan.

Look at your calorie count on Myfitnesspal that you indicated you are using and lower it until you begin to lose at a rate that is acceptable to you.  Then stick to it. 

When I was SMO, I ate a 'healthy' diet - but way too many calories.

Calories - that's what its all about!

I'm in agreement with birdiegirl on this - it really does come down to what you're putting in your mouth at this point. It sounds like you're doing absolutely everything right with following the eating plan, tracking in myfitnnesspal, cutting out booze... and I can only imagine how frustrating and disheartening it is not to have any scale movement at all. (At all? Like, not even a pound?)

I will say that if you're not measuring/weighing your food, get back to that now. Our perception of amounts through "eye balling" can get a little distorted this far out. Another thing to look at is where you're getting your calories from - not all calories are created equally. Protein first, always. Cut out the simple carbs completely - no refined sugar, no processed white carbs, no starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, peas).

With respect to the 5 day pouch test - at nearly 9 years post-op I have done this a few times, but NOT to "shrink my pouch" (impossible and a load of crap) or even to lose weight, but it is very effective (for me) to get too many carbs back out of my diet and kick them to the proverbial curb.

You're welcome to join us on the "what are you eating/doing today" thread if you would like some feedback on your menu.

K.

Edited to add: I meant to ask - have you started a new medication in the last year or has your health changed in any way?

just remember that muscle weighs more than fat and just because the scale isn't showing you numbers....doesn't mean that you aren't becoming more fit..maybe your body is where it needs to be.

I am 6 yrs post op and gained 14lbs and holding steadily, my thoughts have ALWAYS been....the surgeon may give you a weight that they think you SHOULD be at when you are done losing and then your body has different ideas.  Also remember as we age the needs of our bodies become different.  I have never personally done the pouch test....but why not!

p.s. don't compare yourself to your sister...you are a unique individual and your loss and gains and perceptions of what life is all about are probably much different than hers, just because you share the same genetics is only 1/2 of the needed solution.

Also there are tons and tons of article on the internet about plateaus, type it into your search engine and begin reading I am sure you will find something that will mesh with your needs~!

Really? Since when did one pound of fat weigh less than one pound of muscle?  I think you are referring to the density of the muscle. ;)

sorry trying to do too many things while I should be working..LOL, you are correct Karen~!