7 weeks post op & hopeless

It has been 7 weeks since my revision from LapBand to rny and I am barely losing weight. In addition - I still haven't got my energy back.  My weight day of surgery was 207 and as of last week I was 195, so that's 1.5 pounds a week. I am eating less, definitely, but I am hungry often and am averaging probably 1200 - most of it from protein. I am beside myself....the whole reason I revised to an rny was to NOT be hungry and to have a tool to lose the weight more quickly...am so sad and worried...can anyone help?

Go back and really look at what youre eating and start right it down to make sure your only eating 1200 calories. I had to drop down to about 800 with the rny becasue my body wouldn't let go of the weight. Also are you exercising? If your not exercising then that is another issue too, with the RNY exercise is a necessary factor. I only lost after about 5 months about 10 pounds per month and that was becasue I was working out about 2 hours per day 6 day per week (crazy but the weight wouldn't come off).

Hope some of what I have said will help a little hang in there your still early out and your body needs time to adjust.

Sophia

*Please note you are still pretty early out and have gone through a major surgery AND if I'm not mistaken at 207 you are a lightweight and it may not come off as fast*

That being said:

Have you talked to your surgeon and a nutritionist. First off I think 1200 calories is a lot for rny. In the beginning I was told 800-1000. You need to be getting in plenty of protein, so hopefully you're doing low carb low or no sugar high protein drinks. I don't think you would be able to get enough in just by eating at this point. One thing that I learned is just because you can eat a certain thing or a certain amount, you shouldn't. I know it can be a lot of work but measure your food and also log it in some place like fitday.com. I can't stress enough to walk walk walk as much as possible. Drink lots and lots of water and watch the breads, sugar, pasta and starches like potatoes and corn. Some people can eat this stuff and still lose, but for people like me if I smell it I will gain weight.  Also if you don't have energy you might want to have your iron checked or at least that is what my surgeon did. I was to supplement iron and make sure that I was taking the sublingual b12 vitamins. I was one that really had to work hard for the weight that I did lose, so for some it can be a struggle. Keep your head up and if you are doing all those things be patient and know that it will come off.

Take care,
Monique

I converted from lap band to rny three years ago.  It did not work for me.  I lost 100 while banded, but had numerous complications and several surgeries and ultimately had to have band removed.  During that time I regained 38 lbs.  I converted to rny and lost a lotal of 35 lbs.  I never feel full.  I have managed to keep my weight in check for the three years, but really wanted to lose another 60-70 lbs.  When I told my surgeon that I have no sensation of being full he just shrugged it off.  I have been able to eat way too much food from the beginning.  Three months out I could eat a whole slice of pizza or a 6" sub.  Now I can eat two slices of pizza or a whole sandwich or pretty much anything.  I regret having it done because I live with the malabsorption, having to take vitamins and I am still fat. 

I'm going to give you a little tough love here. 1200 calories is WAY too much, especially so early out and especially during the losing phase. For the first 18 months after my revision, I averaged anywhere from 700 to 900 calories. I would have gained on 1200. I am three years out and I would gain now on 1200. In maintenance I eat anywhere from 1000 to 1200, but 1200 is at the higher end of the spectrum. Please also realize, that there will be times you will be hungry, especially if you base hunger on the feeling full you used to feel when you were stuffed. That's truly not what normal thin people consider full. You're going to have to retrain your mind if you want to be successful losing this weight. I'm so sorry to be hard on you, but most of this is in our minds.

It's going to be really important for you to get together with a good nutritionist and drop the calorie count if you want to take advantage of the window of opportunity while you still have malabsorption with the RNY. Before you know it that will be gone, and unless you've retrained your habits entirely during that time period, it's going to be so much harder. The hunger is much worse after about two years than a few months after surgery. I imagine what you are really experiencing is "head hunger" and that's going to require a real "sea change" in your mind and heart. That's the hard part.

Oh - and I agree with the other poster above. I do not eat (and have not eaten since my RNY) any simple carbs. No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, starch, etc. I severely limit sugars as well (nothing over 6 grams). I limit my carbs to 75 per day, and limit the types of fruits I eat to those that are low in sugar and carbs as well.

I don't drink any protein drinks that are high in sugar or carbs either and I don't eat any protein bars (because they don't make any that aren't high in carbs and sugar).