Stopped Losing

I am four months post op with the RNY and was losing 20 pounds a month. Then this last month I stopped losing. I have not been able to walk as much due to bad knees and ankles. But what happened? I'm still on protein drinks twice a day and have things like cottage cheese, hard cheese, shrimp soups etc with very little fruits or vegetables or pastas. What do I need to do

Sandy, you are doing great and you know that now is the time when it can slow down and frustrate us. Don't get discouraged! Your body is adjusting to all the changes and if you keep up your fluids, protein and exercise your loss will get going again but still more slowly than in the beginning. When we have less fat to burn off we have to increase our muscle mass to burn the remaining fat so keep up your exercise as much as you can. Does your PBS station get 'Sit and Be Fit'? You could be doing those workouts without damage to your ankles and knees. Are you using one of the online nutrition trackers? I started using SparkPeople after giving up on Fitday and am finally able to get a better look at my daily calories. Right now I'm eating about 7-800 a day. Bums me out considering I was barely making my 500 a day in the early post-op months but I guess that is to be expected as our little pouches heal and can take in more food. I am trying to do as my nut. and surgeon said and stay away from the cheeses because they are higher in calories. Maybe you should see if your cheeses are affecting your daily calorie counts adversely and substitute other proteins such as chicken or tuna. I still run my meats through the food processor because they just get stuck otherwise. Then I add in a low-calorie moistener such as salsa or fat-free salad dressing. My loss has slowed a lot more than yours but I am not worried (yet). I'm just focusing on keeping my motivation up, staying with my support group and keeping the exercise going. After that, the weight will take care of itself. Hang in there! Molly

Molly, You were such an encourager to me when I posted.  I had to let you know that an exam and a barium X-Ray showed that I have a staple line disruption.  So the surgeon is recommending that I have the whole thing redone.  So, my loss won't continue unless I get it fixed.  I had done all I could do and found this out during my regular exam. Thanks for the advice tho.  Between you and my nutritionist I am sorting through all the decisions needing to be made now.  At least I know why I stopped losing weight. Darn...doing this once was hard.   Now I know what is coming and it is hard to accept I may have to do it all over again.  They think my CPAP machine caused it, or the fact that I went to work so early and lifted too heavy.    But thanks again for all the encouragement.  Sandy