A question to those who lost too much...

I know this is never a popular question/topic and I'll get flamed or blown off, but I'm having a real problem here.  I'm 15 months out.  I lost down to my goal of 135 from 232 (highest 245) at about 6 months out.  I was stable at 130 to 135 for 6 months and all was well.  Then I had a tummy tuck (the PS only removed 2-3lbs of skin) and suddenly my weight loss kicked into high gear again.  I sitting here today at 117lbs, I'm overtired, my chest bones are protruding, I have no appetite and when I force myself to eat I get sick and I'm getting seriously scared.  I know part of my problem is my thyroid - my docs are adjusting my meds and part is stress, but I don't know how to turn this around.  How do you put back on 7-10lbs?  And ONLY 7-10lbs???  I know how to put on 100lbs or at least I did, but every time I try to eat more my stomach clenches up.  I swear I could eat more at 6 months out than I can eat now. I know I need to go see my surgeon but I'm afraid he's going to insist on doing something that's going to cause me to gain back too much weight.  God am I turning into an anorexic? Or am I just being a stress ball as usual?

I don't have a complete answer for you, but my mother's got a hyper-thyroid and she dropped 100lbs in 1 year (she did not have WLS) and had the same issues w/ getting sick and the weight just sloughing off. She said she was without energy, and kept trying to eat but either felt sick or threw up anything... You might talk to your doc about a hyperthyroid. Its very hard on your heart, and if he's already adjusting your meds, you may be on track to feeling much better soon..but it sounds like a hyperthyroid to me.  jess

I actually have hypothyroidism, but since the WLS it has self corrected faster than the docs have been able to keep up with.  So I've been hyperthyroid from time to time.  The problem is when they get the meds right again the weight doesn't go back, I just stop losing.  I have many more bouts of my thyroid self-correcting and I'm going to disappear!

Hi Carolyn! I certainly hope no one would flame you for posting this topic~its just as important as any other post op topic.  I'm sorry to hear this is happening and I can understand why you would start to second guess yourself. Most times people recommend upping caloric intake, increasing carb intake, eating whole dairy products, etc. It sounds like you're having a hard enough time eating though, so trying to get more in might not be an option for you right now. What are the foods that you can get down easily? I think you need to talk to your surgeon. I don't think they will do anything that would "undo" your surgery and make you gain back too much weight. Do they have a nutritionist on staff that you could talk to? Are you in any therapy right now? Just wondering b/c you said you're under alot of stress right now. One thing I can say that sounds familiar to me (this doesn't happen very often, but it does happen) when I get stressed out I also feel that clenched feeling inside and can't eat~if I do try to eat during that time my food always gets stuck and then I end up with the foamies and feel miserable for awhile until the food passes or is thrown up.  Its a terrible feeling and I definitely know when its happening b/c I can actually feel the tightening just under my sternum. I always tell dh he can NOT upset me while I'm eating or I will be the one paying for it later!!!!  Well, hope this helps some. (((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))

I am in therapy, have been for years.  We're stepping up to weekly until I get things under control.  Foods I can get down easily seem to be changing on me.  I can still eat steak, just not as much.  I did have flounder at my sister's tonight and it went down beautifully - I'll have to try that again.  Pastas and potatoes and other carbs just make me instantly full and nauseous.  I was able to eat them before but now as you said, my stomach just clenches up.  I've been trying to drink water with my meals too but that often gives me the foamies or makes me throw up.  I think this is payback for all the times I looked at my overly thin roommate in college and thought "Just eat already!"

I'll give you my standard answer. do not TRY to regain wt by eating carbs or sugars because you will only gain FATTY tissue. Surprisingly, many of us get too low FOR A MINUTE. I reached 104. I'm 5'1", but that was at 14 months, so I looked like a punctured balloon, bascally. That's nota bad weight, but AT FIRST, there is no muscle tone or anything, and all the bones above the waist are protruding, turkey neck, etc.

Back in the olden days, we only did 60g of protein supplement and that wasn't enough. Right at this moment, I weigh 107 and it looks fine. My normal wt is about 112, so I'm not worried about this cuz I know it won't last. The difference is that I'm far from the rapid wt loss stage (10/5/94) and I do 180g protein in supplement.

Just rememebr that when you are done, there will be a 10-15 lb bounce back that you can't control. So if you PUT 10 back on and THEN have a bounce back, do you really want 25 more than you are today?

What does concern me is that you didn't say you are still doing your protein supps, vites and water as you should to maintain your health. Since iron anemia and various deficiencies are expectable (and preventable), it's critical that you are taking everything you need as a WLS person. It's good to lose fatty tissue, but not so good to lose bone mass and muscle.

I should have been more explicit.  I do get in plenty of protein (one of the few things that goes down easy is steak - I can eat 5-7 oz for lunch).  I drink about 100 oz of water a day and I take all my vitamins.  I also weight lift and one of the problems is that it's becoming difficult for me at this low weight.  I am very muscular and I should weigh more.

But do you get protein SUPPLEMENT? Especially critical if you are working out faithfully.

I mean, body builders use protein to replace the muscle they are burning, even if they are eating 6 pieces of chicken, 6 egg whites a 2 huge hunkin' steaks.

Which "all" would the vitamins include? I'm wondering if you have forfeited some bone mass in there.

The "right" answer would include a few thousand mag of calcium citrate and a few thousand IU f vit D3 (dry), among whatever else.

Carolyn, I can TOTALLY sympathize with you! I am now 3 1/2 years out, and lost all of my weight in the first 11 months. I started at 307 (I am 5'6"), and I was 109 by the time that I was 11 months out. I was gaunt, everyone was teling me how sick I looked and how I was too skinny....but I could not put weight on!! My sternum hurt, my tailbone hurt, and my shoulder blades felt like they were trying to poke through my skin. It was miserable, and I am sorry that you have to go through that. BUT, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I started drinking protien shakes that I added PB to, I would drink 4 a day, along with my usual fare. My brain did not recognize that this was extra fat and carbs, so it was easy to stop when I reached a comfortable weight. It took 2 months, and I gained the 21 pounds that I needed to gain to be at a comfortable weight. That was over 2 1/2 years ago, and I have not gained any weight back. You will get there, just be patient and keep the faith!! Take care! Joy

Thank you Joy.  I think that would be a more comfortable way for me to regain than by trying to eat more like everyone in my life keeps telling me.