depressed... please help

I have been stuck between 234-239 for 7 weeks now, I am feeling like there is no end in sight.  I am also starting to feel less proud of where I have came from too, and I know that this is just a really slippery tack that I am going down, and Im not really sure how to get out of it. I am eating my 60-80g of protein around 60oz of water floating around 1000 calories, I have been participating in exersise and I am just starting to feel so lost, like I am going to be at this weight forever, I know it is stupid but I almost feel like I am never going to get any smaller. Is this normal?  Is a 7 week stall normal?  If it is this is the worst plateau I have ever been on....  I guess I am just also starting to forget how long I have worked over the last nine months to lose 130ish pounds.

Have you lost any inches during this time? A true plateau is when you do not lose pounds or inches for 4 weeks or longer. If you are truly on a plateau I would suggest contacting your NUT to go over your nutrition. Stalls and plateaus are normal but honestly comming up on 2 months is quite long - my thinking says you need to make some changes to keep the scale moving. Anyways my advice is as follows - food log for a minimum of 1-2 weeks and see where your calories are comming from. You should be eating approx 40% protein, 30% fat and 30% carbs - your meals should be balanced - protein first, the veggie, the fruit, lastly starch carb. For 1000 calories you should be eating 2-3 servings of veggies, 1-2 servings of fruit and 1-2 servings of bread starch - I am horrible on veggies and any time they snuck out of my diet the scale would always stop. I would aim to be more consistant with your protein - always try and hit that 40% - a range of 60-80g is pretty wide - I would say that 60g really isnt enough protein and is the bare minimum... 80g is a much better goal to aim for. If you have been eating the same foods over and over introduce new ones - just like you get bored, your body gets bored.  Switch up your workout routine - it takes approx 6 weeks for your body to get use to a routine... you need to keep switching it up - also you need to change the intesity - if you do the elliptical/treadmill that means more resistance/incline and going faster - as you lose weight its 'easier' for your body to workout... you dont burn the same calories so you have to always keep pushing yourself. As a side note - when ramping up a workout routine you may have a slight gain the beginning (water) but that will drop off and you will see results.  I hit a long plateau over 2 months long (months 9,10, saw NUT at 11 mo)- I saw my NUT who said 'change a, b, c' and within 2 weeks of seeing her I dropped 11lbs (that was more in 2 weeks than I had lost in 4 months combined) - I just needed to change where my calories were comming from... simple changes can make big differences!

130ish pounds?  That's A LOT in 9 months - even for a post-op.  Really, Amanda, that is fantastic.  I understand the frustration at the stall (7 weeks does seem like a long time...) but in my opinion it sounds like your body, after the super quick 130 pound loss, needs a break.  Also, have you checked your other measurements at all?  Maybe you're losing inches even though you're not losing pounds.  How about co-morbities?  Have any of them improved?  What's your energy level like?  There are a lot more indicators of success besides the scale moving down. It sounds like you're doing well with food and exercise, but if it'll make you feel better, talk to your surgeon/nutritionist to get their professional input.  Maybe it is time to up your calories a bit or tweak your exercise routine.  I'm sure that this is not the end of your weight loss. And for the depression - that's normal.  It sucks, and there are things you can do about it.  I was put on lexapro post-op to help deal with the flood of estrogen released as my body broke down fat, and the lexapro made a big difference for me.  It might be a good idea to talk to your PCP about getting on something like lexapro at least for a while.   You have made leaps and bounds in getting healthy Amanda, and for that you should be proud.  You'll get past this sweetie

Thanks for the responses Amy and Jennifer, you guys are always a great voice of reason and support.  I appreciate when you both said so much, I have started logging my food again and measuring it again, in addition to the workouts i have done. I am going on the 80-90g of protein range now Jennifer, I think that might be better like you suggested.  Thanks =)

I agree with the other posters. You have lost a lot of weight in 9 months. Remember you are fighting against your body who doesn't want to loose the weight, because of starvation. That is why most weight loss programs (with the exception of weight loss surgery) don't work for obese people. I think you should really see your nut again. See if he/she has any suggestions. Megan