Plateau

I had my surgery in December of 05 and have hit a plateau. I've lost apporximately 94 pounds but nothing since June of this year. Could four surgeries in the last year be the reason? I am getting discouraged.

Curt, Plateaus are not uncommon at this stage, especially for men who tend to lose faster but plateau sooner. Nine months is about the time I see the men start on a step wise pattern of weight loss - no loss for two to three weeks and then 3 or four pounds in one week, then nothing again for several and so on. The key is to figure out whether you have dropped into a stepwise pattern or a true plateau. Ways to kick the plateau: watch the carbs - try to keep below 100 grams a day, increase the protein, and increase exercise but focus primarily on resistance training with weights. These techniques seem to work well most of the time in my practice. Other areas to look into are thyroid hormone levels, testosterone levels - especially your free testosterone level, and sometimes it can be as simple as a slight nutrient deficiency such as L-carnitine (if you don't eat a lot of red meat). Good luck with it and I hope this helps you find your answer, Daniel L. Stickler, M.D. www.medabolix.com

Thanks, Daniel, for answering but it's me, Mary, not my husband.

Sorry for the mistake Mary. Most of the information also applies to females too, we just tend to see it with greater incidence in males. Daniel L. Stickler, M.D. www.medabolix.com