New and kind of lost

Hello,

M name is Jerrica and I had gastric bypass on April 5th this year.  It has been three weeks and I think I have hit a stand still.  I have lost about 33 pounds so far.  Starting weight was 414 pounds and my weight now is 381 pounds.  I think it has something to do with eating food.  I don't eat much.  I am on soft and pureed food.  I eat about 60 cc a day.  I am not taking my protien or vitamins.  I have some trouble eating food.  It hurts sometimes.  I am not near my doctor.  I moved a week after surgery due to my husband being military.  I am also very depressed right now.  I would like to be able to eat and still lose weight.  As for excersice, I walk and I am just starting to do the ellyptical.  I will have my own membership tomorrow at the gym so I dont have to wait for others and can go everyday.  I am struggling a lot because of this eating thing.  I am the cook in my house and it is hard for me to have to cook and not eat anything.  I am also depressed because I am barly eating at all that my weight lose has stopped.  I had this surgery because I couldn't lose weight on my own.  I was darn near a vegetarian and took up to 22 weight lose pills everyday and went to the gym 5 days a week, two times a day, for two hours each.  I also worked out at home on the weekends.  So I am not trying to just lose 33 pounds and then for it to stop.  I'm getting to the point where I don't want to eat or socialize and only workout all day everyday.  I went for surgery to have a normal life and lose weight.  But instead it's like my life has changed for the worst.  I say that because I feel like I gave up something so large for nothing, or should I say 33 pounds.  I just wanted to lose weight.  I don't know what to do anymore.  I don't know what's happening or what's going to happen.  I need help.  That's all I know.    

The first thing I see in your message is that you are less than a month out from surgery and you are not getting in your protein or vitamins. You must get enough protein for your body to burn fat. Are you getting in your water? that too is VERY important. If you are having pain while eatting you need to tell your doctor, he/she can better assist you in finding a resolution to that.

Celebrate the 33 pounds you have lost. I am sure it has made you feel better even though it is not what you had hoped for. Once you follow all the rules for eatting and drinking and get out there and get some exercise and enjoy the spring weather you will begin to see a difference not only in your weight but in how you feel emotionally.

Best of luck to you!

I agree with the previous poster you need to start including protein a shake or two a day if  or vitamins, if you don;t start doing BOTH, you could be in for a heap of trouble.

Being depressed could very well be...because of your situation and ALSO because your body is not getting the proper nutrients.

33 lbs in a month...that's incredible...and one thing I have ALWAYS told people that have just had surgery STOP...getting on that freakin scale...you shouldn't weigh yourself more than once a week (at most), because our body's fluctuate so drastically especially during the first several months after surgery.

I you become obsessed with weighing yourself (not saying that you are)..but if you do it becomes once again a battle between you and the scale......

You are at a STALL...some people stall shortly after surgery, some NEVER stall and some like myself stall later on...

everyone is different..you just need to stay positive and keep with the program

you need to change your eating habits...just because you were almost  vegetarian previously and took diet pills...this surgery IS A NEW BEGINNING

you need to re-learn how to eat, how to chew slowly, make protein the first thing you put into your mouth at EVERY meal, learn to read nutritional labels, and don't drink liquids a 1/2 before or after your meals.

all of these RULES, may seem overwhelming at first, but it's proven to work...I have lost 114 lbs and am 2 years post-op...sure i had struggles at the beginning and it is NOT easy,,,,,,but it works...

it is ONLY a tool....YOU HAVE to have faith and trust that it does work, take it slow...and stay off the scale.

You are the cook in your house...awesome..you can start making healthier meals, there are tons of websites out there that have wonderfully created meals for bariatric patients..you can make healthy meals that will allow your family not to become overweight

Not sure what you mean you had this surgery "to have a normal life"

I am not sure what guidance or pre-planning/information or support groups you attended PRIOR to having his surgery

 I had a year from the time I was approved to my surgery date and I sure knew that my life not my eating would NEVER be the same...you have to make adjustments and sacrifices and being that
I am 2 years post-op...I can tell you..that while it seems like a struggle for YOU right here at this point in time..you will look back 6 months, a year two years down the road and realize that it was ALL worth it.

Start having a positive attitude and realize that it's baby steps you need to take..just as your pouch is like a baby it needs to be pampered...you will in the future be able to sit down to a meal of meat/chicken/fish with a small amount of carbs and some salad.

I hope that besides this board you have a supportive family and hopefully can get yourself to some group support meetings...if you don't know if there is a support group near you..start a thread..or google Bariatric Support groups (and then enter your city/town)...or ask your local hospital...you really need to have some one on one with people who understand the challenges and struggles that occur at first.

All I can say IT DOES GET BETTER..and in my support group of almost 200 people...(3) people had severe complications that has had them hospitalized...BUT even they say they would have the surgery again~!

HUGS

Hi Jerrica,
  I'm hoping to give you a little info that will help. I agree with the previous posters. Also I had trouble with losing my first 6 weeks. My surgeon said it was because I was not eating enough. I increased my calories. Got all my protein in first. All my water in (which I know is difficult.) The weight just started falling off me. Did your doctor give you info on how many grams of protein a day? It seems strange that one needs to eat more to lose more. Too few calories and the brain thinks the body is starving. It tries to protect itself by holding on to the weight. Call you doctor. If he is too far away to see routinely, then find one in your new area. Your doctor and his/her staff are so important right now. Also please find an active support group. OH is behind you. That's what we are here for. Keep posting. We will listen.   Mag  

Welcome to the group Jerrica.  Everyone has posted great ideas.  Focus on protein first, start your supplements and know that stalls happen.  Depression is also common following wls.  I am reposting an article from the blog area here on bariatric buddy group.  It hasn't been posted in a thread for many months and helps all of us to refocus.  Also explains some of the feeling and sypmtoms we go through.



Many of us experience some changes in our emotions after weight loss surgery. There are a few things that contribute to this occurance, But, here's one reason you may not have even been aware of.

First, we all have "fat cells" in our bodies. Even thin people. When you are not overweight, these cells are flat, meaning not filled out. As you gain weight these fat cells become more filled out and larger. Your body actually does not create new fat cells. The ones you do have are just no longer flat and basically empty.

So, whats very interesting here is that when you are obese, and begin to lose weight, you are not actually losing fat cells, rather you are losing the "stuff inside" of those fat cells. What I find extremely interesting though, is what exactly some of that "stuff" in our fat cells actually consist of, other than just fat.

When you first began to pack on the pounds, many of your hormones were actually stored in your fat cells. The longer you have been obese, the more hormones are stored in these fat cells. As you begin to lose weight and your fat cells begin to shrink, they excrete hormones that have been stored in these cells for as long as you have been over weight, thus releasing these hormones back into your blood stream.

Once they are back into your blood stream, you begin to feel the effects of these newly released hormones, and it can really get you in a state of upheaval. Did you begin to gain weight during the time of puberty? Remember how hard that time in our lives were? You were going through many hormonal changes then. Now, as your fat cells release these hormones, you begin to feel the effects of them, but more subtly than during puberty.

So it is believed that this is one of the big reasons many wls patients go through mood changes, and emotional changes especially during the rapid loss phase. The good news is, this does not last forever. And as the weight loss slows, so does this release of hormones that have been stored up over the years in the fat cells, as these stored hormones get flushed from our systems.

It can be helpful to enlist the assistance of an antidepressant during you loss time, to help stabilize the emotional effects of this process. If you are currently on antidepressants, you may need the level temporarily increased during this time.

Which, leads me to another point. After wls, you are in a state of malabsorbtion, unless you had the lapband procedure. This being said, any current medications you are taking at the time of your wls procedure, may need to be adjusted by your physician post-operatively. This applies to not only anti-depressants, but all medications. This is something that will be important to discuss with your surgeon, and (s)he may refer you to your pcp after surgery to manage your medication levels

hey sweety! Take a deep breath and relax. I hit my first plateau at just 11 days out from surgery and it lasted nearly 2 weeks! But I lost my excess weight, hit a normal BMI and did great. It took me longer than it did some to lose it, but I did, and if you stay dedicated, you will too.

You do have to put the food issues to rest eventually. It is gard, but it is so important. Maybe counseling? Find something you enjoy more than food that is healthy for you? There is an adjustment period, it will get better. But do deal with the food issues, so later on the weight doesn't creep back up on you.

Best of luck. YOU WILL lose more weight. Your body just needs time to catch up to all the changes.