Question:
The
Hi y'all.. This is a VERY long post, so sorry.. and I'm a little leary about asking another question like this since I was offended by a poster in the last question I asked... but anyway, I need to know something. How is it that someone like myself, who is 21 years old, 1 year post-op, and does everything the right way can't lose anymore?? I started at 338 lbs. and now I'm about 195, but I haven't lost in four months. Not even inches. NOTHING! I am down to three meals a day, I have about 80-100 ounces of water per day. I don't eat chips, I don't eat bread, I don't eat any candy or ice cream or anything. Not even sugar-free. I stop drinking water and start drinking again 30 minutes before and after eating. I take small bites and chew, chew, chew. I stop eating after 20 minutes. I have gone from having one protein drink for breakfast and lunch and maybe a small filet of fish for dinner. I sometimes have vegetables but normally stick to protein. I've tried cutting out the protein drinks and having some cottage cheese in the morning, some turkey slices for lunch and chicken or seafood for dinner. What the heck am I doing wrong here?? Nothing in four months! I've heard of trying to "jumpstart" your weight loss by adding in more carbs than normal for a day and then going back to your diet, and I've tried it. I had a few strawberries and pineapple slices a couple of weeks ago, then went back on my diet. A week later I was 5 lbs. heavier! I walk/jog for an hour a day and then do pilates half an hour.. nothing is changing. HELP!! — mars.renee (posted on August 31, 2004)
August 31, 2004
Hi. I think you have to remember that you have already lost so much. Why
not be happy with keeping yourself where you are at. What was the smallest
you were as an adult. I think you are trying to hard and I really think if
you relax a little you may find out you like yourself and start to be happy
where you are. I am sorry if this is not what you want to hear but to lose
over 140 pounds is a reason to celebrate your weight loss.
— Rosemary L.
August 31, 2004
Whoops... it cut off my question heheh.. I HAD put "The 'Poster Child'
for success is unsuccessful. Why?" Oh well... all it says is
"The" so let's see how many responses this gets LOL
— mars.renee
August 31, 2004
Hello Marcie. You probably won't like this answer either, but it sounds
like you have reached your metabolic setpoint. Unfortunately, this is one
of the problems with the long-term results of the RNY. Your body was forced
to survive on an extremely low calorie diet for the first year. This has
forced your metabolism to slow down and become extremely efficient on very
few calories. To combat this, I suggest upping your exercise and/or
changing your exercise regimen. This is not easy, and you will most likely
struggle to maintain your weight loss, but it can be done. Best of luck to
you.
— artistmama
August 31, 2004
Doesn't sound to me like you're getting very many calories...why don't you
try writing down everything you eat and see how many calories you're
getting. If it's too few, you won't lose. If you're only having what you
listed above, that can't be over 500 calories a day....definitely not
enough!!!! Shake things up, eat a little more, eat different foods for
awhile (not refined carbs), change your exercise, etc. Maybe your body has
just gotten too happy with the same thing everyday. Good luck to you....
— scbabe
August 31, 2004
I have just stated to lose again I did not lose anything for 6 months and I
have just lost like 20 pounds in the last month or so. Don't give up I
though I would not lose anymore but then it started again I'm at 20 months
out. 326/195
— Cindi A.
August 31, 2004
Wow--congrats on the weight loss! I agree with a previous poster-- you may
want to up your calories. I would also recommend doing some different types
of exercise. Walking and Pilates are great but if you aren't getting your
heart rate up, it's not a "cardio" workout. You might also try to
introduce weight lifting or resistance training-- this will help burn
calories and rev up your metabolism, as well as develop muscle. Many
post-ops tend to lose muscle as well as fat and you want to minimize muscle
loss. Weight training will help with this. Your body may also be taking a
break from losing- and it should. The weight loss does not continue as it
did when you were a new postie. It should slow down and eventually stop. It
may be that you will have to really work for the last 10-20 pounds, it may
be that you are done. Whatever is the case, you should be very proud of
what you have accomplished!
About being offended by an answer to a previous question: you'll find all
kinds of people here with all kinds of opinions. Please don't let someone's
answer to your question deter you from asking a question.
— lizinPA
August 31, 2004
Marcie: I agree with some of the others: change your exercise routine.
Do different exercises: water aerobica, lift weights, exercise at a
different time of day. Also, your doctor gets paid to answer such
questions, call him. If you have a support group, call the leader and ask
that person. Good luck...Judy
— juju524
August 31, 2004
Marcie this subject came up tonight at our support group meeting to the
surgeon and he said if you are doing everything right and not losing inches
then we should consider having our PCP check us out for some kind of
metabolic disorder like thyroid or such that may just start to show up as
we lose these large amounts of weight.
I hope this helps you......Nancy
— nefish
August 31, 2004
Marcie, first let me say that after reading your profile and this last
post, I think that you are the poster child for success -- you do
everything the way we are told to. My heart goes out to you. I liked
Nancy's idea about getting checked for a metabolic problem. I'm sorry that
I don't have a good answer for your problem, but I want you to know that
based on all the information I've read you are doing everything right.
That being said, I'd get a medical opinion. I figure if we have medical
insurance, we might as well use it! Good luck!
— klinzey
August 31, 2004
Marci...congrats on your weight loss. I will preface this post with
telling you in advance that it's a long one so don't feel you have to read
any further if you don't want a long response, but do know it's a positive
response and I would never hurt your feelings. I agree with all the other
posters out here but decided to write just to give you a
"virtual" hug. I know how frustrating it is to stop losing and
knowing you're doing every single thing you're supposed to do. I would
agree with the previous posters who have stated maybe you aren't getting
enough calories in. I have worked in a hospital for 29 years. I have had
a weight problem my entire life with absolutely no metabolism. My thyroid
was low, but my physician never put me on thyroid meds although I was given
adipex for a period of 2 weeks. I had to stop at that point (I was only
taking 1/2 pill per day) because even the small dosage was giving me PVC's
(irregular heart rhythm). Finally, after vehemently refusing to even
CONSIDER WLS for a full year, I surrendered it all to God and asked Him to
work it out. If it was in His will for me to have this surgery, He'd have
to work it all out for me. Needless to say, He did work everything out in
record time (I was told after all my pre-op testing was done it would take
at least 8 weeks to get approval from my particular insurance group...it
took me exactly 6 days to get approved). Anyway, I am currently just under
8 months out and have lost 105 pounds. I exercise 4-6 times per week as
much as I am able (I have a herniated disc and fractured my hip in two
places in a serious fall in 1999). I hit plateaus every few weeks. When
this happens, I have been advised to increase my calorie intake (within
reason) and to juggle the foods I eat and the exercise I do. This helps
for me. I have to eat the same thing each day as I've had problems with
meat (I can't eat it if it doesn't resemble sawdust...chicken, that is...or
if it's ground meat such as ground turkey breast or ground beef). I never
eat veggies because it's all I can do to get in enough protein. I usually
drink 1/2 protein shake for breakfast and the other between breakfast and
lunch. I eat 2 oz. baked, boneless, skinless chicken strips which have
been pulverized in a food processor mixed with non-fat mayo, one small
piece of diced celery, and hot dog relish (like chicken salad) or mixed
with non-fat mayo, celery, and grapes (another type of chicken salad). I
am religious to measure everything I eat or drink. For supper, I have two
oz ground turkey breast (white meat only) or ground beef mixed with 2 oz
picante sauce and 2 oz spaghetti sauce. I will occasionally add about 2
tbsp of diced onion and green pepper and/or refried beans. Occasionally I
have a protein bar or another protein shake in place of one of my meals.
All that being said, I find when I hit a plateau, if I vary my exercise
routine (go thru my routine in reverse order as is usual for me) and vary
my diet (also doing it in reverse order or exchanging shakes and/or bars
for the real food), this will sometimes jump start my weight loss again. I
have been told by my physician and my nutritionist that I don't get enough
calories in and my body believes it's starving so it automatically turns
everything I eat into fat to store it for preservation of my life. This is
something our bodies have been programmed to do since the days when food
was scarce and famines occurred in history. The human body...absolutely
amazing, huh? Anyway, congrats for your weight loss thus far and good luck
in the future. Speak with your surgeon and your nutritionist (call your
local hospital and ask for the dietician if you don't have anyone already
you can speak to) to get their imput which is much more important than my
two cents worth. God bless throughout the rest of your journey. Sounds as
if you're doing everything possible and everything thing you're supposed to
be doing. Try not to worry (I know...way easier said than done) and try
not to let the frustration eat you up (that's the hardest part for me).
Sorry for the length of this post, but I just wanted to give you a little
info from my own personal experience with having plateaus and also a little
virtual hug. E-mail me anytime if you just need to vent or want to talk to
someone....Kathy
— Katherine F.
August 31, 2004
Kiddo, make sure that you are getting enough calories into your body to
survive on a daily basis and for the amount of exercise that you may be
doing. I am a little like you in that I have stopped loosing weight for the
last 4 months. I am about 16 months PO and started out as a light weight. I
am down 91# and have not budged, in fact I keep gaining and loosing the
same 5 pounds. I have lost about 2" total though in the last few
months. I did find that I was not eating enough to sustain myself. I was
only getting in about 800-900 calories a day. Not purposely, I just did not
have any desire for food. Check to see how many calories you are consuming
and then check out how many you are burning in the course of a day, you may
be in effect "starving" yourself and your body is holding onto
all of the calories it can to survive. Good luck. Email me if you want to
dive into your situation deeper, may be I can give you some suggestions,
not critisim like you have had in the past. Christine
— ChristineB
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