Question:
What am i doing wrong.
Nearly 8 wks post rny, have lost 33 lbs. (wt started at 255) I think I am doing every thing wright. I am on regular diet now but hardly getting 600 to 700 cal. in. So why is my wt not going down. I am getting so depressed. I just need someone to tel me that my wls is not already failling. — NSKASMAI (posted on August 29, 2008)
August 29, 2008
You're only 8 wks post op. you need to have more patience in this process.
Your starting wt is considered somewhat of a "lightwt" in regards
to RNY. Heavier patients (350 or more) will lost initial wt at a more rapid
rate. So you have to consider your wt loss in this regard. I started at
320 at surgery date, and was 222 at 7 months post op. That's a little under
1/2 pound per day average. Some wks had more wt loss, some less, some none.
33 pounds in 8 wks is a little over 1/2 pound per day, better than my 7
month average. I've lost a total of over 150 pounds and it took 2 years to
do this. You did not gain your excess wt in 8 wks, nor can you lose it it
that amount of time, even with RNY surgery. RNY is a tool toward wt loss,
and use it wisely. The first 6 months or so is the "honemoon
period" where you lose wt relatively easy. Learn new eating habits,
following your surgeons's protocol during this time frame. Once you get
past 6 months or so, the wt loss becomes a "mental thing" where
you have to make wise decisions about eating well, exercise, drinking
water, etc. Good luck on your journey. My profile page story may offer some
guidance for you. DAVE
— Dave Chambers
August 29, 2008
Also need to add that, I also exercise over an hour at the local gym.
— NSKASMAI
August 29, 2008
Well, darling NK, I started out at 377 and lost only 5lbs in the first
three weeks. Talk a bout a blow! I knew I was doing what I should so I
just kept on. The only thing I requested of the docs was a water pill. My
blood pressure was still too high and I thought I might be retaining water
too. They didn't want to put me back on the water pill saying the water
would come off eventually. I countered with, "You want me to be
active, move, move, move? Well I can't when my legs and feet ache. I
think it's water retention and I want it off." So they agreed to one
week of Hydroclorothiazide (HCTZ). I stayed on it 10 days until I saw that
the water was off and then went to see them again because I wanted to stay
on the HCTZ. Now I only take it if my blood pressure is above 140/90,
either number. This has really helped. I don't know if you are retaining
water but I do know how discouraging it is to do all the right things and
not see the scale move. I also bought a scale at Wal-mart the shows % of
fat and water as well as weight. This morning it was nice to see that the
water percentage was lower. At least one number changes! I am now down
60lbs and feeling a lot better. I also made a deal with myself to only get
on the scale on Fridays because every day was too discouraging.
Another thing I did when I wasn't losing was to increase my food, even my
fats. Our bodies are like little kids. They see you taking the toys away
and they hold on even tighter to the toy they have. Our body senses
starvation so it holds on to every fat cell for dear life. Offer the child
a cookie and he will give up the toy. The body needs to be fooled into
believing that the famine is over. The trick is to not let the feast
continue. But you are in control. You can outsmart your body.
Don't get depressed. It accomplishes nothing. FIGHT! See your doctor or
nutritionist and get some answers and some help. (They won't like my
famine/feast theory but it works for me every time). You have acquired a
great tool. That doesn't mean it will be easy, it just means you have a
tool for life that you can really benefit from when you use it. It's still
a big mind game, just like before but this time we are going to win!!!!
Blessings my friend,
Laura
— waterlover
August 29, 2008
Most of us must have this notion that we will have surgery and suddenly
wake up thin in a few weeks. I remember thinking it was slow too and that I
was not doing as well as most others...But I was soooo wrong. I didn't
even nothice a difference in my weight til I lost over 65 lbs! That took a
few months! Give yourself a year to lose your weight. You ARE melting and
you ARE doing GREAT! Once you lose a certain amount 5 lbs becomes VERY
noticeable. But on a larger body 5 lbs is the difference between a few
glasses of water...Once you get a little smaller...5 lbs is a half a size!
Patience sweetie, you're well on your way to thin!
— .Anita R.
August 29, 2008
You might consider talking with your dietitian. You might not be getting
ENOUGH calories. When you don't get enough calories and enough protein,
sometimes your metabolism will slow, which is not helpful when trying to
lose weight.
----------Does that help? Kind regards,,,
Jerome,,,UNJURY (R) Protein
— UNJURY
August 29, 2008
— gigi_c
August 29, 2008
Hi NK, thanks for writing. What are you depressed about? Not losing
enough? Anytime you look at what you want and are not getting it you will
be dis satisfied and discouraged. If you are celebrating the 33 pounds
lost, you set yourself up to lose more. You began at 255 and are doing
very well. Be sure you walk or exercise 5 to 7 times a week and fight for
the weight loss. It will NOT come easy, it doesn't for most of us, but it
will come off if you challenge yourself and do what is right. That
includes exercise, drinking water, not drinking other stuff (soda,
alcohol), and eating right. Losing weight has always been about doing
these things. If you skip one because you think the surgery is going to
back you up, you deceive yoruself. In the end, you will stop losing and
even begin to regain. If you want success, you have to fight for it. For
me, that meant celebrating my small successes and my large ones rather than
looking at what I want and when I wanted it. I lost about 1 to 3 pounds
every week, no big magic numbers, but walking 5 miles a day, drinking water
and watching what I ate, it gave me what I wanted. The surgery backed me
up on what I was doing, and by God's amazing grace, I lost weight and kept
it off for 4 years. You have to decide to keep going even when it doesn't
feel like you are succeeding. There is no promise of daily weight loss,
there is no promise of large weight loss, but you will do very well if you
fight for it and do all the right things. Take care. The choice is yours,
but so are the conequences if you don't. Take care, Patricia P.
— Patricia P
August 29, 2008
I am almost 8 weeks post op. What I do to keep myself from getting too
down is set small goals. I have met my first to get under 250 and now my
2nd is to loose total 50 pounds. I celebrate those little things with pat
on my back and the thrill of knowing I did and then set the next small
goal. Its easier to work for small goals then 1 big goal for me. I have
lost 42 pounds and only been 7 and half weeks. I only drink diet green tea
by lipton, crystal lite or water, I do not eat much carbs at all. I try to
eat my protien first then move to a few bites veggies. I splurg every now
and then with a torilla or a bite of potato. I haven't been able to
excerise alot yet because I had to wait 6 weeks with the open RYN and then
I had a really bad stomach virues and my dr suggested I wait. Then I
pulled a bad muscle in my stomach causing alot of pain. I do now walk my
dog every day and I have some work out videos to try. I just find by
really cutting back on carbs I have great luck with weight loss. Remember
its still early and to keep postive.
— armywife721
August 30, 2008
I'm 8 wks out also... and have only lost 22 lbs. (I started at 320). Plus I
have done everything "by the book". I think that the 22 lbs.
isn't enough to have lost by this time and my intake is like yours (700
cal/day). My answers have been about ""metabolism" and
"personal body timing". Plus, if we don't lose as fast, we can
tone up as we go instead of having a lot of loose skin in the end. So...
I'm sticking with it and figure my body will know when it's right. Hope
this gives you encouragement!
— pattschiele
August 30, 2008
Am I misunderstanding something? You lost 33lbs in 8 weeks... that's a
little more than 4lbs a week... a little more than 1/2lb a day. In 8
weeks, you've lost almost 13% of your bodyweight---not 13% of what you're
trying to lose, but 13% of your total body weight! That's AMAZING,
INCREDIBLE, and WONDERFUL. Give yourself a pat on the back... great job!
Keep up the hard work.
I hope that you don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like you could
use some support... are you involved with/attending a WLS support group
and/or seeing a counselor? If not, I think that its something you should
seriously consider. You said in your question that you are "so
depressed" and your statement "I just need someone to tell me
that my wls is not already failing" is concerning... "not
already failing" makes it sound as though you are expecting and
waiting to fail at this. WLS is a major deal... it's stressful to both
the body and mind. It can make you feel really icky and depressed. You
did a great thing for your body and physical health by having WLS, now its
time to do a great thing for your mind and mental health. Please find some
support... it'll make life easier.
Hang in there! Drop me a line if you want to talk.
— mrsidknee
August 30, 2008
IM 8 WEEKS OUT AND IVE LOST 30 LBS. ITS JUST HOW OUR BODY RELEASES THE
STORES OF FAT.I FIGURE IM RIGHT ON TARGET.MY SKIN CAN KEEP UP WITH THE
LOSS. AND I WONT BE SO BAGGIE.
— cecilie
August 31, 2008
I lost 50 pounds in the six months b4 lap rny, for the five months after
lost 10 pounds a month, now am losing a pound a week. panicked a bit
because "only" losing a pound a week, but since i'm down to 214
the weight will be coming off slower. the less you weigh, the slower the
weight comes off. i'm sure i'd lose more & faster if I worked out, but
that's not me - I walk instead. I'm healthier, feel better, and glad I had
the surgery. There's always going to be someone who loses more, or loses
it faster than me, I just have to keep reminding myself I'm making progress
and getting healthier.
— Susan C.
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