Question:
9.5 months post RNY, weight loss is stalling....
I have lost 103 pounds, but lately I gained back 3 pounds for no apparent reason, then I lost it, then gained 2 back... My weight loss is stalling....... I am thrilled to have lost a 100 pounds, but need to lose 40 more. I eat primarily tuna, cheese, chicken, some roast beef, cottage cheese, tomato, Fiber One cereal. I occasionally eat banana, apple, peanut butter, nuts, vegetables. I drink primarily Crystal Light and sugar-free Lattes/coffee. I take multi-vitamins, V-B liquid complex, Calcium, Potassium daily. I sometimes eat a protein bar or bullet. I sometimes take Vitamin A&E. I have not been exercising. I am probably eating 4-8 ounces of food per meal, and 700-1,000 calories per day. I am lazy about exercise. Any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks everyone! — Gina S. (posted on November 23, 2008)
November 22, 2008
wow that is great if you have not exercised at all. You are eating foods
that my DR said are not good and very high in fat. I suggest drop the
penut butter, limit the nuts they can become to many, & lattes. See if
that helps. I just had a revision Thursday to the RNY. DR stressed to
walk at least 30 minutes a day for MANY reasons other than exercise.
— MonHay
November 22, 2008
If you want to get the other 40 lbs off before you hit the 18 month mark, I
suggest you start exercising. Many of my friends who did not like
exercising tried Curves and are now hooked. It's easy , inexpensive and
doesn't take more than 30 minutes 3-4x a week. It will make a huge
difference. If you like to dance, try Zumba. Zumba classes are cropping
up everywhere...go to zumba.com to see if there are any in your area. Many
are drop in classes so you don't have to join a gym to attend. I have
always exercised and attribute my success in losing all the weight and
maintaining it for almost a year to exercise. You should keep a food diary
on fitday.com to see how many calories you are really eating. The PB and
nuts can add up unless you have a small amount. Try PB2 powdered PB, it's
only 54 calories for 2T vs. 200 for regular PB. I measure out my nuts. Go
back to having smoothies with whey protein. I have one almost every day!
I make them with frozen banana, strawberries, ground flaxseed and sf syrup!
Good luck in getting off the rest of the weight!
— Sheri A.
November 22, 2008
Exercise is probably going to be the key to put you over the top. It's
just a matter of finding something that you like and making it part of your
day. Besides it's just so darn important for your health and well being.
It makes you fit for life's tasks. Why do everything required of you but
skip one important step. Remember we are out to change the way we did
things in the past. Don't want to sound like a lecture hon but it's so
important. At least try to walk or skip rope or something. Good luck.
— katiecakes
November 22, 2008
Gina, your doing great, I have lost 285lbs and although I want to loose 75
more I realized the last few miles will be harder to do. I have been at a
standstill for 2 months. up 2 to 3 down 2 to 3. I am going back to basics,
be careful on what you are eating. I will start a meal and go run the
sweeper or find something to do for exercise and take another bite or two.
Your doing fantastic. keep it up, Bobby
— obx100
November 22, 2008
It's pretty much a no brainer Gina.....I'm guessing you need to start
exercising. I'm in the same situation, and need to step up the exercise.
I walk and do some floor exercises and weights as well, but nothing too
extreme. I need to lose 38 more pounds to reach goal and am just over a
year out. I have made the committment to myself to achieve this by
February, if at all possible. I want to get some reconstructive surgery
this coming summer, and want to be down to a stable weight in order to
qualify for it. So girl....we need to get on the ball and get to moving
our bodies!!! Best wishes and know you're not alone in this battle. It's
that last amount of weight that will give you some trouble. Let's go for
it and JUST DO IT! To coin a Nike commercial!.....Hugs....Cheryl
— Cheryl K.
November 22, 2008
It was good for me reading the other posts. I've been lazy about
exercising the past few months and my weight loss has stalled. 8 months
post RnY and lost 92-94 lbs. Need to loose 40 more and firm up... Exercise
is going ot be my key - just got to get my mind around it again. This
process was a life chaning adventure and includes exercise to be health. I
need to step up my game. Suggest that you find an exercise that you like,
dancing, walking or something. Godspeed.
— ap2008324
November 23, 2008
You are eating well and that's not the problem! It's certainly the
exercise. At this point you really need to try to get motivated and move
your body! I'm with you on the excerise. I hate it and I really do not
like gyms and public exercise places at all. I'm uncoordinated and clumsy
too so aerobics and jazzercise type classes are a HUGE joke! By the time I
finally get the routines they change and I throw everyone off because I get
them confused and bumping into eachother because I can't get it right!!
LOL It would be comical if it weren't so embarrassing! Winter is such a
hard time for me too because I am so sensitive to the cold that being
outside is just painful! I know i have so many excuses! So trust me when
I say I aprreciate your honesty about being lazy with exercise! Like me
you are probably far from being lazy but I have force yourself to get
moving too. I recently took on a job for exercise! I had to do something
becasue I am a recluse and will hide out in my house if I have no
place/appointment or errands to get me out of the house. I love being
outside, but only in my yard or familiar places...I even got a dog to get
me to walk her...But I trained her to not leave my yard! LOL so she goes
out by herself now! I'm probably not helping huh? Well recently I bought a
pedometer...It measures how many steps you take a day...My first day I only
walked 250 steps...so I knew I was REALLY being lazy that day! So the next
day I upped it to 500...then 1000 ...then 1600...and it became a really fun
thing to try to beat each day with more steps...I found myself parking
further out just to get in some extra...taking stairs instead of
elevators...whatever I could do! Now I get in an average of 5000 steps a
day and the rest of the time I am on my feet all day and I am eating
EVERYTHING and lost weight which I am now maintaining! I'm smaller/firmer
than I've been in a long long time and eating sooooo much more! I have
energy...but it's hard to find things to motivate me. Try anything you
can...I've been informed I am getting a belly dancing CD for Xmas! I've
been wanting to try that so Santa's Elves are taking care of that for me!
But anything you do to add movement to your day is going to help...Even if
it's just beginning a good stretching routine as soon as you get outta
bed...After almost 5 years post op and most of my life dieting and trying
to lose weight, I can honestly say that looking back now...EXERCISE is the
most important part of weight loss success for me in the past, since
surgery and probably forever as long as that might be. I truly believe
that. Find something you like to do that is active...ANYTHING...cleaning
house, yard work, gardening, walking, stretching, hiking, mall walking,
exercise tapes or classes, dancing, swimming, a sport even, rowboating or
canoeing...ANYTHING to get yourself moving...Get a little trampoline and
jump a few times a day...A jump rope...a hula-hoop and punching bag and
gloves...Shadow box..kick boxing, tai chi, yoga, a martial arts
class...There is something for everyone and it doesn't have to be on a
treadmill or in a gym...Just move!
— .Anita R.
November 23, 2008
Before I had my surgery, I was told by my doctor that most people only lose
80% of their goal. That seems a little dicouraging but the truth is the
only way to achieve and maintain your goal is to get moving and work out.
I'm 2 yrs post op... I joined a GYM 6 wks after wls and was loyal to my
goals for a year or so. As soon as I stoped going to the GYM the pounds
came back. I gained 35 lbs without even knowing what was going on. So, a
week ago I went back to the GYM, commited as ever, and I started losing
weight again. I'm down 12 lbs in a little over a week. Pretty good if you
ask me... Walking is a great work out, so get up and get going. Good luck.
— maria09elena
November 23, 2008
The closer I've gotten to my goal, the slower losing weight it has become.
There have been a few ups and downs...maybe a pound up and a pound down,
but generally it levels out and moves down. I think that is pretty much
expected.
In regards to exercise...I walked every day, Gina. Some times I walk 1 hour
and some times as much as 4 hours. I walk in the city and love those walks
because I have gotten to know so many people along my route.
As for food, I would advise keeping a food log of your grams of protein,
carbs, and total calories each day for a couple of and looking it over to
see where you are. 700 calories seems a bit low and that may be
contributing to your slow loss. Maybe a visit with your food log to your
dietician?
Keep at it. This is a process of learning for us.
— kathryn_ann
November 23, 2008
cheese, peanut butter, bananas, nuts and lattes. Those are the things that
you need to cut out. The cheese and bananas will "bind you up"
and may cause constipation, which is not good for weight loss, especially
if you end up getting impacted (OUCH)!!
I agree with everyone else, you MUST get out and exercise. It doesn't have
to cost you a single penny, either. Take a walk around the block. Start out
small, then work your way up, adding more time to your walking schedule. My
surgeon (as well as MANY others) promote walking as the best way to lose
the weight. It helps to keep your gas moving too!! It also aids in the
digestion process, which you don't have much of now after the WLS.
I am 100% positive that if you can get yourself moving and cut out the
above mentioned items, you WILL get to your goal in no time at all! Good
luck.
— anitak
November 24, 2008
It sounds to me like you already have your own answer. Get off your butt!
— SharonZ
November 24, 2008
If its just 2 - 3 pounds you are gaining/losing, I would think that the
weight fluctuations are due to hydration (how much you are drinking) and
hormones (retaining water).
If you want to loose more weight, then you're going to need to exercise.
In addition to burning off calories, exercise will increase the amount of
muscle tissue you have. Muscle burns more calories than fat and as a
result increases your basal metabolic rate (the minimum amount of calories
needed to survive--for breathing, heart beat, brain function, etc). A
higher basal metabolic rate means that your body burns more calories
maintaining itself, which will help increase your weight loss.
Good luck!
— mrsidknee
November 24, 2008
Well, all things being equal, you are doing very well with the weight. But
your diet needs to be adjusted; in particular, lose the peanut butter and
nuts. You also know that you need to exercise. It's not your weight loss
that has stalled, it is your diet and your exercise program. Adjust those
and you will meet your goal!
— [Deactivated Member]
November 25, 2008
I had my gast. sleeve on Nov. 6, 07. I too am experiencing a plateau in my
loss. I've lost about 82 lbs. but wanted to lose 100. I also gain and lose
a pound and a half. I don't love to exercise either. I belong to Curves,
enjoy it and think it is great but don't get myself there enough. Some
weeks only 1 or 2 days. I also try to walk and bike but in MI it is now
very cold and snowy. As you can see, it is very easy for me to make
excuses not to exercise. I also eat pretty much the same as you do. I see
that some folks have advised you to lose the p.butter and nuts. I talk to
myself about that too, they are a favorite of mine. Nuts are addictive to
me. I would probably have been better off if my nut. had not told me to
eat them to boost my protein and cals. I go for my 1 yr. appt. tomorrow,
we'll see what the team has to say.
Good luck to you (and me)!
— mustanghonee
December 2, 2008
I think your answer is in your question, if you kick in some exercise, you
will jump start your weight loss again. Also, journal your intake and see
how many carbs you are taking in. Between the cereal and fruits above, it
might be a little too much.
Best of luck and congratulations on your weight loss so far,
Dawn Vickers, RN, BLC, CLC
— DawnVic
Click Here to Return