Question:
PLATEAU AT ALMOST 12 WEEKS POST OP

I am almost 12wk PO. I am 5'6" and started out at 282lbs and I am down to 232. I am comsuming about 90oz water/day, 70g ormore protein, 1000 cal or less, workout 6 days a week including weight training. I didn't lose any weight last week and seem to be stuck at 232lbs. Any suggestions on what to do to amp up the loss again?    — Iris W. (posted on March 28, 2007)


March 27, 2007
Don't get discouraged, we have all hit these obsticles in our journey. Our bodies are masters of adaptation and with any minor change, healthy or otherwises, it will try to hang on to the calories/fat so it doesn;t go into a starving mode. I find when I hit a plateau, I shake thinks up a bit, I do mass quanitities of water. I also increase my protein shakes by 2 more per/day. Try a differernt excercise routine. In my experience, variety is key to not comming to a stand still in a WL plateau. I also make myself available to other group members who will honestly let me know if I am heading off the deep end. Don't isolate yourself - that's one of the worst things you can do. Remember, just cause you messed up today...there is no guarentee that tomorrow has to be the same!!!
   — victoriandove

March 27, 2007
Your body is reacting completely normal. You can't lose 50lbs every month lol. Sounds like your doing wonderfully!!! I'm so jealous with your diligent exercise routine, I wish I would have had the stamina and dedication to have a steady routine like that... i would not have needed surgery lol Your doing great hang in there :)
   — _blue_

March 27, 2007
I envy you being able to get that much water down. And your weight loss is great. Plateaus come to give your body time to adjust to all the weight loss, give yourself time and don't worry about weighing yourself, just keep doing what you are doing and before you know it you could start loosing overnight. Everyone is different but it sounds like you are doing wonderful.
   — Virginia M.

March 28, 2007
You are amazing. Don't worry plateaus are normal and it won't last forever. Just keep on keeping on and you will be okay. Norma
   — njkbutton

March 28, 2007
hey irish you look great i seen your pics, you will get there just keep the faith i am 9 weeks out i had alittle slow down as well with the weight but now its like i am lossing a pound a day ...you look great you can really see the change in u!!!! Roxanne 345-68 =277
   — Roxanne Piligno

March 28, 2007
Iris, I want to thank you for being so complete in your question. It helps to see a full picture of what someone is doing. First girl, don't panic, ok, breathe with me. A real plateau is the same weight for a 3 month period of time, not one week. You are not at a plateau. Let's look at the numbers, let's see, in 3 months, you have lost 50 POUNDS! WOW GIRL, THAT IS SUPER! Your body must be in shock. Iris, it takes time for the body to adjust to what you are doing. We have been feeding and forcing our bodies to stay obese for many years. It will fight back at some point. First, I encourage you to continue what you are doing, keep up everything and just push through the next few weeks. If after 3 or 4 weeks you still are not losing (don't lose heart, you will continue to lose once your body is ready, BE FAITHFUL), after 4 weeks, then maybe cut back just a scoach on your exercise. Sometimes we beat our bodies to death on exercise, and at some point that can be counter productive. Your weight training should be light and in moderation, if you progress to do too much, you stress your body beyond the max it should be taking for a woman of 232 pounds. You may be doing weights and reps for someone more fit than yourself. You have super motivation and good control of your habits right now. The important this is to not lose heart, know that you are not on a plateau right now, just a "hump" in the road. Keep doing everything right, and maybe give your body a little rest in a few weeks if you are still not losing. Good job girl, you are a good testimony of what you should be doing post surgery, keep up the good work! Patricia P.
   — Patricia P

March 28, 2007
Iris, I have to agree with Patricia, you are doing excellent. Several times over my first year I would hit what I thought was also a plateau, but not loosing weight for a few weeks after looking so much in a month is not a big deal. It sounds like you are watching the scale a lot and I don't blame you a bit, I pretty much watched the scale everday for the first year post-op. One thing to think about is how much weight-training you are doing... You can possibly be loosing fat, but gaining muscle - remember that muscle weighs more than fat does; however in smaller mass'. So you could actually be loosing fat, but gaining muscle which is an awesome problem to have. Have you been taking your measurements? If you are weight-training, then instead of loosing at the scale so much, you should probably take more stock in your actualy inches. Many of us post-ops don't do as much exercise as we should post-surgery - I know I didn't exercise at all and now I am paying for it with too much loose skin... If you are at a gym, ask someone to take your measurements if you haven't already been doing that. Keep up the good work hun! Jennifer
   — JGDugar

March 28, 2007
ORIGINAL POSTER HERE, Thanks for all the information guys. I am trying not to outdo myself with the weights. I am doing two sets on several different machines and going very light on the lbs used. Next week I will begin doing 3 sets.I don't want to bulk up, I want to tone. I hope that building this muscle will pay off in the long run.
   — Iris W.




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