Question:
Portions and plateaus at ten months post op??

Well, its embarassing to admit..especially when I see/hear so many people on here complain about losing "only" 90 pounds, etc....in 5 months, 7 months, or what have you. Here I sit.......over ten MONTHS post op and down only about 65 pounds. This is shocking to me. I dont want to have surgey again--whats involved with a revision anyway? I assume I have WAY stretched my pouch.....but oddly enough, my surgeon is NOT concerned. He LIKES slow losers. I havent lost an ounce in about four months and what I dont get is that..even though I can eat 'more' than I could immediately post - op, it still doesnt seem calorically possible to maintain or even gain on what I eat....unless this surgery confuses the metabolism as much as diets do. Any other ten month post-ops out there wanna email me about AMOUNTS they are able to eat? Thanks! Lisa in NY    — Lisa G. (posted on July 8, 2002)

July 7, 2002
Lisa, everyone is different. I'm 11 months out, and I've lost more than you, but possibly I started out with lots more to lose. You have to figure out what you have to do. I notice that you don't mention exercise. What do you do to move your body? Your metabolism WILL respond to movement, I can guarantee that. Also, are you drinking enough water? That can help, too. Finally, are you getting enough quality calories? My body goes into starvation mode (and holds on tightly to every last ounce) if I don't get in at least 900 calories per day. I don't always make it, either. In any case, keep a good thought, Margie B
   — Marjorie B.

July 8, 2002
I looked at your profile, and it appears that you were a WLS "lightweight" to begin with, meaning you weighed under 300 lbs. at the start of this journey. The fact that you have "only" lost 65-70 lbs. so far is not surprising, but the four-month plateau problem you mentioned is a bit concerning. How do you get your weight loss back on track? Try cutting ALL refined sugars (i.e. white flours, sugar, corn syrups, processed foods, potatoes, rice, popcorn, etc.) It's hard, but it will jumpstart your weight loss. I have lost 185.5 lbs. so far and have 31.5 lbs. to go. Cutting the carbs has helped me enormously. I try for 100 grams or less per day. It's strict, but you would be amazed how it helps with your weight loss. Good luck.
   — Terissa R.

July 8, 2002
Hi, at 9 months out, I feel I can eat quite a bit more. I worry also. But I still continue to lose weight. Mind you it is only a couple of pounds a month. But that is okay with me. I started at 271 and I am down to 168. If I don't lose another pound then I could not complain. I hope I do, but I have been given a gift, MY LIFE. And I try very hard to do the DIET but I stray often sometimes too. Just a cookie here and there, and a few chips with some dip. Now preop I would have eaten the whole bag and wanted more. lol. But as I said I can eat to small chicken strips in one serving. Sometimes I can eat a whole cheeseburger, other times I just eat the meat. Most of the time I can eat a whole taco. I eat alot of cheese, and a lot of beef jerky. Those are good. So I keep them for snacks. I also eat alot of pb and cheese crackers. They have 7 grams of fat and a little of protein, but since they have peanut butter I figure that is where the fat comes in. Well hope this helps a lot. If you have any other questions just email me. OPEN RNY 10/4/01 BTC of OH
   — TONYA B.

July 8, 2002
Hi, Lisa, I had my surgery on 9/27/01/ about the same time you did/ I am 5'6" tall and pre surgery I weighed 258 lbs. / I was an extremely slow loser at first/ at three months I had only lost 24 lbs/ but then in Jan. I lost about 25 lbs/ then in Feb. I lost very little, that seems to be my pattern/ I am considered a "lightweight" also/ how much do you need to lose? that determines a lot/ as of today I have lost 92 lbs/ which puts me only 12 lbs from my goal/ but I agree with the previous post/ the less you need to lose the slower you will lose, if you will study the weight losses of others, when it really gets down to it, it is not how much you lose by a certain time, but that everyone loses what that need to at about the same rate/ for instance, most people i read about had lost 100 lbs in six months, but most of them had a lot more that 100 lbs to lose, so it really evens out/ I can eat more now than in the beginning but still I eat my protein first, my veggies next, and then if there is room my carbs,/ I had a lap rny, my private e-mail is: [email protected]/ if you would like to write me/ Patti Meadows
   — peppermintp

July 8, 2002
Lisa, I started out at 260 and hit a plateau at about 7 months postop. I was able to jump start (or restart, I guess) my weight loss by going very high protein. I used (and still use) protein supplements to keep my protein grams high. Then I eat fairly normally but lightly. I eat 6 times a day; three of those times are protein shakes. If I am still hungry, I have another protein shake. These are low carb, high protein and very easy to manage. When I eat food, I eat the protein first, then vegetables, then maybe a bite or two of carbs. You may be right that your metabolism thinks it's starving and is trying to hold on to calories. That's why the high protein works so well. It tricks that body into thinking it's getting a ton of calories when it's not! Good luck and take care. hugs, Ann RNY 9/10/99 260/133
   — [Deactivated Member]

July 8, 2002
Hi Lisa. I had a 6 week plateau and thought it was over for me. I can see why you would be worrying about 4 months. I would too. I also started as a LW, and have been losing fairly slowly. But I am 8 mo. post and 17 lbs. to goal! I have lost 83 lbs. but only losing a couple a month at this point. When I hit that long plateau, I started tracking my input on fitday.com. With the pie charts and bar graphs (those are fun), I could see more clearly what I needed to do. I was taking in 1200 cals a day and not losing. I had to drop back down to 800 cals/day to start losing again. I am not like the ones who say that your body will go into starvation mode with less than that. My caloric needs must be very different than the starvation folks. I lost my greatest amount in the first two months when I was taking in maybe 200 cals a day. My body loved that!! It didn't hold on to a thing! So portion control is still a challenge for me, its just easier with my tool. I could easily out-eat it though. At the rate that I am losing now, I figure it will take me another 6 months to lose to goal. But that is fine with me, as long as I lose it. Good luck to you.
   — Cheri M.

March 10, 2003
I am 10 months out and only lost 65 lbs. I think that my biggest problem is exercise. I have to start walking more. I am glad that you are doing well and it encourages me to know that I still have time to lose more weight.
   — Linda K.