Question:
6 weeks post -op and have been gaining weight for 3 weeks! DEPRESSED about surgery.
I had an open RNY 6 weeks ago and lost 30 pounds in three weeks while on full liquids. Once I started solids I started gaining and have been gaining and losing the same 7 pounds for the last 3 weeks. I am getting all my water in and keeping very active, exercising 2-3 times per week, food choices are sometimes good, sometimes bad and I have really struggled with stopping when I am full. I generally eat 4 meals a day. I know I am not getting in enough protien but it the bars and drinks just disgust me. I am depressed and feel like a failure. It feels unfair that I HAVE to make low fat/no fat choices at every meal even when they are 3 spoonfuls and that I HAVE to stomach horrible protien supplements every day to get this surgery to work. Maybe I expected too much but do I really have to diet for this surgery to work. I lost 34 pounds before surgery and now it seems like I have to stay on the same regimen to make surgery work. I have avoided sugar until yesterday when I had a Christmas cookie, so now I know I don't dump on anything. Whine,whine,whine. Very depressed and really feeling like a failure right now. Has anyone had the same experience and lived to be happy about the surgery? — [Anonymous] (posted on December 26, 2001)
December 26, 2001
I know what youre feeling, all too well. I am about 9 weeks out, down only
36#, but, I havent gained any weight back. I have had many long plateaus
recently, and am very depressed about the slow weight loss. I, too, didnt
think itd be this hard to lose the excess weight. I never thought, in my
wildest dreams Id have to count calories, carbs and protein for the rest of
my life. But, I do appreciate what I have learned about food over the last
two months. If I had known this stuff beforehand, I might not have needed
to have the surgery. I believe we have to keep close tabs on our food
counts while we are new post-ops, but, after a decent amount of weight
loss, we will just *know* what to eat and what to avoid. It becomes easier
with every week. I, too, can eat just about anything and not dump, its only
a matter of control over those bad food choices. I have fallen off of the
wagon, so to speak, with bad food choices, but, I dont let it become a
habit. One day at a time, thats all we can do. Think more positive, it will
work, give it time. I had to tell myself this many times over the last few
weeks. Good luck and God bless you!!
— Kerry P.
December 26, 2001
I sure can understand what you\'re going through! I think that at around 6
weeks post-op, I was stuck on my first plateau. It seemed to last forever,
and I kept bouncing back and forth on the scale. Then finally after about
2 weeks the scale went down 7 lbs in a week! DON\'T let this get you down!
Almost everyone has plateaus. Your body is just trying to catch up to
what you\'ve lost so far. When I\'m stuck on a plateau, I usually up my
calories a bit, and then I\'m over it in a few days. Also changing your
exercise routine might help. One more thing I\'d like to add...for some
people one cookie won\'t make them dump. I can have 2 or 3 cookies and be
fine, but I had a piece of pumpkin pie with cool-whip, and I dumped BIG
TIME!!! For some people it takes more than just a bit of sugar. But for
others, eating a piece of fruit makes them dump. Just please don\'t assume
that because you didn\'t dump on one cookie that you won\'t dump from
sugar. I wouldn\'t suggest trying to load up on sugar or anything, just
trust that you probably need more than just a touch of sugar to dump! Good
luck!
— Becky H.
December 26, 2001
i KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT TO I am 7 weeks post op and I CAN EAT
ANYTHING.It worries me for I HAVE LOST 55 POUNDS AND i don\'t want to gain
it back.It was so hard thru the holidays with all the sweets.I HAVE NEVER
DUMPED but I REALLY THOUGHT i would yesterday I ATE 2 PEICES of pecan pie
and had several cookies and divinity and still didn\'t dump thank god. But
I WORRY I THOUGHT i wouldn\'t be able to eat like this . thats how I ATE
BEFORE.SO this morning I\'M BACK on my diet and eating verry little and
eating the right stuff.I have a hard time getting the fluids in but I\'m
trying. I TOO have sliped off the wagon but doing better to day.I WAS
REALLY DESPRESSED too.so you see you guys ,your not alone I AM WITH YOU WE
JUST GOT TO TRY TO DO BETTER. GOOD LUCK. NANCY M. [email protected]
— NANCY M.
December 26, 2001
Hi there! As another poster said, just because one cookie didn\'t make you
dump doesn\'t necessarily mean you won\'t dump. I have been saying I don\'t
dump for weeks now...but Christmas Eve I indulged more than usual and ate
about 3/4 of a large brownie and a glass of milk ...I spent about 45
minutes in dump mode to my suprise. It started as the sweats, I laid down
for a few minutes, had to vomit and had hiccups for quite
awhile...whew...and I\'m 5 months post op. But as someone else
mentioned...don\'t push to see how far you can go before it happens...I\'ve
been \"behaving\" since then. You probably are in a platue phase
as far as your weight gain, I know I show a gain every few weeks...it
doesn\'t last but it\'s very depressing when it happens. I do have to diet
too as you mentioned, as I can eat a bit more volumn then other post ops at
my stage. I really was angery about that in the beginning, but now I\'m
focusing on how to make this surgery work for me and not so much on what
this person or that person is doing. Good luck with your wls journey and
congrats on the loss to date! -Kim open RNY 7/17 -74lbs
— KimBo36
December 26, 2001
Whew - step back and take a breath!! Plateaus are strange things.
Sometimes we\'re just stuck with our weight doing nothing at all. Other
times we just gain and lose the same pounds over and over. Even though
what you\'re experiencing is less common it IS a plateau of sorts and it
will break. Don\'t worry about the Christmas cookie either - I ate about 5
yesterday. Weight loss surgery doesn\'t make us perfect it just makes us
better. You would probably be surprised if you wrote down what you eat in
a day (even the BAD stuff) and you would find that it\'s not many calories
and shouldn\'t make you gain weight. My doctor told me that the purpose of
this surgery is to make us normal. If we were going to have to eat baked
chicken and steamed vegetables every day for the rest of our lives then why
have surgery?? Just go on a diet, right? I eat whatever my family eats. I
just eat alot less. I try to eat healthy until 5:00 p.m. and then when
5:01 gets here, all bets are off. If my family eats baked chicken then I
eat it too. If they eat Pizza then I eat pizza. The thing is - if I eat
Pizza I eat one small piece of thin crust pizza and MAYBE a couple of bites
of a second piece instead of 4 or 5 pieces of deep dish pizza (and two
additional pieces for bedtime snack). If my family eats ice cream then I
do too - maybe 1/4 cup - instead of 3 or 4 scoops. This surgery isn\'t
about denial, it\'s about finding our way to being normal. I think you\'re
doing very good and this nasty \"yo yo plateau\" has made you
worried and upset. I know most people don\'t like protein suppliments but
you really do develope a taste for them if you work at it. Starting
protein suppliments all but eliminated plateaus for me. Write to Michelle
Curran, the Vitalady, for help. She\'s a wealth of knowledge and probably
could help you find a protein supplement. My doctor initially didn\'t want
me to drink them but he\'s changed his tune lately and is recommending
them. It\'s all trial and error and you really will find what works for
you. Try to stop worrying and concentrate on what makes you happy. I hope
this plateau will pass quickly and I think you\'re going to be just fine.
You\'re doing GREAT so far!! Hey, if I can make it to goal then let me tell
you - ANYONE CAN!!! Good Luck!
— ronascott
December 26, 2001
Do you have your measurements? I went through a plateau during weeks 3-6
and thought I was done. I didn\'t measure during that time, but when the
plateau broke, I went from a size 20 to a size 16, like overnight. If I had
been measuring I probably would have seen changes occurring. Your body is
probably trying to decide if you are starving or if this is a permanent
thing or what. KEEP EATING and let your body catch up. Some of the best
advice I ever got on this site is that if you are eating 800 calories a day
you eventually HAVE to lose weight. Your body cannot maintain itself on
those 800 calories. So keep after it and your body will eventually give up
and let loose of those extra pounds. Good luck and stick to your guns!
— ctyst
December 26, 2001
Don\'t give up. It takes time for you to figure out your body\'s way of
losing weight. It took me 3 months to figure out that I only lose for 2
weeks out of the month and spend the other 2 weeks bouncing back and forth
the same 5 pounds. Try this recipe:
2 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder
10 Ice Cubes
6 to 8 oz container of Yogurt (raspberry or strawberry)
2 Tablespoons of Frozen Cool Whip (light or fat free)
2 Heaping Tablespoons of Frozen Raspberries
Blend together for a minute or so and DELICIOUS. Plus each has over 40
grams of protein!
It is the ONLY way I have been able to drink protein mixes. Prior to
discovering this recipe they literally made me sick at my stomach for
hours. NO more! I now look forward to having them for breakfast and
sometimes dinner. For lunch I eat ANYTHING I want! And I do NOT feel
deprived! Good luck! Diana M.
— Diana M.
December 26, 2001
Important! I almost forgot one ingredient for the protein shake I listed
below! Also add 1 cup of water! :0)
— Diana M.
December 26, 2001
Boy, looking at all the postings I feel much better about the plateau I\'ve
been on for the past 2 weeks! Try this recipe I got from my post op group.
Take your favorite Crytal Light (I love lemonade) and add 6 Tbls of
Challenge liquid Wild Cherry flavored protein. Drink that all day and
you\'ll get a good start on your protein. It seems to settle well and I
don\'t want to gag when I drink it!
— [Anonymous]
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