Question:
I am 9 weeks post-op and have not lost for 6 weeks, is it what I'm eating??
I am 9 weeks post-op and have not lost more than 3 pounds for the past 6 weeks. I started at 348, lost down to 314 in the 2 months before surgery and lost another 30 the first 3 weeks after surgery. Now I have been gaining and losing the same 8 pounds over and over. It is making me crazy!!! I am constantly tempted to sabatage everything since I don't dump. Here is a typacal day: Breakfast - 30 gram protien drink. Lunch - 1/2 Cup spicy chicken salad and a handful of corn chips. Dinner - 1/3 of a WW meal (I usually eat 1/2 or more of the meat and a little of whatever else it is). 60-68 oz of Crystal Light. If I snack it's usually only once a day late in the afternoon and I usually have Beef Jerky. I am active but have not seemed to have the discipline to excersize regularly. At this rate I lost the same amount in the two months prior to surgery as I did after surgery. I am actually getting embarrassed that I had surgery it just seems to have been pointless. I really feel like I am the person this is not going to work for. HELP ME PLEASE!! — Denise M. (posted on January 11, 2002)
January 11, 2002
I, too, have been very frustrated. I am 12 weeks post-op and seem to lose
the same way you do. I started at a much lighter weight, 242, and I am
losing a lot slower than most. I have only lost 42# so far. It is very
depressing and frustrating for me! It doesnt help that I am a scale addict
either. I weight every morning after peeing and getting naked. My body
seems to go through many plateaus. I will stay at the same weight for two
weeks, then all of a sudden I will be down 3-6 pounds over the next two
days. Its just the way my metabolism works, obviously. We all lose
differently and we cant depend on what others lose or how their bodies
work. Its a very individual thing. The only thing you might want to do is
get more protein in... meat, meat, and more meat, cheeses, eggs, etc. I
believe its better for us to get the protein from food than through the
drinks. Plus it tastes better to be eating and not drinking our food! Keep
your head up and everything will work in its own due time. Good luck and
God bless!
— Kerry P.
January 11, 2002
It looks like you may not be eating enough. Try introducing a snack like
string cheese or cottage cheese or nuts between meals. When you increase
your calorie intake, your body comes out of "starvation mode" and
begins to burn the calories instead of hanging onto them for dear life. My
surgeon requires that we eat six meals a day. Three main ones, and the
other three can be as simple as a glass of milk, but this feeds your body
to actually burn fuel. Try it for a week, I bet you'll notice a difference!
— [Anonymous]
January 11, 2002
I agree completely with the other writer. You DEFINITELY are not eating
enough! Go back to the basics. Remember in the first 5 weeks when we had to
eat every 2 hours. That's the way to do it. Small amounts consistently
through the day. I went through the same thing ... thinking I was doing
great because I ate so little ... then with no weight loss was devastated.
Please, do what you can to eat every few hours ... slowly! I still struggle
daily with this. Open RNY 8-1, 90 lbs. lost. Hang in there!
— Linda P.
January 11, 2002
I am also 9 weeks post op. I couldn't eat the amount of food that you are
consuming...even if I tried.....I'm down 55 pounds. I don't eat breakfast.
This way I am hungry for lunch. For lunch I will have 2 pieces of cheese
or some pea soup (probably 1/2 cup) and that's it. I then eat dinner
around 7....if I am hungry. I drink 64 oz. of water a day. You gave me a
good idea about the WW meals, though. I can probably eat a mouthful or two
of one of them for dinner. I was told by the nutritionist in my surgeon's
office that most people reach a plateau around the 7-8 week. Good luck.
— Dianne K.
January 11, 2002
I am beginning to sound like a broken record here becaue I keep posting
about my experience. Please forgive me for repeating it again and again,
but are you transected? I was not transected with my original rny in
november 2000 and I developed a staple line disruption (with 8 rows of
staples) at about 6 mos. I tried for 3 mos to lose 5 lbs over and over
again. Just like you are doing. I did not gain any and managed to lose 10
lbs during the summer by exercising like heck. When I discovered I was
eating a lot more than others I asked for an Upper GI and it was found
that I had a small disruption of the staples. My food was overflowing in
the still-attached old stomach. I had a revision to transection in October
2001 and have lost an additional 43 lbs since. I am doing great! It is a
mechanical problem with non transected pouches. They just can disrupt at
any time because there is never the tight seal of scar tissue without
transection. Many people probably have experienced this without knowing
it. There are no symptoms other than eating more and sometimes acid
indigestion again. It sounds like what everybody else has pointed out, you
are not eating enough. With disruption, you eat more and want more. I
just wanted to post so that anyone who might be having this problem would
know that disruption is a possibility with anyone. I didn't do anything
wrong and I never overate. My pouch never stretched a bit but still my
staples came loose! It happens and it takes a great deal of courage to
face it and have it fixed. (Giving myself a pat on the back ...lol). Good
luck to you and I hope you can fix this problem. It is ok not to lose as
quickly as others! Also you could be experiencing a plateau. Check out
all the possibilities and learn all you can. You will probably break the
plateau by the time you read this. Hope so! God bless you!
— Marilyn C.
January 11, 2002
Consider seriously upping your protein supplementation. While some
surgeons don't recommend protein supplementation it's a proven fact that it
can keep your metabolism revved up, give you lots of extra energy and
shorten or eliminate plateaus. Contact vitalady.com and ask Michelle about
it. I'd think you might want to supplement at least 60 or 80 grams a day.
I was the plateau queen - LONG plateaus lasting weeks and it was very
discouraging. Once I started supplementing protein (which my surgeon
didn't recommend but told me I could try it anyway) I never had another
plateau. I also agree with the other posters - you need to eat more. GOOD
LUCK and keep your chin up - you're going to be fine!
— ronascott
January 11, 2002
Did anybody notice that no mention was made of drinking water? I would up
the protein and cut out the Crystal Lightand replace that with 60-68 ounces
of water. Water helps with my weight loss. It's boring but necessary. Good
luck and you can do it!!!
— wilkywanch
January 11, 2002
Crystal Light IS water. It has some flavoring and some non-caloric
sweetener, but it counts as water just the same.
— [Anonymous]
October 7, 2003
I think it is what you are eating. I wasnt allowed anything but liquid for
first 6 weeks, lost 40 lbs. After that I was on blended foods for 3 mths
total lost 90 lbs. I started at 374 14 mths ago and now weigh 193. I do
not eat sweets, carbs or chips of any kind. I didnt have this surgery to
eat the way I did before. My dr also prescribed water pills because I do
retain water. I take them on weekends and almost always lose 7 lbs that
week always making a total of at least 10 lbs a month. I drink water but
not all that I am supposed to. Protein first, then vegetables. Bread is
the enemy, I had to cut out bread to lose any weight one month and when I
did, I lost the whole 10 lbs in one week. Atkins is right, carbohydrate
addicts cannot lose weight eating bread, chips or sweets. Hang in there
and change the way you are eating.
— [Deactivated Member]
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