Question:
I am 14months out and have lost 160 approx. I have hit a bad plateau this weight.

I need suggestions that are known to work. I do exercise, though it has been eratic the last two months because of some minor procedures I have had done that have caused me to miss more time than I like away from exercise. Also during my period I am out of commisssion for days. However I am having that problem taken care of next month, thank goodness. But, I have friends who dont exercise at all and seem to be losing weight anyway. I still want to lose 70 pounds but no less than 50 and I afraid I am running out of time. They say you only lose for 18months. Can anyone offer me any suggestions? If I do one protein shake a day , if I increase that do I stop eating food and just do shakes only? Helllllpppp!    — neneburge (posted on September 27, 2004)

September 27, 2004
Anita, you have to do something to shake things up and get past that plateau. It is very normal for the body to stop and say hey, thats enough, I'm staying right here. 160 pounds in 14 months is very, very good. Congrats! To shake it up, change your diet, add a couple hundred calories of protein a day for a few weeks-shakes are good, then reduce the calories by that hundred and then another hundred for a few weeks. Slow down on or ensure that you are eating only good carbs. Change up your exercise routine. Get that heartbeat pumping. I had thought that I was thru losing at about 18 mo post-op, when I hadn't lost anything for a few months, then I moved. I spent days packing, lifting, unpacking, up and down stairs, doing types of exercise the bod was not used to, and I dropped 4 pounds! Be careful about stopping food-thats a bad thing. Your body needs fuel to burn those calories and keep the metabolism running, so you actually eat more to lose, its what you eat and the quantity. Try small mini-meals, lots of protein, like every few hours.
   — Cindy R.

September 27, 2004
Ladies, we can drive ourselves crazy with this weight issues. First, we are all different and will lose at our own pace, so STOP COMPARING YOURSELF with others. If you are eating 3 meals and 2 snack (no more than 1/2 cup of food per sitting, depending on post-op time), exercising (remember as you lose you must UP the intensity as you lose weight and DRINK your water. Eating is important. If you don't eat your body goes into starvation mode and you will not lose. If you think you've lasked off start writing down where, when and how much you eat and how much exercise you do. This is the true test. However, I can't stress please stop comparing yourself to others. Everyone reacts differently to this surgery. Good Luck.
   — Linda R.

September 27, 2004
When they say you only lose for 18 mos, they mean easy losing. You have a life-long advantage over everyday people to lose weight now. I have lost 125 and almost all of that was in the first 6 mos. Now every pound is blood sweat and tears. I may never get to the docs goal but now i am understanding just what it takes for my body to get rid of the rest of the weight. Basically very low cal and very high exercise. It is exhausting so maybe I'll never get there? I am trying though.
   — mrsmyranow