Question:
Nine months post op = very disappointed

I'm 9 months post op and I've only lost 65 lbs. total. This whole operation has been a disappointment. Haven't lost anything in 3 months! Besides all the protein, water, blah, blah. Seriously, what can be done? More surgery to make pouch smaller. I didn't think this surgery could fail, but for me it has.    — Georgia H. (posted on March 10, 2003)


March 10, 2003
what kinda surgery did u have? RNY with transection?
   — christine S.

March 10, 2003
This is a Tool only you can make it work. To be successful you cannot graze, drink alcohol, constantly drink dr. ackins shakes, These are things I am personally aware of my rny not working or any other type of surgery. You need to write down everything you eat. and get with your doctors Dietian, and see what may be causing this problem, I had a very dear friend had this surgery twice in 1989, 1991, and lost 60 pounds first time and gained back. has gall bladder removed and rny again. never lost anymore infact 100 bigger now than she was. Gail 1989 postopt,
   — gail01

March 10, 2003
Hi Georgia. Let me play the devil's advocate here. "Besides all the protein, water, blah, blah"....I realize we all beat each other over the head with the basic instructions about water, protein, vitamins, etc. But you don't specifically say that you're following all those blah,blah rules. Are you? Do you eat sugar? How much? Do you exercise? How often and what do you do? Your other posting questions using Xenical to help aid weight loss. It sounds like you're still looking for the "miracle cure in a pill" that we all looked for prior to finding WLS. Yes, your weight loss is slow. But 65 pounds in 9 months is not a failure. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. There is always someone who lost 100 pounds in the first 24 hours following surgery (slight exaggeration) and there will always be someone who hit their goal weight in a week. Most of us don't fall into these catagories. I am now 14 months post op and am at the goal my doctor set but am still 25 pounds from my personal goal. Am I a failure? I don't think so. I've lost 100+ pounds that I couldn't lose prior to WLS. There are always things you can do to help jumpstart your weight loss. Cut down on carbs, up your exercise level, etc. Try everything and anything before you resort to a drug you really shouldn't be taking. Xenical works by not allowing your body to absorb a percentage of the fat you eat each day. It also causes loose stool in many of the people who use it. Malabsorbtion is already an issue for us following surgery. You don't need a drug to help you do what your surgery is already doing (just my opinion). Give yourself a pep talk, pull yourself up by your garter belt and get back in the game. Best of Luck.
   — Pam S.

March 10, 2003
georgia: i don't know what your pre-op weight, BMI, comorbidities, etc. were before surgery. But IMHO you're fixating on the numbers on the scale, and not on your health and quality of life. Were you diabetic or hypertensive before surgery? Have you seen improvement in daily things, like walking, or more energy? I would hardly call a 65-pound loss in 9 months a failure. I'll be doing the happy-nekkid-better-health dance if i'm where you are nine months after surgery.
   — Kasey

March 10, 2003
Are you following the "protein, water, blah, blah" rules? No matter how small your pouch is, it won't work if you don't work with it. You need to do your part, or after the honeymoon is over (the first 6 months) the weight loss will be over too.
   — mom2jtx3

March 10, 2003
Dear Very Disappointed, Hi, Hope you are doing ok. My surgery date is coming in 2 wks from today (3/10), one thing my sister pointed out to me is that if you still eat a high fat diet, you won't loose as quickly as you could. One of the ladies at my church had her surgery the day before Halloween last year and has only lost 50 lbs so far, muscle weighs more than fat, are you losing inches instead? Everyone is different, some loose fast and others, slower, keep trying.
   — Sue-Ellen J.

March 10, 2003
Tell us more about yourself. Don't give up, maybe you have just reached that point in your journey gets harder.
   — barbara A.

March 10, 2003
Georgia: You don't sound like a failure at all! I'm pre-op, and I know if I'd lost 65 pounds in 9 months, or any length of time, I'd be flying high! You sound very discouraged though. The last most successful diet I tried was the Atkins diet. The first two weeks, it's basically all protein, with 3 cups of salad greens. I lost about 15 pounds in two weeks, following it strictly. Maybe something like that could help you jump-start your weight loss again. Check out their site at atkinscenter.com. There's a lot of great free info there. Also, make sure you're getting in some exercise, both aerobic and weight training. I'm not sure how it will be for me post-op, but I've never lost weight on any program that didn't include a good amount of exercise. Good luck to you, and please keep your chin up. You can still do it!!
   — Carlita

March 10, 2003
Georgia, and I say this to you, and all pre-ops, you gotta keep your profile updated if you expect us to help. We're stabbing in the dark here without that baseline info. All we can do is ask questions to try to help you, but without the background, we're not going to be much help. There are lots of us out here who have great advise and can help, but not if can't access your info. To not lose any weight in 3 months as a fairly new post-op is not normal. But why this is happening, well, without the info, we can't help.
   — Cindy R.




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