Question:
Haven't lost very much

Nine (9) months and only down 65 lbs. No loss at all for 3 months. I never expected failure with this surgery. High price to pay for NOTHING.    — Georgia H. (posted on March 10, 2003)

March 10, 2003
Georgia, what was your starting weight? What kind of surgery did you have? Were you transected? What does your surgeon say? What is your exercise program like? Did you have any other medical conditions fighting against your weight loss? Any tests done to rule them out? Not much information on your site- someone may be able to help you if we knew where to start!
   — Karen R.

March 10, 2003
And what are you eating?
   — Karen R.

March 10, 2003
I started out at 276 on June 11, 2002. My doctor says, "I've done my part, you have to take over now". I've tried eating hardly anything, eating a lot, I don't eat till about 3 p.m. except for my protein drink. I eat a little fish, little chicken (they are uncomfortable). I do eat a lot of crackers. Occasional egg, occasional yogurt.
   — Georgia H.

March 10, 2003
If you're waiting until 3 pm to eat, that's half the day with no food! No wonder your body wants to hold on to weight! You need a steady flow of calories and protein to your body to help you lose weight faster. Put your food on fitday and make sure you get at least 1000 calories per day and however many protein grams your doc recommends. Don't starve yourself half the day. By 3 pm, I've already eaten 1/2 to 3/4 of my calories!
   — M. B.

March 10, 2003
I agree that waiting to eat that late could be what is sabotaging your weightloss! While you think you are doing excellent with controlling your intake, and perhaps not eating a great deal- you could be fooling your body into thinking it is STARVING, and all that does is stop you from losing weight. You need to greatly revamp your diet! Start spreading your calories out equally to 3 meals or 6 smaller meals per day (which ever is more comfortable) I personally am happy with 3. I would also drop the crackers (you say you eat a lot of them) but they are not very nutritious. Personally, to me they are just filler (and a evil carb.) and give your body little or no substance. Subsitute a protein snack, or eliminate all together. WLS has shrunken your stomach, but it hasn't made you instantly smarter when it comes to food choices. Get yourself a nutritional guidline book that will tell you what foods are carbs, what have the most protein and how many calories they have... Perhaps try the "40%, 30%, 30% diet" (SOMEONE correct me if I am wrong) where 40% of your diet comes from protein, 30 from carbs (but only GOOD complex carbs) and 30 from everything else.... I think you will encounter a HUGE change once you tweak your intake, you've just not been following the correct protocol... and all is not lost! You still have plenty of time to turn it around! PS- I know you've posted this message three times in three different ways- be sure you read all three again, as all have good encouraging replies to them!
   — Karen R.

March 10, 2003
Georgia, Sounds to me like you just have a bad case of being discouraged. It's easy to get off track too if you seem to hit one of those "brick wall" plateaus. You need support. Do you attend a support group? Whether you do or not, feel free to email me. I can't say that I don't stray on occasion too but I can be one hell of a motivator. Just email me. Sounds like you just need some encouragement. Believe me, you CAN get it going again. I had a friend in the same boat and since I have been getting on her about things she needs to change she has lost more weight. You just have to work at it, that's all. Anyway, drop me a line. :)
   — Laurel C.

March 11, 2003
Hi Georgia-Since you have posted the same question 3x, I wanted to give you some help. 1. You need to eat small amounts during the course of the day. It sparks your metabolism, and it puts a small amount in your pouch to be sure you arent hungry. When you skip meals, you slow your metabolism because your body slows down, thinking that you are starving and it doesnt know whenthe next meal is. 2. You need to eat protein. Crackers are carbs, carbs provide cals but not the component in protein that you need. If you eat carbs and your body doesnt need the cals it will store it in the most efficient way possible, as fat. Many people eat through the bypass by not eating protein and snacking on carbs during the day. 3. Carbs spike your BS sooner than protein,which in turn, causes insulin release and then hunger, esp if carbs are not paired with protein, which lasts longer. 4. Have you seen a dietitian lately? Or a Support group? the support group is very very helpful and people can give you feedback that is useful from what they have experienced. 5. EXERCISE even if its walking short distances. YOu need to get the muscles stimulated and working. More muscle tone equals a better metabolic rate. 6. DRINK FLUID Very important. Helps with hunger and hydration. when people are dehydrated, they go for sugar because of a small amount of fatigue. They dont go for fluid whcih is what they need. 7. Keep the head hunger in check. just because you tolerate a food and your head tells you it wants it, it doesnt mean its right. this surgery is a tool. its up to you how you use it. Feel good about what you have accomplished thus far, dont give up, but start getting motivated to begin the next phase of your weight loss journey. Take care Natalie
   — majorcat