Question:
7mths post-op and weight issues?

Hi everyone, I am now 7 mths post-op from lap rny, and now I have been noticing that I can eat more. Anyway, I have lost around 104# so far and I wnat ot lose another 75# at least. The last mth though I have been stuck and not able to lose anymore and I started to eat more protein and eat more foods which I was told that would help out on the weight lose more, but I am still stuck. What else can you suggest I do because I don't want to stop losing alltogether especially when I have alot more to go. I am very pleased with the lose so far but, I am not forsure if I am just being impatient and this thing is normal or I need to be doimg something else! Thanks so much for all your responses! Oh yea, I started at 322 and am 5'7 now down to 218, I would like to at least be down to 150. thanks again!    — Melodee S. (posted on September 1, 2003)

September 1, 2003
Hi Melodee ~ Congrats on your terrific weight loss so far. I'm in the same boat as you. I'm 8 mos out, have lost 120 lbs (started at 330, 5'11") but have only lost 2 pounds in the past 2 weeks. I have noticed that I can def eat more than even 3 months ago. I'm certainly still not eating a 'normal' sized portion (whatever that is) but more than just 1/2c or so at a meal. For instance, I ate 2 scrambled eggs this morning. 90 Days ago I could eat only 1. The eggs were the only thing I ate, so I'm not worried that I overate and was completely satisfied with the 2 small scrambled eggs topped with cheese. I'm hoping I have reached that point where this is the eating-portions I will remain at from here on out. I've heard at around 6-9 mos this happens. As long as I don't increase that capacity (volume tolerance), I'm not going to worry. I have 35 pounds to my goal and I feel confident you and I both will reach that in a few months. Your weight loss is amazing and I think both our 'plateaus' will pass soon. (keeping fingers crossed) Open RNY 1/3/03 330/210/175
   — chelle3081

September 1, 2003
Congratulations on your amazing weight loss! That is quite an accomplishment in 7 months. Like the previous poster, I have also heard that this happens around 6-9 months ... you can eat more and the weight loss slows down. It seems like all of us have reached plateaus at one time or another. Could be your body is levelling out a little and adjusting to the large weight loss, and it might just sit there for awhile before it starts moving again. Any time I have hit a plateau, I evaluate my food to see if there is anything I should eliminate, kick up my fluid intake, and exercise more. So far that has been enough to get things moving again and it might work for you too. It sounds like you are doing everything right to have lost that much already. It's probably just a plateau that will end in time. But it's hard to be patient, isn't it??? Good luck to you!
   — MomBear2Cubs

September 1, 2003
Melodee, Congrats on the 104 lbs!! I'll be 7 months on Wed and have 83 lbs to go so we are pretty much in the same place. I've also noticed the weight loss pattern changing since about 6 months. I will sit for about 2 weeks and then it will jump 9 lbs for no explainable reason. My food quantity has increased also, but that is normal as long as we keep it reasonable. Yesterday for some reason I was eating between meals which hasn't been typical for me, but it wasn't total junk at least. Not too much junk in the house anymore. LOL <p>I'm not sure what your eating plan recommends, so this might not apply at all. My post-op plan doesn't give a whole lot of direction on quantity after 4 months - which at that point we are to be eating 4 ounces per meal total. I assume by this point the surgeon figures we are to listen to our pouches and when we get the full feeling stop. It's a good theory but doesn't always work so well - really depends on what the food choice is. I am eating typically 5-6 ounces a meal which consists of 3-4 ounces of protein of some sort. The rest is some fruit or veggies and maybe a bite of other carbs like bread or potato. Some meals my carbs are strictly from ketchup, like when I eat shrimp. I just do not have any other foods that meal, so it is balanced out. I have been tracking my stuff on fitday.com more lately and eating ranges from 650 to 1000 calories and about 60-100 grams of protein. <p>I don't honestly know what the proper amount of food a 7 month post-op should be eating. I think I am ahead of where I should be on the days I push 1000 calories. I will just have to see what is happeneing with the weight loss over the next month to determine if I have pushed things too far. Let me know if you figure out some good quantities that work for you.
   — zoedogcbr

September 1, 2003
Hi Melodee. Congrats on your weight loss so far, which has been great. There's not much to go on here, but at seven months out, and with the goal you have, a lot depends on what you're eating and how much, and on whether you're exercising (and how much). If you haven't completely retrained your eating habits so far -- and it's best to do that from the beginning, because it does get harder as we find we can eat more -- then now is the time to really bear down on that. How many calories a day are you eating now? Of those, how many are protein grams, and how many are carbs, and how many are fats? Try tracking what you eat on fitday.com to get a brutally honest look at what you're really eating. It really helps to get a handle on things, and to give you specific information you can then "play with" to figure out what works best for your body and your metabolism. If you find that you're eating more than 1000-1200 calories a day, you may need to cut back. If you find you are eating 60-80 percent carbs and fats, and only 20-40 percent protein, you may have to change things up -- a lot -- and get that protein figure a lot higher (and reduce the carbs). Try using protein snacks instead of carb snacks. And definitely get an exercise program going, if you can. The more you exercise, the faster your metabolism works even when you're at rest. Without exercise, the only way to get to goal is to eat less, forever, and that makes it tougher to get there. Good luck!!
   — Suzy C.

September 3, 2003
Everyone has a plateau just continue eating the protein first and drink alot of water. You are only 7 months out. I though the same thing. 'IS this it. I don't want to stop now.' BUt i started up about 1-2 months later . So don't worry.
   — spring A.