Question:
Going on 2 years post op and still not -100 lbs. UNBELIEVABLE!!

My 2 year anniversary is June 2004. Unbelievable that I eat about as much as a 5-y-o, and have turned into the Energizer Bunny, yet am still obese. Anybody else out there who, despite WLS and doing the right things, is still fat? Frankly, I don't see how it's possible, but it's true. I guess God wants me this way...    — Bj G. (posted on February 23, 2004)

February 23, 2004
The one thing I have learned from this site is weight loss is very individualized. Some can do everything right and others can be more laxed and seem to lose more. In your profile you said you had two family members had WLS too. Perhaps there are some issues there that may be preventing you from succeeding?? Just a thought. The energizer bunny is a least one positive that you can focus on for now. It is hard to tell from your profile what your weight or present BMI is, maybe you are being too hard on yourself? Sorry you are feeling so frustrated now. Hope you get some tips that make sense for you.
   — cathy G.

February 23, 2004
Same here. My anniversary is in May and I still haven't lost 100 pounds. In fact, since I had a really bad wreck in September I've packed on about 10 pounds because I haven't been able to exercise like I had been before the accident. I tested my pouch the other day to see how much it could really hold - only 1 1/2 oz of meat with no drink to wash it down. When I tried the cottage cheese test I could eat 3 1/2 oz. Well we know the pouch is working but my body just simply refuses to let go of the fat. But I'm not giving up. I'll keep on fighting until either it comes off or I die trying. Good luck and keep up the wonderful work.
   — Vicki H.

February 23, 2004
I go to the gym 5 days a week, eat right, drink 80oz of water and I am still 50 pounds to the normal BMI range after 16 months. I know that obesity is so much more complex than calories in vs. calories out. I haven't really lost weight in about 3 months. It is very discouraging. Assuming you are following all of the rules of the pouch, you could try to up your exercise. I just hired a personal trainer for an hour to get help with my program. I refuse to get to goal doing things that I won't be able to continue doing for the rest of my life, though (like working out at the gym 2 1/2 hours per day -no way!). It's genetics, I think. You know how there were some subjects in school that you struggled with and there were other subjects that came easier to you? You know how you study hard but the student next to you never studies but makes honor role? I think it's similar to this. My boss eats Snickers and Pepsi for breakfast, a hoagie for lunch, junk throughout the day and she's a size 6. It's just not fair!
   — Yolanda J.

February 23, 2004
Count me in! I had surgery 16 months ago, stopped losing 8 months ago, and have tried everything to start losing again without success. My BMI still puts me in the obese category. I was a "lightweight" to begin with, but I would like to lose another 40 lbs. I just keep doing what I'm doing, hoping the fat cells will give it up, and I can at least, maintain and not gain! I have to agree with Yolanda on the exercise - I also work full time, have a family and pets to care for as well as a house to keep, so I had to cut back a little on my exercise. I came to the conclusion that I really did need some sleep! It is hard to work all day, come home, fix supper, walk the dog, go exercise, come home and do laundry and straighten up the house and, hopefully, try to get a few hours of sleep so I can do it all over again the next day. Someone once told me they knew of a person that started losing again many months after surgery - out of the blue. I keep hoping that might happen for me. At least I am much healthier than I was 16 months ago!
   — koogy

February 23, 2004
I'm sorry for your struggles. Here's my thoughts: The surgery is designed to help you loose a high percentage of your excess weight (anywhere between 60 and 80% of your excess seems to be thrown about as common %s)not to make any of us have a normal BMI. If you happen to get a normal BMI after having this surgery or loose to a normal weight according to the charts or get to 'skinny', that's a bonus. Not a given. (no where near a given!) By that rationale, if you started at 300 pounds at an average height, say 5 foot 4, you'd have, say, 160 pounds of excess weight. (I'm rounding and estimating as an example, you could be more specific for your situation) If you were successful, you'd loose between 96 and 128 lbs. SO, LET ME REPEAT, 96 lbs on the low side, for this example, would be considered successful. 204 lbs is not skinny, nor is it ideal weight by the charts. But, it's still considered in the range of success (of course this depends on what research/scientist/doctor/surgeon you speak to, they all have different %'s they considr successful. Personally, I've heard as low as 50%!) So, here's my long approaching point...Perhaps you're not measuring your progress from all angles. Can you take a look at it in this way and see more success? I KNOW we'd all like to be skinny, but that is not what this surgery is for nor is it possible for everyone. Are you more healthy? Are you happier? Can you do more? No matter where you land on the charts, I wish you happiness. Good luck to you in your journey.
   — LMCLILLY

February 24, 2004
Bj, don't know if you've seen this or not but I found it extremely helpful. It's called "Pouch Rules dor Dummies". It's about ten pages long and I copied it off the net and refer to it often. I am seventeen months out and still losing, although much more slowly than at beginning. I've lost over 100% of my excess weight and still lose a couple of pounds every six weeks or so. Ready to go the opposite direction before I become underweight. "Pouch Rules for Dummies" also tells you what to do in case of losing too much. It' sure worth a try. You know you're healthier and happier than you were anyway so rejoice in what you've been able to accomplish. Maybe you can get it jump started again and be really happy with your size. If not learn to be happy with the size you're stuck with. I'll never beleive God wants anybody to be really overweight. Maybe some folks are just naturally going to be bigger than others but we had this surgery to improve our health and quality of life and you've done that already so you're a success.
   — CAROLYN C.

February 24, 2004
I feel for you, but just think of it this way, you are probably out of the heart attack range. That was my goal. Now that I am therre, I want to continue losing of course, but the fear of death was just with me always and now I am free of that. Are you exercising 5 hours a week? That's what my nutritionist recommends for optimal weight loss.
   — mrsmyranow

February 26, 2004
Hi BJ, your profile gives no indication of what you are eating and how often, nor where your BMI is today. I'm wondering, since you hinted by saying in your profile that you don't eat much and still get sick, if you are eating enough? Sometimes the body will fight weight loss efforts and hold onto those pounds very stubbornly if you do not feed it enough. Its the bodys defense mechanism against what it perceives as starvation. So, if you haven't tried this before, may I suggest that you try to eat several small, mostly protein based meals a day, like eat every 3 hours whether you want to or not. Things like a couple of scrambled eggs for breakfast, or deli meats over a salad for lunch, cheese and crackers, etc... And exercise, you say energizer bunny, but does that translate to heart pumping cardio several times a week for a good 30-45 minutes? Sometimes just shaking things up from a daily routine that gets too routine is all it takes to jump start again. Don't give up, your still better off today than you were as a pre-op.
   — Cindy R.