Question:
Help! I am not losing.

I am 8 months post op. Before surgery I lost 35lbs in 6 weeks. In 8 months I have only lost 75 lbs. I started at 385lbs. I eat exactly what i am told. I have never gotten sick, I can eat ANYTHING, I am able to eat a lot. My doctor and nutritionist have gone over my food journal many times, I have had an upper GI done to check the pouch. They don't know why I'm not losing or can eat so much. I stick to a 1200 cal diet but the surgery has not helped except to motivate me. I weigh and measure everything to prevent over eating. I go to the gym 3 days, water aerobics 2 days and walk daily. Does any one have any ideas on what may help?    — Kim H. (posted on September 22, 2003)

September 22, 2003
Perhaps your at one of those dreaded plateaus and perhaps as much as you hate to hear it maybe you are just losing slowly. I don't know what else to say than maybe you could increase your cardio or cut down to 800-1000 calories a day. BTW you say that you can eat alot and then you say that you measure everything out, how is it possible ten that you are eating too much. Are you eating alot of carbs because that could be your culprit right there. Carbs do affect weight loss unfortunately. Good Luck with everything
   — TotallyTori

September 22, 2003
I am not even 2 months away from surgery and I feel like I can eat alot. There are times when I feel like I have not even had surgery. I wonder what this is? I am tired of keeping the food journal.... it is ridiculous sometimes... you KNOW you are doing the right things/best you can and that scale will just NOT move. I also can eat anything... I have gotten sick a couple of times but it does not happen enough to be an "event" in my life. I only eat saucers full of food.... not even a full saucer... but I was doing that before surgery. I wonder if the "motivation" we feel is that everyone around us is watching to see just how much weight we lose. I am waiting to need new clothes even and that is not happening yet for me either. God give us patience to make it on through.
   — Eleanore Davis

September 22, 2003
Hi I am now 8 mths post op too and you had mentioned that you did lose 35# before surgery too so do count that as your loss! And you are doing great so far. Just try to eat 3-4 small meals a day and maybe now you are on a plateau cuz I have hit plenty of them so far and I know that they literally suck but I was told that our body needs to hit them to give it time to adjust to the weight loss since we have lost so much already! So please don't get to frustarted, I know that is hard not to do cuz I get that way too sometimes, but it will happen just hang in there! And congrats again!
   — Melodee S.

September 22, 2003
I would keep a jounal of what I eat, when I eat, where I eat. Maybe some old habits have creeped back in. You may also have what I call "hit the wall". I stayed at 208 for almost 3 weeks and then I went to the gym and go on the scale and I lost 4 lbs. I'm still only eating about 3 ozs to 4 ozs of per meal. My doctor said I should stay away from carbs if possible (bread, rice, etc.).
   — Linda R.