Question:
Has anyone not lost a significant amount of weight after having the RNY

I am 2 1/2 months postop and I am tremendously disappointed in my "success". I have only lost 30 pounds, most of it the 4-5 weeks postop. I have lost nothing in 6 weeks. The surgeon says I must be doing something wrong.....however I am following their post op regieme religiously...I drink 7-8 glasses of h2o a day, exercise daily and eat only protein and salads...I can only eat 6-7 bites of food and I am full. I went through so much to have this surgery and I feel like such a failure at weight loss again!!!!! Any advice or support would be greatly appreciated    — [Anonymous] (posted on March 22, 2001)

March 22, 2001
I am losing very slowly also. All I've been told is: drink at least 64 oz. water, and add another protein drink to trick your body so it doesn't think it's starving. I hardly eat food, none of it has taste to me, but I still lose slow or not at all. I drink three instead of two protein drinks, and extra water. It will come off eventually, it has to. Right?
   — Tina C.

March 22, 2001
I lost very little total weight in my 2nd month, but body composition analysis showed that I had actually lost 26# of fat while putting on 20# of muscle. Muscle gain (up to a point) is a good thing, because muscle is more metabolically active than fat. This could be happening to you. If you don't have access to scales that measure fat % as well as weight, start keeping a record of your measurements. When your body gets smaller even though your weight stays the same, you're losing fat -- which is the whole point of weight loss. However, that said, I also agree with Eric -- you may not be eating enough! If your body doesn't have adequate calories it will think you are in a famine and will hoard fat to keep you from starving. I suggest adding at least 60 gm of protein supplement (like Designer Protein available at GNC or one of the many tasty ones from www.vitalady.com) and making sure you're eating at least 1000 calories a day from all over the food pyramid.
   — Linda B.

May 23, 2001
I was on a sixteen day plateau that started my second week and I tried the Designer protein in a shake recipe that I came up with and it seems to have broken the pattern: one cup ice, 1 cup lf milk, 1 banana, 2 scoops of French Vanilla Designer Protein. Mix the powder in after you have blended the other stuff. Put it in a 20 ounce sipper bottle and carry it along during your morning travels. It is a great "take out" food drink that works. 2 scoops delivers 35gms of protein. It is WAY too early to listen to "anonymous" people who are ready to call this experience a failure. I don't think it was right for them to even mention that to you! Just keep your chin up and your body hydrated and full of protein...and relax. Strange as it sounds, when I gave this up to God I started losing a pound a day again. Good luck Sweetie!
   — Sandra W.

May 23, 2001
I had the BPD/DS and not the RNY but I "can" tell you this. I started out at 280 and after 6 months was down to 158. This was NOT my goal and for 4 months I just stayed there thinking this must be "it". I finally gave up on the diet attitude and said to heck with it. I have to be happy where I am. All of a sudden, once I didn't seem to care about losing more, and just decided to eat "normally", the weight, again, started falling off in droves. I was down to 113 in 2 months. I honestly think that each of us has to "play" with our bodies and find out what works for us alone. Obviously, my body was sick and tired of dieting and once I fed it, it seemed to say, ok, now I will work again for you. I am not saying this will work for you, but it's just another example of how we are all different. I also know that I had a different surgery and so, things may work very differently.
   — Barbara H.

May 24, 2001
I would agree with what someone else said about maybe you're not eating enough. I'm two months out and feel like I'm losing slowly with 42 pounds gone, but I lost about 4 of them in the last week, after a month of REALLY slow loss. I think what helped was adding a protein bar in every day (I eat half in the morning, half in the afternoon). I know it sounds nuts, but maybe try eating more. Good luck, and don't give up yet!!
   — Megan K.