Question:
I have only lost 65% of my excess weight. Am I done?

I had an open RNY proximal surgery on March 5, 2001. Since then, I have lost 151 lbs, going from 407 to 256. Yes, that's a great accomplishment, but I'm still MO at 256 lbs. And, for the last month, I haven't lost a single pound. I follow all the rules about water, protein, sugar, etc. This is the first "plateau" I've hit, but it seems pretty permanent. Anybody else in a similar situation? Is a 4-week plateau normal??? Or should I be worried? My eating habits are the exact same this month as they were last month, i.e. a boiled egg for b-fast, a Lean Cuisine for lunch and fish / vegetables for dinner. (about 700-1000 calories per day). I also take all my supplements/protein, etc. ANY IDEAS? I'm starting to get depressed about this.    — [Anonymous] (posted on December 13, 2001)

December 13, 2001
Do you exercise? That can help. There are lots of folks with long plateaus, and yours will likely break. Eating the number of calories you are you should continue to loose.
   — bob-haller

December 13, 2001
You're not even a year out yet! Don't worry, you'll get there! I'm 5 months out had have had 3 very long (3+weeks) plateaus. If this is only your 1st, way to go! Also, start walkingat least 20-30 minutes per day. You'll see the lbs drop off and it'll help with the loose skin!
   — careywatkins

December 13, 2001
First of all, Congratulations on your excellent weight loss! Secondly, consider yourself lucky that this is your first plateau! Until recently I was on a 6 week plateau and one of the ladies in my weight loss group just came off of a 9 week plateau. Plateaus happen! This doesn't necessarily mean that you are done losing weight. You body may just be resting. Kick in some exercise and keep following your plan. If you are consuming less calories than it takes to maintain your current weight then it will eventually catch up and you'll begin losing again. If you are unsure how many calories it takes to maintain your weight use a maintenance calculator to check. I use this one: http://www.weightlossdietzone.com/womencalc.html it is for Women. They also have a mens weight maintenance calculator: http://www.weightlossdietzone.com/mencalc.html <p> Keep the faith, keep up you plan, keep exercising! Best wishes!
   — kylakae

December 13, 2001
Congratulations on your terric weight loss! Yes, you are still MO; but, even if you never lose another pound, wouldn't that be enough? You must be 1000% healthier, fitter and bettr looking that you were 151 pounds ago. Your glass isn't just half full....it's already three quaters full! Having said that, you are still in your first year; so, I'm sure you will still lose more weight. Plateaus are common at this stage and some can last for quite a while. Just hang in there and one day soon, you will get on the scale and be down 5 or six pounds. My first real plateau lasted 8 weeks! Then I dropped 15lbs. in three weeks. My doctor said that the average wls patient loses 70% of their excess weight...I started at 370 and didn't expect to end up skinny. I do hope you aren't setting yourself up for failure my expecting too much. I've seen several people in my support group do that. They starve and over exersize and beat up on themselves and never let themselvs feel the joy of a great accomplishement. Also don't forget that if you have a significant amount of excess skin that can account for another 15 or 20lbs. on the scale. You might really weight less than your 256 right now. You are doing great! Relax and enjoy the moment.
   — [Anonymous]