Re: plateaus. and not losing enuff- long and whiny

[Guest guest]

You've lost (more or less) 100 pounds in 6 months, and you're worried that

it's not working for you?

Step back and look at that statement.....you've lost almost 1/4 of your

total body weight in a half year, and you're depressed because it's not

enough.

I started at 465....I used to be, once upon a time, a bit over 500. My first

visit with the doctor 2 weeks post-op, I had GAINED 27 pounds...I was

crushed. But then....I am on diuretics, which I had not been taking due to

the surgery....a month later, I had lost that weight and 30 pounds or so

more.

It took me a bit over 5 months to lose my first 100 pounds. I remember

thinking it was too slow, not enough, that I would never be healthy....

Well, I was wrong. I reached the weight I wanted to reach, and ten more

pounds besides.

My feeling about your post is tjhat the Doctor should NOT be scolding you

for being 4 pounds or so off of his schedule....he doesn't know what you

will lose, and neither does anyone else. It was a pretty irresponsible thing

to do.

Ford

plateaus. and not losing enuff- long and whiny

I am 6 months out and seem to run into plateaus everytime i turn around.

I have had 2-3 big ones that have lasted 4 weeks at a time. Other

plateaus are around 2 weeks at a time. I drink 80 oz of water a day and

try to get in enough protein. I dont get alot of excersie because i have

a leg problem. I was totally on crutches and used a wheelchair before

surgery and am now able to get around sometimes without even a cane.

Over the weekend i walked a least 3/4 of a mile and i plan on adding

water therapy to help my leg. so i can walk further an more often I am

unable to bike or do aerobics because of my leg. also, i am wondering

if i am eating too much or not enough. last nite i had 4 oreo cookies

and dropped a pound and a half. so go figure. I wondering if anyone

could tell me how much they were eating at 6 months. And i am very

depressed over my weight loss and confused. The week before my surgery

at the dr's office i weighed 420, the day of surgery i weighed 435, the

extra 15 pounds had to be water but 435 is what i having been using as

my guide. so with 435 as the starting point i have lost 111.5 but my

doctor said he was going by 420 which makes the loss 96.5 which is

depressing./ he said he wanted to see at a 100 pound loss by 6 months

out. so in that way i feel like a failure.

when i was in the hospital i gained at least 30 pounds of water weight,

not sure how much exactly because after it got to 465 the nurses wouldnt

let me see the scale because i would panic.So i am sorry to whine and

complain but i am worried that i am ruining my chance at weight loss or

that it is not working me On a mn support group I am on which is filled

with mostly rny people they said i was eating too many carbs such as

bread, noodles and things. so i am just a confused 6 month post op/

please help.

Carol

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[Guest guest]

Congratulations!! You are doing VERY well. How much would you have

lost without the surgery? Does that help put it in perspective? Keep

up the great work!!

Love, Sue

post op 9/11/01 -65lbs

Dr. Warden

Ocean Sps, MS

> I am 6 months out and seem to run into plateaus everytime i turn

around.

> I have had 2-3 big ones that have lasted 4 weeks at a time. Other

> plateaus are around 2 weeks at a time. I drink 80 oz of water a day

and

> try to get in enough protein. I dont get alot of excersie because i

have

> a leg problem. I was totally on crutches and used a wheelchair

before

> surgery and am now able to get around sometimes without even a cane.

> Over the weekend i walked a least 3/4 of a mile and i plan on adding

> water therapy to help my leg. so i can walk further an more often

I am

> unable to bike or do aerobics because of my leg. also, i am

wondering

> if i am eating too much or not enough. last nite i had 4 oreo

cookies

> and dropped a pound and a half. so go figure. I wondering if anyone

> could tell me how much they were eating at 6 months. And i am very

> depressed over my weight loss and confused. The week before my

surgery

> at the dr's office i weighed 420, the day of surgery i weighed

435, the

> extra 15 pounds had to be water but 435 is what i having been using

as

> my guide. so with 435 as the starting point i have lost 111.5 but my

> doctor said he was going by 420 which makes the loss 96.5 which is

> depressing./ he said he wanted to see at a 100 pound loss by 6

months

> out. so in that way i feel like a failure.

> when i was in the hospital i gained at least 30 pounds of water

weight,

> not sure how much exactly because after it got to 465 the nurses

wouldnt

> let me see the scale because i would panic.So i am sorry to whine

and

> complain but i am worried that i am ruining my chance at weight

loss or

> that it is not working me On a mn support group I am on which is

filled

> with mostly rny people they said i was eating too many carbs such as

> bread, noodles and things. so i am just a confused 6 month post

op/

> please help.

> Carol

[Guest guest]

Carol,

I think we all share the fear that the surgery may work for everyone else,

but it won't really work for us - that the weight loss will stop to soon,

that we won't lose enough, etc. I think when we hit a plateau or read on the

lists about someone (or many people) losing more than we have, we panic. I'm

beginning to see it as a recurring theme, which is a relief in a way -

otherwise I would be the only one!

I had my DS on April 20. I wish I could tell you that I had this all figured

out, but I certainly don't.

About exercise - while it certainly seems to make a difference for me, I know

there are many people who have had great losses with no exercise at all. You

can only do what you can do.

I'll post here what I ate today:

a.m. - two cups of tea

10 am - chicken breast

1:00 pm - pretzels, about 1/3 of an individual package, cup of coffee

2:30 pm - cup of soup type thing - split pea soup, ate about 1/2

6:30 pm - chili (mostly beef with a few onions and beans) - maybe 1/3 to 1/2

cup

I will probably drink a glass of milk later tonight.

I know a lot of people say to only eat protein, eat no carbs, etc. I am

hoping for moderation for myself. The nutritionist at Dr. Anthone's office

is forever stressing that she wants us to lose the diet mentality. She does

want us to get as much protein in as we can though.

This is a good day for me. I think the " honeymoon " phase is over for me.

First, I had trouble with Halloween candy, then with Thanksgiving baked

goods. Until then, NOTHING got into my mouth that wasn't " supposed " to.

I would say I can eat about one-third to one-half of what I could as a preop.

When I saw Dr. A at my six month follow up, he seemed to think that was

right on track.

I had sent a goal to lose 100 lb by my six month mark. I lost 99. I thought

that was funny. So close! I tend to plateau frequently, and even gain on

some weeks. It drives me nuts! I've had a few weeks where I consciously

tried to eat lower cal foods, fill up on broth, etc., (I've also tried

eating more fat, eating less fat, drinking more, exercising more, eating more

protein, cutting out carbs - you name it) but decided I needed to just trust

the surgery to do its job. That's the hard part, I think.

I weigh on Fridays (for my official weight - I weigh other days too but they

dont " count). This is my ups and downs for the past few weeks:

10/19 225

10/26 225

11/02 221

11/09 219

11/16 219

11/23 214.5

As you can see, I maintained two weeks. What you can't see is that since

Friday, I have weighed every day, and on Saturday I was back up to 217.5, on

Sunday 217.5, Monday 215.5 and Tuesday 215.0. This stuff will make you

crazy if you let it. I, personally, do believe in weighing, and I hope I

will eventually figure out what combination of food/liquids/exercise and

prayers maximizes weight loss.

In the end, we do have control over some aspects of our postop course, and

others we can't control at all. If the operation " stops working " tomorrow -

I can have it redone or just deal with it as it comes. Since the window of

opportunity lasts a certain period of time, all any of us can do is try our

best to facilitate health and weight loss, hopefully while keeping some

perspective and balance in our lives. That's my goal anyway.

Dawna

[Guest guest]

Maybe my computer is buggy but the date on this post is July 14, 2001? what is

up with that?

Lisbeth

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