Introduction (long)

February 5, 2004

Hi everyone,

My name is Dana and I live in the Los Angeles area. I have been a

lurker for about a year or so. I had lap RNY in November 2001

(proximal)and lost exactly 99 lbs in a year. I proceeded to lose

another 17 lbs for a grand total of 116 lbs by this past summer by

following Adkins pretty strictly. I started at 338 and am 5'7 " and

got down to as low as 222. However my weight has bounced around a

bit (up about 8 pounds). I still have at least another 50 lbs I

would like to lose.

I am struggling with this...my most recent dietary change has been

to have 3 protein shakes a day, do a mostly vegetarian diet (I also

eat fish), no milk, have few complex carbs and no simple carbs or

sugar. However, my weight seems stuck at a setpoint...it just keeps

bouncing around the same few lbs...UP and down, UP and down.

I decided to NOT do Adkins anymore due to the restrictive eating and

the fact that my weightloss plateaued drastically after an initial

16 lb weightloss and anytime I would eat something that would push

me outside of the Induction plan, I'd put on 3 lbs overnight. All

in all, I thought I would try something that felt healthier and more

natural for a lifetime.

One of the main things I stuggle with is the fact that for the past

1.5 years I have facilitated my surgeon's support group. I've seen

so many people come as PreOps, and lose lose lose...then not come to

any meetings anymore. I've stuck with the meetings however,

fighting the big fight...struggling for every pound and finally have

come to the point where I feel like it is all somehow unfair.

Though I am a trained counselor, it's hard not to feel like a

failure when friends are losing 60 lbs in the first 3 mos and will

probably easily get to goal.

I did all the right things. I don't know why I've been a slow loser.

My surgeon really has not been much help at all (he's a Flintstone

and Tum's sort of guy).

I drink my water, I take a multivitamin and oftentimes others as

well, like Calcium Citrate and B12 (though I have to admit I don't

take them as regularly).

You may be asking yourself, " does she exercise? " ...the answer would

be not lately due to exercise and injury...however I am not

sedentary and DO go for walks a few times a week. I know that

exercise would help me lose SOME weight, but I guess my question

is...do you think that my current eating plan (maybe 1200-1400

calories a day) in addition to exercise will help me lose the

additional weight?

I could just use some suggestions and support. I'm feeling

discouraged and though I know over 100 lbs is a great amount to

lose...I still can't help but fight the feelings of failure that

creep into my head sometimes.

Any suggestions?

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading my lonnnnnnnnnng

post. I know from lurking here in the past year that you are a

wonderful group of people and I'd love to get to know you all better.

Dana

338/222 (now 231)/179?

February 6, 2004

In a message dated 2/6/04 2:23:19 AM Central Standard Time,

ds.krause@... writes:

> do you think that my current eating plan (maybe 1200-1400 calories a day)

> in addition to exercise will help me lose the additional weight?

----------------

Dana,

& amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; Of course, we are

all different, but

what I have seen with most of the people I have worked with (I lead a groups

also) is that 1200 -1400 calories per day would be too many calories. & amp;nbsp;

What I

have seen most often is a recommendation to eat around 800 calories per day

until you lose all of the weight. & amp;nbsp; Granted, this is much easier to

stick

to during that first year to 18 months post op when it's hard to eat much MORE

than that. & amp;nbsp; However, I imagine it CAN be done even after being pretty

far

post op -- just harder.

& amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; At 1200 - 1400

calories per day, you may

have to have pretty substantial exercise to lose any significant weight -- or

at least to do so over a period of time that is fast enough for you to really

" see " the results. & amp;nbsp; At that calorie level you may be able to very

slowly

lose weight -- but chances are that you will become very discouraged if it

takes you a year to lose 10 pounds.

& amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; & amp;nbsp; It's the pits,

isn't it?

Beth

Houston, TX

VBG - Dr. Srungaram

05/31/00 & amp;nbsp; - & amp;nbsp; 314 lbs.

11/01/02 - Abdominoplasty

11/29/02 - 160 lbs.

5'10 "

February 6, 2004

,

Thank you so much for your support and understanding. I will continue to

find a way to lose at least this 50 lbs (and hopefully more) with becoming

more active here and I thank you for providing us with such a great group. I

don't really worry about the bouncing ball on the scale, I just wonder what

I can do to get my weight UNSTUCK from the setpoint where it seems to be.

In addition, I've been having major low blood sugar " spells " , so am trying

to eat healthy and have protein shakes in between meals to keep my blood

sugar more regulated. My Mom was hypoglycemic and it has now progressed to

Type II Diabetes which I certainly want to try to avoid at all costs. The

good news about this is that it has definitely kept me away from sugar and

simple carbs!

I congratulate you on your weightloss and your workout regime. I guess once

my foot is better, I'll have to work out harder and more often. My surgeon

has been no help...he even had the NERVE to tell me what a slow metabolism I

had! Uh, I have major surgery, almost died...and his answer to why I was

such a slow loser was because of my slow metabolism? Geeze. Now you know

why I am seeking support from you guys!

Again, thanks for sharing with me. I really appreciate it.