What does WLS do to our metabolism?

I came across a book recently that has caused me to give this some thought.  I have been reading a book called "The Fast Metabolism Diet", and have found it to be very thought-provoking.  The premise is that we must eat to stoke our metabolism to encourage our bodies to burn fat - nothing new here, have heard it before.  But it made me think that, since we have been existing on such miniscule amounts of food, have we thrown our bodies into "starvation mode"?  And could this explain why the weight loss slows/stops eventually, and could it explain why many people have regain.  I have been eating "normally", though small amounts, and haven't lost anything in a year.  I go up 5 pounds, down 5 pounds, and toss that same 5 pounds around constantly, telling myself that my body has stabilized and found where it wants to be (even though I'd love to lose another 20 or so pounds).  I eat no more than 1 to 1-1/2 cups of food for a meal (depending on what it is and its consistency - meat, veg I can handle a cup, soup-type things I can eat more).

Bear in mind that I'm not complaining that I haven't lost anything in a year, as I am coming to terms with that fact and am learning to appreciate the person I have morphed into, but this book has made me wonder if there's more to it.  Have we slowed our metabolisms with the small portions to the point that our bodies are actually conserving what little we eat to save it up for later, rather than burn up some more fat and give us a loss, and is there something we can do to turn this around if it is, in fact, true.

Just wondering what your thought are on this.

I feel the same way....have stops losing and up and down the same 5lbs for over a year.....I to would love to lose another 25-30lbs but my body seems to like 155lbs and its seems to want to stabilize here. I am not sure where to go. I eat normal foods avoiding high sugars high fat foods but eat a little of everything other than that. I feel like I would have to starve myself to get the scales to go down at all but how can you reduce your food when you don't eat a lot to begin with .....I am not even sure I want to lose too much more and have even more hanging skin. I had plastics done on my arms and belly and the results were fantastic but my boobs ass and thighs look like a 90 year old and can't imagine doing another surgery to fix it not that I even have the money. Where do we go from here ....God some days this whole thing is so hard but would never second guess doing it ...My post is not enlightening but I felt like you were in the same mindset I am in too ! 

Cathie

Looks like we are in about the same mindset.  Who did your plastics, and what did you have done?  I am waiting to hear on my referral to Dr. Nan, but a colleague had a tt done a few years by another dr, and he worked with OHIP as well.  She is very happy and I am waiting for her to give me his name.

If you read about people who lose weight, it says that they will have to take in less calories than a normal sized person to maintain that weight loss and I find this to be totally true.  Many of us long timers feel like WLS does somewhat screw up our metabolisms.  It's like the fat gene is always lurking there ready to come out and jump on the scale.

I do think that it's SO MUCH EASIER to regain than it is to lose more weight long term.  Although I have seen people that have better metabolisms than myself for sure.  I know I had to practically kick and scream to get the weight off initially compared to some people that I see on here.  Sometimes I think that genetics plays a huge part, age etc.  I had to do 7 miles a day of walking and I was still a slow loser!  I also think though that now many people online know more about carbs and low carbing it too (although the centres don't really talk much about that).

I find in order for me to lose weight now, I have to keep carbs INCREDIBLY low.  If I follow the regular food pyramid stuff, I DO NOT lose.  I have to get almost double my protein to carb ratio for me to go down on the scale.

Dawn

We did put our bodies into starvation mode right after surgery and then for months afterwards.   I was personally surviving on less than 500 calories a day or less during the liquid and puree stage. and then only slightly higher amounts during the soft stage.  

I asked the nutritionist a couple months ago ==  how is it that 3500 calories equates to 1 pound and yet I do not ever consume that much in a day to have the scale fluctuate??  do I still need to take in that amount before I gain - she said No.      She said it would take less calories for us to gain 1 pound.   She said if I was to cut back on my carbs, I could easily loose more.  I am happy to fluctuate within a 10 pounds range.  Of course having said that, I do watch the scale to make sure I stay within that range.  

not sure if I can say this in another year or so.  I am only 2 years out and so far my weight has remained within this range.

 

 

 

    

  That is an interesting read.  Crap I hope that is not the truth!  The nurse in Guelph told me (I am pre-op) once you get the surgery done, it is like re-setting your bodies thermostat after all the pre-surgery diets that we went on and it should help the body lose pounds and keep them off.....yikes!

I wish...Keeping off is WAY HARDER ong term.  To lose weight now (at 7 years out) I have to work way harder than I ever did out of surgery.  That's why I tell people to use their first year or two well - to keep out the crap and get to goal as soon as they can and to work it...because you only get one chance!

Dawn

Pre op I had no metabolism left. I had dieted for so many years. In just over a year I went down to about 150. I was pretty happy there. Today I am down to 140. How did I do that. I ate very little due to illness. So it is possible to loss more. I am not sure if I will stay here. I hope to only gain some muscle back but I will have to see how things go in the next few weeks.

Some of us gained weight initially because we did not tolerate carbs well. I think that has not changed.

Dieting over and over changes metabolism. Then adding the fact that we changed our digestive system, I don't really know where our metabolism stands.

If we eat more frequent smaller meals and eat lean protein this is supposed to "stoke"our metabolism. This is what we do so that's positive.

I think we also have to keep in mind that our weight loss will slow. It has to. When you are 100+ pounds overweight you know you can lose more in a shorter amount of time. When you get closer to goal it slows down. There is less fat there. I think this is why we perceive it to be harder to lose weight when we gain 10 or 20 pounds. We can't just go on protein shakes and lose 7 pounds in a week like we used to.

As for the "I'd like to lose another ( X ) more pounds. I wonder about this too. I did more so before I had plastic surgery when I saw the skin rolls. I never knew if it was truly fat or skin. I thought I could lose a few more pounds. Since the rolls are now gone it has helped me realize that although in my mind I would like to be a particular number on the scale I don't think it's reasonable.

At 160 I look good in a bikini. A part of me would like to be 147.5 because that' the middle of my BMI. BUT I'd have no muscle tone and I don't think I have much now.

I think we exsisted on miniscule amounts of food for the first year. I am no longer eating miniscule amounts of food. I'm having regain not because I'm eating too little, it's because I've incorporated 'less healthy choices' back into my eating and I am eating too much.

 

Having been on a million and one diets...here is my take:

Our bodies all have a natural "set point" which keeps us within a certain weight range. Some are naturally higher (heavier) and some are naturally lower (thet $*&@(# person who can eat their weight and not gain an ounce.

We do, however, screw up that set point by over eating (just in our DNA - eat when there is food available so you won't starve when there isn't - should be D Not Applicable anymore).

Once you increase that set point, you gain weight, it takes more to make you full, you gain more weight. You diet, you eat less, you lose weight. If you lose a lot,  have surgery, or keep it off long enough to shrink your stomach, you change your set point, perhaps back to where you started. It is unlikely that you will have an easy time getting past there. But you can if you restrict carbs big time.

Only problem is, you will have to stay that way, or you will naturally bop back to the new set point. - still way below what it was when you were obese.

Best bet is to use the first year to pound your weight down as low as possible (HEALTHY!) and give yourself a cushion as your body stops reCALibrating and reaches a new middle. THis could take a few years. Then the only way to play with the middle is to eat a lot less and workout like a fiend. Just like pre-op. You still have to pay attention to being "full" or that nasty DNA will encourage you to eat more again.

IF you are okay with constantly "dieting" and working out, that is great. Just remember that if you stop dieting or working out, you may regain.

Lori