Question:
Has anyone ever broken a 3 month plateau?

I am 1 year out and haven't changed weight in 3 months. I want to know if anyone has ever started their weight loss again after this long and how they did it? I work out 4 times a week doing 55 min of cardio as well as weights. I eat 80-90 g of protein a day via protein shakes. Besides my 3 protein shakes I eat 3 small meals a day. If anyone has experienced this **please** let me know what I can do to jump start weight loss. I would like to lose another 30-40 pounds. Thanks, Sasha 7/9/03 350/195/160    — Sasha A. (posted on July 14, 2004)

July 13, 2004
Try to alter your routine to shock your body out of it's routine. Whether it be what (amount) you are eating or the amount of exercise.
   — coffenut

July 13, 2004
I agree - try to shake up your routine a bit. I would consider "ditching" the protein shakes in favor of real food, if it was me (but my doc doesn't like protein shakes anyway). What are you eating in the 3 small meals? If you've been doing mostly protein, I would alter this with some good carbs - more veggies, fruit, whole-grain bread, etc. It doesn't seem that you would have to increase your exercise time, but maybe try something different. If you've been doing aerobics, how about fast walking or jogging instead? Or maybe bike riding or swimming. Anything that's different from what you're doing might help. Best wishes for your continued success. You've done really great thus far! Congratulations. Lap RNY 9/11/03, 270/166/???
   — Carlita

July 14, 2004
I, too, have been on a 3-month plateau. I'm down 100# from my heaviest weight (30# before surgery/70# since surgery on 11-11-04). I've asked my surgeon and he says it's just our body's way of recouping and we'll start our loss again. It is still very frustrating knowing you're doing all the right things and still not losing. I know I've lost inches but I want to see that scale move - esp. since I'm only 2 more pounds to go to the next 10# marker!! Best of luck, Another loser (soon) Sunie in Houston
   — Sunie I.

July 14, 2004
At a year out, you don't need protein shakees. I am a year out, and am doing shakes right now, but instead of food. My eating was out of control. My nutritionist recommends 3 hours of cardio a week for maintaining your weight and 5 hours for weightloss. Plus, weight training 3x a week. Good luck!
   — mrsmyranow

July 14, 2004
I was on a 6 MONTH plateau and it broke. I have no idea why. Could be becauce I was not drinking enough. Could be that I was not getting enough sleep. I am almost positive it was because I was eating WAY too many carbs. I would up the protein. Check out the graduate board on Yahoo Groups. At one year post-op it is a great place for you to be. Once you join, check out the files there; there is a pleateau-breaker formula that a lot of people swear by. <br><br> Also, change out your workout routine; sometimes we need to psych-out our bodies a little. <br><br> I would recommend a resting metabolic test (like the MedGem) to see how many calories your body burns at rest, and to see how many calories your body needs to maintain its weight. Perhaps your not eating enough.<br><br> While I have some weirder-than-normal (even for WLS folks)health issues, I would disagree that throwing out protein shakes completely based on post-op length isn't neccessary. I am 2 1/2 years post-op and shakes are the main source of my nutrition. I would be dead in the water without them.<br><br>
   — kultgirl

July 14, 2004
Sasha, believe it or not, I think that you are not eating enough and your body is probably trying to hold on to what it has because it thinks you are starving it. You lost a huge amount of weight in just over a year, and you work out quite a bit (burning calories). 3 small meals a day and 3 protein shakes is probably not enough. Try adding a couple hundred calories (add another protein meal) a day for a few weeks and see what happens. Also, alter the workout routine. Sometimes thats all it takes. I can remember when we moved last summer, I was about 1 1/2 years post-op, hadn't lost anything in months, and thought I was done losing. Well, moving(packing, lifting, hauling) in mid-hot summer, and in less than a week I had lost 4 pounds. Maintained that until April of this year at just over 2 years post-op, I got a stomach bug-hardly ate anything, and no exercise X 2 weeks, and lost 6 more. I've been able to maintain 4 of those. The point is that each time, I shook something up from my normal routine. P.S. unless your very short, if you are at 160, losing 40 more is too low....
   — Cindy R.

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