Question:
Calling all older post op VBGers.. I have hit a platue from H***
I am need of help please. I am 4 months post op and have hit a platue from H***. I have only lost 4 pounds in the last month and 2 inches. I will admit I have been putting away some Christmas cookies. But I have joined a gym and working my butt off and getting my water intake in. Is this common? Will I start to loose again? PLEASE tell me that it is. I have lost 55 pounds so far but if this is it, is sure was not worth the surgery. — Cathy H. (posted on December 23, 1999)
December 23, 1999
When was the last time you lost 59 lbs in 4 months? You've been losing
inches, and that happens occasionally. We all slow down in weight loss but
increase reduction in inches from time to time. Sounds like you're doing
pretty well to me, except for eating the cookies and such. I am not sure
how you can be eating a lot of sugar without getting dumping ... Do what
you can to stay away from those things ... you certainly don't want to undo
what you've accomplished so far. You cannot blame the surgery for failing
if you're not following the procedures & instructions your doctor gave
you. You went through a lot of pain and trauma to have the tool of weight
loss surgery put in place. It is only a tool, not a magic wand. You must
do your part as well, the tool only works if the person using it is using
it properly.
— Sherrie G.
December 23, 1999
Back off the cookies!!!!!!!!!I had VBG 8/1/97, I only weighed twice during
the first year but i am sure i hit a plateaus. I lost all my weight the
first year I need to loose 40 more pounds. I work out 45min to an hour M-F.
You will start loosing again. Concentrate on how good you feel, not how
much wt you are loosing this week. Good Luck:)
— Cindy G.
December 23, 1999
Hey, Cathy. When you were dieting before the WLS, did you ever hit
plateaus? Of course you did! You (we) became overweight because our
bodies wanted to hold on to every calorie, right? Why should now be any
different? I started hitting plateaus almost immediately, at about 3 or 4
weeks post-op from my RNY. After almost 5 months I'm still doing it.
Plateaus end. Concentrate on how much better you are feeling, not what the
scale says. Merry Christmas! Jaye Carl, open proximal RNY 7-29-99, 84
pounds gone forever! Thanks to God and Dr. Greenbaum, I love you both!
— Jaye C.
December 24, 1999
How long have you been on this plateau and when did you increase your
exercise? The only way to move off and begin losing again is to lower the
calorie intake and increase your activity. Everyone hits plateaus... Have
faith, this is an amazing tool, but it is not a miracle, you need to work
with it in order to be successful.
Mary Anne
— Mary Anne M.
December 24, 1999
Hello if your working out m-f you are not loosing weight beause you are
gaining muscle tone and muscle weighs more that fat don't sweat it . It
shows that your workouts are working just keep up the good work and BE
surprised. but stay away from the scale....
— BBD
December 25, 1999
Cathy!
I am 9 months post op now. I have lost 99 lbs so far. (My goal was 100 by
Christmas) Today is Christmas. I have hit several plateaus throughout my
weight loss. I was "stuck" at 96 lbs for over 2 months! At this
time my "size" continued to drop. I have not exercised at all,
for fear of building up muscle, which in turn weighs more. That in itself
probably explains MY plateaus, although all of us are different and our
weight loss varies from person to person, we all have one goal in mind, and
that is to be THIN! This is how my doctor explained it to me: You will
slow down in your weight loss at about 6 months post-op. At this time,
your body will be reconstructing itself. It will be taking muscles and fat
from your back, that are no longer needed to support the weight of that
stomach that used to be the size it used to be. You will see a reduction
in clothing size even when there is no weight loss to speak of. This was
very true for me. At a 96 lb loss, I went from a 16 to a 12/14 with no
weight loss at all. I also went from a 35 inch waist in jeans to a 33.
Hey, as long as the inches keep coming off, then what I weigh really does
not matter as much! Be patient, measure your waist... your upper
thighs.... Your hips... You will see! The human body is an amazing thing,
and it continually works in a "survival" mode. Your body was
very comfortable at the weight it was before surgery. It's going to fight
you every step of the way to get back to the "comfort" zone. It
will lose. But it will give you one heck of a fight until it does! It did
not take you 3 or 4 months to put the weight on, it's going to take a
little longer to take it off too. But the good thing about this
"diet", is.... it's permanent! Don't give up, this is the best
decision you could have made, if you have been dealing with a weight
problem for any length of time. Good luck to you, and if you ever need
anyone to talk to! E-mail me! Happy Holidays...
— Lori D.
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