Question:
Has anyone lost this slowly?
Hi all,Feeling a little down today and thought I would ask for some encouragement. June 18 will be my 1 year anniversary. I have lost 80 pounds. I had a feeling I would lose slowly when at my 5 week check-up I had only lost 19 pounds. I started at 249.(I'm 5'4) I know I shouldn't compare myself to others but when I read how others are losing I can't help but feel like I'm not doing as well as everyone else. I have been on a plateau for 2 months. I have done most of what people say to break one but nothing happens. Sad that I might not make the century club. Sorry for having a pity party but I've been having these feeling for a while and have held then in for fear of having to face the fact that I haven't succeeded at this. I so wanted to do this RIGHT. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading. Marie — Marie N. (posted on June 5, 2004)
June 4, 2004
i fully understand why you are feeling sad. just remember we don't stop
losing at one year. most of the info says 12-18 months and there are many
people who continue to lose far past that time. i was on a very long
plateau for about 2 months. before that 2 months i had gone to visit family
out of states for spring break. i don't know why if forgot, but i forgot to
take my vitamins!!! when i got home i would take them here and there or
whenever i would remember. now i take them everyday again like i am
supposed to and this has broken my plateau!! now that you are almost a year
the pouch rules might help you out. in the pouch rules they talk alot about
water loading. this helps in 2 ways. one it get more water in and 2 it
helps you feel full. sometimes changing things up alittle helps too(even
eating alittle more!). have you looked at your reunion page for your month
here on the site? there are others who lose alittle slower, but some are
too embarassed to post because they think they have failed in some way. i
feel they haven't failed at all,but that they just lose differently. i
understand your fear that you might now make it to "goal". i just
wanted you to know that talking about it now only helps you but the many
other people who are in the same boat. I'M CHEERING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
please let us know how things are going.
— franbvan
June 4, 2004
Hi Marie! You and I are in about the same boat. I had my surgery in August
2003, started at 249 (I'm 5'2") and have lost 80 pounds! What's
different about me is that I lost the 80 very quickly and then plateaued.
I've been excercising a lot -- I just finished training for and
walking/running a marathon, so my body has gotten pretty muscular and
people have commented that I've lost more weight (even though I haven't).
Now that I've finished the marathon, my next goal is to lose another 20-30
pounds by REALLY watching my food intake and walking/running 2 miles 5x a
week. Anyway, your window of losing weight may not be over. You might want
to check with your surgeon and scrutinize your food intake and exercise
routine. You might even want to see a nutritionist -- I think I'm going to.
There's a possibility that there's a physiological reason you've stopped
losing weight and the only way you'll know is if you check with your
surgeon. Good luck! I'll be thinking of you as I try to get things moving,
too!
— Kimberly C.
June 5, 2004
Try the South Beach Diet. It helped me lose the final pounds and is a very
healthy (lean protein, "good" carbs). Have you had your thyroid
checked?
Linda
— mom2jtx3
June 5, 2004
Dear Marie,
I also was a slow loser. Started at 5'3"/230. Only made it to 164.
I think there are some of us who are just not going to make it. I hope its
not you. But, if you are like me, it's ok; At least I feel so much better
-65 pounds that I did. I run 2-4 miles a day. Just think we are all
different in what causes our obesity. God knows it isn't that I haven't
tried but I'll live with my results.
— [Deactivated Member]
June 5, 2004
Just keep doing the right things. Eat healthy in reasonable quantities and
exersize. I just joined Curves for Women. It is fun plus I am seeing
results. 30 minutes goes fast and it is kicking my metabolism up a notch.
You have lost 80 lbs. that is a great accomplishment. Do not give up on
yourself keep the 80 lbs off!!!
— Lori T.
June 5, 2004
I know how you feel. I feel the same way. I started as a "heavy
weight" at 389. I have lost as high as 105 and low as 100. It
flucuates. I feel like I have failed this surgery. I keep comparing to
others and I can not find anybody who has done this bad. I work for a
school district and about 15 of us had the surgery a few within a year ago
and most past a year ago. Everybody there has done well except me. I am
still far away from goal. I joined weight watchers for two weeks and
gained 3.6 pounds. So I quit that. I tried to go to another weightloss
center and they would not except me because of the gastric bypass. I have
been so depressed lately about all of this and then being turned down by
them made it worse. I have not even wanted to get to "skinny"
just to 220 pounds and I can not even get to that. I researched this
surgery very well so I thought but somewhere I missed that this surgery is
not successful for everyone. I hope you reach your goal. Keep doing what
you know is right and hopefully this will all work out for you. I keep
telling myself this and praying to God to help me. I am so embarrassed
because I feel like a lot of my co-workers are going to take a look at me
when school starts back and say, "she still is fat." "Why
haven't she lost weight like everybody else?" Good Luck to you.
— twin94
June 5, 2004
I can definitely understand how you are feeling about the slow weight loss.
I am 5'3" and started at 253 lbs. I had surgery on July 29, 2003. As
of today, I've lost 80 lbs. I've been on many plateaus, the last one lasted
one month and 5 days and then in one week I lost 7 lbs. It didn't matter if
I ate more or less calories, I just couldn't lose a pound. At the beginning
of this experience, I was really bad about comparing myself with others. I
drove myself crazy. Finally, I quit. I began to realize that never before
have I been able to lose 7-8 lbs a month as an average. So just keep up the
good work... you and I will both make the century club.
— Bonnie
June 5, 2004
I have realized in my lifetime that I have to Eat more to Weigh Less.
Follow your prescribed diet and eat everything on your diet. Skipping parts
of your plan will cause you to eat less and weigh more. Trust me. Ask any
Doctor, he will tell you the same.Good Luck!
— Deborah B.
June 5, 2004
Marie,
I can relate - I have also lost almost 80 lbs. and I'm 9 months out,
however I feel so much better with the 80 lbs. gone it's kind of hard for
me to feel bad about the slow weightloss. I still want to lose 30-40 lbs.
and I plan to make it in the next 9 months. Just keep plugging along and
you'll get there. Some lose faster then us but I keep thinking we'll have
less problems and it will stay off easier. You're not alone - there are
other slow losers out there to keep you company.
— Gail L.
June 5, 2004
Marie, I started out 8# lighter than you and I am the same height as you. I
have lost 90#. I consider myself a lightweight and I know that I will have
to really work hard to loose my last 21#, which I am in the process of
doing. Try not to compare yourself with others. I believe that you are just
like me and will really really have to work now to loose the last extra
pounds, but do not give up and get out there and work at getting to the
century mark. I just got so tired of the scale not moving that I got off my
dead butt and gave myself a real good pep talk and said to myself kick it
in the butt Chris and do it. I know that I can loose the last weight that I
need to, just a little slower now. I do have a great support person at
home, my DH he knows exactly what I am going thru because he had WLS (open
RNY) also. So, we are each others pep squad. Keep up the good work girl and
get back on track you can do it. Maybe if you visited a dietician and asked
for help to get back on track or join Weight Watchers like I did, my
meetings I go to are fantastic, great support.
— ChristineB
June 5, 2004
First of all, sorry to hear you're feeling badly.<br><br>
Have you had your resting metabolic rate checked? Our clinic does them...
the machine they use is called the MedGem. It generally costs about
$30-$35. Some insurance pays for that, some does not. <br>
This measures how many calories you burn at rest, and guages how your
metabolism is doing. Then your nutritionist can help you determine how many
calories/day is right for you based on your activity. In my case, I tend to
not eat enough, so it slows my weight loss. I am doing fine now, but it has
been a loooong two years ;)<br><br>
Also, just keeping a very strict food diary for a while (with EVERYTHING on
it, not just carbs or protein or calories) might help you and your
nutritionist pinpoint what might be a downfall for you. You're right when
you say you shouldn't compare yourself to others - just knowing dozens of
other post-op friends tells me that we are drastically different after
WLS.... even my group who has had the same surgery from the same
surgeon!<br><br>
I wish you well...<br><br>
shelli k (26 month post-op, 285 to 140 lap RNY)
— kultgirl
June 5, 2004
I am only 6 weeks post op and I have the same concerns as you. My surgeon
says that he considers a loss of 60% excess weight a success. That means I
would only lose 66 lbs. by his standards. I had only lost 18 lbs. at my
post op check up, so I may be in the same boat as you. I started at 240
and am 5'3". You have accomplished one big goal, you have made it
below 200 lbs. Many folks never get below the elusive 200 mark. Just keep
following your surgeon's, nutritionist's advice and you will be healthy for
the rest of your life!
— tbarclay
June 5, 2004
I am finally understanding how obesity is a medical condition, not just a
physical description. A skinny 35 year old friend of mine has very high
cholesterol and works very hard at his diet and taking his medication. He
needs stronger medication. Do I consider him a failure at getting his
cholesterol lower? No because high cholesterol a medical condition. I
stopped losing weight 4 months ago when I lost 130 pounds. I am now 186 but
I'm only 5'3" so still considered obese. I was very hard on myself
since I go to the gym 5 days per week and follow the pouch rules - what's
wrong with me? Do I think I'm a failure? I did. Now I am understanding that
this is a medical condition and I just might not have any say in the
matter. If you are doing all you can do, then you are doing all that you
can do.
— Yolanda J.
June 6, 2004
I went through this self doubt last month (I was at 86 lbs lost at 7
months). Is this just another failure in a long string of failures with my
enemy - my weight? I was eating according to the rules, exercising and
drinking water until I felt like I would float. I've come to a couple of
conclusions since then: 1. I am going to see a counsellor to deal with the
psychological stuff that got me here and that wasn't operated on. It takes
mental/psychological strength to make it long term, and I want those tools
as well as the physical tool I've been given. I also don't want to beat
myself up regardless of what the scale says. I want to enjoy my life, and
for my obsession with my weight to not steal the joy in my life. 2. I
refuse to beat myself up over slow weight loss. As long as I am doing
everything by the book (and I did a solid inventory to make sure I wasn't
cutting corners or allowing old bad habits in), then I'm not going to sweat
it. Maybe my having to fight for my loss will be what I need not to take
it for granted. Maybe if my loss was easy, it would encourage me to eat
whatever I wanted (since I could still lose), and I wouldn't have made the
long term lifestyle changes I needed to make to be a healthier person. I
do know that if I never lose another pound that I am healthier than I was 8
months ago. I sleep better, I am more alert and I have more energy. Those
are all successes. Do you at least feel better than you did last year?
Celebrate that success. 3. I commit myself to not comparing my success
with everyone else's (not easy to do at all) - my body is going to do
exactly what it wants to do, and ultimately I might not be able to control
that. I'm with you on the pity party. I had one for a couple of weeks and
then I decided, that's enough. Keep putting one foot in front of the
other, do what you need to do to put together a plan to feel better about
you and enjoy your life everyday. If there are those who would look at you
like a failure, I say "oh well." There are always going to be
people who want to sit in judgement. If you lost too much they would be
the ones to say you're trying to become anorexic. Just try to shrug it
off. I'm sure the people who love you are happy for you. Let that be
enough. Be at Peace - you're not alone in this. deb
— Debra R.
June 6, 2004
Do you exercise? How are your eating habits? Are you eating enough? Are you
insulin resistant? There are so many factors
Can you share what you are doing?
— ZZ S.
June 6, 2004
Marie...I hate that you're feeling low about your weight loss. I know what
it feels like to think you're not losing as well as others. I went thru
the same thing but very early on. I'm 5 months post op and have lost 78
pounds, but I've hit several plateaus where I didn't lose and twice I even
gained 6 pounds in only a couple of days. Just stick with what your
physician tells you and keep moving and getting in enough fluids and
proteins and I'm sure it'll come off. I have tried to tell myself that I'm
in the normal group and my friends who've lost so much more so quickly are
among the ones who are in the minority. I also tell myself that if I keep
losing slowly that I'll not be as flabby. LOL Anyway, that's what helps
me keep sane. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the realization
that I'll lose at my own rate, but once I relented and just accepted it
all, I don't feel down as often as before. Hope this helps...Kathy
— Katherine F.
June 6, 2004
Yes, I am 21 months out and have lost 96 lbs. I started at 243 and now
weigh 147. Maybe I could make the century club if I tried harder, but I
wear a size 10 pants and a medium top, so I really have nothing to complain
about. But I know how you feel and felt bad about it for awhile and then
just decided to accept it and enjoy my new life. It's really not about the
numbers, it's about the quality of life.
— joeandteri
June 6, 2004
Marie,
Please know that you are not alone! My stats are just like yours,
5'3" starting weight 248. I am 6 months out and have lost 58 pounds.
My slow losing started in the FIRST MONTH...only down 19 pounds, then the
second month only down 9 pounds. I cannot for the life of me figure out
why that happened when those first few months should be such huge losses.
Now my losing is more average, 5-8 pounds a month, but there is no way I
can catch up those 20-30 pounds which should have come off in the
beginning. I have to agree with the other posters who have said that we
need to accept our slow loss as the way we are and be so grateful for what
we have lost. Thanks for posting this, I know I for one get very
discouraged reading everyone's huge success posts and appreciate knowing
I'm not alone.
Lisa G
— saltybichon
June 6, 2004
You are most definitely not alone. I started at 238 pounds (5'4") and
as of today, I have lost between 69 and 72 pounds and my one year
anniversary is Saturday. I've only lost 8-10 pounds since December (6
months post). Yes, it sucks big time. I'm transected, so that's not a
problem, I suspect I have a failed stoma as I never feel full. Food seems
to go right on through and it has since I was about 4-5 months post-op. I
eat right (protein first, then veggies/fruits, whole grains last)the
majority of the time. I'm not perfect, so yes, I had a bite of cupcake at
my grandsons birthday party (I don't dump). I also had high hopes of
getting down to 140-145 but that would mean losing another 25 pounds or so
and I honestly don't know if it's going to happen. I try to stay positive
but it is difficult sometimes. We just have to stay with our plans, eat
right and excercise. Either the weight will come off or it won't, but
regardless of what the scale says, we will be healthy.
Good Luck.
— Carolyn M.
June 6, 2004
I would love to be where you are! I started about the same place and still
need to lose about 40 more lbs. BUT - I saw my doctor last Thursday and my
B/P was 120/80, and my LDL was 73 and my HDL was 71, my cholesterol was
162! He was smiling and said that he would love to have my HDL! Now, when
you make your doctor smile, that spells success. I stopped losing about 9
months after surgery, and I have been up and down with the same 4-5 lbs
ever since. (I weigh and graph my weight every day.) You haven't failed! Be
happy where you are. No two people are the same, and I haven't lost as much
as you have, but I try not to get down on myself about it.
— koogy
June 7, 2004
Hi Marie: Don't lose heart, or faith in yourself. I am 5'8" and
started at 274. I had only lost 17 pounds at my 4 week check-up. At one
year I had only lost 89 pounds. July 18 will be my 2 yr. anniversary, and
I am now at 151 pounds. The last 40 pounds have come off VERY slowly.
When I would get downhearted, I would renew my commitment to myself. I
would go back to basics, protein, water, exercise. Sometimes it would
jump-start weight loss again, other times it just made me feel better in my
head. Either way, my health is 100 times better than it was 2 years ago.
The one thing that always seemed to make me lose 10 pounds in a week was to
buy a new pair of jeans. Without fail, I would be able to wear them for a
couple of weeks, then BAM, they're baggy LOL best wishes, chris
— Chris S.
June 7, 2004
You are not alone! I will be 1 year out on June 24.
I have lost 90 pounds. I thought I would have been down 100
pounds by my 1 year, but it does not look like I will.
I have only lost 5 pounds since April 10. This has been my only plateu
isnce I been on this journey.I know I am part
of the problem though! I have been eating too many carbs in
my diet. I have made a promise to myself to change that.
I am looking to lose 20 more pounds. I know I will.
I just make the necessary changes that I know is slowing
me down.
— Just P
June 8, 2004
I'm right behind you. It seems like the smaller you are to start out with,
the slower the weight comes off. I tend to lose 2-3 pounds every 3 weeks
now and I'm only 8months post op. I feel pretty good though so I try not
to complain. Look at your before photos...those always cheer me up! K
— Kimberly S.
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