Question:
My daughter is NOT LOOSING. 15 lbs. in 7 weeks.
My daughter had a VG when she was 13. She lost 40 lbs and kept it off (orig. lost 50, regained 10 in one year). She was revised to an RNY on July 31, 2003. She has only lost 15 lbs. and it was in the first two weeks. NOTHING since then. She can eat a lot. (Much more than I could at that time), but nothing like she could even with the VG (Sleeve gastrectomy--first half of the DS without the malabsorption.) She had an RNY, transected, with 150 cm. bypassed. Be honest now, has anyone ever NOT lost the weight (I mean 100 lbs in 2 years), by having an RNY? I've never seen anything like it. Here is her typical day: breakfast, 1 oz. cheese, lunch: 2 oz. cheese, 1 oz. roast beef (sliced thin, that's the way she likes it), Dinner: meat and vegies. Snacks: (she does snack after school--but not much, usually 2 crackers with peanut butter or some fruit). I have been tracking her on fitday.com, and she eats from 400-800 cals. a day. Just by the math she should be loosing. She excersizes for 45 minutes 4 times a week in school PE. I feel so sorry for her. She has seen me and her two aunts loose 160-250 lbs. over the last two years, but it doesn't seem to be working for her. Does anyone have any suggestions???? — sandieguy (posted on September 11, 2003)
September 10, 2003
Wow, this must be tough for her, esp. if she is doing all she should for
the program. Has the dr. tested her for possible thyroid or metabolism
disorders? I am no expert, but it does seem something is awry (sp?) Also,
and I hate to say it, but is there the possibility that she is
"sneaking" in more food than you know about? At any rate, I will
keep her in my thoughts and prayers, because it must be terribly difficult
to be MO at such a young age.
— rebeccamayhew
September 10, 2003
Not knowing any stats about your daughter it's hard to give much advice.
How old is she now? It would see something isn't right but it could be
that she is not getting in enough food too. I would try to get 2 ounces of
protein at breakfast also. Change the peanut butter to something else
because while it is protein it is high in carbs and fat.
<p>I really wonder if she is not eating food at school. It is so
hard to fit in with peer pressure these days. Maybe you could sit down and
have a heart-to-heart with her and tell her to tell you the truth and it
will be okay. Don't be judgemental or punishing if she has been varying
from what you send for her. Maybe by working together and being creative
you can send meals that don't make her stand out so much. Obviously I am
guessing here, but it would seem possible that this is the problem.
<p>The PE exercise may not really be the right kind of exercise she
needs in that it's not continuous etc. Could the two of you do walking
together just 2 days a week to see if that helps? It is so hard to know
because she still has a growing developing body I assume and it's hard to
compare that to an adult in many ways.
<p>I hope you are able to figure something out soon in order to keep
her spirits and focus up. It's hard enough to do this as an adult but I
would think much more traumatic as a child or young adult. I also would
like to suggest getting her some counseling. Someone neutral she can talk
to about how she feels etc. I'll keep her in my thoughts!
— zoedogcbr
September 10, 2003
As a revision myself,I lost about the same in the same time period as your
daughter but my loss has greatly picked up. I have heard that revisions do
lose slower. Don't know if that is true for everyone or not. I had the
old intestinal bypass in 1981 and a takedown in feb, 2002 with rny in Feb,
2003. I am what my surgeon calls a re-do, re-do. Try to not be too
discouraged. Your daughter is doing all the right things and her loss will
pick up.
— Delores S.
September 11, 2003
I'm certainly not an expert, but just another thought. Other posters have
suggested that your daughter may be eating more than you think she is
(which is certainly possible). Another possibility is that she's not
eating enough. 400-800 calories a day might be putting her body in
starvation mode (especially if she's more frequently on the 400 end).
Without enough caloreis, her body will fight as hard as it can to slow down
its metabolism and hold on to every ounce it can. Try to have an honest
conversation with your daughter about her real food intake. If she
sincerely is not eating more than what you send her off with, then maybe
have her eat a little more each day. I also agree that a more structured
exercise program would help, whether she's eating too much or too little
(or there's some other reason for the very slow weight loss). Get her to
walk with you in the evenings, or enroll her in a fun kind of class, such
as dance. Best wishes to you both.
— Vespa R.
September 11, 2003
My heart aches for your little girl. I too would be supportive of my child
having this surgery if they were morbidly obese. She deserves to live life
to the fullest while she is young. My best suggestion would be that you
remain supportive, provide healthy reasonable food, not have things in the
house she should not eat even for the thinner people. That said, I think it
would be very hard on a parent-child relationship to have mom monitoring
her every bite of food intake even in a well meaning supportive non
judgemental way as I am sure you remember the pain of Morbid obesity.
personally always hid and ate if others were watching me too closely.
perhaps you could help her set up a Private account on fit day and teach
her to input it. being private will give her the opportunity to be totally
honest with herself on what she is eating. being so young and going thru so
much, she might need a supportive person outside, such as a counselor to
work with her on her emotional aspects of these huge lifesyle changes. I
know as a 42 year old I have often been overwhelmed. she might need more to
eat as others have suggested. I eat a scrambled egg with cheese = 1/2 slice
toast for breakfast. No way would an oz of cheese hold me til lunch. I am
sure with 2 surgeries she has met with diaticians, but maybe one more time,
on her own, as a grown up girl taking responsibility for her own eating
might help. god bless. She is lucky to have such a supportive mom.
— **willow**
September 11, 2003
Hi Sandy,
I was a revision also (from VBG to RNY). I have lost very slowly - about 90
pounds in the last 14 months. Another poster said that revisions can lose a
lot more slowly than "virgin RNYs" and I totally agree.
<p>
I read somewhere, and I really wish I could remember where, that with the
RNY, the initial, very fast weight loss that most people experience comes
more from the sudden restriction, not from the malabsorption. After awhile,
as our bodies get used to the lowered calorie input, the malabsorption is
what contiunes the weight loss and helps keep it off. Since your daughter,
like myself, already had a smaller pouch we were already used to eating
less. Therefore no sudden whoosh of weight loss.
<p>
I don't have my exact numbers here at work, but by 2 weeks out I had lost 6
whole pounds! (Yes that is sarcasm.) By 4 weeks I was down 8 - 10 pounds. I
was totally discouraged. But I stuck it out. I exercised and really started
pushing the protein (thru supplements) and the rate of loss picked up. I am
now back at the weight I was before my staple line disruption and re-gain.
So for me, even though it took longer and I'm still not at my goal, the
revision was totally worth it.
<p>
You might need to get your daughter to eat more protein and maybe up the
exercise. Depending on what unit they are in during the PE class, that 45
minutes might not be continuous and it might be the wrong kind (anaerobic
vs. aerobic). But if she is exercising for a continuous 45 min/day, she
really needs to up the total calories especially the protin (unless she may
be eating more junk during the school day that she is admitting to.)
<p>
I really hope it works out for her! Good Luck.
— Ali M
September 11, 2003
My daughter is 13, she was about 25-30 lbs over weight, but I feared she
would get as big as me if something was not done. I take her to the grocery
store with me, and I have her make her own choices on what she wants for
the week. I have taught her how to read labels, and also enrolled her in
weight watchers online, for the extra support she needed. I leave the
laptop on the kitchen table, and let her do the rest. I told her, that I
couldn't be responsible for her,that she had to do it on her own, but I
would provide her with the tools. Am happy to say she has lost 25 lbs, and
has been educated on calories and fat grams thanks to weight
watchers....... by the way, I need help now, she is 13 and wants her belly
button pierced, now that she has lost the weight.......... what's a Mom to
do????? lolol
— izdawnie
September 11, 2003
I don't know how old your daughter is now, but I take it she's a teenager.
I know that at that age, I really would've been "bucking" my
mother if she was the one tracking my food and voicing concerns about my
weight loss, especially if she (and an aunt) had done so well with the
surgery. I know you can't help but worry about her, and I think the
posters below have raised some good questions (is she eating enough, is
P.E. really doing her any good in terms of exercise -- I know my P.E.
classes never really did -- and, are you sure you know what she's really
eating). But, it seems to me that, at some point, your daughter has to be
the one to "own" this problem, on her own, perhaps with the
assistance of a counselor or nutritionist who's good at working with teens.
Without mom saying, "How much have you lost today/this week?"
I'd think hard about whether having her mom look over her shoulder is the
best way to address these very valid concerns about what's going on with
the surgery, with food, and with exercise, or whether your involvement, no
matter how loving, might somehow be keeping her from getting a handle on
her issues on her own, as she must do. Just my 2c.
— Suzy C.
September 11, 2003
Valerie, I think you have to give in on the belly button. She sure has
done her part in learning new ways of eating and educating herself and she
deserves to do something just for her and fun. Just make sure it's done in
a sanitary situation. I'd rather see a piercing there than many of the
other places they are today.
— zoedogcbr
September 11, 2003
I think she should be at min. 800 a day and really get her to exercise. I
remember swinging a tennis racket once or twice in PE and doing the balance
beam, but I don't remember any of us working out aerobically and that's
what she needs to burn fat. Also, ask her Dr. What does he/she say?
Maybe this is normal for a revision, who knows?
— mrsmyranow
September 11, 2003
Thank you everyone! We are so blessed to be at this site and have such
great support. I still haven't found an answer, but the information I've
received has helped alleviate some of her fears. Especially about revisions
being slower loosers. We talked about if she is eating more than she says
and I believe her that she is not. I know you guys don't know us, but we
have a great relationship and there is no pressure on her from me. She
wanted this from the get-go, I tried to talk her out of it! We track her
food because she is so very dedicated to making this work. She hates
supplements but says she will start having one in the morning for 7 days,
if, at the end of 7 days it hasn't jump-started the weight loss again, she
never is going to have them again. They are running track in PE right now,
she gets about 30 mins each day. She's proud that she's not the last one
anymore and that she can run the whole time now without stopping. She's
decided to walk with me on the days she doesn't have PE so she'll get
excersize every day. She really is committed, you'd all be proud of her.
Oh, and she's 14 now, her first surgery was when she was 13. Thank you all
again, please keep those suggestions coming.
— sandieguy
September 11, 2003
Have you considered a tsh panel to rule out hypothyroid.
— Meg L.
September 11, 2003
You really do sound like you have a wonderful relationship and I'm glad you
are able to talk. She is so young to have such maturity to take on the
life of a post-op. She could try a high protein bar rather than the drink.
I like the Carb Solutions bars. I just found a flavor I had not seen
before at GNC the other day. It is Choc Chip Cookie Dough. It is awesome.
The bar has 24g of protein, 14g carbs (but only 2 are sugar), around 8
grams of fat and about 240-250 calories. The flavors vary slightly so I'm
not 100% on the numbers but should be within a gram or so. To me this
would be way more palatable than a protein drink. It's not a candy bar but
it's as close as I may ever get to one again, as I'm scared to death to try
and choc candy bar. A lady at work today tried some of it and she thought
it was good too. It does stay with you also. <p>The poster who
explained why a revision might lose slower (ie. already had restriction,
now just added malabsorption) provided very interesting information and it
made a lot of sense. So keep the faith! Also do a search in the library
on revision and see what that brings up. Good Luck and tell your daughter
to keep her chin up it will work out in the end. She should be so proud of
herself for taking this step to better the rest of her life. I was 197 at
11 and 238 at 15-1/2. Think how much easier my life would have been
physically if I had the opportunity to change my life back then and not
wait till 42.
— zoedogcbr
September 11, 2003
It sounds to me like she's not getting enough food at 2 months post-op. I
also didn't see any mention of fluid intake. Your daughter needs at least
60-70 grams of protein and 64 oz of water to keep her metabolism up and
going strong. She could very well be in starvation mode.
— LLinderman
September 12, 2003
Our bodies need a lot of high quality protein in order to function -
"normal" women need 60 grams per day. People who are building
muscle/losing weight need much more. Go to Vitalady.com and get some good
quality protein supplements, and see if that doesn't help. Even a prox
should use 90-120 gms a day, I think.
— RWH G.
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