Weight Loss Stalls

[CCPM]

Right I'm taking my own advice that us longer term post opers need to talk more and support each other. Plus it will be useful for others to read.

I've never started a thread before so bear with me.

Weight loss stalls can occur at any stage post op. They are known about but I couldn't find any 'text book' advice and so came to my favourite forums to seek advice on how to manage them as they can be and are depressing.

My own were 3 weeks at 3 weeks out and I've just finished 7 weeks at 30 weeks out. They get you down but I found it very positive to ask for suggestions on how to try to end it. These were:

1. Increase food and exercise
2. 5 day Pouch test
3. Change things around a bit
4. Check and up fluids

The 5 day pouch test is not suitable for early stalls perhaps at 3-4 months before trying that. I have done it before and had a good loss so it was in my arsenal ready to try. However number 1 eventuallly did it for me or time itself might have done who knows.

From my own experience I would say the most important thing is to try to remain positive and to keep posting on here. It does seem every one else is loosing but its good to get support from those who are on the same journey.

There thats a start. Pleased to see anyone and everyone join in the discussion pre or postop and/or better still start some more threads in this section


M

 

[Lisa J]

Hi, im really similar to you my first stall was for 3wks this happend 3wks after my op i then went on to lose 12lb the following week since then my weightloss has been fine losing at least 2lb every week, nearly 7 months passed and i'd lost 7 stone then to my horror the next weekly weigh in i'd put on a pound :-( it came as such a shock to me! anyway the next weigh in i'd lost another 2lb so was really pleased to be back on track but then the next 4wks resulted with no weightloss whatsoever and a missed period,it was so frustrating! i thought about doing the 5 day pouch test but as it was over the xmas period i thought i would just carry on, not weigh myself and see how things were into the new year, now in 2wks i've lost 4lb my periods have returned and that old saying keeps popping into my head 'patience is a virtue'!

 

[candie]

Thanks for starting the ball rolling M.I agree us post oppers need to support each other more, as it's still a hard journey we are taking isn't it?
I have had quite steady losses of between 1 n 5 lbs a week since my op, but it's usally about 2-3lbs.The only time I stalled was about a month post op when I went on hols and was a bit naughty
I have made a pact with myself to swim at the gym at least 2-3 times a week, so hoping that helps too

 

[Sambucca]

Ive had a couple of stalls, but thankfully they have been short ones, and a stall is usually followed by a sudden weight loss of 5 or 6lb overnight. It doesnt make sense sometimes.

Generally speaking I find the more I eat, the better I lose. Its hard getting your head around that though, as it goes against everything we have ever believed.

its a funny old game, this WLS.

 

[Janeywanttoloosealot]

Hi, my weight loss although very quick has been very up and down. I had a wii fit for christmas which i am enjoying very much, but you know i have been on this wii fit every day for 25 mins for the last 7 days and i have lost not a sausage. I know (muscle weighs heavier than fat) but its so frustrating. I think i would prefer to loose 1or 2 lb a week every week. I don't loose anything for 2 weeks then bang 5 to 6 lbs comes of the 3rd week then mabe a pound comes of the next week. I know i sound ungrateful, i don't mean to i just get a little frustrated sometimes. Janey

 

[Silversurfer]

Hi Chaps

Theres really no easy way to answer this and i've learnt that as individuals we all lose at different rates and in vastly differing ways, though a few facts are the same for all of us.
The first 6 months post bypass you cant fail to lose, your given a 2oz pouch which is the size of a golf ball, or a large mouthful of food, this fills us up so its almost impossible to over eat and thus you lose.
6 months - 1 year is the time things begin to slow down, you need to be putting into practice your eating routines, increasing your exercise and ensuring your meals are balanced nutricianally.
Post 1 year things slow considerably, your pouch will now be about 6oz in size ( about the size of a tennis ball) your tollerances to those bad foods you couldn't eat in the early days are a lot better and your now eating a larger range of foods, which include those bad foods we've stayed clear of for many months. You'll also find your resistance has dropped, you've lost weight and your feeling more happier and healthy in yourself, but nows the time you need to fall back on your experience and the things you have learned over the first year.
At this stage plateaus are more common, you body is fighting hard to retain its loverly fat reserve.

Theres a variety of ways to trick the body into giving up its fat, the increase in protein, drinking more water, varying your exercise and eating more food all contribute to tricking your body into thinking things have changed and it will be more willing to give up excess fat it has stored. Plateaus happen with any weight lose programme not just surgical, its how we deal with them and move forward that matters, luckily for us we cant really sabotarge ourselves to badly as with non surgical weight lose programmes we could.

 

[shazbrad]

Hi Chaps

Theres really no easy way to answer this and i've learnt that as individuals we all lose at different rates and in vastly differing ways, though a few facts are the same for all of us.
The first 6 months post bypass you cant fail to lose, your given a 2oz pouch which is the size of a golf ball, or a large mouthful of food, this fills us up so its almost impossible to over eat and thus you lose.
6 months - 1 year is the time things begin to slow down, you need to be putting into practice your eating routines, increasing your exercise and ensuring your meals are balanced nutricianally.
Post 1 year things slow considerably, your pouch will now be about 6oz in size ( about the size of a tennis ball) your tollerances to those bad foods you couldn't eat in the early days are a lot better and your now eating a larger range of foods, which include those bad foods we've stayed clear of for many months. You'll also find your resistance has dropped, you've lost weight and your feeling more happier and healthy in yourself, but nows the time you need to fall back on your experience and the things you have learned over the first year.
At this stage plateaus are more common, you body is fighting hard to retain its loverly fat reserve.

Theres a variety of ways to trick the body into giving up its fat, the increase in protein, drinking more water, varying your exercise and eating more food all contribute to tricking your body into thinking things have changed and it will be more willing to give up excess fat it has stored. Plateaus happen with any weight lose programme not just surgical, its how we deal with them and move forward that matters, luckily for us we cant really sabotarge ourselves to badly as with non surgical weight lose programmes we could.

thanks for that hun, being past a year post op i can identify with most of what you said, my weight loss has virtually stopped but i think a lot of it is my bad diet choices, i am awful with carbs and sweet sugary foods which i am able to tolerate better now than i was early after the op like you said. I have thought of doin the 5 day pouch test but to be honest i never seem to get around to it, guess i'm just too bloomin lazy, but i know that if i want to lose more weight then i have to do somethin about it I also need to get back to the gym but the motivation just isnt there at the moment :sigh:

 

[phatgirl]

I think this is an excellent thread M, kudos! My weight is still going down but very slowly now, which is really fine. However I don't get on the scales much anymore. I find that I can eat more than I used to and I am more likely to snack now. I am constantly tempted to ditch my healthy habits and go back to my old comfortable but deadly ways. Being part of a support community like this one keeps me motivated and honest with myself.

Nic

 

[Laura.]

Great thread M, hope you start lots more now you have done 1!
I am at a plateau and like someone else mentioned I also feel ungrateful when I moan about it but it seems the lower weight I am the pickier I get about how much I need to lose, if I'm honest I could really do with losing another 12lbs or so, I still have a tummy and fat around the tops of my arms....but where oh where have my boobs gone
Phatgirl-I am so so envious of you, you really are stunning and as I have been reading your posts since just before my op I have seen how well you do and what a kind person you are, your advice is always great anyway I just wanted to say *you rock*
Thanks again M, great thread, well done!

 

[Silversurfer]

I find that I can eat more than I used to and I am more likely to snack now. I am constantly tempted to ditch my healthy habits and go back to my old comfortable but deadly ways.

Nic - really interesting reading this as i'm exactly the same, i still eat to full restriction each meal, but 2 hours after eating i'm hungry and looking for a snack, which is my danger time !
I've increased my level of exercise quite aggresively recently and i think thats causing me to want and seek out more food, and i'm not overly worried as i've a reasonable amount of calories going out, but my ability to eat junk foods with little effect and my growing apetite worries me a bit.

 

[Silversurfer]

Nic - really interesting reading this as i'm exactly the same, i still eat to full restriction each meal, but 2 hours after eating i'm hungry and looking for a snack, which is my danger time !
I've increased my level of exercise quite aggresively recently and i think thats causing me to want and seek out more food, and i'm not overly worried as i've a reasonable amount of calories going out, but my ability to eat junk foods with little effect and my growing apetite worries me a bit.

Hi all

I was having a think about this today and realised that if your exercising and have increased you metabolic rate, then your body will crave more food, therefore its entirely possible that you wont be eating enough in one meal to keep your saity until the next meal !
It may be a case that you need to eat a small snack between meals to keep yourself going. Its also important to remember that when your heavily exercising you need to increase your calorie intake to compensate, if you dont your weight lose will stall, the increase in meatbolic rate will burn the excess calories away faster and keep burning calories at a faster rate for up to 24 hours post exercise.

 

[Mixman]

I'm getting real nervous recently. I've not lost anything this week.

I've even upped my exercise too to no avail.

I've started lifting weights, I've rode 5 miles one day then 8 the next, walk everywhere, on the cross trainer another day.

This is more exercise than I've ever done! And I've still not lost!

My body shape has changed, perhaps it's muscle now growing, not sure. Will keep at it!

 

[Mark01/05/2009]

Definately keep at it MM - Alot of people comment that they notice body changes but their weight loss figure has dropped and then a few weeks later the weight loss takes a big jump and catches up. Muscle does weigh more than fat so if you are building new muscle that could be the reason...

But you should stick at it for the other benefits to your health, your heart, your lungs and your brain lol im sure you feel really good after exercising so that should be a great incentive to keep going....

 

[Mixman]

Yup, I've made the decision a long time ago. I don't want to just be smaller, I want to be fit too. Yes there is a difference like you said. Better for health rather than just looking smaller!

It's for life this, not just a flash in the blender!

 

[Mark01/05/2009]

Very true!!!!

 

[Laura.]

:cry:Well I'm still stuck and lbs not shifting, it's really upsetting me actually I think that's it I'm finished losing.
Like I mentioned in an earlier post above I do feel a bit bad grumbling but I could really do with losing another 12lbs or so...
Starting Gym tomorrow, going to thrash myself and hope my sciatica doesn't flare up too badly.
Moan over sorry everyone but I'm so sad I'm not going to reach my goal, it's the first time I have been defeatist about it but I just know deep down it's all done.

 

[Silversurfer]

Yup, I've made the decision a long time ago. I don't want to just be smaller, I want to be fit too. Yes there is a difference like you said. Better for health rather than just looking smaller!

It's for life this, not just a flash in the blender!

Well said and the right attitude mixy, remember doing exercise your increasing your muscle mass and speeding up your metabolism in doing so, initially you wont notice a movement on the scales, but stick with it as it will start moving again once your body adjusts, a faster metabolism means your body will use and burn more fat, an added bonus is they have proved that your body continues to burn fat at a higher rate for up to 24 hours after a work out !

Its also worth remembering that when your burning calories you need to up your food intake slightly to match, reducing calories is absolutely the wrong thing to do as you will stall your weight lose, remember the exercise isn't to lose weight, its to build muscle mass and increase your metabolism which in turn will make your body run more efficently and burn fat faster and better.

My goal now is to get fitter, i no longer weigh myself as i can clearly see when i have gained or lost, i'm trying to stick to around 1700 cals in daily and an average cardio vascular work out for me burns around 350 calories.

 

[Silversurfer]

:cry:Well I'm still stuck and lbs not shifting, it's really upsetting me actually I think that's it I'm finished losing.
Like I mentioned in an earlier post above I do feel a bit bad grumbling but I could really do with losing another 12lbs or so...
Starting Gym tomorrow, going to thrash myself and hope my sciatica doesn't flare up too badly.
Moan over sorry everyone but I'm so sad I'm not going to reach my goal, it's the first time I have been defeatist about it but I just know deep down it's all done.

Hi Laura

Not sure i can offer any real constructive advice, at your stage you should know how to deal with a weight lose plateau..... 12lbs to lose isn't a lot, could it be your body has actually reached its natural goal weight ? - your exercising now and still watching your diet ! so it may be you have to re adjust your expectations, no one ever gave me a goal weight i must reach, i set my own goal weight and have just worked towards it.

If you want advice about how to break a plateau please do shout and i'll try and help you of course.

 

[Lisa J]

Hi laura please dont be too down i know how frustrating it can be, how long have you gone without losing weight? have you had a weight plateau before?

 

[tesmaralda]

I have put off posting on here as I feel like a bit of a failure. I posted it in my diary but here goes.

I haven't lost weight now for approx 7 weeks (lose 2 one week put it back on the next), I am eating crap as 1) its easier than trying to make something the night before, 2) I know its wrong but still have to eat it, 3)I have realised that I AM already back into my old eating habits and don't know how to break the cycle.

I need some help and just can't do it by myslef and my family just don't understand.

I was given some great advice on my diary thread but I just can't seem to give myself a kick up the arse needed to get me into gear. I feel such a failure at this that it is serious risk of turning everything else into a failure as well. I knew it would be hard but never in my wildest dreams did I think at 8 months post op would I be posting this. Everybody thinks I so have this under control its a relief just to say how out of control things have really got x