I was sleeved two months and three days ago. I'm feeling so frustrated and afraid that this just isn't going to work for me.

I lost a significant amount of weight (85 pounds) in a fairly short period of time (4 months) prior to my surgery at the end of June. I used to eat massive amounts of food so my body responded well to high protein/low carb and I was pretty successful.

Since surgery I have only lost an additional 30 pounds. I would think the first few months after surgery would be the best months as far as weight loss and I've only lost 30 pounds. I realize this still means I've lost 115 pounds in just 6 months, but I don't know why the weight isn't coming off now. I had a stall the first month and I'm on a stall now in the 2nd month. In fact, I lost 21 pounds the first month and only 9 pounds this entire month.

On my surgeon's program I'm on the soft foods diet. Their paperwork says each meal should be between 4-6oz total for 5-6 meals/snacks a day. I'm trying to under-eat my sleeve so I usually eat between 3-4oz per meal. I am getting at least 60g Protein and 64oz Water daily. I am exercising (water jogging/swimming) for at least 30 min, 5 times per week. My nutritionist refused to let me pin her down to a calorie goal per day so I aim for less than 600 daily and I meet that almost every day. The days I have not met it I have still stayed under 700.

I could understand this slowness if I was a lighter weight WLS patient. I'm not. I'm still 330 pounds! Honestly, at this point I feel like I spent $15,000 to lose 30 pounds and give myself an eating disorder. My next follow up appointment is in 2 weeks and I honestly just feel like giving up. I won't give up, but I feel like it.

When I punch in my height, weight, sex, and age into one of the online calculators it says that my body burns around 2500 calories a day just existing. With those numbers and the amount I'm eating it doesn't seem scientifically POSSIBLE that I'm not losing a pound every couple of days.

Anyone have any thoughts, ideas, words, or a pity party? I'm struggling

Edited August 26, 201412 yr by une nouvelle vie

I also concur with the congratulations on how great you are doing!! And your current weight loss seems normal to me for the surgery. I think it is a myth that the "weight just falls off" so we all have a tough time at first.

My nut didn't want me counting calories, but to count Protein grams instead. Try to focus on that instead of calories. The days you work out so hard, you definitely need a bit more.

Just like the rest of us, keep a food journal every day, get in the amount of protein grams your nut suggests (at least 70 grams), etc. Pretty much a lot of what you are doing. 30 pounds in a few months is awesome and right on track, especially after losing so much weight prior to the surgery!

You are doing awesome and will continue to do so--I can tell.

Our bodies can only lose so fast, either with or without the sleeve. The math of calories in/calories out can't be calculated on a day to day basis to equate to a specific loss. You WILL find that over time, this will work for you! I used to think that I'd be the one person who did everything right and it still didn't work for...but it wasn't true! I learned that I have to eat way less than most people to lose, which explains how I got so fat. I also learned to just keep doing what I needed to do and that the weight would come off sooner or later. I also lost "only" 8 pounds in month 2 - with no pre-op loss! Talk about disappointing! However, the month after that I lost more, and continued to have some better months, some worse, but always trended down. That's the important thing to watch. Also, I was eating around 600 calories at that time, as recommended by my bariatric team. I have to eat 900 or less to lose - doesn't matter what my resting metabolic rate should be.

My advice - easier for me to say than do when it was me in your shoes! - is to just take a deep breath, and not focus so much on those details, but focus on the details of getting good nutrition, establishing good habits, learning what it takes for you to lose, and increasing your activity level. Time passes either way, and honestly, the less we stress about it, the easier it is.

Because you're the one who brought up math -- and because you're the one who thinks you should be losing at least 1/2 pound a day, consider this math:

In the last 6 months (180 days) you've lost 115 pounds.

Divide 115 pounds by 180 days.

In the last six months you've lost an average of 0.64 pounds per day.

Voila!

Throw your scales away. You're making yourself crazy.

Hi there! So your situation kinda reminds me of mine. I lost not 85 prior to the sleeve but I lost about 35 which is a big leap from where I started at 397. I am a slow loser. Where you are at right now your body is fighting to keep the weight on, because you where big for a period of time (I don't know your story but for me I was 397 for years) your body is used to all that insulation when you dramatically change it your body is going to fight you. I stalled out about two months out and didn't loose any weight for about a good month. Then BAM! the weight started to fall off of me. I would keep doing what you are doing, try to increase your calories to 1,000 instead of sticking around 600. I am nine months out and I still struggle with the whole making the daily calorie intake. Your doing great, keep your head up and you will get through this! It just take some time.

Reading all of these responses, I'm overwhelmed. I was in a real panic yesterday, feeling so bad. You guys have made all the difference in how I feel now. I know you're all right, the big picture is the important one. I sure didn't take a short time to get to be over 400 pounds. It's not going to *poof* go away instantly. Slow and steady wins the race.

I will increase my calories because that makes sense. I just kept thinking I had to keep it as low as possible. My metabolism is yelling "Hey, you used to never move and gave me lots of pizza. I'm on strike!" so I'm going to increase to closer to 1000 calories and see how that does it.

Really though, that so many of you responded with support is touching for me. I don't have a lot of support on the outside, just here. I'm going to do some in person support groups locally when I work up my nerve, but for now this place is it for me. My family is supportive, but they don't really get it.

So I will be reading and rereading your responses here when I need to remind myself to breathe and relax and just keep on moving forward. I will continue to be happy for those who have lost large amounts each month after surgery, but no more comparing myself because we're all different. I found a good quote to remember:

thoughts, ideas, words, or a pity party? I'm struggling

@@une nouvelle vie

listen to all the above word of wisdom from your fellow sleevers

you've received good suggestions on what you should be doing now

i'm going to remind you of what you have already done

you proved how hardworking, diligent you were pre-op losing 85 lbs!!!

thats terrific!!!

I don't "think" many people lose that much weight pre-op

you did!!!

"I ONLY lost 30 lbs" PO you said

the word ONLY must come out of your vocabulary!

throw the word out the window!

losing ONLY ie 1/2 a lb is great

you might have gained 2 lbs in your "other life"

the 30 lbs you have lost with the sleeve shows your success PO

but we can't dismiss the 85 lbs (amazing) you lost pre-op

115 lbs pre and post op total - holy moly bud

head held high (don't hurt your neck )

no pity party for you bud!!!

keep up the great work for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life!!!

i know you will!!

good luck

kathy

congrats

Edited August 27, 201412 yr by proudgrammy

une nouvelle vie,

My God woman--you have lost a whole lot of weight in a short period of time!

I'm very proud of you and very happy for you

I don't count calories. My main goal is to get that Water in, get the Protein in, take my supplements and get the sleep and exercise I need. I sleep in as dark a room as possible, take an herbal supplement to sleep and it seems to work.

Studies have shown lack of sleep has a negative impact on your bodies ability to lose weight. Those studies were done on people with a whole stomach not a smaller one. So I would think sleep would be especially important to those of us with a sleeve instead of a full sized stomach.

Blessings,

Kathleen

I agree with all the above posts. I think you're not loosing weight because you're not feeding your body with enough healthy calories, so its holding on to the fat in case its being starved. Makes sense ? I think you need to look at the Big Picture, and congratulate yourself on what you HAVE accomplished so far, NOT what you haven't accomplished. YOU are a role model. YOU are an inspiration to others for your hard work on getting healthy, so dont throw in the towel , because you never know who's quietly watching YOU and YOUR SUCCESS and making decisions because of it. Good luck, have a good day , and as a role model, show them how it's done !!!!!

I agree with all the above posts. I think you're not loosing weight because you're not feeding your body with enough healthy calories, so its holding on to the fat in case its being starved. Makes sense ? I think you need to look at the Big Picture, and congratulate yourself on what you HAVE accomplished so far, NOT what you haven't accomplished. YOU are a role model. YOU are an inspiration to others for your hard work on getting healthy, so dont throw in the towel , because you never know who's quietly watching YOU and YOUR SUCCESS and making decisions because of it. Good luck, have a good day , and as a role model, show them how it's done !!!!!

I also agree on the calories. I would work towards at least 800 a day. A bit more on workout days. Weight loss surgery is not a magic bullet. It still takes time for the weight to come off. The sleeve/band just makes it easier to stay on track. Also if you are working out, muscle is replacing fat. Muscle is more dense than the fat so you may be losing fat but the muscle gain will make the scale move much more slowly. As time goes by and your body gets use to the new cycle, you will probably see more dramatic losses now and then.

Try getting a measuring tape and use myfitnesspal to track your measurements. While you may not see the scale move as fast as you would like. The inches will probably take up the slack.

My two cents is WLS changes the body in a lot of ways. I don't believe we can use "average" charts for weight loss, especially years out. I have noticed many of us veterans don't get to a perfect goal weight but can MAINTAIN a healthy lower weight for many years...with good diet practices and exercise.

I feel some of us are a bit larger and healthy. That is the bliss for me. No more up and down. No drastic diet measures followed by regains. Just a great healthy lifestyle. Shopping in regular stores. Not worrying about walking up a huge hill ( me yesterday). Enjoying a " normal" mid life and not obsessing about food!

Imperfect me. Love it! Almost 8 years Happy!!!

I check back in to find even MORE great advice. Thanks!

As simple as it sounds, it's easy to forget that sleep really is very important and muscle does weigh more than fat. My head starts spinning with ... get your Protein in, get your Water in, don't eat within 3 hours of bedtime, don't drink 30 minutes before eating, don't drink 30 minutes after eating, take your supplements, take 1 minute between bites, don't eat for more than 30 minutes and then I start forgetting the basics: breathe, sleep, drink, eat.

Thank you all.