Maintaining Weight year 3+

[CBT 450]

I'm hoping this doesn't turn into a novel.

Many of you may remember that in February 2014 I could not stop losing weight and I was going to have LBL.

I work out 6-7 days a week (weights, dance, yoga, walking) and we are generally active. I was eating 1800 calories at that time.

After the surgery I started to gain weight. I wasn't sure if it was weight or swelling. After creeping up, bam, one month I gained 5 pounds.

I called the endocrinologist I've seen since surgery. I had not been in in 18 months (my bad). I ought to see him every 6-12 months. But life.

So, post surgery at some point my caloric needs changed from 1800 back to 1200! (My metabolism is really high and has been high since he first tested me in 2012.)

We completed Resting Energy Expenditure and body comp.

If you are struggling and you have the medical coverage or ability, I really thing a weight loss endo can be incredibly valuable to help sort out how YOUR body is doing maintenance.

Some of you may really have a metabolism that died through surgery. It happens. You aren't doing anything wrong. Maybe you just need the right information and tools. In this case they often prescribe medications. It must be heart breaking. In this case it's really not all about calories like it is in my case.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Can you be clearer about the tests you had done?

And what you learned?

(I have no idea what a weight loss endo is -- or what it measures or how it measures it.)

Also, are you still working out as much as you were pre-plastics?

And do you think your plastic surgery (LOL means "lower body lift," I assume) could have had anything to do with the change in your body's metabolism?

Thanks.

[CBT 450]

Sure: Weight loss endo. (Endocrinologist)

The tests:

1. Vitals

2. Body Composition which is done in his office with leads attached to sticky pads that are then placed on a foot and a hand. This given him information about fat to muscle ratio.

3. Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) this evaluates metabolism. I was 4 hours fasting and no exercise on the day of the test (before the test).

What is specific about my body is that it likes to eat muscle over fat. This physician figures that out in the first 6 months post op.

So, while I was still working out regularly, I was not lifting weights as strenuously or as often. (I had my rotator cuff repaired) I still worked out my core and squats and the like but no Iron

The LBL (you're right) removed 5.5 pounds of skin. It may have been part of the formula; and it's most likely my caloric needs changed due to my overall size and fat to muscle ratio.

I forgot to copy your post so I can't see what I'm replying to. Lol.

I hope I answered your questions!

Edit to say: and I was eating too many calories every day. That's what the REE showed. I was very confused before I got all these answers!

So, I'm back to weight training every other day or daily if I train groups of muscles.

Edited June 29, 2015 by CBT

[Strangefruit 179]

Thank you for posting this. Reading this and other posts that seem to say that for some of us, the surgery makes our already sluggish metabolisms even more wonky is encouraging and depressing at the same time ... I generally eat less than 1300 calories a day and cannot lose weight ... ????

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I think my metabolism was wonky pre WLS ..

[The Candidate 3,215]

Thanks so much for the info!

[CBT 450]

I feel frustrated for people who get stuck and feel shame and failure when really they still could benefit from medical support. This journey has been a team effort for me. For that I'm grateful.

For me it was a very simple fix once I understood the problems. I still don't trust myself enough so I'm not patient with myself.

For others, your REE will be too low and if you're not building muscle it's easy to go upside down. Still some will benefit from medications to stimulate the metabolism.

It's really helpful for me to know how quickly I lose muscle and thus need less calories. I am super active so it was confusing me. And my head kept getting involved.

(I worried that when I said I didn't want this to be a novel that people would misread that and not respond. I meant I was hoping to be on point and not rambling.)

[CBT 450]

I think my metabolism was wonky pre WLS ..

It's better now though, right? Looking back, plastics did my head in, too. This has been a lot of work!

[CBT 450]

Thank you for posting this. Reading this and other posts that seem to say that for some of us, the surgery makes our already sluggish metabolisms even more wonky is encouraging and depressing at the same time ... I generally eat less than 1300 calories a day and cannot lose weight ... ????

If you don't have medical support,

the best I can offer in addition to all that you know, is to lift weights every day for at least 10 minutes. Different muscle groups. No pain, though. 12-15 reps. Start with one set and work up to 3. Building muscle helps boost metabolism. You don't have to go gang busters.

Make sure you're drinking Water and meeting Protein requirements. So important to break a stall. I eat a lot of raw veggies. Still I sooooooo appreciate that we are all different and in many ways, the same.

By example, I work out 6 days a week for 60-75 minutes. Over the last 18 months I had dropped weight training and thought I'd maintain my gains with vinyasa yoga on non dance days. This is where I made my error. So now, again, I never go longer than 48 hours without weight training. I dropped 15 pounds of regain in 3 weeks. Crazy!!!

I hope you find a solution! Don't give up

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I don't count calories - too much emotional baggage for me I guess. What I can say is that pre sleeve AND now, I seem to eat less then you would think to maintain. I was a big eater when I weighed 300#, don't get me wrong, but not big enough to explain 300#. Now, I eat less than friends who are skinnier than I am.

I think my metabolism was wonky pre WLS ..

It's better now though, right? Looking back, plastics did my head in, too. This has been a lot of work!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

10 cals a day over what you need to maintain can lead to one pound gain a year.

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

I wish I could have those tests done.

I know my metabolism is much slower since I haven't been able to go to the gym. Muscle makes your body tighter.

I have pants that fit and looked really nice at the weight I am now. Since I haven't been able to do weight training while waiting for my back surgery, they are really tight in the thighs. I am exact same weight as when I wore them last, and they are way tighter.

[CBT 450]

I wish I could have those tests done.

I know my metabolism is much slower since I haven't been able to go to the gym. Muscle makes your body tighter.

I have pants that fit and looked really nice at the weight I am now. Since I haven't been able to do weight training while waiting for my back surgery, they are really tight in the thighs. I am exact same weight as when I wore them last, and they are way tighter.

Helps to actually type the response before I post it!

My Drs say lift what you can, 10 mins a day if you are starting. Never go more than 48 hours without resistance. For example, if you can do resistance in your arms with no back pain that will boost metabolism. It doesn't need to be full body to be beneficial to metabolism.

I totally know what you mean about the same weight but not as lean. It's that fat-thin that we feel in our jeans.

I hope you're having surgery soon and it's not super major! I had my rotator cuff repaired and that was a brutal recovery because I was so limited. It was a mental game for sure.

Maybe once you're on the other side of survey you can get the REE and body comp. My insurance covers it through the endocrinologist....

Edited August 10, 2015 by CBT

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

How did they do your REE? I did have a test where I couldn't exercise for 48 hours before the test, and had to come as quickly as I could, straight out of bed without eating or drinking. Then they hooked me up to a machine, put something over my nose,like a close pin, and I had to breathe in and out of my mouth for 20 min.

they called the resting metobolic test. It showed I burn 1200 calories a day if all I do is sit around. For the most part, that's what I do. My back kills me to stand for very long or walk much at all.

I am having a spinal fusion. I am so pi$$ed because today they called and put it back one week. I am so sick of waiting. I want to go back to the gym. The only way I could do that, is take pain pills. They won't even give me pain pills until after surgery.

[Dub 9,922]

Sure: Weight loss endo. (Endocrinologist)

The tests:

1. Vitals

2. Body Composition which is done in his office with leads attached to sticky pads that are then placed on a foot and a hand. This given him information about fat to muscle ratio.

3. Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) this evaluates metabolism. I was 4 hours fasting and no exercise on the day of the test (before the test).

What is specific about my body is that it likes to eat muscle over fat. This physician figures that out in the first 6 months post op.

So, while I was still working out regularly, I was not lifting weights as strenuously or as often. (I had my rotator cuff repaired) I still worked out my core and squats and the like but no Iron

The LBL (you're right) removed 5.5 pounds of skin. It may have been part of the formula; and it's most likely my caloric needs changed due to my overall size and fat to muscle ratio.

I forgot to copy your post so I can't see what I'm replying to. Lol.

I hope I answered your questions!

Edit to say: and I was eating too many calories every day. That's what the REE showed. I was very confused before I got all these answers!

So, I'm back to weight training every other day or daily if I train groups of muscles.

I'm quite sure the part in bold is what brought me to this point, too.