THE SLOW LOSERS CLUB SUPPORT THREAD

[AnnieD78 82]

Trying not to feel defeated but it’s hard! I’ve lost slowly right out of the gate. HW was 285 in August , currently 218. surgery was 8/14. I have had zero complications, have felt pretty darn good from the start. Always met my Protein and Water goals.

My dietician wants me to up my calories to 1200 a day, which I have been able to do sporadically. I was on a 3 week stall but just lost 1.6 lbs. She also does not care about carbs. She’s like... eat them. Wants me to reach around 90g of protein and 125 g carbs.

I started at orange theory fitness (high intensity interval training) and have been going 3x a week. They are hour long classes and my average calorie burn is 450 per class. They are very difficult.

When I started this I wanted to be 180 lbs. that is still 30 lbs higher then “normal” BMI. Now I just want to get below 200. Will it happen for me??? It’s just so frustrating bc it seems like for some people the weight just melts off. I guess this shouldn’t be a surprise bc by the time I decided on surgery, and after a lifetime of yo yo dieting I had a hard time losing even 10 lbs.

[kc892020 90]

On 1/28/2020 at 6:54 PM, KarenLR75 said:

I understand the temptation and actually feeling that way..let's see you are 16 days out from surgery, is that correct?

I was...a bit stunned during my first month that barely anything happened (my DEFINITE interpretation at the time and the first 2 weeks weight loss was from all I had been given to understand and yes..comparing myself against others....was so so little.

I called my surgeon's office and talked to him and the nutritionist. They told me repeatedly something I had not seen here before (not that it might not have been said many times by others) but they told me DESPITE what I have found on many forums, they have done this for well more than a decade and that directly post-op, whether you were on IV fluids for 1 day, 2 days or more..or even NONE, that MANY people do not start hitting their body's full potential for weight loss until after they have HEALED which would be 6 weeks for RNY - unsure what it is for sleeve..maybe the same.

I, however, felt after haunting WLS forums for 3 years PRIOR to surgery, that while I knew my doctor was very good, they simply HAD TO BE WRONG....I mean...I read how many hundreds of post of all of these people losing at LEAST 10 lbs a month. I thought I was 'oh so careful' to only compare my weight loss against other women...around the same age...and who had additional metabolic challenges (whether it be from medications, illnesses, PCOS, thyroid, etc.).....so I thought sensibly...I'm not comparing myself against a 'young man' or even a young woman.

I finally quit looking at some of the posts, I sought out my surgery siblings more..the ones who had a slightly slower weight loss...I read some of the threads from the vets and basically white-knuckled my way thru month 1, month 2.

Flash forward to now...6 months out as of 3 days ago and I started posting on this thread. In working with some of the vets when I posted here, we have looked at my total weight loss since surgery and then averaged it out and my monthly weight loss at SIX MONTHS is 12.6 lbs a month! If you had told me in Months 1 or 2...like my poor doctor tried to tell me...that things would WORK THEMSELVES out if I just stuck to it, I'd be leery...and that indeed was what I was told. Ironically in week 8, 2 weeks after 'you are healed by now' date, my weight loss kicked up higher.

Some of my fellow siblings or ppl who had surgery in the late summer, early fall...the ones who lost a lot in month 1, oh how i remember that month, are starting to slow down a bit (nothing to be worried about)...some are now hitting 10 lbs a month consistently (and hey, I literally AM losing roughly 12 lbs a month and that is NOT with just averaging).

Please hang in there...be kind to yourself and your body...it is literally still healing. The surgery is a big one and your body has been shaken up. You are a rockstar with the working out! I truly admire that. If you hang in there, the weight will come off and it won't remain in single digits.

If it helps, even though you are on liquids, post what you are drinking, overall calories, etc. but again, the first month after surgery is really really rough on your body even if you feel 'ok'. My calories for the first month were 450 or less..some days 100, some days 200-250. Your body has to settle itself out so some of us do not see that gigantic loss in the first month and we think it is for nothing. It WILL COME OFF. With your level of exercise, and knowing what month 1 is like...I promise it WILL COME OFF if you are working your plan.

Wow, thank you for this.

I feel like a big weight has been lifted off me, thank you.

[AnnieD78 82]

I just wanted to update — I upped my calories as per my dietician suggested and lost 3.6 lbs this week. Totally counterintuitive but our bodies are much smarter then us. 🤣😂

[Joy2me 8]

On 02/10/2020 at 13:27, AnnieD78 said:

I just wanted to update — I upped my calories as per my dietician suggested and lost 3.6 lbs this week. Totally counterintuitive but our bodies are much smarter then us. 🤣😂

I too, was told by my Nut , to up my calories and carbs. Like you said, it feel counterintuitive. Slowly going to increase both combined with my working out and see if that helps. Tough to do with a 4 ounce limiting sleeve

[Lynda486 783]

My fitness Pal has been encouraging me to eat more. The last few days I have gotten to 1100 calories and FitnessPal tells me if I keep eating like this I will be down 10 pounds in 5 weeks. Giving it a shot since I have been at roughly the same weight for 3 weeks.

[Serengirl 176]

On 1/28/2020 at 3:54 PM, KarenLR75 said:

I understand the temptation and actually feeling that way..let's see you are 16 days out from surgery, is that correct?

I was...a bit stunned during my first month that barely anything happened (my DEFINITE interpretation at the time and the first 2 weeks weight loss was from all I had been given to understand and yes..comparing myself against others....was so so little.

I called my surgeon's office and talked to him and the nutritionist. They told me repeatedly something I had not seen here before (not that it might not have been said many times by others) but they told me DESPITE what I have found on many forums, they have done this for well more than a decade and that directly post-op, whether you were on IV fluids for 1 day, 2 days or more..or even NONE, that MANY people do not start hitting their body's full potential for weight loss until after they have HEALED which would be 6 weeks for RNY - unsure what it is for sleeve..maybe the same.

I, however, felt after haunting WLS forums for 3 years PRIOR to surgery, that while I knew my doctor was very good, they simply HAD TO BE WRONG....I mean...I read how many hundreds of post of all of these people losing at LEAST 10 lbs a month. I thought I was 'oh so careful' to only compare my weight loss against other women...around the same age...and who had additional metabolic challenges (whether it be from medications, illnesses, PCOS, thyroid, etc.).....so I thought sensibly...I'm not comparing myself against a 'young man' or even a young woman.

I finally quit looking at some of the posts, I sought out my surgery siblings more..the ones who had a slightly slower weight loss...I read some of the threads from the vets and basically white-knuckled my way thru month 1, month 2.

Flash forward to now...6 months out as of 3 days ago and I started posting on this thread. In working with some of the vets when I posted here, we have looked at my total weight loss since surgery and then averaged it out and my monthly weight loss at SIX MONTHS is 12.6 lbs a month! If you had told me in Months 1 or 2...like my poor doctor tried to tell me...that things would WORK THEMSELVES out if I just stuck to it, I'd be leery...and that indeed was what I was told. Ironically in week 8, 2 weeks after 'you are healed by now' date, my weight loss kicked up higher.

Some of my fellow siblings or ppl who had surgery in the late summer, early fall...the ones who lost a lot in month 1, oh how i remember that month, are starting to slow down a bit (nothing to be worried about)...some are now hitting 10 lbs a month consistently (and hey, I literally AM losing roughly 12 lbs a month and that is NOT with just averaging).

Please hang in there...be kind to yourself and your body...it is literally still healing. The surgery is a big one and your body has been shaken up. You are a rockstar with the working out! I truly admire that. If you hang in there, the weight will come off and it won't remain in single digits.

If it helps, even though you are on liquids, post what you are drinking, overall calories, etc. but again, the first month after surgery is really really rough on your body even if you feel 'ok'. My calories for the first month were 450 or less..some days 100, some days 200-250. Your body has to settle itself out so some of us do not see that gigantic loss in the first month and we think it is for nothing. It WILL COME OFF. With your level of exercise, and knowing what month 1 is like...I promise it WILL COME OFF if you are working your plan.

This is amazingly informative and thank you so much for posting this... I think it will help a lot of people.

[Serengirl 176]

On 2/3/2020 at 7:09 AM, AnnieD78 said:

Trying not to feel defeated but it’s hard! I’ve lost slowly right out of the gate. HW was 285 in August , currently 218. surgery was 8/14. I have had zero complications, have felt pretty darn good from the start. Always met my Protein and Water goals.

My dietician wants me to up my calories to 1200 a day, which I have been able to do sporadically. I was on a 3 week stall but just lost 1.6 lbs. She also does not care about carbs. She’s like... eat them. Wants me to reach around 90g of Protein and 125 g carbs.

I started at orange theory fitness (high intensity interval training) and have been going 3x a week. They are hour long classes and my average calorie burn is 450 per class. They are very difficult.

When I started this I wanted to be 180 lbs. that is still 30 lbs higher then “normal” BMI. Now I just want to get below 200. Will it happen for me??? It’s just so frustrating bc it seems like for some people the weight just melts off. I guess this shouldn’t be a surprise bc by the time I decided on surgery, and after a lifetime of yo yo dieting I had a hard time losing even 10 lbs.

You're doing great so dont give up... in a year you could easily be at your goal weight and then it will all have been worth it.

[Cheeseburgh 3,075]

On 2/3/2020 at 9:09 AM, AnnieD78 said:

Trying not to feel defeated but it’s hard! I’ve lost slowly right out of the gate. HW was 285 in August , currently 218. surgery was 8/14. I have had zero complications, have felt pretty darn good from the start. Always met my Protein and Water goals.

My dietician wants me to up my calories to 1200 a day, which I have been able to do sporadically. I was on a 3 week stall but just lost 1.6 lbs. She also does not care about carbs. She’s like... eat them. Wants me to reach around 90g of Protein and 125 g carbs.

I started at orange theory fitness (high intensity interval training) and have been going 3x a week. They are hour long classes and my average calorie burn is 450 per class. They are very difficult.

When I started this I wanted to be 180 lbs. that is still 30 lbs higher then “normal” BMI. Now I just want to get below 200. Will it happen for me??? It’s just so frustrating bc it seems like for some people the weight just melts off. I guess this shouldn’t be a surprise bc by the time I decided on surgery, and after a lifetime of yo yo dieting I had a hard time losing even 10 lbs.

I had my surgery one year before you minus one day. My starting weight was less than yours but percentage wise our loss rate is probably not far off. I looked back and in February 2019 I lost 40 pounds from my surgery weight (204). I was frustrated it wasn’t coming off faster but I dug deep and tried even harder because I refused to fail. I Lost another 30 pounds over the next 6 months and met my initial goal of 130 at one year.

It’s so easy to give up when you feel like you are doing everything right but the weight is still coming off slowly. I viewed it as a make it or break it point for me. I know if I had given up I would have not stuck with the long term changes I’ve made and I probably would not have been able to even maintain that weight.

The less you weigh the easier it gets to do physical activity which really helps in weight loss and confidence. Take full advantage of the next 6 months to keep your head in the game and be determined. You can do this if you want it bad enough.

Don’t settle for less than your goal weight, you will regret not knowing your full potential.

*I’m in maintenance now and I eat 1300 calories a day, which my Dr and nutritionist agree with. I would not have lost weight on 1200 a day.

Edited February 14, 2020 by Cheeseburgh

[AnnieD78 82]

On 02/14/2020 at 10:49, Cheeseburgh said:

I had my surgery one year before you minus one day. My starting weight was less than yours but percentage wise our loss rate is probably not far off. I looked back and in February 2019 I lost 40 pounds from my surgery weight (204). I was frustrated it wasn’t coming off faster but I dug deep and tried even harder because I refused to fail. I Lost another 30 pounds over the next 6 months and met my initial goal of 130 at one year.

It’s so easy to give up when you feel like you are doing everything right but the weight is still coming off slowly. I viewed it as a make it or break it point for me. I know if I had given up I would have not stuck with the long term changes I’ve made and I probably would not have been able to even maintain that weight.

The less you weigh the easier it gets to do physical activity which really helps in weight loss and confidence. Take full advantage of the next 6 months to keep your head in the game and be determined. You can do this if you want it bad enough.

Don’t settle for less than your goal weight, you will regret not knowing your full potential.

Thanks for this!!! It has been nice to get back into the gym, honestly. Even though I injured my neck last week/ 😂😅🤦🏻‍♀️

The part i am still SO SO co confused about is food and macronutrients. My dietician does not say no to anything, in moderation. Which is what I do. But prior to surgery and my whole life I have been on really extreme diets like Keto or whole 30. So moderation feels wrong or like cheating. Really struggling with my mental relationship with food right now.

[Cheeseburgh 3,075]

26 minutes ago, AnnieD78 said:

The part i am still SO SO co confused about is food and macronutrients. My dietician does not say no to anything, in moderation. Which is what I do. But prior to surgery and my whole life I have been on really extreme diets like Keto or whole 30. So moderation feels wrong or like cheating. Really struggling with my mental relationship with food right now.

I don’t agree with everything in moderation for myself. Certain foods seem to set off hunger or lead to bad habits for me. I try and limit my processed food to one meal a day, although I’ve let up a lot the past few months. I don’t eat fried food except on a rare occasion, and I do watch super carby foods like bread carefully. The Western diet is awful even in moderation, it’s hard for us to recognize and accept that.

I do still like and enjoy food so I tweak recipes that fit in my plan. I had homemade pizza last night made with trader joe dough, 1/4 cup mozzarella and Italian chicken sausage, (400 calories). I make tacos with 96% fat free ground beef, at least 2 times a week and I use crunchy shells which are only 50 calories a piece. My taco dinner average 375 total calories. I make a lot of stir fry and I’ll have a 1/3 cup of rice with it which is enough to keep me sane.

It’s a balancing act. I know if I start eating like I used to even in moderation, I’m headed in the wrong direction! If I feel super guilty about eating something I know there is a reason why.

It takes awhile to figure out what works for you.

Edited February 14, 2020 by Cheeseburgh

[Lark17 0]

2 hours ago, AnnieD78 said:

The part i am still SO SO co confused about is food and macronutrients. My dietician does not say no to anything, in moderation. Which is what I do. But prior to surgery and my whole life I have been on really extreme diets like Keto or whole 30. So moderation feels wrong or like cheating. Really struggling with my mental relationship with food right now.

I also disagree! For some, that works like a charm, but others of us have reactions and inflammation caused by certain foods. I am four weeks post op and all of the cheese (cottage, ricotta) on the soft diet is killing me! I feel like this is contributing to my sloooow weight loss. I also retain Water and get puffy when I eat nightshade vegetables. My suggestion would be to introduce new foods one at a time and then wait and see if you have a reaction.

Cheers to all of us!