Plateau for too long

[Miimii_Roci274 6]

So I'm concerned, I'm 10 months post op, the first 5 and a half months I lost 70 pounds which is great but I have been the same weight for almost 5 months and I don't know if it's normal, I'm still supposed to lose another 20 pounds but I don't know if my surgery failed or what? My surgeon hasn't checked up on me since 3 months after the surgery. I've been on my own since then so I don't know, did I hit my limit? Am I not going to lose anymore weight? I've been consuming around 800 calories more or less every day now, but I'm considering to drop it to 400 to keep losing weight. Idk what to do I'm desperate, I supposedly have until August to reach my goal weight (the one set by the doctor) also I'm planning on getting Tummy Tuck and Excess skin removal surgery and breast reduction on December but I need to reach my goal weight. What could I do, what do you recommend. Please help.

[Jonathan Carlson 61]

Definitely check with a Dr before you drop below 800 calories

Are you exercising at all?

[catwoman7 10,874]

I agree with the person above. Even at 800 cal/day people need to be under medical supervision (which technically we are the first few months after bariatric surgery). And five months is too long for a stall - you're in maintenance, whether intentional or not. How far are you from a normal BMI? The closer you get, the harder it is to lose weight, so that could be what's going on, too. Are you still tracking/logging your intake?

[NP_WIP 273]

I agree that you should reach out to your surgeon for guidance since they all have different plans and ways to do things.

Personally, I think you are not eating enough calories. As per my doctors guideline I was 600-800 calories at 3 months post op. Now I usually do 1000 with exercise and I have not plateau. If I have a slow week is because I did not meet my fluids a day or two of the week, or I consumed too little calories.

[Tomo 1,138]

I'm short, not young nor do I formally workout but if I ate 800 calories a day I would be dropping serious weight and I weigh 107 +/- 5 lbs and my maintenance calories is about 1450 to 1550 cal/day. So like others, I really think you should talk to your bariatric team to discuss why you already entered maintenence with so little calories and have a dietician check your food log. 800 calories a day is already extreme, and I think going down to 400 calories a day would be even more harmful to your body long-term.

[learn2cook 494]

Like others have said 800 calories is not much. I have mostly gone into maintenance at almost 2 years and I’m at 800-1000 calories a day. But, I was a yo-yo dieter for years, AND I’m post menopausal. I still talk regularly with my dietitian and I suggest you do too.

Good news, I recently dropped another five pounds due to rectifying my low Iron count in the labs. The dietitian said that the body holds onto weight if it’s missing nutrients. I’ll still strongly suggest you talk with your team to figure out what is causing the halt.

[Not sure 48]

Agree with the others, 800 is very low. Have you calculated your basal metabolic rate? Example I’m 48 years old male with a basal metabolic rate of 75 calories per hour (changes slightly daily and as you lose weight). So the math for me is 24hrs X 75 = 1800 calories per day just to breathe and live any exercise would add on top of that, I power walk daily for 10km minimum and add about 700 additional calories burnt for 2500 calories burned per day. I currently consume about 2000/day and still losing weight. Talk to your nutritionist about your caloric intake and hopefully they can give you some insight. Best of luck.

[Arabesque 6,494]

I agree with everyone. Do not reduce your calories. Everyone is supposed to slowly increase their calories as they progress until they reach a point of maintenance. I also suggest you get back in contact with your surgeon & dietician. Personally I think it’s terrible your surgeon or a colleague who does their follow-ups hasn’t seen you since month 3. (I saw my surgeon regularly to begin monthly then two monthly. From 6 months & my goal I had three monthly appointments with his colleague in their rooms. At three years I started 6 monthly appointments.)

The other consideration is you may be at your body’s set point. Your goal weight is one you chose not what your body chose. Remember not everyone gets to their goal weight. The average weight loss for sleeve or bypass is about 65% of the weight they are to lose to put them in a healthier weight range. You have already exceeded the average which is fantastic.

Also could you update your profile with details of your surgery weight, etc. It helps those of us who respond get a better idea of your situation & offer more appropriate advice & suggestions.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Arabesque