Hi,

I had gastric bypass 3yrs ago October (I'm now 39). My starting weight was 340 and I'm current 260 with my lowest being 245 (I float between 255-260). I lost all of my weight the first 9mos and then I went off plan because my fertility doctor wouldn't restart treatments until my weight stabilized. I had surgery so I could get pregnant (I had undergone 3yrs of fertility treatments before surgery). I've had 3yrs of fertility treatments since then, no luck. My new dr said I'd help if I lost another 50lbs before we do IVF again. I've been trying for months and cannot get below 255. I lowered my calories to 800 with 30min of exercise and literally didn't even lose an ounce. I eat clean, very little to no sugar, fruit, veggies, beans, lean chicken breast, and no flour products or processed foods.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, welcome!

I understand your plight. I too had troubles in the procreation department. However, it is going back to the basics. High protein meals! Eat within 1 1/2 hours of waking and stop after eating dinner. Calories is not an issue, the amount of protein is the bigger deal. I'll leave the specifics to SpartanMaker, he writes volumes. No simple sugars and limit your food sizes. 30 minutes of exercise? What kind of exercise? Are you just walking, doing strength training or cardio? Walking is always a good thing. Keep working the basics and the weight will come off, but nothing will happen quickly.

Wishing you well.

Have you gone back to your surgeon & team for assistance? The fertility treatments you have been undertaking may be contributing to your difficulties losing weight again even if you are currently not taking any. Worth exploring - hormones can certainly hinder weight loss. May be get a thorough blood test for everything including hormone levels and thyroid levels to see if anything is revealed. Also maybe discuss trying GLP-1s with your surgeon.

All the best.

Edited July 8, 20251 yr by Arabesque

11 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Hi, thank you for your response, I appreciate it. I had surgery in my husband's home country and have never had any follow ups. I am taking a few different types of fertility treatment pills and injections and have for the past 3yrs. I have had my thyroid checked a few years ago as both my mom and sister had severe thyroid issues, they came back negative but at a level 10 said it could be an issue later so I might have them checked again. Thank you again.

11 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Have you gone back to your surgeon & team for assistance? The fertility treatments you have been undertaking may be contributing to your difficulties losing weight again even if you are currently not taking any. Worth exploring - hormones can certainly hinder weight loss. May be get a thorough blood test for everything including hormone levels and thyroid levels to see if anything is revealed. Also maybe discuss trying GLP-1s with your surgeon.

All the best.

15 hours ago, WendyJane said:

Hello, welcome!

I understand your plight. I too had troubles in the procreation department. However, it is going back to the basics. High Protein meals! Eat within 1 1/2 hours of waking and stop after eating dinner. Calories is not an issue, the amount of protein is the bigger deal. I'll leave the specifics to SpartanMaker, he writes volumes. No simple sugars and limit your food sizes. 30 minutes of exercise? What kind of exercise? Are you just walking, doing strength training or cardio? Walking is always a good thing. Keep working the basics and the weight will come off, but nothing will happen quickly.

Wishing you well.

Hi, thanks for your response. How much protein do you suggest? *ill look into Sparten maker) I have always strugglled with protein. I was vegan for 18 years before surgery and afterwards I couldn't handle the beans etc. I used for protein. I had to add back in dairy and now my, the past 6mos, I have some chicken breast a couple times per week.

I have a elliptical I use for exercise its a hard workout. I want to add back in DDP yoga for strength training. I have the issue if exercise making me do tired so I've struggled to add in more but I'd like to get up to an hour.

I'll keep going and hopefully I'll start to lose again. My biggest issue is staying consistent, I get discouraged when I don't see results.

@SpartanMaker is a user on this forum. Just wanted to clarify.

You should ask your team what they recommend in terms of protein, but I shoot for 80 grams of protein or more. Protein is the key to "dieting" after surgery. It gives you satisfaction for longer periods of time during the day, and that means protein shakes, lean meats, and after you being to feel the difference, you can then add in about 1-2 ounces of veggies. Carbs are not on you plan if you want to lose weight. I would also recommend getting in more exercise, it it wears you out, it will until you keep pushing yourself and get used to it. The elliptical is a cardio workout, walking is just as good. Not fast, but at a good speed for a half hour every single day, it builds strength and it builds endurance and it is the simplest of exercises you can engage in.

Because you get discouraged, I would encourage you to find the time to join in with people that are like you, BariNation has YouTube videos and they have a membership community. For forty dollars a month you have access to licensed social workers, therapists and dieticians, there are member meet ups all of whom have had surgery, revision to another surgery, or they have worked with bariatric patients for 2 decades. If you can afford it on a monthly basis, then I would strongly urge you to get involved. Take a look and see if you are interested.

Wishing you the best!!

That sounds tough especially when you're already doing all the right things. I'm still pre-op but hearing your story reminds me just how complex this journey really is. Sometimes the body just hits a wall no matter how clean we eat or how much we move. Hoping things shift soon for you and wishing you the best with IVF too.