I copied and pasted this out of my journal. I am hoping some people who are as far out as me or further can maybe help? I am just so frustrated..

"My official weigh in day is Thursdays... Two Thursday ago I was at 209.. That Saturday I went down to 207.. By last Thursday for some reason I was back up to 210. The FIRST gain I had to put in my log since I HAD surgery. This past Monday I was back down to 207. Today, Thursday, back up to 209.5. I just don't understand this. I am doing EVERYTHING right! I eat 1000-1200 calories per day, 80 plus grams of protein a day, 50 or less (usually around 40) grams of carbs per day, I drink 80-100 oz. of water per day and I exercise 6 damn days a week for at LEAST half an hour, usually an hour. So WHY is it that in the last TWELVE weeks I have lost only 14 pounds. That is it. 14. I am only 7.5 months out from surgery. I should't be loosing THIS slow only 7.5 months out. I could of lost 14 pounds in THREE months on my OWN, without having surgery. I still have 69 pounds til my goal weight and I am told by so many people that if I don't hit my goal weight by my 1 year anniversary, chances are that I am not going to. Well that is sneaking up and at a rate of 3 pounds per month I am NEVER gonna hit my goal weight. I told my husband to hide the scale. I am just disgusted. Why bother watching what I am eating and doing all this exercise? I am loosing the same now that I was 2 months ago when I WASN'T watching what I was eating or exercising. I understand that my surgery was just a tool and that I have to work to make it work, but I am telling you, I don't even know what else to do anymore. Sigh.. I am thinking of making an appt. with the Nutritionist that I saw before surgery. She was very knowledgeable in RNY and what my life would be like after surgery. Perhaps she can shed some light on what the heck is going on. I am frustrated and having a huge old pity party today. Any RNY'ers out there that can relate? Am I am the only one having this problem?????"

ANY help or suggestions are very welcome..

Thanks..

i've lost a total of 7 pounds in 3 months!!!! and just like you, i've been following the rules... here are some ramblings.

first. the body often takes a break and then drops a whole lot suddenly. not that we're happy about that.

another thing is that we're replacing fat tissue with muscle tissue, which weighs more than fat. but i'll bet you've lost inches, haven' t you? your clothes are fittiing looser, aren't they? but that doesn't mean that you should stop exercising. each pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day, each pound of fat burns absolutely 0.

our bodies [damn them!!!] also get used to our exercise routines. i highly recommend a couple of appts with a trainer to shake up your routine.

and with such a low calorie intake, i'm beginning to think that we're in some sort of weird starvation mode, so a consult with the nutritionist is definitely a good idea.

now, here's what i've done. i had my resting metabolic rate measured. the theory goes [and the entire world except for me seems to accept this] that the resting rate measures the number of calories you burn if you were sitting on your *** all day, and not running around like a crazy woman or exercising. the theory is that you can add a certain number of calories to the resting weight to MAINTAIN your current weight, and add a different number to LOSE weight, and that number is computed based on your activity level and how quickly you want to lose the weight.

so, having said ALL THAT... my resting rate is 1920 calories [what a shock to me!]. and with all the exercise i'm doing, i should be able to eat somewhere between 2500 and 3000. i was eating at about 1200 calories. i've bumped it up to about 1500 calories. and the trainer has me doing intervals on the bike <groan>, and heavier weights. it's been about 3 weeks, and yesterday, at the docs, i lost 1/4 POUND!!!! maybe the plateau from **** is starting to break, but i'm not convinced.

oh. and one more thing. the surgeons/support group i'm associated with tell us that we have an 18 month-2 year window of opportunity. and that after that weight loss becomes the same struggle it is for everyone else.

oh. and one more one more thing. the theory i've heard is that the amount of loss at 6 months is about 50% of what you will likely lose due to the surgery.

hope this helps!!!!

Oh I am sooooo relieved to know that at least I am not the only one in this boat!! Up until 2 weeks ago I had lost 7 pounds in 3 months as well so I know how you feel. I cut my carbs back from under 100 to under 50 and lost 7 pounds in one week. Only to bounced around for the next two weeks.. grrrrr...

Okay, how did you get your Metabolic Rate? Is there a website or something I can go to??? I am interested to see what mine would be.

As for the exercise I do try and shake it up because I have heard what you are saying about our body getting used to it. Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday I go to the gym. While I at the gym I alternate between the Cross Trainer, the EFX Machine and the Treadmill. I also do weight training, alternately upper and lower body. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I exercise at home by either walking outside (if it is nice) or mostly doing TaeBo and Pilates. Saturdays are my "off" day. I have considered a trainer, but the trainers at my gym are just mostly weight trainers and I am not sure they will benefit me in the way that I need.

The calorie thing.. I wondered myself if maybe I was not eating ENOUGH calories. Up until last Friday I was eating 800-1100 calories. Most often around 1000. AFter hearing so much about starvation mode, etc... I decided toup them to 1000-1200. Been anywhere between this since Friday, except yesterday, that was 1300. I am wondering now if I am eating too MANY calories, hence the gain again. I just don't know.. arghhhhhhhhh LOL I sure did think when I got surgery that this loosing part was gonna be EASY. Boy was I WRONG.

I tried calling the Nutritionist I saw before surgery and found out she developed Crohn's Disease and went out of business. Back to square one. I don't want to go to just ANY nutritionist because they won't be well versed on WLS surgery.. Sigh...

Jiffy, how long are you out from surgery if you don't mind me asking???

I am only 6 weeks out and have gained twice.... I was sooo pissed, I went from 282-264 and back up to 266 and stayed there for 2 weeks it was ****. And in the begining of this week I was down to 254 and went back up to 256 for 2 days, I got on the scale this morning and I am 254!!! This is such a rollercoaster ride for me!

I know I should not weigh myself but I will need a 12 step program for that. I am also what some would call a slow looser (at 6 weeks I have lost 28 lbs) but I am ok as long as it keeps comming off!!

I keep thinking that I am the one person that this is not going to work on. I can't even imagine loosing 100 lbs.

Hazel

oh amy lyn. i wish i had answers!!! i need them too!!! but first, talk with the trainers at your gym. tell them what's going on. they really should be able to to help you with this.

my trainer has me doing this: daily [5 days a week] stationery bike, level 4, for 35-45 minutes, keeping my heart rate no lower than 123. every couple of minutes, i get to pedal about 95-100 rpm for 1-2 minutes, until my heart rate hits 135-140. what a joy. sweating is sooo overrated!!!

on the weekends, i take the dog hiking. up steep hills for about 45 min-1 hr.

weights: every other day, 3 sets of 15.. leg curls [60 -70 lb], backward leg curls [50-60 lb], calf stretches [90-110 lb], back extensions [70 lb], biceps [30-35 pounds, 6 sets, 15 per set], bicep barbells [10 lb], pulldowns [40-50 lb], leg press [140 lb], hip adduction [80 lb], hip abduction [70 lb], abs [4 sets, 40 lb], shoulder pulldown [50 lb].

and i try to swim at least 1/4 mile a couple of times a week, but i'm just too exhausted the past couple of weeks and i've been sleeping instead!!!!

cutting back the carbs should help. remember, you've had a whopping 7 pound loss very quickly, and your body may still be adjusting to it. give yourself a little more time.

and about the nutritionist... if she's retired, maybe the surgeon would recommend another one? if not, the trip down here isn't too far, and i know an excellent one... and we could share lunch!!!!

my surgery was 1/29/02. i weighed 409 at that point, down from my highest of 506 in september 2001. i now weigh 243-3/4, just about 50 -60 to go... and precious little time to do it in!!!!

I am going to the gym tonight and I am going to ask them about what I could be doing. I believe I get a one free trainer visit per month with my membership..

Surprise, Surprise I found where my husband hid the scale and couldn't resist getting on it this morning. That dang pesky 2.5 pounds is gone again, leaving me back at 207.. LOL I just don't understand our bodies..

Wow, 45 minutes on the bike?? That is great!! My A$$ starts to hurt after 10.. LOL I am much better with the treadmill or the EFX machine. Ahhh the EFX machine.. I think I am in love with it and I WANT one for home... Too bad they're are about 3,500 bucks.. For weight training I do chest press at 50 pounds, um a machine I dont know the name of, I sit facing forward and bring my arms towards the middle with the weights, lol and then turn around and face backwards... forward I do 65 pounds and backward 45, I also do two machines that work my underarms at about 50 pounds each. For legs I do both hip ones at about 80 pounds and leg presses at 100 pounds.. I also do ab crunches at 70 pounds. I do all of these 3 sets each of 10. Except the abs, which I do 3 sets of 15. For the cardio I do 30-45 minutes on the EFX, CrossTrainer or Treadmill. I rotate between the three. On the days I am home I do 25 minutes of TaeBo and 25 minutes of Pilates. I think though I am going to do both my TaeBo videos, Ihave Basic 1 and Basic 2. Then it will be 50 minutes of cardio.

You are in Northern Jersey you say? Anywhere near Great Adventure?? LOL I loveeee that place.. I am going to call my surgeons office this afternoon and ask about a different nutritionist.. I seem to remember that they offered me two when I was going and I just choose the one I went to. So there must be another one...

WOW JIFFY!! You have come a longgggg way girl!! That is AWESOME!!

Have a great day!

amy lyn.. we're a little more than an hour north of great adventure, and i've never been there in my entire life!!!

and my trainer told me not to go over 40 pounds on the ab machine since more than that will bulk up my middle, and NO ONE wants THAT!!! so, go see the trainer.

and i didn't answer your question about how to measure your metabolic rate. i went to HealthSouth, and for about 85 bucks, they have this little hand-held machine that you breathe into for 10 minutes, and it tells you what your oxygen consumption is, and calculates your resting metabolic rate from that. you can also buy software to help track diet and exercise. i bought it, including the palm version. and then went out and bought a PDA. and then actually charged the PDA, and now i've carried it around for about 3 weeks without even looking at it for any reason other than guilt!

let us know about the trainer. shame on you for not taking advantage of the freebie offer!!!!

I can SO relate!!!

Sometimes my little mind thinks I may be done with the weight loss.........unless I go back to the old diet routine

I've been bouncing up and down in the 220's for a couple of months.

Not an excuse, but I think that the three months I spent in the hospital after surgery cut into my so called "honeymoon period." For those that don't know, instead of losing I actually gained 20 pounds due to high calorie tube feeding!!

Would like to lose 40-50 more, but it could take a looonnnggg time.

Chins up ladies..........without wls would any of us have the weight loss we have now..........can only answer for myself and the answer is no.

Hey, I can cross my legs.......wear decent looking clothes, not just clothes that fit. And I feel SO good.

But, would still like to work on the last few pounds, and yes after the well over 100 gone I look at 40-50 as a few.

Hi Amy

Hey I doubt the news is as bad as you think!!! With all the exercising you are doing... congratulations!... you are undoubtedly losing fat and gaining muscle, which weighs more. So even as you are gaining weight or staying pretty much the same, you are undoubtedly looking much better and smaller!!! Hang in there... this is never easy!!!! Keep up the good work!

Sue