Last Hope

[n2theswim 1]

After 20+ yrs in OA & still 317 lbs. this surgery was my last hope. I lost 32 lbs b4 the surgery as my insurance required & only 28 lbs @ 3 1/2 mos post-op. I can't find words for how discouraged I am with the results of this surgery. I've stayed the same wt now for about 5 weeks. I am so afraid this is it for me when I have sooo much left to lose (100 lbs). I wish now I'd gone with the bypass choice or lap band. I am so frustrated & ready to give up & go back to eating sugar & junk. I've already mentally thrown my hands in the air. This surgery was meant to save my life in more ways than one & now I don't care anymore.

[walesmary 2]

Please try not to be so discouraged. Keep doing the best you can. Keep a log of your intake and exercise. Call your nut and see if she can review your intake and suggest some changes. If your are taking in fewer calories than you use, you will lose the weight. Are you in a support group. I go to a monthly group and find it very helpful. Started there before surgery. Everyone is very encouraging, but everyone has their own set of problems.

I'm 3 weeks out now, the scale hasn't moved since the first week. But my clothes fit looser and my stamina is improving. Try to find the little things that encourage you. I have 200 pounds more to go and I'm sure I will have my moments as well. Keep your chin up. Or in my case, chins.

[Kat Crowder 34]

After 20+ yrs in OA & still 317 lbs. this surgery was my last hope. I lost 32 lbs b4 the surgery as my insurance required & only 28 lbs @ 3 1/2 mos post-op. I can't find words for how discouraged I am with the results of this surgery. I've stayed the same wt now for about 5 weeks. I am so afraid this is it for me when I have sooo much left to lose (100 lbs). I wish now I'd gone with the bypass choice or lap band. I am so frustrated & ready to give up & go back to eating sugar & junk. I've already mentally thrown my hands in the air. This surgery was meant to save my life in more ways than one & now I don't care anymore.

Please don't lose hope! Look at how far you've come already - 60 pounds total out of 160 to lose? I agree with everything that walesmary said, just keep working on your exercise and nutrition, and look at the other ways things have improved. Going to the sugar and junk will just make you more unhappy.

I'm a week away from my surgery, and I know I'll probably think similar thoughts at some time or another - and I know that the wonderful people here will help pull me back from that precipice. We're making an investment and commitment to our health, and we've got to stick with it!!

-Kat

[Lissa 2,631]

n2theswim, I'm so sorry I didn't see this sooner! First off, there is NO "only" in weight loss. 28 pounds in 3 months is fantastic!! How much would you have lost without surgery? I know that all you can see is how much you have left to lose, but you didn't gain it all in one pass and you won't lose it all in one pass. I've had several stalls on this journey, but I've managed to work my way past them. I've also discovered that during stalls I lose sizes rather than pounds. It's like the body takes a break from dropping pounds in order to shape shift.

Take your measurements now, if you didn't do it pre-op, and then use them as a guideline to show you that you are still losing, even if the scale isn't moving. I've been shapeshifting for the last 3 months and lost 3 sizes, but barely dropped 10 pounds in that same time frame.

Are you exercising? Exercise is key to keeping the weight loss steady and to helping insure that we don't end up with lots of loose skin when we're done losing. Exercise also produces endorphins that help keep us positive and help balance out the crazy hormones that seem to be released for men and women when the fat cells start shrinking.

Please don't give up on yourself. This journey is SO worth it and YOU are worth every bit of effort you put into yourself!

[chitowngirl 885]

Are you tracking your calories? If not I would recommend doing so. Also 28 pounds is 28 pounds lost forever. So don't downplay your success. Also once tracking your calories you may notice that they may need to adjust such as adding calories, increasing Protein. I actually got great success when I increased my calories.

[Gene1970 179]

28 pounds is great... that's 2 lbs a week since the surgery. Talk to ANYONE who is trying to loose weight without having the surgery and ask them if they would be happy with losing 2 pounds a week. They would be thrilled to have those results. My old Dr. wanted me to loose at a rate of a 1/2 pound a week. Most any other dr will say 1 -2 pounds. At that rate you will have lost all of your weight within the next year. Think about that... you will have lost all of your excess weight within a year and a half. How long did it take to get to your pre-op weight? I guarantee you didn't get there in a year and a half. Getting back to a healthy weight in that short of a time should be looked at as something amazing. I think you need to really think about what you have accomplished and put some perspective on the situation.

You want to confirm that you are doing great, just go into a Gym and tell everyone that you are ONLY losing 2lbs a week and see how many people feel sorry for you and how many people want to smack you because they stuggle to get one pound off a week.

[cmw10000 35]

Don't rush it..... stay away from carbs stick to protien... and it will happen... I have been on steady lost by staying away from carbs!!!!!! if i eat carbs i will not lose weight. ........... I eat protien and fruit, some veggies but 3.5 months and 50 lbs less.... I also have found that when I work overtime (16) hours that I will not lose weight..... why I don't know.... I just have to work it out.....

[Roseib 13]

Sorry I didn't see this. I had a five week stall my second month and into third month. Wow was that diacouraging. I lost 143 by end of year. But every month I stalled for two or three weeks and then lost several pounds quickly. Everyone loses differently. Some people apparently never stall - and then there are the rest of us. Hope you are doing well now. OA has a good saying: progress not perfection

[Roseib 13]

I should add don't ever compare yourself to anyone else as we all lose differently. You will get there.

[rosehips 121]

After 20+ yrs in OA & still 317 lbs. this surgery was my last hope. I lost 32 lbs b4 the surgery as my insurance required & only 28 lbs @ 3 1/2 mos post-op. I can't find words for how discouraged I am with the results of this surgery. I've stayed the same wt now for about 5 weeks. I am so afraid this is it for me when I have sooo much left to lose (100 lbs). I wish now I'd gone with the bypass choice or lap band. I am so frustrated & ready to give up & go back to eating sugar & junk. I've already mentally thrown my hands in the air. This surgery was meant to save my life in more ways than one & now I don't care anymore.

How are you now? Have things become better for you? I am so sorry to hear your desperation, I know how you feel from a PRE op perspective on not being able to lose, please let me know how you are now, your post really touched my heart

[takroom 192]

I don't know if this will help you but sure did give me a better understanding of stalls & what to do to break them-

http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/carmelita/blog/tag/stalls+and+plateaus/