Question

[TEXASLADY52 264]

It has been sixteen weeks since my surgery. I have lost weight very slowly and have been on a stall seems like forever. In fact I keep going up and down five pounds or so!! I have not had any follow up blood work. I went in and saw my cardiolist and he did blood work up. He said my thyroid (I don't have one) is low, Homocysteine level is elevated, Glucose is high and I have a Vitamin D deficiency. Would this keep me from losing weight?

[winning_by_losing 107]

I'm far from an expert, so I'd recommend asking the professionals, but....

Low thyroid levels would surely make it harder to lose, though I would imagine it wouldn't stop things completely, just make it slower.

High Glucose - not sure if you were/are diabetic, but if not, could whatever you're eating have more sugar in it than you realize?

As for the Vitamin D, that is quite common for us after surgery. Did they increase the amount they recommend you take via Vitamin supplement? That was the only number somewhat out of whack when I had my bloodwork done, so I increased my Vitamin D dosage to compensate.

The way I understand homocysteine is that it is used to diagnose higher risk for heart disease, but not something that would affect weight loss.

[TEXASLADY52 264]

I am diabetic.....my PCP said at the last appointment that they had changed me to a to lower dose of medication but he would give it a while and see if it changed with the weight loss, but I haven't lost anything since I saw him last. I am taking Calicum with 1600 Vitamin D? Just so frustrated because I am not losing. Tracking everything....getting all my Protein and Water in????

[JamieLogical 8,708]

How many calories are you consuming and burning? What is your activity level like?

[Beckyyb93 225]

Yes, especially the low thyroid can keep you from losing. You need to see your PCP and go to your surgeon for follow up blood work because there can be other things that a Cardiologist wouldn't check for that could be causing you to have trouble losing weight. When you go on medicine for your thyroid, you will see a huge improvement in the weight loss. Good luck!

[TEXASLADY52 264]

Thanks everyone......I have been so discouraged! My activity level is low.....I have bad knees and I have a hard time walking. I sit behind a desk all day. I have an ellipitcal peddlar under my desk that I use during the day. I try to keep my calories 800-900. I track everything in My Fitness Pal. Even my husband comments that he does not see how I could not lose no more than I eat.....

Yesterday for sample:

B- oatmeal with a scoop of Protein

L- Beef Procupine Meatball, two tablespoons of mashed potatoes, 1 tablespoon of green Beans

D- Protein shake

[sassyd1999 23]

@@TEXASLADY52 some people do have physical limitations that do not allow them to exercise like they want so dont beat yourself up for it. .just do what you can. Be careful with your starches. .like oatmeal and potatoes. Rely on reading nutritional labels to calculate carb grams especially if you have diabetes. Those programs like fitness pal are great but sometimes you just have to do good old math and read labels..too much hidden sugar will raise glucose levels and impede wt loss. Just a suggestion try eating more lean Proteins less read meats..get your complex carbs from veggies and fruit. Breakfast fill up on Protein like egg, turkey sausage, greek yogurt. Cottage cheese, etc. And plenty of Water in between. Just some suggestions that helps me and my patients

[devint 162]

I'm just going based off my own experience, but I would ask your bariatric doctor where your daily carb intake should be. I understand being diabetic complicates things, but rice, potatoes, and oatmeal are things i'm not supposed to have at all. Maybe a revisit to the dietician who did your preop?

Also, think back to the last time you lost 44 lbs in four months "the old fashioned way." You're still way ahead of the curve with your progress compared to traditional methods.

I hope it all works out and that your long term success is well worth the struggle you're going through now.

Edited September 29, 2014 by devint

[JamieLogical 8,708]

Just a couple of thoughts, not sure if they will apply or not:

1. Try weighing your food versus measuring it in measuring cups/spoons. When I see something like "1 tablespoon of green beans" it makes me wonder how on earth your are realistically measuring that, unless you are pureeing them, how are you fitting green Beans into a tablespoon?

2. As someone else mentioned, make sure you are tracking accurately by reading the labels off the products you are actually using, instead of the "generic" estimates for types of food in MyFitnessPal.

3. Prioritize Protein over carbs and make sure the carbs you are getting are good carbs from whole grains.

4. Make sure you are getting enough Protein. I see some people on these forums only aiming for about 60g per day, but my nutritionist said 85-100.

5. Try to eat 5-6 times throughout the day instead of eating all of your food in just three meals.

[tracy6914 13]

My labs showed my Protein levels were horrible and that will cause slow weight loss. I've increased my protein and have lost 8 lbs in a week and a half.

[jjinWA 511]

Thanks for the reminder about protein! I almost never get in the required daily amount. It is truly the hardest part of my journey. My weight loss has been slow, and I have had stalls, etc. , not to mention major hair loss! It has been 3 1/2 months now and I am down only 46lbs. Yup, I admit, better success then the old diet methods, but I wonder how successful I would be if I got in the Protein recommended. I need to kick myself in the butt and get in those protein grams now! Gonna go and make a shake this very minute!

[Postop 411]

The more Protein you eat and the more Water you drink the better DSers lose. I know it's hard to wrap your head around but it really doesn't seem as if you're eating enough.

Since you're a fairly new DSer, I'm not sure how much you can eat so shakes are a good idea. If you can eat, go to it. The DSers I know eat 100-125 gr/protein/day. However, that might not be possible at 4 mos. out. I'd sure eat more than you're eating, now, though. That doesn't look like much.

If you want to count calories then go for it. I don't know other DSers who do. That's the beauty of it. We just eat and eat and eat Protein. I eat every hour or two. As for exercise, many I know don't do much. I started weight lifting at 7 years out. I added that to walking, but that's about it.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Postop

[dsdesigna 143]

Thanks everyone......I have been so discouraged! My activity level is low.....I have bad knees and I have a hard time walking. I sit behind a desk all day. I have an ellipitcal peddlar under my desk that I use during the day. I try to keep my calories 800-900. I track everything in My Fitness Pal. Even my husband comments that he does not see how I could not lose no more than I eat.....

Yesterday for sample:

B- oatmeal with a scoop of Protein

L- Beef Procupine Meatball, two tablespoons of mashed potatoes, 1 tablespoon of green Beans

D- Protein shake

You are not eating enough for your body to allow weight loss if that is a good indication of what you have been eating. You should be eating at least 6 small meals per day with a minimum of 90gms of Protein each day and plenty of fat to keep all that protein moving along. Why are you eating oatmeal? That has so many carbs that your new DS doesn't need. If you are looking for the Fiber add nuts, including Peanut Butter which is high in protein and good fat.

Hydration is just as important as anything else. I had stalled out for about 2 weeks when at the end of it ended up in the hospital with severe dehydration. When I got my Water intake upto at least 64oz per day then the weight started to melt off.

As far as slow weight loss, I'm averaging 0.66 lbs/day. The range is 1/5 to 1 lb per day. Do the math, I bet you are right in those guidelines, if not then try the above suggestions. If you are exercising much, you'll need to up your Water level and protein.

[winning_by_losing 107]

Edited to prevent misinformation.

Edited October 13, 2014 by winning_by_losing

[dsdesigna 143]

While that 6 meal program may be working for you, not everyone has the same plan. In my program i was on a strict 3 meal per day plan. It got me to my goal but who knows what would have happened eating double that. Again, it may work but I'd never recommend someone go against their nutritionist.

This is the Duodenal Switch forum. Gastric Bypass is a completely different surgery and has different requirements. Our diets are not even remotely the same. The gastric bypass diet which is low carb, high Protein and LOW FAT will not only make us very sick but ultimately could kill us. DSers NEED fat in their diet to survive, Low Fat or even Non Fat foods are out of the question. We only absorb on average 20% of the fat we consume and we cannot absorb our Vitamins without adequate fat.

It's that very malabsorption that causes us to need to eat more often through out the day. People that have had the Duodenal Switch surgery should eat something every 2 hours even if its just a stick of hard cheese or a spoonful of Peanut Butter. The 6 meal per day regimen is essential to our success and health.

By the way, I know this nutritionist personally and she recommended the low fat diet regimen to me... and I've talked to so many veteran DSers to know that is a really bad thing she is even suggesting. It's tough to find a nutritionist that really understands the dietary needs of someone who has had the Duodenal Switch.