When did you stop losing weight?

[little_mrs 145]

How far post op were you when you stopped losing weight? Did you try to stop when you met goal or did your body just stop at a certain point. I am almost 9 months post op and went from 289 to 181 and my loss is slow now and I feel like I'm fighting for every pound. My goal is 160 as a bare minimum but would love to get to 140... For all of you, who have met those goals did you just keep following the rules to achieve your goal or did your bodies just stop no matter how you've tried??

Edited August 12, 2015 by little_mrs

[James Marusek 5,244]

I stopped losing weight at 7 months post-op and I went from a "Weight Loss" phase to a "Maintenance" phase. I am now 27 months post-op RNY. Since that time I have dropped another 15 pounds without really trying and I am currently near the bottom end of the scale. I attribute this added weight loss to the following:

1) A couple times I developed a stomach flu that was going around. I would lose my appetite for a few days and drop weight quickly. After I recovered, I would decide this was my new goal weight and not try and gain it back.

2) I have found that softer foods such as chili and Soups go down easier so I primarily rely on these for my meals. Whenever I eat out, I find that I cannot consume very much harder foods and as a result I lose weight.

3) I believe the meal plan for those in the Maintenance phase should be very different than in the Weight Loss phase. After surgery, the stomach that normally absorbs fats and sugars has been cut away. That is why your diet needs to restrict fats and sugars; otherwise it leads to dumping. But after about a year, you intestines change and the intestines begin to convert fats and sugars. So in the Maintenance phase the objective is to "not be hungry". Fats take away hunger. So I reintroduced fats back into my diet. And for the most part, 27 months post-op, I am never hungry. On the other hand, I almost religiously restrict myself from processed sugars. I read food labels; I really read them. If they contain more than a couple grams of sugar, I look at the ingredients to determine if they contain high amounts of processed sugars. For my sweet tooth, I consume artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda, sugar alcohol), natural low or no calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia), and natural sugars found in fruits and milk.

So in general, I consume a cup or two of hot coffee each day with a very large scoop of whip cream. The whip cream I make myself using heavy whipping cream and Splenda in place of sugar. This adds fat into my diet. I also consume 2 or 3 Adkin's treats per day. I also use whole milk, real butter and real meats. I restrict my meals to one meal per day with complex carbs (such as Pasta, bread).

In the maintenance phase, the meal plan should include a balance of Protein, fats and carbs. Fats are an important ingredient.

[aelovelady 243]

I have 8 lbs to go, at 10 months post op. This last 15 has been really hard, but I won't quit until I am at goal.