Weight loss continues almost 2 years post op

[Studio54 27]

I had surgery RNY February 2021. 300 lbs before — I am now 132 lbs 5’7” which is way too skinny in my opinion. My BMI is 20 (getting REAL close to 19). Honestly have a hard time eating even 1400 calories a day, too full! Everyone tells me “eat more” but of course I can’t.

I have an appointment with dietician in a few weeks to assess. I want to stabilize, or gain back maybe 20 lbs but can’t seem to be able. Lost 10 lbs in the last 6 months so it’s a slow loss right now. But I am almost afraid to exercise for fear of losing more! Help!

[catwoman7 11,215]

I was in the same boat - but I put on 20 lbs in year 3 with no effort on my part. Most of us do experience a 10-20 lb rebound after hitting our lowest weight, so you might want to wait awhile before trying to intentionally put on weight. I thought it would never happen to me, but it did...

[ms.sss 15,664]

1 hour ago, Studio54 said:

I had surgery RNY February 2021. 300 lbs before — I am now 132 lbs 5’7” which is way too skinny in my opinion. My BMI is 20 (getting REAL close to 19). Honestly have a hard time eating even 1400 calories a day, too full! Everyone tells me “eat more” but of course I can’t.

I have an appointment with dietician in a few weeks to assess. I want to stabilize, or gain back maybe 20 lbs but can’t seem to be able. Lost 10 lbs in the last 6 months so it’s a slow loss right now. But I am almost afraid to exercise for fear of losing more! Help!

im 5 inches shorter than you (and 4 yrs post op) and i would lose weight at 1400 calories a day.

at two years post i had stomach volume constraints too (still do actually, but not as tight as it was at 2 yrs post) and, like you, got down to a BMI 20 (at about 1.5 yrs post)

it took me a while, but i basically had to get over the mental roadblock of eating higher calorie foods. i physically couldn't put more food in, so i had to make sure that the food i did get in packed more calories per punch. it was hard at first, but then it became easy (too easy! lol).

Avocados, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, fatty meats, cheese, butter, full-fat anything, are "good" foods that are high calorie and low volume.

Personally i ate ALOT of chicharron (pork rinds) but its not a very nutritious choice. I ate alot of them cuz i was pretty carbophobic back then and they were zero carb and a ridiculous amount of calories for so little (plus a pretty good source of Protein AND oh so delicious lol) But is really high in sodium so there's that. But i digress...

Anyhoo, today im BMI 22 (well 21.8, but close enough haha)

its good you have an appt with a dietitian. they can help you make some eating decisions to increase your cals.

Good Luck! ❤️

P.S. personally, i wouldn't eschew the exercise altogether...exercise has much less effect on weight loss than calorie restriction does (unless of course you are doing athlete-level exercise), and it's excellent for body health and well-being. Not to mention an excellent stress reducer, sleep inducer, and all-around energy improver. AND it tones your body and muscles so you look great (if u are into that sort of thing lol)

Edited December 11, 2022 by ms.sss

[summerseeker 2,168]

I needed to up my calories for energy and as I can not eat more yet, my dietician advised drinking an extra pint of milk a day. Luckily I love milk. I make it into milkshake with fruit. My energy levels have soared since and in a month I have not had to sit and rest or eat some Protein.

[pintsizedmallrat 473]

I am worried I am starting to have this issue also; I have gotten so small that I literally shrank my way out of the smallest size my favorite jeans come in, and I don't want to lose anymore because I am starting to have trouble finding clothes that are small enough in the adults' section, especially in nicer brands that run larger (I am very short, but I wear between a size 0-2).

Even if I eat "whatever I want", my cravings tend to be for fruits and veggies and I still come in below that magic maintenance number of 1500 calories (my "lose" number was 1000).

I've decided to add an additional Protein Shake every day between Breakfast and lunch; we'll see how it goes. I was always so afraid I was going to end up falling short of my goal or gaining a bunch of it back so this is a weird situation I've found myself in.

[ms.sss 15,664]

24 minutes ago, pintsizedmallrat said:

(I am very short, but I wear between a size 0-2).

i looked up your profile that stated u r 4'10".

I have a good friend who i've known since high school who is your height and "normal" weight for her height, and all her life had issues buying clothes.

she wears a good amount of children's clothing, but luckily these past couple decades they have adult-looking childrens clothes (at a premium though unfortunately). if she does happen to find some adult size cute stuff width-wise (in like 00, she always has to shorten them. shoes are another problem for her, she has teeny tiny feet!!

i don't know if u are a fan on online shopping for clothes, but she also has quite alot of success finding cute stuff from asia, who's sizing runs much, much lower than north American stuff.

[Tomo 1,193]

You don't have to eat "more" volume per se. Just eat and cook with calorie rich foods, like ghee, a mere tablespoon = 130 calories or Peanut Butter (nuts), healthy grains, sweet potatoes, rice (i e. Starches, carbohydrates)... Etc.

I am glad to hear you are meeting with the dietician. She'll be able to assess your diet and see where the problem is.

[pintsizedmallrat 473]

1 hour ago, ms.sss said:

i looked up your profile that stated u r 4'10".

I have a good friend who i've known since high school who is your height and "normal" weight for her height, and all her life had issues buying clothes.

she wears a good amount of children's clothing, but luckily these past couple decades they have adult-looking childrens clothes (at a premium though unfortunately). if she does happen to find some adult size cute stuff width-wise (in like 00, she always has to shorten them. shoes are another problem for her, she has teeny tiny feet!!

i don't know if u are a fan on online shopping for clothes, but she also has quite alot of success finding cute stuff from asia, who's sizing runs much, much lower than north American stuff.

I have the shoe problem; luckily kids' Doc Martens and Chuck Taylors are exactly the same, but a tad cheaper!

[Arabesque 7,332]

I kept losing well into my second year too. At my lowest I was 48.2kgs (was only there for a couple of weeks but …) & then I fluctuated between 48.5-49.5kg (about 18.9 BMI). I did that for about a 11 months & have been at about 50.5kgs for almost a year. (Am 3yrs 7 months out.) My dietician gave me some tips to up my calories before I stabilised so I’m glad you’re seeing your’s.

Initually my surgeon & his associate were a little concerned when they looked at just the number on the scales but then they realised I’m ‘pretty small really’ (their words). Which is true as I’m not tall & am more finely built. They were then fine with my weight.

Give yourself a little time to get used to your new body & your weight to stabilise & settle. Body dysmorphia will still be giving you a distorted picture of yourself as you compare yourself to the size you were before. It takes time for your head to catch up with the new reality of your size. I still get the occasionally shock when I realise the slim woman in the mirror or reflected in a window is actually me. And yes, bounce back regain of 10+/- lbs is a real possibility.

You’ll work out what are your magic maintenance numbers are @pintsizedmallrat & it may not be 1500 calories because we have different needs & different weights we‘re most comfortable at. I thought 60kg & a BMI of about 23 would be great for me. But my body set me at a lower weight & I’m very happy with it. I was only eating about 1300 calories to maintain at the lower weight & about 1400 for the slightly higher weight now (have to eat more Protein due to an absorption issue). But I’m not overly active & am 57 so that’s plenty of calories for me to maintain my smaller frame too. (I eat three meals & three Snacks a day so eat heaps.) Oh & I get the clothing thing. I’m a US size 2 & sometimes a 0. There are stores here in Australia that don’t go smaller than a size 4. And there are ones where if they go to a 2 I’ll need a 0. (Still have largish feet for my height - 37.5-38). I’m about the size I was when I was 12. And yes I fit into Aust size 12 chn’s shorts. (My mum bought a pair for my niece & wondered if they would fit so asked me to try them on.)

[Recidivist 1,141]

Like others have said, I had the same issue and the same worries. I was too skinny and was still losing weight in year two. However, it eventually stopped naturally (without my changing my habits) and I ultimately gained back about 20 pounds, which is a good weight for me. I have been at that weight for more than a year and it is relatively easy to maintain.

I would reiterate the advice that you not make any major changes to your routines at this point. Wait and see what happens in the next few months.

(Side note: I remember how strange it felt to complain that I was losing too much weight and was too skinny. That is a problem I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams five years ago!)

[Quesodip251 125]

I’m the same height as you and weigh less. The only thing that puts any weight on me are carby Snacks that don’t fill me up like queso and chips or crackers and Peanut Butter. They go down too easily! If you’re concerned, snacks aren’t filling so are easy calories that add up