Weight Loss Stalled. Fustrating!!!

[Graywolf 0]

Hey newly banded folk! I'm wondering if anybody else is having the same issues I am.

For the last 2 weeks, ever since I started mushies, my weight loss has completely stopped. I've been following my dieticians guide to the letter. I measure ALL my food, and write it down in a food journal so I am accountable. I've been eating about 500-600 calories a day. I've also been exercising at least 30 minutes a day of walking on my treadmill. I do other exercises throughout the day as well like my Wii fit yoga and walking to classes, up and down stairs, stuff like that. I take my Calcium suppliments, my multi vitimin, my benefiber to stay regular and I've been drinking at least 60 oz of Water a day.

I don't know whats going on. I am consuming the same amount of calories that I was on my pre-op diet and I lost tons of weight. Why has my weight loss completely stopped for 2 weeks. It makes no sense. I'm burning more calories than I consume, yet it goes nowhere.

This is very frustrating. I feel like I'm failing even though I'm doing everything I'm supposed to.

[abbypoo 0]

Ok, so there might be a couple of reasons for this. The first is that your body might be in starvation mode. A lot of times if you consume less calories than your body needs to function (usually around 1000-1200 for women) your body thinks it's starving and will start to slow down your metabolism to conserve energy. Another reason might be just that you're experiencing your first plateau. Sometimes your body just needs time to adjust to a new weight before losing anymore. Before you start to freak out, realize that losing 1-2 pounds a week is considered healthy, so if you've already lost about 10 pounds this month don't start to worry just yet. All of that being said, it's quite common to see a stall in weight loss until you start getting fills. Hope I helped to comfort you a bit.

[Graywolf 0]

I guess I can understand that my body may be going through a low metabolism period. I wonder if there's any way to increase it. I figured exercise would. I don't feel tired, or hungry or anything out of the ordinary. Just seems so bizzare. For years I've heard dr.s tell me "Eat less, exercise more" so when that doesn't work, what else can you do right?

haha

Thanks for the advice Abby. I will talk to my dr. on Tuesday when I see him for my 4 week eval. See if he has any advice.

I do have a question though. What exactly would the fill do? I mean as I understood it, the band was a tool to help you feel less hungry, and stay fuller longer. I have no problems with that right now. I'm not hungry very often only right before meal times, and I do stay full for a very long time. I'm not over eating, so I guess I don't understand how a fill will help me loose weight faster. I don't think I should go under my calorie consumption, that'd probably not allow me to get all the Protein I need to in a day. Just curious. have you had your first fill yet?

[abbypoo 0]

No I haven't had my first fill, I'm still on mushies myself. Why does your doctor want you to eat so few calories a day? That seems kind of low. My nutritionist did not give me a restriction on calories. I forgot that you're still on mushies. You're right, you probably wouldn't need a fill at this point if you are staying full on mushies. Maybe things will change when you can start eating lean meats. Let me know how the appointment with your doctor goes.

[Graywolf 0]

I'm not on mushies anymore, I started solids last tuesday. My dr didn't specify a calorie rate, that is just what I eat normally and get full off of. I measure everything so I usually get 1/4 c of lean Protein like eggs, fish, chicken or turkey, then 1/8c of fruit/veggie and 1/8c starch.

I've been eating a lot of frittata's lately that combine veggies and Protein. I can eat about one slice of a frittata that usually has 60 calories and 10g protein. Along with some light sour cream and an avacado slice thats about 120 calories. I usually eat that twice a day, then have dinner with my family. Same deal, low fat protein, veggie & starch. So at the end of the day I'm lucky if I get away with around 500 calories, but I take my multi vitimins, my Calcium, my benefiber and if i'm short on protein I'll have one of those New whey Protein Shots with 42 g of protein in it. So according to my food log, I'm meeting all RDA percentages with very low calories.

My nutritionist said Low Fat, Low carb everything .So thats what I've been doing. I figured with 500-600 calories a day I would be loosing weight, with my 30 min exercises my legs feel like rubber when I'm done. I figured its gotta count for something. Thats what has me completely and totally perplexed. I'm doing everything right, as far as I know, and nothing.

[ThinknHealthy 0]

Greywolf, Abbypoo is correct about the "starvation mode" and your metabolism. At this point, you need to increase your calories if you want to lose weight. I know, it doesn't make sense but that is what you have to do. You do the math. Check out http://www.ehow.com/how_5138_calculate-total-daily.html.

I have learned from experience that when I allow myself to "cheat" it is those weeks that I lose the most. I've been on a real low-fat diet the past few weeks because of gallbladder problems, and I had experienced real slow weight loss. Someone suggested adding applesauce and other non-fat Snacks but that contained calories. I did and last week I lost 3 lbs. Simply increasing my calories did the trick.

I know you are anxious to lose this weight, but truly you are still healing. As the swelling continues to go down around your band, you will likely begin to feel more hungry again. It took a few weeks for me. That is why they suggest around 6 weeks before your first fill. If you don't need a fill, then don't ask for one and don't let the doctor talk you into it.

Be patient and above all, educate yourself by reading on this board from posters who have experience. There are a lot here. You have just started on a very long journey. Think of yourself as the turtle and not the hare. Don't start off too fast or you will run out of steam long before you reach the goal.

You will get there eventually but don't lose heart because of a short plateau. Those are to be expected at this stage of your recovery.

[Graywolf 0]

Thank you for the insight ThinknHealthy. I will have to visit that site and see what it is I am supposed to be eating.

I will have to talk to my dietitian and see what she recommends. "cheating" to me doesn't sound very appealing, I'm trying to get away from my old habits, not re-introducing them every now and then. Perhaps I can find some higher calorie "healthier" food to use instead of high fats or high calorie foods which is what "cheating" implies to me.

The only problem is, I am not purposefully restricting my food or caloric intake. This is just what I eat after choosing my healthy choices and high Protein content. I'm not buying and eating foods based on their calories, I buying and eating foods based on their Protein and fat content. It just turns out to be extremely low in calories at the end of the day. So I have no idea where I would even begin to add MORE calories while still keeping it low fat and high protein. I am not hungry at all so I don't snack during the day. I have 3 meals and that satisfies me quite well. 1/2c per meal, anything more than that feels uncomfortable.

Any ideas as to where I can get excess healthy calories to kickstart my metabolism?

I'm not trying to race through this, I want to do it the right way, and I figured I was. These are the guidelines my dietitian gave me, and my surgeon, and every class I've went to. Nobody ever spoke about getting too few calories.

[ThinknHealthy 0]

Personally, I like non-fat yogurt, applesauce, fruit cups, Protein shakes, and Protein Bars. I eat these as Snacks between meals. They help to keep my metabolism up. You might also try bananas, peeled apples, peeled pears, and other fresh fruit in season.

I know that many with the band do not believe in Snacks. That is a personal thing. I like snacks and it works for me. Find what works for you.

Our dietary needs are different. What works for one person will not for another. You need to learn what you can from the nutritionist and apply the part of it that works for you. You said you focus on "low-fat" and "high-protein" foods. You understand it is important to get healthy fats in your diet. You also need carbohydrates and plenty of vegetables and fruits. Don't forget your grains and sources of Fiber. Make sure all your bases are covered. Very important tip is to write down everything that you eat. Be ready to give that to the nutritionist when you see her.

Hope this is helpful.

[abbypoo 0]

Graywolf, my dietician and surgeon didn't talk to me about getting too few calories or being in starvation mode either. I learned it in a Nutrition class I took in college. That's also where I learned that it's unhealthy to lose more than a few pounds a week. Very Low Calorie Diets are ok for a short while, but eventually your body slows down its metabolism to reserve energy. I would definitely talk to your dietician about your caloric intake and see what she/he has to say about it. Maybe she can recommend a diet to help you out. But anyway, congrats on feeling such restriction! I am two weeks out and not feeling much restriction, but my doc says it's normal for some patients.

[jennyr1222 0]

Graywolf, I have also been experiencing a plateau after losing 29 pounds in 4 weeks!! I was also eating 600 calories a day and following my nutritionists guidelines 1/2 cup to a cup of food. I emailed her to ask how many calories I should be eating and she said 1200-1600. That doesn't align with 1/2 cup to a cup of food at each meal at all!! I started eating about 1000 calories a day and drinking more Water. Yesterday I ate 950 and drank 100 ounces of Water. Finally lost 2 pounds. I would recommend upping your calories and water intake and seeing what happens. Also email your nutritionist, he/she will give you guidance!

Good Luck!

[adelarosa33 0]

I am also on a plataeu...a week after surgery I lost ten pounds and now nothing!! =( I am not taking in too many calories either. Less than 700 a day...I do have a problem drinking Water but I am going to have to force myself to drink more than 8 glasses...I only drink about 5. I want to go back to gym but have not yet am hoping to be able to go back next week. Blahhhh I wish this would work faster!!

[lotusflwr 0]

On average I'm eating about 700 calories a day. I'm stuffed and not hungry until the next meal. My dr told me to watch my carb only 35 grams a day, protien 70-75 grams. I personaly keep my fats at about 30 percent of my calories. All my fats come from healthy Proteins and dairy sources. All my carbs come from fruits veggies, and dairy. I eat 3 meals a day. My dr said if I stall when my treadmill comes in then to add a fourth meal to my day. To up my intake some, because I can't physically eat anymore than I do, and that my ratios were good with what I was doing. He also stressed that I still must live my life. He said occasionally eat something I really wanted. Not as a reward, but just for the joy of it. He said plan it, for when your going to a party or some special event. He also said to have a margarita now and then. He also stressed that occasionally ment every 6 to 8 weeks not every day! He and psychiatrist stressed that this new way of life was about living. Real people eat! LOL

I typically lose around 3/4's of a pound per day! Some days a little more, some days a little less.

I'm not a nutritionalist, but I would make sure your getting at least 30 percent of your calories from healthy fats (lowfat cottage cheese, lowfat mozzarella, alvacado, olives, etc. I know in the past when I quit eating fat all together or really low....I never lose.

Personally I no longer eat bread, rice, potatos and pasta! Those are triggers for me and what helped me get here. Plus after getting them out of my system I no longer crave them or other foods. I have found substitues for everything except bread for a sandwhich, so I just roll up the meat like a wrap with the goodies inside!

Hang in there...the scale will start moving again. Patty