Help!!!

[merry]

11 months out havent lost a single pound since december cant talk to my surgeon because the bariatric clinic at tulane hospital shut down ( the dr never bothered to see me after surgery anyways ) the only follow up i had was one visit with a nurse practioner . No family support at all they eat whatever they want . Im just very frustrated any help would be appreciated

[niamh]

First thing - kudos for coming and posting. With lots of people posting about successes on here, I know it can be tough to admit you're struggling.

Second thing - sorry to hear your clinic shut down. No fair. BUT, is there any way you can get a referral to a nutritionist/dietitian through your PCP, or if you went through insurance, will they agree to fund support through somewhere else? Mobilise your support system, make them work for you!

Third thing - difficult to make any specific suggestions when you've given relatively little information. Can you post more with information about your surgery date, rate of loss pre and post op, and most importantly about your eating and exercise habits.

Last thing - assuming you're perhaps not sticking to the regime in terms of eating and exercise, consider whether you want to start posting to either the Daily Menu or the Daily Exercise threads on here that Dee started. It's one way of getting a support network with daily accountability. Even if you're doing some stuff you initially find difficult to admit in terms of eating, I think coming clean will enable you to let go of some of the shame-anxiety-eat cycle that many of us had for years before having surgery, and are in danger of slipping into again (I do this on occasion). Other people use apps like myfitnesspal etc to increase accountability as well.

Good luck - I hope you can find new ways to get things moving again. And congratulations on a significant loss to date - even if you never lost another pound you've done a huge amount for your health and wellbeing already.

Keep posting

[mskitti]

Niamh is right, get yourself off to a dietitian and your doctor, there is plenty of help just go ask for a referral. you should probably be at 800 calories if you're not maintaining and try to use myfitnesspal to track your food intake daily, take this to your dietitian so they can go through your daily food intake and give you some suggestions on what you can do, maybe increase exercise and water intake as well? GL

[merry]

Im nowhere near 800 calories more like 500 and i was never given a diet to follow just told to take in 60 grams of protein a day and little cabs and very low fat like i said its really hard to eat that way with no support i just eat what the family eats just very little of it and i pay for it .. Went to the dr for blood work im very anemic and malnutritioned hes starting me on prescription vitamin D and b12 shots im thalassemic so i cant take iron pills i asked him to refer me to a bariatric dr and he all but laughed at me because im on medicaid and no one here wants to take it .. Ill try my fitness pal and i try to stay active i dont have a set exercise regimen though my surgery was july 19 2012 thanks for the input

[Cindola]

Merry, I can really understand where you are coming from! I have been plateaued since January -- but there have been huge NSV during that time (I am down two full sizes, my bp is way down and my meds cut in half). I realize that my body is catching up with my weight loss and adjusting to the new me! Girl, you've lost almost 100 pounds you deserve Congratulations!!!!! I know that you have a goal in mind, but look at what you have accomplished so far!!! I've recently begun dropping again -- changed up my eating, increased my water, and for exercise -- started re-landscaping my yard (moving soil is a great work out! I really have to monitor my liquid intake -- water, herbal iced teas, and only one Crystal Lite drink per day; plus added back two to three sugar free popsicles per day (especially if it is warm). Get thee to a nutritionist, it seems like you need a few more calories -- your body may be in starvation mode. But, most of all take care of yourself --- celebrate what you have accomplished so far! Check out with you PCP to make sure that something else isn't holding you back.

[Msjuls]

I agree with all the great comments above. The only thing I have to add is that you should check out bariatric surgery support groups in your area. They are typically held in a hospital (or the hospital can refer you to some). And they are FREE!