8th/9th Month Post-op Stalls

[Shirl]

I have been looking through old posts and cannot find any comforting posts on stalls and how to beat them other than patience, of which I am running on patience fumes and lots of frustration juices.

Just cannot shake off that four pound pms gain of last month.

I am eating way cleaner than I did latter part of December, and it took me over two weeks to reduce some serious sugar cravings I was experiencing. Other than berries I haven't had much fruit, but tonight I had half of a ripe banana with 1/2 cottage cheese and then I got a hankering for something sweeter. I have been drinking water to keep my stomach feeling full.

I started going to the gym later in the evening, and that has kind of helped evening cravings.

I have been taking my multivitamin and probiotic supplements, I have even added chromium picolinate which I think it's doing nothing to curve my hunger. I just tell myself that feeling hungry is okay once in while. I am eating less frequently, as I am able to eat more in one sitting. I'm hitting 1200 calories a day and that's worrying me, I try to keep my calories at 1100 most days. I'm doing 90g+ of protein on a daily basis. Last few weeks most of my carbs come from greens, my morning smoothie which has oat bran and other fiber, and one serving of high fiber bread several times a week, or lentils and beans.

Irregardless, I feel great at 180lbs! But I don't want to settle here and my hope is a "normal" BMI and body fat percentage for my gender, height and genetics. I am not planning another DEXA body composition scan until my one-year sleeversary in May, but I hope and pray that I'm closer to those goals than I am today, at this moment in time. My nutritionist at the Get Fit Program at UT told me that I would be within normal ranges at about 165lbs, so while my ultimate goal is to get to 140lbs, my first goal is 165lbs.

Here is to consistency and making that first goal happen!

[Sandra3]

Since you are 15 pounds away from the nut goal, that could be the reason for the stalls. I'm also 15 pounds from my surgeon "projection". He said I will lose more (I would like to lose 30/40) until Summer, so I try to just be patient...it's hard! scale is moving slower than a snail!
I tried the chromium a few years ago, it did nothing for me either. I only tried two months, may be it was not long enough, but I take already a lot of supplements so when I think one is doing nothing I'll take one that I know I need and I need so many!

My nut said after my scan that I need to eat a minimum of 1200 calories per day because my BMR is 1600, with the walking every day it's around 1800/1900. After I started tracking again I realized I was eating around 1000/1100 or less. So I've been eating a little more and scale moved half a pound. Really frustrating that it's so slow but not much to do right now. I guess until I'm able to work out more I'm going to lose 2 pounds per month (best case scenario) or nothing!

[Shirl]

Let's keep working towards healthy and leaner versions of ourselves!

The Sleeve certainly helped us break the vicious cycle, but any weight we lose from here on it's all consistency and lots of sacrifices and discipline on our part!

[Sandra3]

Yes you are completely right! I did read somewhere that the first year we lose because of our genetic, after it's really the diet/environment.

When I did my one year diet, my metabolism was rally different, I can tell. But I also lost less if I compare my numbers at the end. I think it will take time to understand how things changed. At least restriction is still there and a big help for sure.

That's what was missing in the equation during and after my diet. I was hungry all the time.
Now I can eat three time less and be fine. I'm still amazed by the small quantities I eat when I stick to protein. I made some chili for a friend last week end. She had 3 bowls! I had half of one. So happy I had my sleeve! 13 months ago I would have been able to have at least two. My friend is very slim and eats a lot. Different metabolisms! But she said if she was eating the quantities I eat she would be losing weight like crazy...made me smile..

[mrtumnus]

It is what it is...I was losing between 10-12 pounds average a month the first 9 months. Now it is slowed down to 2-4 pounds a month. I have 25 more to go so that feels like it will be forever, but I am relishing how I feel NOW. Today...and all that has been accomplished, what I can now do, wear. I have to be focused on that! It may take a full year to whittle away the 25, but compared to last year where I was waddling around with an additional 127 pounds--I am happy!

[Shirl]

It is what it is...I was losing between 10-12 pounds average a month the first 9 months. Now it is slowed down to 2-4 pounds a month. I have 25 more to go so that feels like it will be forever, but I am relishing how I feel NOW. Today...and all that has been accomplished, what I can now do, wear. I have to be focused on that! It may take a full year to whittle away the 25, but compared to last year where I was waddling around with an additional 127 pounds--I am happy!

Man that's really awesome!!! I don't know what you did to lose so much the first nine months, but congratulations!

Every Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery has different results at different levels.

I'm definitely at peace with my slow weight loss, and I am definitely feeling 100% better than I did one year ago! I feel (not to toot my own horn, but) I look more fabulous than I ever have too!

I am not going to settle here though, the struggle continues for however long! We are in this together my sleeve and I.

Whatever you are doing, Keep working your program! You will lose those 25lbs!

[Pam G]

I've been looking at people's signatures to see how it went for them around the 9 month mark....seems everyone slows ways down around this time. I did an online BMR thingie and my BMR is around 1500, give or take a few cals, so I increased my daily calories and lost weight FAST!. I'm trying to hold at around 1200 cals/day now.

The honeymoon is nearly over!

[Shirl]

I've been looking at people's signatures to see how it went for them around the 9 month mark....seems everyone slows ways down around this time. I did an online BMR thingie and my BMR is around 1500, give or take a few cals, so I increased my daily calories and lost weight FAST!. I'm trying to hold at around 1200 cals/day now.

The honeymoon is nearly over!

Oh that's fantastic news Pam!

I heard the same thing from my nutritionist every week when I was in the Get Fit program at UT. I did up my calories to 1100 then, specially since I was exercising intensive 3x a week. That was back in October when I lost the most inches since surgery.

I am considering upping my calories again since I'm back at the gym regularly (some days are closer to 1200 unintentionally and I get so upset!) Maybe intentionally adding an extra serving of protein and veggies isn't going to hurt, at least not mentally ;-)

Thank you for the suggestion!

[Christie13]

I am way behind you in surgery date but I have noticed on days when I eat less my weight stalls. And if your nut says you need to eat a little more, that could be your problem. Hoping your stall busts soon!

[tinman]

Why don't you go visit my profile and search for stalls? I have hundreds and hundreds of posts concerning stalls. Not only what I believe causes them, but, also how to bust them and more importantly, how to never get them again.

I stalled at the 6th month and stayed stalled for about three months. It wasn't until I started really messing around with the four pillars that I stumbled upon my discovery. Once I changed up my approach, I lost more in the next six months than I did in the first 9. This approach has also worked for quite a few folks on here too. They will tell you that they tried my methods and went into turbo losing mode.

Here's the catch. What works for me and them may not work for you. However, until you try it, you'll never know. I am betting it will work given the amount of info you've given about yourself and your eating habits in the past. I'm not taking a swing at you about your plan. I'm just saying that as you lose weight, your body adjusts and develops protective mechanisms that sometimes retards that metabolism. A stall is nothing more than a slowed down metabolism and that is a function of your body trying to protect it's precious stores of fuel (fat).

It's not realistic to believe that you can go the rest of your life eating the way you do now given that you live as a sleeved person in a non sleeved world. My belief is that each of us needs to learn how to eat like everyone else....just differently.

Good luck to you and I am always available for help via the pm or personal email if you would like to chat that way.

Robert