stalled or just doing it wrong

[Michele43]

Okay, recently I am very anxious about this. I am about 8 months out from my sleeve. I am down about 77 pounds. I seem to have slowed down a lot. I also noticed that I am hungry more often or so I thought. It might also be gas. Not sure. I take protonyx for reflux. I seem to be maintaining for the most part and am not really loosing much. I have not been going to the bathroom properly. Now the worst part. I started a new shake from the bariatric office, that I like to drink for breakfast because it is just easier for me. They changed the flavor and must have changed the ingredients. I now have an upset stomach everyday since. I did not drink the shake over the weekend, and I was fine. Although, I did not go to the bathroom all weekend. I would like to lose another 30 to 40 pounds and then I would be completely happy. This is still a huge change, since I was always the plump girl and I am not used to shopping and I often buy sizes that are too big. I guess that will get easier eventually. Never thought i would fit in a size 14 again, ever.

Any advice would be helpful. I do notice that I am snacking more and not drinking as much as I should. Looking for ideas.

Thanks Michele

[Ann2]

Michele, it’s hard to know how to advise you or even comment without knowing what and how much you’re eating, exercising, hydrating, etc.

If you could be very specific on those fronts, you might get some responses here.

[Gvn71]

Food diary is very important to keep you on track. Eliminate foods that make you sick (I can no longer drink milk, and high fat foods make me feel terrible). This is where a diary is so important.

Exercise - a key ingredient to weight loss. The sleeve is just a tool to help you lose weight, it needs to be used with other tools for maximum success. Diet and exercise are the key.

At 8 months out I would say you are in a stall, but it really depends on your diet and exercise. A lot of people do not count calories, but I find that I will overeat if I don't. That said, I survive quite well on 1500 - 1800 calories daily. 1500 on a light exercise day, up to 1800 if I'm really working out.

Hope this helps.

[Sealover]

I would agree with all about tracking. Even at 6 weeks out, I track every morsel on My Fitness Pal and follow my dieticians instructions to the T. Maybe you need to check in with your dietician and get some advice at this point of your journey?

[MikeMo]

I love my fitness pal on my phone. The subscription version provides a ton of nutritional information which is really helpful especially for protein monitoring.

That plug out of the way, keep in mind the less you weigh, the fewer calories you need to maintain your weight. Conversely, little cheats that don't seem to be a problem when you're 100 pounds over can totally derail you when you're in the final twenty pound stretch. Track your food honestly and in depth, and see where that gets you. One nice thing about fitness pal is it projects your weight in five weeks if every day is like today. You can also go on line with a calorie calculator to see what you can eat for a given body height and weight. Most importantly for us in the itty-bitty belly club, keep your protein intake and vitamin consumption up. Hair and muscles come in handy!

Best luck with your goal, dieting is a challenge but worth it.

[Christie13]

I agree with Ann about needing to know what you are eating. But I will still add my 2 cents about my journey....when I got farther along I was only losing about 1-2 lbs every 10-14 days and also I found that there were times when I needed to up my intake to continue to lose weight. I had issues with constipation for about 10 months post op. The Fleet suppositories helped me a lot. I still suffer with it occasionally.

[DHB]

I can't remember who said it, but I think it's true that we are basically each a science experiment and we have to keep analyzing what works for each of us and do more of that and figure out what doesn't and do less. For me, at least, I felt like during the first few months I was along for the ride and my new little tummy was this miraculous way to lose weight that didn't take all that much engagement from me except to drink enough water and eat enough protein. But I'm now at the point where I have to be much more engaged. I now can eat carbs & sweets without feeling sick and if I do, I want more. I really need daily exercise to keep my weight loss moving. I need to document my water & protein intake carefully or I don't make my goals. In other words, I can fall back into old habits (maybe not to the same degree) and waste this amazing tool or I can recommit myself to figuring out a plan for me and then working it.

We all seem to have slightly different paths on this journey, but the basics are still important for all of us: water, protein, vitamins, exercise. For me, at least, every day that takes me away from those basics means I wander into the weeds a little more.

[mandyjdc]

HI Michele! I'm somewhat in the same boat. I'm 7 months out, and this month only lost 2 lbs.
It's really frustrating. Everyone is different, and hopefully it's just a stall.

Right now I use Lose It food diary app to track food and exercise.
I usually eat 700-900 cals/day, 70+g protein, less than 35g carbs, and about 35-40 g fat per day.
I jog 3.2 miles 3-4 times a week for exercise
I had tried upping my calories to 950-1000 with extra protein- ie, egg, high protein yogurt, 2 oz of meat instead of 1 and ended up gaining 4 lb. in a week. I'd hate to think I'm stuck with having to stay below 800 cals or so to keep losing, but I guess I need to play around some more with the nutrition.