Question:
9 mos post op - scale keeps going up & down... lately more up
Help! I'm 9 months post op. Female, 5'4, started at 261, now 142. Scale keeps fluctuating over the last few weeks up 2 lbs (by 1/2 lb each day) then back down 1/2 a lb here and there. It's freaking me out! I try to be good and eat soup on the days that I gain 1/2 a lb. I'm worried that this is it. That I am not going to lose any more weight! I know I should be happy with the loss that I have - 119 lbs, and I know I should be happy that I went from a size 26 to a 6 - BUT I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE OVER! I still have more weight to lose. I still think I'm overweight! And I CERTAINLY don't want to gain this weight back! I'm panicing and don't know what to do! Halloween hasn't helped - I don't eat regular candy - I have bad dumping with sugar - but I've had some sugar free candy. My sweet tooth is out there. My snacking is back. My hunger is back. It's easy to say "stop snacking" or "choose better foods", but come on, if I could do that on my own, would I have had this surgery?! Does anyone have any real useful tips on what to do? Am I alone? Help me!!!!!!! — Goldilauxx B. (posted on November 1, 2002)
October 31, 2002
Hey there, I am 10 months out and have the exact problem. I started out at
250 and now fluctuate from 170-178 since July. I am also freaking out. I
eat more, can't get the energy to exercise, but I know it will help. I do
drink more than 64 ounces of water/liquid a day, and I do try to get my
protein in, but the carbs are the killers. I am 5'5" and almost a
year out and need to lose more weight. If anyone has experienced this,
please tell me what you did to snap out of this up/down cycle before my
year is up.
— laflagal
October 31, 2002
Hi Cyndie! When I was pre-op and went to my required nutrition class, one
of the things stressed in the class was "DON'T DRINK YOUR
CALORIES". The nutritionist said this over and over again and also
stated that this is where people get into trouble after the surgery. She
said the more solid the food the better. So the soup you've been having
could be contributing to your weight gain, not to mention the feeling of
being hungry all the time, because it runs out of your stomach so much
faster than solid food. I would try cutting out the soup for a while and
try to eat solids for your meals. Stick to that whole "protein
first" idea and just see how you do. I personally have found that
beef makes me feel full longer than any other meat, something like beef pot
roast works best for me. You might be suprised at the results. As far as
the SF candies, I don't think they are doing as much damage as you think.
Unless of course you are eating them nonstop all day long. I have 1 or 2
pieces of SF candy and sometimes up to 4 pieces of SF gum on some days and
I continue to lose. I hope this helps. I also think if you aren't already
part of one, that getting into a support group wouldn't be a bad idea.
They can really help with the feelings you are dealing with right now and
the cravings as well. You are not alone in thinking this way by any means.
I wish you the best of luck. :)
— Laurel C.
November 1, 2002
Before I read the rest of the responses I wanted to let you know that you
are not alone. I have the same stats you do. (Except the 90 lbs. loss). I
am 5 4 I started at 260 and I currently weigh between 172 and 175 depending
on the day I weigh in. Yesterday was horrible. and I paid for it in the
end. starting today I tried to go back to the basics and that is much
easier said than done because I failed at that. It so hard to do that here
at work, very easy to do when I am home. But I plan to start back to
basics and stay there for the duration of the weekend. Starting with
liquids and pureed for a couple days, and start back to soft foods and
maintaince this time next week and hopefully that gets me back on track.
Good Luck.
— Chris9672
November 1, 2002
Is your weight really creeping up, or just fluctuating up and down? If
there's a gradual creep up, I can understand your panic. But if it's just
day-to-day fluctuations, then you might have to accept that your body is
through losing. A size 6 at 5'4 certainly sounds pretty slim to me; but
then again I'm only five months out and in a size 22 at the same height, so
it's all a matter of perspective!
I think the poster who recommended meat instead of soup had some good
advice; I can't believe how full it makes me feel. My breakfast is often
cereal, milk, and fruit, but if instead I have some smoked salmon on half a
whole-wheat English muffin I feel full for hours.
Good luck to you.
— Celia A.
November 1, 2002
Hi Cyndie...I read thru your profile and wanted to take a minute to
congratulate you - you look fabulous and are right where I want to be (I am
7 mos out and still have 40lbs or so to go) so congrats on a FABULOUS job!
Anyway, I hope I will in no way offend you when I make this suggestion, but
have you considered counseling to help with your body image? You say that
you look at your (Hollywood skinny) body and still feel fat, still look
like you weigh 225lbs. This would concern me because the reality is that
you are THERE, slim, trim, vital, and at an optimal weight/BMI. I mean I
can understand the fear of gaining weight, but I fear you may be on a path
to anorexia or something with your overwhelming desire to lose that
"last 15" . I dunno. Just some thoughts I had, take 'em or
leave 'em, but know that you have made incredible progress and are beyond
fine just the way you are know. Warm wishes to you...
— rebeccamayhew
November 1, 2002
PS One last suggestion. If you really want that Heather Locklear-size
2-4-invisible-when-you-turn-sideways-body, you will probably have to
incorporate exercise into your daily routine. That's the reality of what
it takes to get that. Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress : )
— rebeccamayhew
November 1, 2002
Cyndie, I have to agree with Rebecca that if you can't see a size 6 as a
perfectly healthy, thin, body, then you still have a body image issue. You
also have to realize that you have to end up at a comfortable weight that
you can SUSTAIN and a size 2-4 is unrealistic except for a very few, who
frankly, I don't think they either eat at all or have a super fast
metabolism, which is not part of our make-ups. My stats are like yours,
started 5'3", 249 and almost at 9 months, down 86 pounds and happy
with it especially knowing that some more will come off. If I end up at
142, I'll be vry happy...I know we are all different, especially in our
desires for what we'd like to be, but you don't need help to lose more,
just help getting your head adjusted to like what you see in the mirror.
You've done great! Congrats...
— Cindy R.
November 1, 2002
First off I want to say that you are such a beautiful woman, you have come
so far, and in such a short period of time. I know that you understand
that it takes a while for our minds to catch up with our bodies. Our
bodies are healthy and trim, yet we still have that mindset of being obese.
We were there for so long. I will confess that I am going through the
same thing that you are. I am in the normal range of BMI and body fat,
although in the high end, and the scale fluctuates up a pound, then down a
pound. Sometimes up 2 pounds then back down again. Its crazy and it
drives me crazy. But it started doing this a couple of months ago and I
have still lost weight since it started. It sounds as if things are
'winding down' on the weight loss. Its probably not over. I have had many
plateaus, one was as long as 6 weeks, but still lost after that. And you
are only 9 months out. I would venture to guess that its not over. So
enjoy how great you look and feel right now. ALMOST 1 year post-op,
5'6", 150, but would love love love to be 140!! But I'll take 150
with a smile:~)
— Cheri M.
November 2, 2002
Your body will find it's level of weight lost stopping point, for some it
is perfect, for others it is either more or less than your ideal weight.
Exercise would be the one thing that I would suggest and also, do watch the
sugar free candies and cookies. Most of the ones in our area have sugar
alcohol which is just a different part of sugar. I became hypoglycemic and
so sugar causes me major problems. I try not to eat anything over 6 gms of
sugar and there are lots of sweet items in that range. I will choose a
cookie or a bread like zukinni or cranberry over candy and eat it after my
meal and it doesn't seem to effect me. I even am able to eat Edy's no
sugar added ice cream. Look at the ingredients. there are many items that
can satisfy the sweet tooth but choose the best of them. Ice cream with 12
gms over Bryers with 37 grms makes a big difference.
— Elizabeth K.
November 2, 2002
Our beginning stats are very similar...5 ft 4 inches and I started at 266.
I am 16 1/2 months post-op and waver between 146-149 now. You have done
great to only be 9 months out! But honestly, the loss slows considerably
around 9 months I think for many of us. Your weight fluctuatations may be
your body's way of leveling off after so much loss so quickly. You may go
on to lose down to that "perfect" ideal wwight in your mind, but
you may not and you really look great from your profile and look very
small! The info from this site seems to be that because we were so heavy,
our bones are denser and weigh more.Therefore, we look much smaller than
what we weigh at certain weights. Your weight loss will decrease and level
off and that is a fact as our window of opportunity varies from reading
this site from 12-18 months. I wish you peace of mind wherever you wind up
and congratulate you on your outstanding success thus far!
— Molly S.
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