Two year stall, back up and running

Kristopia

Hi all - I only recently joined here, but just started back to grad school in my "old" age (47) and got out of a job that was considerably stressful.

I worked out this afternoon, after crying when I stepped on the scale this a.m. and slaving over texts and research all day. Got in 20 minutes cardio, 20 strength training. And explored the fitness room at the new complex I've moved into - it's pretty great, actually. That's motivation to go more.

My VSG surgery was in July 2009. My weight loss was slow from the start (still had all the metabolic crap I'd had before) but it came off in the first year. For the last two years, though, I've been in a massive stall - little exercise, stressful job, not mindful of getting in protein and getting rid of carbs - so I put 25 lbs of the 120 I lost back - arrrrgh!

That scares me - so back on the high protein wagon, and the exercise routine, as of today. In addition to the 20 lb regain, I still need to lose about 60 more, leaving me to lose 80 lbs before i'm where I'll be comfortable.

Any suggestions are welcome.

rlshopp6

It sounds like you're doing all the right things to get back to the good habits, and good for you to recognize what's going on and be working on it today. I hope you are able to get back to the gym today, or incorporate some non-gym activity each day. My surgery was late 2010, and the second year was one big stall for me. I'm still not at my goal, but this year (3rd year) is going a lot better and I'm slowly losing again.

I'm lucky too that I have a great team from my surgery center who follows up, medical doctor, nutritionist, support groups, etc. and using those things now have also helped me. One thing that's worked for me is to focus not on a goal weight, or long term things, but just the next 21 days. They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit (or reform one in my case) and so I have a list of top 3 or 4 things to do every day, and I just think about doing them today, and I focus on that for 21 days... it's helped a lot, going through that cycle a few times this year.

Good luck, and with all your other changes (grad school, job, etc) it definitely won't be easy to focus on these health things too, but so worth it!

Kristopia

Thanks for the comments, and I agree - I'm not trying to look at the long term - just re-building healthy habits from before. My fiance and I are both getting back in the swing of things, which helps, though even if he didn't go to the gym, I would. Went to the gym again today, and got 20 minutes of cardio and 20 of strength again - tomorrow will just be cardio.

Glad to hear you're back on track, too

Oh, and food has been better, too - four years later, I do NOT have the tininess of stomach anymore. Still can't eat what I could BEFORE surgery, but things do loosen up later. So I'm concentrating on going back to basics. High protein, low carb, and staying away from gluten as I do have a sensitivity.

Getting away from the high stress job, and back into a place where a gym is handy has made it infinitely easier to get back on track. I know me - I won't drive to a gym - but I'll use one if it's right here on site

pawoodhull

I needed to see this! Thank you both (Kristopia and rishopp6)! I'm 2 years out and the last year has been really slow admist stalls. It's good to hear there are others out there not hitting goal in the first year!

operator646

Don't think you are alone. At least you did keep it off for a long period. You already know what it takes to make the rest happen and it sounds like you will. After only one year I have totally messed up and just this week feel that I have gotten back on track. I just have to remember how much I wanted this and worked so hard to get where I am at. Life does get in the way and causes so many emotions and stress that it is difficult to remain focused.

Kristopia

Pawoodhull - trust me when I say you're NOT alone. My loss was very slow compared to others who had the surgery. I struggled still for every pound - just less than I had BEFORE surgery It took two years to drop 120 lbs - and even with the regain and re-start, the surgery was SO worth it. It doesn't fix everything, but it does help significantly. Hang in there - we can DO this!

Operator - it really is hart to stay focused when the outside stuff keeps coming at you, that's certain. I came to MFP, and to this group specifically, to get myself back on track and know there were people out there rooting for me - and working to stay on track, too.

Carollee57

Thank You for this thread! I have always been a slow loser. I have a stressful sedentary job that sometimes has twelve hour shifts, I'm 56 years old and have arthritis to go with it. I am a grandmother who lives alone in a studio apartment. I tried the Chris Powell carb cycling thing and gained wieght.
So how about a forum for long term sleevers?

reneemosley

I am a slow loser and this is my 2nd WLS. I started stalling about 7 months out. I lost about 2 lbs a month untill I started running 15 miles a week, and then lost about 4 lbs a month. I still have 60 to a mormal BMI and 40 to personal goal.

This is game on forever.

Don't give up, you can do this!

karensdream

Thanks for starting this thread! For quite a while now I have felt that there must be something wrong with me because I am so slow to lose following my surgery. I was sleeved on Nov. 20th 2012, and lost quite steadily for the first 6 months. After that, it dropped to almost nothing! I don't do a lot of strenuous exercise, but I do try to do something active every day. No matter what I do, I gain and lose the same 3-4 lbs constantly. I try upping my calories, lowering my calories, adding carbs, cutting carbs, increasing water, increasing protein, you name it. I am so very frustrated, but I am not giving up. I know that things will turn around for me. My medical team has been very supportive, and that helps a lot too. It's just very comforting to me to know that others are struggling just like me, and I am not abnormal. I just wish I didn't have to fight for every pound I lose, (sigh)!

biologygrrrl

Good to see we are all not alone! I had my VSG in August 2010, lost 110 pounds (sloowwwlly) in the first 2 years, then in the last year I gained 20 back. Mostly due to overeating carbs (but they go down soooo easy! And they are so yummy!). I resolved to start tracking food again 2 weeks ago regardless of whatever crap I was eating and found that I was averaging about 1900 calories a day. I went shopping this past weekend armed with a bunch of high protein-low carb recipes to make and am starting today to try to make serious changes in my diet back to the good ol' weight loss phase target of 800 calories a day. I have lost 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks without really trying, just by cutting out the candy bar I tend to grab whenever I go to the store or gas station.