6 months to 12 months loss?

August 28, 2001

Any people out there that could share with me there losses after 6 months???

The reason I ask is that I haven't lost but 3lbs since my 5th month, and I'm

rapidly approaching 6 months. I can handle it if this is what it is gonna be

from here on out, but I just want to know.

Today I feel very worried that I am done, and maybe going to start gaining.

Due to hernia, I cannot lift weights so I'm down to walking mostly about 3

miles a day. I am also eating a lot today for some reason...I'm just HUNGRY

and nervous I guess. I just keep wanting something so I keep eating...

Worried and feeling like a complete failure,

in Ark

August 28, 2001

No. No. No. Failure is not in our vocabulary! Shame. Slapping your hands.

No. No. All you can do is the best you can do. Not perfect, you're human.

Just your best.

Your body will do what your body will do. Each of us are different. Unique.

Your weight loss will be whatever it will be. If you hear from MGB'er #

128, and she's lost 80 pounds since her sixth month, does that in any way

mean that you will too??? Why do you think that other people's experiences

are gonna predict YOUR future? That, I think, would be setting yourself up

for some serious disappointment. Let your own self be your guide. The rule

of thumb is 70-80% of excess weight gone in 12 months. Isn't that the

figure? And that's an average. And that, unfortunately, means that some

lost 50% and some lost 100%, and the average was somewehre near the middle of

that. How can you know where you will fall on this scale?

My body carries on a fairly regular discourse with me, and she told me, long

about 6 months post op, that she had this " new thing " all figured out; she

was comfortable with it and she'd pretty much like to hang right here, she

was happy. And my response was, NO way, woman, we've got a long way to go.

Well, here I am at almost 10 months out, and she's in control and winning

this argument!

I could tell then that my body had made the adjustment ~ being so used to

drastic eating changes from a lifetime of dieting~ and the loss since then

has been very slow. At 6 months I had lost 55 pounds. At 10 months I have

lost 72. And you know what, Sweetie? I accept it. I have no choice. I

feel great; look fine; can do every little thing I want to do, and life is

way too sweet to complain. Next year I hope to nip and tuck and rid myself

of these arm and thigh wings as well as the jelly belly, and then I am

finished. Done. Fini. I am getting on with life and moving way past being

a post op WLS person. Moving right on to being just me again.

Please, cut yourself some slack! You're not a F-word. (Not that one,

folks!) You're giving it your best shot. Then you get an A+. Take each

small success and love it as though it were huge. To someone else, who's not

been as fortunate as you, it is an enviable achievment! Never forget how far

you've come. Nor that we've still got a ways to go and can still chalk off

several more pounds. You will do just fine, dear heart. Just fine. Don't

ever let me hear that word from you again! You're a winner!

Phondly and Phirmly, PhillyJude

August 28, 2001

> Any people out there that could share with me there losses

after 6 months???

>

> Worried and feeling like a complete failure,

> in Ark

>

,

Oh wow I wish I could prevent you from going through the

heartache that I go through over how much lost. One thing I want

to tell you is that I have kept very close watch on my weight

loss...I weigh in every other day at the gym. I record my weight in

an Excel program and it figures my loss each month. What I do

notice is that since about my 6th month, the weight would no

longer drop each time I weighed.....it would fluctuate on the

same dang 2-3 pounds and then all the sudden it would drop.

So I would go the whole month paniked that I was no longer

loosing weight. Then all the sudden I would drop.

If you look at my stats at the bottom, you will see that in those

months I was complaining and worrying, I was losing. A bit less

yes, but the main thing that upset my psyche was just my

patterned had changed.

So perhaps your pattern is changing but you will have the same

amount lost at the end of the month. Or another thing which

could affect your loss is water retention. I noticed I could retain

up to 8 yes 8 whole pounds of water! This can happen for a

number of reasons especially if I was not getting enough water

or protein in my diet. All the sudden I would gain 2-3 pounds per

day! I would freak and take a water pill and bammm....lost!

And please don't forget the muscle mass and fat mass angle to

all this! I also keep close records of my measurements. There

have been times when I thought I was not losing weight but

when I checked my measurements.....Inches were lost!

So the best advice I can give you is to not over analyze this

change. And the best advice you can give me....is to practice

what I preach =)

Here are my stats from surgery to now. Hope they help you to

see what I could not see at times.....though I thought I was not

losing....I had kept a pretty steady loss until the month between

July and August of this year. Granted, it is not the loss I had

hoped to have, nor is it the loss that many people who start at my

weight had......but I did keep losing for that first year.

Stay Strong and Stay Focused!

Good Luck!

Beth

Weight Loss on the 10th of each month post op:

Aug-00 Sugery

Sep-00 -26

Oct-00 -14

Nov-00 -10

Dec-00 -10

Jan-01 -9

Feb-01 -13

Mar-01 -6

Apr-01 -6

May-01 -6

Jun-01 -5

Jul-01 -7

Aug-01 -2