BostonWLKC

Stalls Happen
Your surgeon will probably tell you about your likely weight loss. You might hear numbers such as 70 to 100 lb. in the first year, or up to 10 to 20 lb. in the first couple of months. Those might be realistic and turn out to be accurate for you, but what might also be true, that your doctor did not tell you, is that weight loss may not be steady.
You might lose 75 lb. in a year, which is an average 1.5 lb. per week, but you are not going to lose 1.5 lb. every week for a year straight. You may lose 5 lb. in one week, 3 lb. in another, 0 lb. in another, and, some weeks, even gain weight.
You are almost sure to encounter stalls, or plateaus, or periods of weeks or even a month when you do not lose weight, even if you are eating right. Your doctor may not tell you about stalls ahead of time, but you can handle them better if you are prepared right out of the gate.
Your Metabolism May Plummet
As you lose weight, you need fewer calories to sustain your basic body functions. Furthermore, when you exercise at a lower body weight, you burn fewer calories doing the same workout at the same intensity than you did when you were heavier. On top of that, your body may go into starvation mode and use even fewer calories as it becomes more efficient at using what you give it.
While there is little that you can do to prevent a slower metabolism, you can at least be aware of it. Also, you can take heart knowing that you are likely to be able to exercise longer and at a higher intensity to offset some of the reduced body weight.
It’s Freezing!
Brrr…! Remember the days when you were the hottest one in the room, and all you wanted was to stop sweating? Those may be in the past. Part of the slowed metabolism can be due to your body’s new mechanism to save energy, which means turning down the thermostat. Another possibly surprising side effect of weight loss is that having less cushioning (body fat), so sitting in chairs or lying in bed can be less comfortable.
People Can Still Hurt You
You probably know that Weight Loss Surgery does not change who you are, but your doctor may forget to tell you that it does not change other people, either. You may no longer get flack for being overweight, but people can still be hurtful. They can tell you…
You took the easy way out with Weight Loss Surgery.
You have not lost much weight. Clearly, Weight Loss Surgery did not work.
You lost so much weight that you look sick.
All you care about now is your diet and exercise plan.
Your Social Life May Change
Some friends will stick by you. Others may desert you. If some of your friends have just been “eating buddies,” or people you go out with to the bar or restaurants, you may need to exercise self-control at the bar or restaurant, find new activities to do with those friends or find new friends. You stand to gain wonderful new friends who share your new interests, such as walking, going to the gym, or cooking healthy fun foods.
The Skin Stays
Losing body fat will not give you a movie star’s appearance. It may not even be all that you need to lose. You may have loose skin that flaps, chafes, and interferes. There is a chance that you will want to get skin removal surgery for cosmetic, comfort, or medical reasons.
Beware Replacement Addictions
You may have been addicted to food. It may have provided comfort, entertainment, and companionship. Give it up, and you are likely to find something to replace it. Alcohol is a common replacement addiction, but you can do better! Stay aware of your emotional and physical needs, and you can be mindful of what replaces food in your life. Exercise, within reason, is a common choice; another healthy option is to make some great friends who are supportive and make you feel good.
Your doctor will tell you a lot about what to expect after weight loss surgery, but she may leave out several important items. Go in with open eyes, and you can prepare better and come out farther ahead.

You’re Starving, or Not
For some WLS patients, hunger goes away. For others, hunger is reduced enough so that you can keep it in check, even if you were constantly hungry before WLS. Some patients, though, still need to fight hunger. It is still a struggle to pass up certain foods and to keep portions small.
Your Head Gets Hungry
“Head hunger” is when you think you are hungry, but you are really just bored, the food looks good, or you feel like eating for some other reason. It is important to learn to recognize head hunger so that you know when it is not time to eat, but it is also important to realize that it may not be time to eat every time you are physically hungry. That is because you are losing weight, which means you are eating less than you burn, which means…your body is hungry.
Pizza and Ice Cream Taste Great
Often, your sense of taste changes after weight loss surgery. You may be one of the lucky patients who stops loving junk food. Pizza and French fries may be too greasy and salty for your new taste buds, and ice cream and muffins may be too sweet.
On the other hand, your taste buds may be just as enamored with the food groups of sweet, salty, starchy, and greasy. You may need to work just as hard as you did pre-op to keep pizza, ice cream, fried chicken, and bagels from overwhelming your diet.
Salads May Not Work
Your game plan for weight loss may include a huge salad once or twice a day. It is filling, healthy, and low-calorie – the perfect weight loss combo. The problem is that many weight loss surgery patients can no longer stomach salads for months or longer after surgery. Instead of lettuce, a protein, and some dressing, consider building your meals with cooked vegetables, a protein, and a small amount of healthy fat such as avocado or peanut butter.
Creativity Is the Name of the Game
Many other healthy foods may be off-limits because your tastes change or they are too stringy or they make you sick. You will have to be flexible to find healthy substitutes for them. Here are some common trouble foods and some alternatives.
Popcorn: try Protein Cereal as a quick snack.
Celery: opt for Bean Crisps
Lean beef and poultry: try fish, veggie burgers and other soy and bean products, and lentils.
Cheese: try peanut butter or hummus.
The good news is that most WLS patients tend not to develop aversions to vegetables, so pile your plate high!
What Happened to Water?
Water is the one calorie-free and free from cost food that is actually a nutrient…and it may have tasted great before surgery. Afterwards, not so much. Some patients have trouble drinking plain water after surgery. It just does not taste good anymore. Now that diet soft drinks and carbonated flavored water are off limits, you have fewer choices for hydration – but they are there.
Flavored water without bubbles.
Decaffeinated low-acid coffee and tea.
Ice water with lemon or lime.
Malnutrition Happens
Malnourishment may be far from your mind when your goal is weight loss, but it happens quite often. It can be a deficiency of protein, but also of vitamins and minerals. You will have to get enough protein every day and take your nutritional supplements every day, probably for life.
Sit Near the Bathroom
You just never know when you may need one when you sit down to eat a meal. Dumping syndrome strikes fast and without warning. By the way, you also cannot predict how full you will get and when you will be able to finish your entire plate.
You can make your weight loss surgery journey a tad easier by aware of what to expect, and there may be a few things your doctor does not tell you about.

Why Weigh Yourself?
Yes, you weigh yourself to know how much you weigh. But what is the point if you are on your weight program and your doctor will weigh you at your next appointment? Weighing yourself can have some benefits.
It can help you lose more weight by keeping you accountable. Just like logging your food can make you think twice before taking that extra bite, knowing that you will face the scale can keep you from serving yourself another portion.
It can be motivating. When you see the number of the scale go down, you might be more eager to wake up early for your workout, or order a salad instead of a sandwich.
It can be empowering. Knowing your weight gives you another piece of information about your body, and embracing rather than avoiding yourself can empower you to do your best for yourself.
How Often?
You can weigh yourself as often as you like, but it does not make sense to take too many weigh-ins too seriously. For many people, a good rule of thumb is to do a weekly weigh-in. You can take this weight as your “official current weight.” Some people like to stay off of the scale between their weekly “official” weigh-ins, while others like to weigh themselves daily, or even more than once a day, just to see what is going on. That is fine, as long as you do not take each weigh-in too seriously and do not let it bother you.
How to Weigh Yourself
You may be a 10, 20, or 40-year veteran of weighing yourself, but there are better and, well, worse ways to do so. It may be worth reviewing or revising your weigh-in practices to get better results. Here are some guidelines for accurate weigh-ins.
Weigh yourself at the same time of the day for your weigh-in, usually first thing in the morning.
Choose the same day each week to weigh yourself.
Wear minimal or no clothing.
Use the same scale, and a trustworthy one, each time.
Mistakes to Avoid
In theory, weighing yourself is as simple as stepping on the scale. Not! Your weight can be deceptively high or low if you find yourself making any of these mistakes.
Weighing yourself after a heavy meal. While 1 lb. of lettuce has only 50 calories, it weighs…1 lb. If it is in your stomach, you will weigh an extra pound. Weighing yourself in the morning before you eat anything can help avoid the problem of extra weight inside your stomach.
Weighing yourself wearing shoes or clothes. Heavy shoes and a full set of clothes can weigh 5 or more lb. That is a big chunk of weight that is not yours!
Weighing yourself with too much salt in your system. With salty foods comes sodium, with sodium comes thirst, and with thirst comes extra water. Water is heavy. It can still be in your system the next morning, and show up on the scale.
Weighing yourself right after exercising. Exercise does help you lose body fat, but it also helps you lose body water through sweat. You can lose a few lb. of water in one workout, and your body weight might be artificially low right after.
Weighing in Monday morning. If your weekdays are picture-perfect in terms of eating, and your weekends progress from Friday night at the bar to Sunday afternoon in front of the TV, your Monday morning weight can be variable, and possibly high. Friday morning may be a better time for you to weigh in.
Getting inaccurate numbers can be bad in many ways.
You might get discouraged for no reason if your weight shows up as higher than it really is.
You could become confused about how what you eat affects your weight if there seems to be no correlation.
You might have trouble detecting regain, and not modify your diet until you have gained more than you wanted.
Choosing a Scale
On top of making sure you are ready for a good weigh-in, you need to make sure that your scale is also ready. Using a cheap scale can drive you crazy because it may not be accurate. It could be difficult to read, or it could vary within a few pounds even if you are the same weight.
There are many affordable Body Scales that are highly accurate. You can find features that help you read the scale easily, track your weight, and see other information. These are some features to consider.
Digital read-outs.
Bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone.
Memory of your recent weights.
Measurements such as body fat and lean muscle mass.
Use the scale to help you on your weight loss journey, and you can consider it another weapon in your weight loss arsenal. The more tools you have, the better your weight loss success can be!