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Hey everyone, I’m new here but I was wondering if anyone else experienced a weight plateau so early on. I’m only 2 weeks out of surgery but have been stuck at 213 for a few days now and it just feels so discouraging.

I am going to guess that it's water weight (as @catwoman7 said) unless you ate 19,250 calories extra. I often gain anywhere from 3 to 7 lbs of water, sometimes it takes a week to come off naturally and sometimes it takes a little longer.

If you can swing it, do it. I’m single, no kids, and I was just bored out of my mind haha so I was more than ready to go back. Only thing is your side hurts when you laugh or cough for a few weeks. But if you hold it it helps. I promise it goes away! lol

Yeah, that sounds 100% within the normal range of early post-op calorie consumption. I am having gastric bypass in 3 weeks, and my program suggests 3 meals and 3 protein supplements per day for the first several weeks. In the beginning, the word "meal" is used very loosely. This is basically limited to yogurt, cream soup, cream of wheat, pudding, and applesauce. The expectation is you can maybe have a few bites. All the protein is coming from those 3 shakes (20-25g per shake). Calories are pretty much irrelevant, at least for now. Your entire metabolism has been rewired. If you follow what you're told to do, you will lose weight on a wide spectrum of calorie intakes. My program suggests no more than 200 calories per protein shake serving, with a limit of 5 grams of sugar and at least 20g protein each. So, if I had the recommended 3 shakes and went with the max calories, I would consume 600 calories in those daily supplements, plus another maybe 100-200 in "meals" depending how much of the yogurt/cream of wheat/pudding I manage to swallow. My shakes actually only have 90 calories each (23g protein), so during my pre-op liquid diet, I won't feel at all guilty if I drink 4 or 5 of them, or even 6 if needed. Post-op, I doubt that will be possible, but even then, I wouldn't see an issue with having that many if I could physically manage it. All of which is a longwinded way of saying you're doing fine! Congratulations!

Omg! My belly and back have been itching on and off for weeks. I hadn't connected it to the surgery and weight loss, I thought I was just having some weird reaction or something. I'm so thankful for you all asking questions and sharing knowledge.

In the UK it’s not about BMI, on the NHS you have to do a LRD for three weeks prior to your surgery!! I’m nearly two weeks into it, one week left on Tuesday before my surgery on the 19th!! I’m 14lb down though so far.

okay! I was definitely going to take 2weeks off, however I was kinda thinking of extending for 4 weeks. I am in school, work full time and have 3 kids. So I feel like I may need to get a handle on everything along with the new way of eating and how tired I may be?

hiya! i remember you from a post about a year ago I remember you were concerned about the number on the scale back then and were resolved to take measurements vs weighing since you are a body builder...did you end up keeping records? you didn't mention in this post what your current weight is, but at 5'6" (assuming age 25 and weight of 266lbs) your current calorie intake is well below your BMR, even if you sat on your couch the entire day...which you aren't. so if your calorie count is indeed accurate, its not an issue with your intake. besides the number on the scale, how do you FEEL? joints better? sleep better? move better? less winded? off any meds? pull out the measuring tape and compare from your measurements last year...like a poster suggested a year ago, as a body builder, the tape will tell you the truth more than the scale will. have you taken pics of yourself this past year? can you see a diff? i know its difficult, but really try not to go down any shame spirals, stress is not a friend of health and weight loss. ask your team for advice and guidance during your appt next week. good luck! ❤️

i always feel a little anti-climactic after the holidays. so much go-go-go for weeks to basically flat-lining on the couch in a blink. be nice to urslef, and try not to succumb to the pressure to be "on" nor the guilt of being not. ❤️

Hi- just wondering if you didn’t experience the infamous 3 week stall, when did it show up? And I’ve read it can last 1-3 weeks. Any variations on that out there?

I can’t speak on the diabetic side, but I had my Gastric Sleeve done 12/4/2023, and I don’t regret it one bit. Recovery was quick to my surprise. I was allowed to go home the same day of the procedure. Make sure you walk because the most discomfort comes from the air they pump you full with during the surgery. Walking helps it escape. I was feeling fine day 2. Day 3 I stoped taking pain and nausea meds. I retuned to work after 2 weeks. You’ll have a sharp pain in your side if you laugh or cough; don’t panic it’s normal and will go away. Just hold your side, it helps. Pros: - You definitely lose weight (down 50lbs) - I sleep through the night, and it’s good sleep!!! I literally don’t even move. I used to toss and turn. - My feet, and knees no longer hurt. - My self confidence has increased. - I can cross my legs and feel girly. - I don’t feel limited because my size isn’t a thing anymore. - Save money on food. Cons: - Not an easy fix (you’ll have to create good eating habits. I was a binge/emotional eater. Sometimes when I get bored or depressed I snack and then my stomach hurts) - Lose skin (if that matters to you) - Going out to dinner is a waste because you will only be able to eat maybe 1/2 cup of food if you’re lucky. (Leftovers will last you a week) - Buying new clothes gets expensive!! (But feels amazing, so not such a con after all) To be honest I wish I had done this sooner. I was impatient and went the self-pay route because I didn’t want to take the classes insurance requires of people, but if you are willing to wait I can see the benefits the classes can do for you. Good luck to you!!

Great advice above. Dr Matthew Weiner is a great resource (you tube videos, books, podcast, website). He does encourage a plant based eating style but you can use it as a guide & for ideas especially around increasing vegetable consumption, ingredient alternatives, etc. I didn’t exercise while losing & still don’t as people define exercise. I do 4 x 5 minute sessions of stretching & resistance bands through out the day. Easier to find 5 minute blocks of time throughout the day versus say an hour + at the gym. It’s called exercise snacking. Though as other have said you probably do a lot of running about with your little ones as it is. And yes, stop using the word diet. It’s so filled with negative connotations like restriction & failure. I started saying I’m not on a diet, I just changed the way I eat from when people started noticing my weight loss. (The usual reaction: Oh, you’ve lost weight. What diet are you on?) It’s does contribute to changing your thinking about food & eating. Go back to the basics when you were losing. Meet your protein & fluid goals. Watch your portions. Protein first, then vegetables & then carbs if you’re able. You can start slow & incorporate one or two changes every couple of weeks. Much easier to adopt than jumping in with both feet. Don’t be afraid to touch base with your dietician, surgeon or therapist if only for support & remind you of anything you may have forgotten or missed. All the best.

I was barely eating 900 calories at 6 months (almost a cup of food for a meal depending on what it was & one snack) & at my goal weight. But my stats are different from yours. I’m likely older, definitely shorter & I wasn’t & still aren’t overly active. (I eat about 1600 now to maintain my weight.) You have every right to ask for greater guidance around calories, portion sizes, macros, etc. from your nutritionalist if it makes you feel more confident about your choices & comfortable about what you’re doing. If they refuse you may have to find another one who is willing to support you. Yes, I know calorie counting is considered out, but for us it is an important consideration especially until we feel more secure in what we’re doing & helps us to lose/maintain & maintain our health. We need that guidance now as most of us didn’t know what the hell we were doing in regard to appropriate foods to eat, nutrients our bodies needed, appropriate portion sizes, etc. We’re new borns about a lot of this in the beginning. If we knew it all & could do it we wouldn’t have needed the surgery. Honestly, I wasn’t given calories goals or specific macro except protein 60g for me. Just portion size, and low carb, low fat, low sugar. I was okay with that though I would still randomly check for my own interest. I did a lot of my own reading, and was very careful with what I chose to eat & checked with my dietician at every fortnightly appointment. As I said, you have to feel comfortable & confident about what you’re doing. After those first heady weeks of large weekly weight drops &, regardless of our starting weight, our rate of loss slows. One to two pounds a weeks is okay especially as you are on the homeward path now. Remember that 1-2lbs a week is generally considered a healthy rate of lose for anyone losing weight. Wait until you’re almost there & you’re losing ounces not pounds a week. Believe me, the last few pounds to lose are a b*tch to lose.

Guys I don't know why but yesterday day 5 was pretty hard for me. Not the first three days lol...I just wanted to say for anyone who has the 28th we are almost there!! I am drinking a bit more broth in between but probably because I am bored and it's cold now in south GA 🤣. Love seeing everyone's posts!

I had been keeping a daily notebook since the start of January as I wanted to be prepared in case I was asked about my meals at my last check-up (I wasn't asked) but it was just a note of what I ate or drank, no nutritional info. Last week I started using My Fitness Pal. The reason I started tracking on the app is that my weight loss has slowed right down plus I wanted to be sure I was I was getting enough protein in each day as I have started to increase my exercise. I don't live or die by the tracking but finding it helpful as I can see already that I have been having less sugar than I thought and also more protein than I realised so am happy with that. Blonde me never realised that the daily scoop of collagen I put in my coffee also counted towards my protein 😂

Try to work through the liquid diet and stay on it as recommended. Getting in 3 Protein shakes a day is pretty good, you're getting your protein in. I'm 3 weeks out from my surgery. Don't rush the soft foods, from my own experience you won't be able to eat much at all. It seemed like I could get in all the liquid I needed. Once I started soft food, I can barely get 1 measuring cup of food in. So you will need to drink one or two protein shakes a day to get in the protein you need with the food you can eat once you get to soft food phase. You won't be able to eat enough protein to get he recommended amount set by the dietician or whoever is directing you the recommended amount protein you need. I too lost weight before my surgery 70 lbs. Since my surgery I've only lost 7 lbs. Which is expected because of healing and getting the body back used to taking in soft foods again. You're doing really good, keep it up. Remember, when you do get to eat soft foods, take it slow. I've vomited only a couple times from getting to full. It's definitely different when you can only take a few bites and feel full. Wish you the best!

Ups and down throughout the whole first year is expected. Mainly due to your body adjusting to the surgery and water weight gain too. I'm not sure how much you gained but I can tell you for myself, a 3 to 5 lbs. gain is very common, it is temporary but sometimes lasting 2 weeks, then a big drop in weight follows it. It was a normal thing for me. Still is, actually.

Today I changed from chicken broth to a cream based soup. I had been eating chicken broth for WEEKS now and was so excited to try a cream based soup. At lunch I was able to finish 1/2 cup with no issues. My tummy felt full and heavy and I wanted to nap. For dinner, I reheated some soup and everything was fine. I was laying in bed, watching some Netflix and then from nowhere the back of my mouth started salivating. I ran to the medicine cabinet for some Zofran. Even thought it dissolved completely, I still threw up my soup from dinner. I was dreading that heaving motion, but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. I think I was just too excited to move onto new things and my stomach wasn’t ready. Tomorrow that soup is going in the garbage and I’m going back to what works, Chicken Broth!!!

If you have access to therapy, this is something that would be good to address because this mindset of guilt and shame is neither healthy nor productive. I know that not everyone can get therapy, but there are other resources available. Perhaps your clinic has a support group you can join. I highly recommend the podcast, “We Only Look Thin,” which has a lot of great advice relating to mindset. The bottom line is that no single meal is going to make you regain 36 pounds. Beating yourself up over it isn’t going to accomplish anything. You’re new to post-WLS eating and still learning, so learn for next time. Recognize that you weren’t prepared for the event not having food that meets your needs and learn to be prepared next time. Maybe keep a “just in case” protein bar in your car. One of my strategies for an unknown food situation is bringing my own Skinny Girl salad dressing and/or a couple of low-carb tortillas, so I can make a salad or wrap out of what’s available. Also, nowadays people are pretty sensitive about dietary restrictions and won’t be offended if you ask what will be served and even request a special meal if you’re comfortable (though I understand not wanting to call attention to your diet). Having an all-or-nothing mindset where you equate two fries and half an onion ring to failure is really harmful. You made a couple of decisions, in seven whole weeks, that weren’t on track. That’s not going to derail all of your progress. There’s no reason you can’t continue to stay on track aside from those isolated instances. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t quit the race just because your shoe came untied once or twice.

Hi, everyone, I've just caught up on posts after being away from the site for a bit. I would love to comment on everyone's posts because we're all going through such similar things. I'm really proud of us for the changes we're making. @ShoppGirl, I think you are correct about the treadmill being narrow and having to balance on it. I was shocked to find that walking on a treadmill is very different from walking on the street, but it definitely is. I have a treadmill that I walk on during meetings at work (I work from home) and that's a lot easier for me than walking on the street. But I had to set it under a stand-up desk because trying to balance on the narrow thing would be a full-time job and I couldn't pay attention in my meetings. (Also I'd probably fall off of it a lot.) My first week back to work was exhausting. I was just fried at the end of each day, even though I work from home. My hubby had his prostate out on Friday. He was able to come home the same day, which we were not expecting but it was a very nice surprise. I'm plenty recovered enough from my surgery to do stuff for him, so we're doing well. But it's obvious to me that I'm still recovering, because I get tired much more easily than pre-op. I'm proud of myself because I planned and brought protein drinks to make sure I got nutrition throughout the day. All day, I had been aware of the hospital cafeteria, which is close to the surgical waiting room, but I knew that I was not going to go in because I had no reason to. Back in the day, I would have had the perfect excuse to go nuts in there while I waited for hubby's surgery to be done! Then, since I got to take my husband home, I ended up being at the hospital later than I expected, so I had to find something to eat and ended up having to go there. So I had my first experience of eating somewhere other than home. I was able to find appropriate protein in the right amount, and that's all I had. I had my first post op visit with the PA, who told me not to worry about the fact that I don't have fullness cues. She said by 3 months it may get harder to get things down, because scar tissue hasn't formed yet, and also by 3 months, I'll have developed a much better sense of what's going on in my body. Surprisingly, she said that if I'm doing pureed easily, I could move to soft. So that was a great surprise and I'm enjoying the soft stage. I can eat more of a variety of things. It's going fine, which still bothers me because I wish I had more sense of restriction. I worry that I'm going to return to old bad habits! So I'm being careful to measure, and I tell my Baritastic app everything I'm eating! The thing I'm currently struggling with is that eating only 1/2 cup at a time, I've been eating only one thing and focusing on protein. I'm finding myself craving things like fruit and vegetables. So I had a couple florets of broccoli tonight which was great. I read a sample diet for the soft stage that had entries like, "2 bites of _______". I am going to focus on eating more fresh things, now that I understand I can just have a bit less of whatever my protein is and "2 bites" of something fresh. I'm also struggling with getting all the vitamins in, since I have to separate the calcium from the iron from the multivitamins. There are only so many hours in the day! I know others have mentioned this, so at least we're all in the same boat, and we'll figure it out. I am losing maybe half a pound a day. I know that's a lot, and I had a couple of non-scale victories the other day. I had to go in to the office for a meeting, and I put on a dress that had been too tight to wear. It fit perfectly! And the sandals I wore zip up the back. They'd been hard to zip because of my fat ankles, but now they are even a little bit loose! On paper, I've lost 30 pounds from my heaviest, but it doesn't feel or look that way to me. I'm only 5 feet, so that much weight should be quite obvious, but it isn't. That bugs me some, but I know I'm just beginning and I WILL be able to see the difference when I lose more. I'm happy that I can move around and get some exercise. I thought I'd be just weak from taking in so few calories, but I'm not. Occasionally, I'll get a little lightheaded, but it's not bad at all. I was able to do my pre-op treadmill routine (3 30-minute walks daily at 2.0 MPH, which means 3 treadmill miles a day) although I did have one day when I got a little lightheaded and had to turn down the speed just a bit. Today was the first time that I actually felt "hungry" since surgery. But it was mixed in with a desire to eat out of boredom as well as some head hunger, so I'm not quite sure what the deal was, exactly. I am trying to just pay attention to that stuff and ask myself questions about how I'm feeling, without any intention of acting on it. I think I will do better if I start eating more of a "meal" type diet with mostly protein but a little of things like vegetables and fruits, so that I have some variety and am getting in some varied nutrients from food, not just my vitamins. And yes, I STILL have a little of the sticky stuff from the hospital on my skin! What is that about?

Hi all.. Am I doing something wrong? I had my surgery on 5th December so am over 4 weeks post op .. I feel awful, I'm struggling to eat any more than ready brek and then it's only 3-4 teaspoons full. I've got no energy and just feel rough

I wondered fluid retention too. And I hadn’t heard of hyper hydration either. I do know drinking too much fluid can flush vital enzymes & nutrients from your body which can cause many side effects. Were you told 64ozs/2L of fluids per day? This is the recommended intake for everybody. I do average about 2L every day & pee continuously so I must be well hydrated. Personally I’ve often thought it’s a little too much for me. I’m not tall, not active & on the smaller size. How can I need the same amount of fluid as say a 6’ tall man with a BMI of 30+??? I mean I can’t give blood because I weigh less than 50kg - simply because there’s less in my body. My pee is generally lighter (which is accepted as a sign you’re well hydrated) on the odd day I drink less (1.2 - 1.5L). Hence me wondering more that 2L is too much for me & I’m flushing out nutrients & enzymes. Got me worried now. Will be interested to hear what you're told at your appointment next week.

Week 5 was soft food for me. While it’s been 4.75yrs for me I remember making a lot of minced beef dishes: savoury mince, meat balls, bolognese with zucchini noodles. Also made a couple of slow cooked stews/casseroles & chunky soups.. So all had well cooked soft vegetables & its own sauce/gravy to keep everything moist. Omelettes & yoghurt/yoghurt drink were also on rotation & I had rolled oats & scrambled eggs for breakfast. I wasn’t eating much either (was told 1/4-1/3 cup from purée). I’d eat one golf ball sized meat ball. Two egg scrambled eggs took 3 days to eat. Doubt I was consuming 400 calories & barely reaching my protein goal - was much like @ms.sss in that way except I almost made 900 calories by 6 months. Check your plan as there can be a number of differences between what we’re advised to eat. And check with your team if you want to try something ‘off plan’ first. Listen to your body. There maybe foods your tummy can’t tolerate. Don’t give up on them though. Just avoid them for a week or so & then try again. Good luck.

Yes, pre existing gerd is a hard no for sleeve in almost all cases. Sleeve won’t fix it & will likely make it worse necessitating a 2nd surgery to convert to bypass. I had reflux/gerd before my sleeve. The only reason my surgeon decided to proceed with a sleeve was because my reflux was mild & I managed it for years with dietary choices. I only took meds a couple or so times a year. If it was more severe, & I needed regular medication, he wouldn’t have done it. My reflux is worse & I take meds every day which manages it but the symptoms are different. We have similar stats in regards height & I had a similar starting weight (200lbs). Having reflux didn’t hinder my weight loss. Plus I’m menopausal (perimenopause & menopause was when I put on the bulk of my weight & pushed me to obesity). I lost all my weight plus more & have kept it off. And I wasn’t active at all Lol! Avoid comparing your rate of weight loss with anyone else. We all lose at our own rate & what is best for us & our body. Comparing usually leads to frustration & worry. Have you met with your dietician recently & gone through your meal tracking? There may be something you’re missing or need or don’t need. A stall of more than a month isn’t common. Try to increase your fluid consumption. You should aim for 64oz or likely more as you say you are very active. And yes, while muscle weighs more than fat it’s not that much more. Say a container of fat weighs 1kg. The same container of muscle weighs 1.2kg so we only talking ounces of difference. Have you been taking body measurements to better understand where you might be in regards to muscle growth?

yea she told me I was approved and my doctor would have the results in the portal within the week