8 weeks post op ~ feeling discouraged

[jessicakolman 3]

So... tomorrow is my 8 weeks post op. I'm feeling upset and like I'm doing something wrong. I've been 224 since December 10th. I'm not overeating. Last week I started working out and hired a personal trainer. Is it normal for weight to stall so soon after surgery?

[dementedfrog83 0]

I've been stuck at 16-18 lbs lost for 2 weeks. I was told don't worry about weight loss until after ur first fill/adjustment. I'm scheduled for my first fill at 8 weeks out. Don't get discouraged!! Also I have noticed my clothes getting loser but the scales not moving u may be losing inches and not lbs. Give ur body time to heal.

I can't wait until I'm cleared for abdominal exercises, I miss my Core Rhythms!!!

[danielle.hurstcrose 0]

are you seeing any other "accomplishments" like pants getting to big.. shirts a little baggier... maybe even just bra or panties getting looser.. gotta find other ways to judge success.. i made my husband hide the scale.. i will not let it rule me.. no matter how many times a day i want to step on it... it's like a disease!!!!

[jessicakolman 3]

Keep in mind I've gotten 2 fills already. I'm up to 4ccs. I'm scheduled for another fill Jan 24th.

I'm finding myself weighing everyday. It's cruel to do that to myself, but it is addictive. I think I may have my husband lock the scale up! LOL:laugh:

[Saraboo 21]

I am totally there with you. 8 weeks out today, and i'm stalled at 18 lbs down. started with a personal trainer last week, and i'm scheduled for my 2nd fill on the 13th, so i'm hoping that helps. good luck...:thumbup:

[Pam92 0]

I am totally there with you. 8 weeks out today, and i'm stalled at 18 lbs down. started with a personal trainer last week, and i'm scheduled for my 2nd fill on the 13th, so i'm hoping that helps. good luck...:thumbup:

What does a personal trainer do? Make you work longer? Work harder. Do you have to pay for a trainer? Please give me some input. I go to 24 hour fitness, but I trust you guys more. You aren't trying to sell me something. Know what I mean??:thumbup:

[Saraboo 21]

So far, the trainer has started me with different strength training stuff. using teh free weights, using teh resistance machines, and where I should be at with cardio. As i get stornger and more able he's going to switch it up, change what i'm lifting and stuff. he knows that i've had teh lap band, so toning is def part of my training. I was talking about the biggest loser, and he said that it's his favorite show and he can get like bob and jillian do. *eek* lol, kinda scared for that part. I have to pay for it, but i think it's definitely worth the expense.

[TN_girl21 1]

Not trying to change the subject here..but I just have a quick question about the personal trainer. I had one back in the summer. She wanted to work me so hard that I would puke and get weak. I got turned off from having a personal trainer because of that. Should I try having one again or no?

[bella5425 0]

i stalled a little at the 8 week mark also then things just settled down and i started losing fast. i am 8 months out and 122 pounds down. look for the nsv's - rings are looser, bras and panties looser. lock that scale up girl. i was an obsessive weigher in the beginning but i had to quit. now i just weigh when i go to support group or to my md's. good luck!

[btrieger 21]

The surgery and fills have nothing to do with how much weight you lose or how fast.

You lose weight by burning more calories than you consume. The band is just a tool that should make you feel satisfied after eating less food if you eat correctly.

Have you been logging everything you eat? There are many free sites for doing this online.

This really helps because you may see that you are eating more than you thought and it will also help when you visit a nutritionist.

I have not been banded yet but am losing weight steadily by logging my intake and comparing it to the calories I am burning.

There is a BMR calculator here: Basal Metabolic Rate : Calculators : Discovery Health

That will show you how many calories you are burning while resting. You'll have to add any from exercise in.

[smitten kitten 0]

The surgery and fills have nothing to do with how much weight you lose or how fast.

You lose weight by burning more calories than you consume. The band is just a tool that should make you feel satisfied after eating less food if you eat correctly.

Have you been logging everything you eat? There are many free sites for doing this online.

This really helps because you may see that you are eating more than you thought and it will also help when you visit a nutritionist.

I have not been banded yet but am losing weight steadily by logging my intake and comparing it to the calories I am burning.

There is a BMR calculator here: Basal Metabolic Rate : Calculators : Discovery Health

That will show you how many calories you are burning while resting. You'll have to add any from exercise in.

I don't disagree that to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. But, having restriction and reaching the "sweet spot" means having hunger under control. For most people, that means eating less food and therefore taking in less calories. That definitely contributes to how much you'll lose and how fast (considering the person is active) - also the point of this surgery. I think that is why a lot of people focus so much on the fills and reaching that restriction.

If I eat a pan of low cal this and a box of low fat that, plus a tub of low carb blah blah, than that workout I had this morning isn't going to do much - because even though I made healthy choices and I burned calories, I still ate like a football player. This might not be the best example, but I hope you get my point. The band helps control how much we will consume, which is half of the problem.

[btrieger 21]

I don't disagree that to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. But, having restriction and reaching the "sweet spot" means having hunger under control. For most people, that means eating less food and therefore taking in less calories. That definitely contributes to how much you'll lose and how fast (considering the person is active) - also the point of this surgery. I think that is why a lot of people focus so much on the fills and reaching that restriction.

If I eat a pan of low cal this and a box of low fat that, plus a tub of low carb blah blah, than that workout I had this morning isn't going to do much - because even though I made healthy choices and I burned calories, I still ate like a football player. This might not be the best example, but I hope you get my point. The band helps control how much we will consume, which is half of the problem.

I don't think how much we consume is half of the battle for everyone. You can eat around the band; you can eat or drink nothing but high-calorie sliders; you can graze all day instead of eating 3 satisfying meals a day; you can wash everything down with Water and go back for seconds and thirds.

I am a volume eater and I know it is going to help me but some fat people don't eat that much in one sitting, they just eat the wrong foods or graze all day.

The band is a tool and comes with instructions and will not function as expected if these directions are not followed.

Apparently not all surgeons are including the instructions when they install the tool or people just need a little reminder.

[ElfiePoo 109]

So... tomorrow is my 8 weeks post op. I'm feeling upset and like I'm doing something wrong. I've been 224 since December 10th. I'm not overeating. Last week I started working out and hired a personal trainer. Is it normal for weight to stall so soon after surgery?

Jessica,

A stall simply means that the amount of calories you're taking in equals the amount of calories you are expending. Assuming you have no medical problems (e.g. hypothyroid), you've either decreased your activity since Dec. 10th...or you are eating more calories. You may not be overeating in terms of 'quantity' but you may be in terms of calories.

If you've been working out this entire time, it's possible that you've been building muscle. Muscle is denser than fat so while the scale may not be moving, your body composition is changing and becoming healthier. You should be seeing a drastic change in how your clothes fit and how your body looks.

If not, then I'd start writing down what you're eating and journal your activities through the day to find out what you need to change.

.

[saranoh 0]

Jessica, hey there :frown:

Just wanted to say that I still think your overall weight loss for 8 weeks is fantastic!

But I can also relate to your feelings - oh how I can relate! I am 10 pounds down, a little over 4 weeks out - and STUCK - which sounds crazy..but I lost those first 10 pounds in like the first 10 days. For about 3 weeks, I've lost nothing, not one ounce - and my clothes are not one bit looser - and I'm logging every single bite I eat on sparkpeople and eating between 1000 and 1200 cal/day. I haven't started exercising much yet, and I know that would help, but I have a 2 year old, work full time, go to school full time, and a husband who works weird hours - I know I have to MAKE time somehow, but there are times when it literally feels impossible. Anyways, fact of the matter is, exercise or no exercise, a 250 pound person should be losing weight at a decent clip eating 1000-1200 calories a day, and I'm not, so it is frustrating.

I am hoping that my body is still adjusting to those 10 pounds that came off quickly in the beginning, but I also know that I am an extremely slow loser based on other weight loss attempts I've tried. It's just tough considering I have no restriction yet (I can even eat bread exactly the same way I did before with not one bit of trouble) and am in "bandster hell" and to still be doing pretty well, calorie-wise, and not losing.

I'm still hopeful though that it will start to come off faster soon. It has to - or I'm just a freak of nature.

[mom2cjpx4 0]

I can so relate. I'm four weeks out. I have no restriction but I do limit myself to 1/2 cup of food at a time, twice a day. I have Protein Shake for Breakfast and MAYBE a snack at night (sugar free pudding or a yogurt or a protien shake) and that's it. I'm taking 600 calories MAX a day and exercising 1/2 hour every night with either Wii fit or Wii Biggest Loser. Nothing too strenuous but enough to get moving and burn some calories. I also work full time during the day and try and get up from my desk as many times throughout the day as I can to keep moving. Since my surgery day I have lost 13 pounds but but lost 9 of that the first two weeks. The past two weeks I have lost only 4 pounds. I do notice my clothes fitting looser and my face is thinner. I am addicted to the scale. I weigh myself several times a day and I work at a medical office so we have scales there and I use them. I am going to have to stop doing this because it is becoming a problem. I get my first fill on the 13th and I'm hoping for some restriction and some more positive results after that. I am discouraged so I can relate to how you're feeling.