Plateau After 4 Weeks?

[Harmonic15 14]

Hello Everyone,

I know that this is probably a self-indulgent posting, but I need a little reassurance from the experts on the board. I had surgery on March 15 and weighed 339 pounds prior to my liquid diet and 334 on surgery day. I must admit that I have had an amazing recovery; there is no food that I cannot tolerate ( I may have started solids too early) and I have not felt nauseous or in pain since the first day after surgery. In terms of weight loss, the first two weeks I lost 27 pounds, and in the following 2 week I lost another 7 pounds. Since then my weight loss has come to a grinding halt. I have weighed 303 – 302.5 for over a week now and I am simply not budging. Prior to the stop my weight loss had already slowed dramatically. Obviously, I am starting to get worried since I am hoping to lose much more weight, and I am getting discouraged. Since I am eating only 900 calories a day and seem to be getting in my Protein requirements ( I am 6.4 and must be in deficit as needing more than 900 calories), why have I hit this plateau? Isn’t it much too early in my weight loss for this to happen?

So what should I do gang, should I try to reduce my calories? Just relax and accept that I have hit a plateau? Call my nutritionist? In addition, my energy levels seem to be going down now and that is worrying to me as well.

Anyway, I am sorry for the self indulgent post, I am just really worried… Am I still going to lose weigth?

Finally, I was hoping that you may give me an idea of how many calories I should eat at 5 weeks out ( some have suggested I might actially be eating to little) and what serving size of protein you eat with your meals.

All the very best and thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Harmonic

[Pookeyism 1,143]

Just my suggestion but a guy at 6.4 and only 4 weeks out keep to the protien shakes (the ones with extremely few carbs) and meats that are not sauced....focus on Water intake also, get a Multivitamin in every day - a b supplement if you can.

Amp you daily routine, as well as exercising...walk a little further to the entrance of a store or mall, vaccum the carpet 2x...be more vigorous in scrubbing counters, windows, etc...it sounds silly but it is a little bit that goes in abig way.

Try to stay in ketosis! I would think you need about 90 g protien, minimum! Probably more...and yes that just equals to more calories than you are getting.

Measure your waist, thighs, chest, neck - you will see weight loss even when you stall.

Get sleep - you have to sleep.< /p>

I have always had metabolism issues, so I anticipated avery long stall and I am in it...but it isnt the same - just remember how much you have lost, you will loose more...and if you are careful you will not gain it back! Every pound is a true victory to us now.

[smileen 17]

I had a slight stall for 2 weeks I haven't worried with calories but I watch my Protein and carbs. I had been eating more carbs which always has affected my weight loss so I dropped them down to 40-50 a day and now have lost 2lbs this week. Do you count the carbs might be worth a try to see what you are taking in. I have a muscle milk Protein Drink each day which had 20gms protien and 6carbs. Good luck!

[Dooter 1,457]

OH.....MY....GOSH!!!! I could have written the SAME exact post just recently!! I started at 340, lost a lot right away, then right at 3 weeks....total stall!! It lasted for SIX WEEKS!!! If I got on the scale and saw 300 one more time I was going to blow!!!

I tried a variety of things. HOwever, in frustration, I think I let my diet slip a little. I was obsessively logging my food on My FItness Pal, so I stopped. Well, I wrote to my dietician and he confirmed that this was not normal, so I reassessed EVERYTHING. I'm doing cardio only now, and I have to stay around 800 calories or I will not lose.

My carbs had to be shaved down as well. I had to stop eating Greek yogurt because of the high carbs. I switched to "carbmaster" yogurt with a touch of grape nuts for Fiber. I try to fill up on Protein items like tuna or chicken before I even consider anything else. I've started logging food again on MFP at least 3 or 4 times a week. It helps you know where your cutoff is between stall and loss.

Just back yourself up and regroup. A one week stall is fairly "normal," but not six weeks. Stop it before it starts. I may be a little overworked about the subject, but i don't want you to go through the same frustration for that long. You can do it!!!

[Harmonic15 14]

Thank you so much to everyone for their response to my post. They all made me feel much better about my stall.

BUT, and I am not sure if I broke the spell by writing my post, the stall is over. I lost 1.5 pounds yesterday and am now 301!! I am soooo friggin pleased.

Now, I must say that I actually upped my calories yesterday (1000+), I even had 1 drink... I wonder if that had any impact or if it is purely coincidence...

I could never do this without your support so thank you again!.

Harmonic

[something2think 5]

I stalled Wk 5 and 6. Week 6 I was on vacation and ate pretty much everything I wanted. It was also my birthday and I had a piece of cake! When I returned home week this week (7 weeks po) i had gained 4 lbs. But now I am back on track and lost 7 lbs this week (incl. The 3 I gained over vaca

I think upping my calories was good and now I am back down to about 700 cal a day, it has really kicked my plateau!

Plus I saw my dr for my 6 week po and she said it was normal to plateau...my body has to catch up so don't rely on the scale but body measurements too. She set a goal for me to lose 40 more lbs by my 6 mo post-op check up, which is 10 lbs a month!

I also work out 6 days a week for at least 45min to 1.5 hours.

So my advice is to not sweat it, it WILL come off...it has to! That's what I kept telling myself while I was stalled

[Fausta 2]

Wow, I'm glad I found this topic and this posting. I am 35 days post sleeve gastrectomy, and having lost 27 lbs in the first 3 weeks, I have not lost a lb since. I started tracking my food scrupulously since the first day of the 2nd week post and I have averaged about 725 calories per day since then. I started exercising a bit too soon, and after three days of morning and evening cardio/weight lifting sessions, found myself really knocked out--stopped for 3-4 days, then restarted a little less vigorously and have been maintaining a pretty good schedule of am cardio workouts for 30 minutes and pm weight lifting 3x/week for 20 minutes with free weights. I watch what I eat and keep to a lower carb diet 30-60 grams per day.