Very Discouraged

[lismivel 3]

Lets see I had my surgery March 12, 2012. As of today I have lost 16 pounds. I have been walking daily and feel great, but I lost more before surgery. I know it is going to take awhile for the weight to come off. Cannot wait to see it in the scale, my clothes feel lose. I read more pages and by now peop le seem to be losing more. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT ELSE I CAN DO! I know I cannot snack. My doctor stated that by now I can eat anything and he wants me to stay away from sweets, carbs. Protein Protein Protein. I am so constipated at times.

[alexeleni 15]

Your body is probably experiencing the stall that a lot of people get at 2-3 weeks. Mine lasted about 10 days, some people's as much as six weeks. This is normal and ok, really.

Make sure you're eating several times a day, and eat Protein first--vary your foods and keep walking! Most of all, be patient. It is going to happen. The stall right after you start is weird, but normal, I promise.

Also, remember, you might have less to lose (or a different metabolism, or be a different age) from many you're seeing here, so you can't always directly compare.

Chin up! You're doing great.

[Lissa 2,631]

Add more Water to your daily routine. Walk more, even if it's 20 feet at a time, it will add up. Make sure you are tracking what you are eating on a site like My Fitness Pal (I'm Lissa912 if you want to add me). Make sure you get your 70 grams of Protein per day, together with your 64 oz of Water. I drink a few cups of Decaf coffee a week to help with the bathroom issues.

Quit stressing over the scale. Your clothes are fitting looser, which is great! Did you take pre-op measurements? Take some now and compare them. Look for the non-scale victories (NSVs) and determine that you are going to enjoy this journey!

Good luck!

[JanetF 4]

Hi, Lismivel! Don't be discouraged! Others here who are further post-surgery than I am will be able to give you good advice on how best to keep up your intake, as my experience is limited, since I am still in the clear fluids stage.

Just so you know you aren't the only one worrying about your weight loss, when I was weighed at my first follow-up appointment last Thursday (9 days post-op) I was one kilo more (yes, more!) than I had been on the same scales two weeks previously - after four days of no food while on the IV, six days on clear fluids only and a huge portion of my stomach having been removed! Of course, I had read the average weight loss statistics and was therefore doubly disappointed. The surgeon said (from what I can remember between my tears!) that all sorts of things could be responsible, but that in days of yore I would have been ideally positioned to survive in periods of famine, as my body is so good at hanging on to what it has accumulated during times of plenty! He warned that it could also mean that I can expect long stalls as I move through the weight loss process, but for both of us, if the loss isn't showing at the moment, once it does show, it should be well worth seeing!

Keep your chin up and all the best!