This Surgery Does Work, Right?

[doxieville 799]

Hi Fellow Sleevers,

So.....I'm stumped! I was sleeved 8/21. I was 220 the morning before surgery. I came home 3 days later & weighed 218. Slowly my weight has been creeping up and this morning I am 223!!!! And i've lost no inches. Nada!! I did lose 30 pounds pre-op.

So....any idea what's going on? I drink 3 Protein Shakes a day (premier) and between those I easily get my 64oz of Water w chicken broth, crytsal light, and water. I have 2 sugar free vanilla puddings a day.

My only thought is that maybe when I wasn't getting any nourishment in the hospital my body jumped into starvation mode, which thanks to my past behavoirs, my body can go into very easily.

I'm ok being a slow loser. I'm not ok going through all this for it not to work! That's never happened...right? :-)

Judy

[traceyinflorida 499]

Hang in there! I have read countless posts of people not losing in the first week or even gaining. Then one day you will wake up, get on the scale and boom, pounds lost. Your stomach is swelling, you were pumped full of fluids, you are likely retaining Water, you may have hit a quick stall after losing 30 lbs. Just keep going, doing the right things and the scale will start to move. Before you know it, you will be posting happy success stories all over the place!!

[notime 340]

One week? Ignore the scale, follow the doctor's orders and you will get results.

[Rootman 1,101]

Yep, give it time. You'll start to lose soon.

ABOUT "Starvation mode" - YES your body can shut down a lot of function and divert energy into vital areas because of the sudden loss of calories and seemingly NOT lose weight as it fights to preserve all the fat that it has so diligently packed away for years. BUT it cannot STAY in "starvation mode". Pretty soon the triggers for "starvation mode" run their course and the body has to begin to use it's fat stores to survive. So it may hold out for a week, even two or more but eventually "starvation mode" cancels out and you MUST lose weight as long as you eat LESS calories that what you use up.

[Jolie_KeMi 345]

My doc told me not to step on the scale until 2 weeks post op. This gives the hospital fluids and medications time to leave the body. Breathe. Relax. STAY AWAY FROM THE SCALE! Give your body some time time adjust to the major surgery it just went through. You will be fine. Don't panic.

[doxieville 799]

Thanks for all your answers. My brain knows this is going to work, but when I'm in a weak moment and I read all these drastic weight losses right out of the starting gate, it's a bit disconcerting.

I hadn't stepped on the scale for several days or gotten dressed in street clothes since my surgery. Yesterday I had an appt and while getting dressed I had to pull my 'fat' pants out again. I was a bit bummed, but I figured my tummy is probabaly still swollen. Then this morning I stepped on the scale and holy toledo batman!! The scale went the wrong way.

Rootman, thanks for your explanarion. I guess in the past I've always broken the starvartion mode by overeating calories. Can't do that anymore! Thank goodness.

Thanks again to everyone here!

Judy

[TracyLynn 30]

...I drink 3 Protein shakes a day (premier) and between those I easily get my 64oz of Water w chicken broth, crytsal light, and Water. I have 2 sugar free vanilla puddings a day...

I am 17 days post op and I cannot eat or drink enough to make my calories, Protein or liquids. If I added my Protein Shakes and liquids, it is hard to make 64oz. Do you have any hints or tips?

[doxieville 799]

The first four days were hard to keep up my fluids, but I hate that dry thirsty feeling in my mouth, so I just sip all day. You need to find what goes down really easily. For me, I discovered that I could drink warm liquids pretty easily but not cold. My sister spent a few days with me post-op and just kept bringing me different drinks until I had about 5 that I like and now I rotate them. When I was able to add full fliuds earlier this week, I started with blending creamy Soups with my submerssion blender. I use Water instead of milk so it's easier to swallow. Yummy.

When I first started liquids at home, I'd take a big gulp and THEN I'd rememeber, opps, SMALL sips. So i'd keep it in my mouth and slowly let it go down my throat. I found I was able to up my intake that way. Small sips take FOREVER and I get bored easily. :-) When I get that little full feeling, I stop. When It goes away, I start again. If I ignore that warning signal, I pay for it in pain. So I'm really careful.

It is a 24/7 job right now and I am doing nothing else but taking care of myself.

Keep sippinng!

Judy