about to be four weeks out and concerned

[Obsidian 26]

My surgery was February 4th so I'm literally about to hit four weeks. The week and a half right after surgery I dropped from 388(day of surgery) to 375. Since then I have been bouncing around from 372 to 378. It's getting frustrating because I was tracking my calories as I progressed along the food plan and gradually got up to about 1000 a day. Now mathematically for someone at my size 1000 calories is not enough to maintain weight. I have to be honest and admit that I haven't been getting out and exercising since I'm way in the north of usa and there has been two feet of snow everywhere and zero room inside the house for anything. But having dieted for over a decade I know that with only 1000 calories even with no exercise I should be in the weight loss range. I was before the surgery at least. For the first couple of weeks watching this i convinced myself that it was just cause I was healing and it would probably one day just drop five lbs and continue on. But now I am getting overrun by my frustration and making bad food choices (which also has had zero effects on the scale).

My question is... Is it normal to be stuck at a weight for a few weeks after surgery? Is there still loss going on that will just show up? Is it exercise? Not enough Water? Not enough Protein?

Help! I'm going a bit insane and my old enemy depression is rearing it's ugly head and we know how that goes. It brings with it the urge for our old comfort food.

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[mokee 588]

Being only 1month out, a 1000 cal is way to much. How are you able to eat that much. I am just starting to eat 800-900 cal at 3 months out. You need to check with your nutritionalist and get their advise.

[SMO 193]

I am absolutely with you. I am exactly one month tomorrow. The first 15 days, I lost 18 lbs. Then nothing until 2 days ago. That day I dropped another 2 lbs and this morning, back up a pound. I have been tracking my food. I am eating between 600 and 850 per day, 60 to 80 grams Protein and 20-30 grams carbs. Talked to my NUT. She said I was right on target, that I could eat up to 40grams carbs. The doctor told me I had lost 25% more than he expected me to and that my body is just in an adjustment phase. And truthfully, although I have not lost more weight, I am still shrinking. My clothes continue to get more and more loose. Hang in there. I know it will move.

[Chris R 217]

Everyone is different. I'm almost 3 weeks out, averaging about 1000 calories a day, and losing steadily. Are you getting plenty of Water in? Watching sodium intake? Retaining water for some reason? Or maybe your body just needs time to readjust? If it continues, talk to your nutritionist, but don't let it discourage you!

[No game 14,437]

As far as the calories you really can't compare..there are so many variables from person to person, as long as your calories are coming from healthy foods, it all good!

The losing weight thing now...

You are doing great right on target, this is how it will happen, you will lose some, then your body will "rest". sometimes for several weeks but in that Time it is Likely that you will still lose inches.

People refer to this as a stall. Just know that it will break and you will lose.

Laura

[Karee 8]

I had my surgery 2/4 also but I'm still on mush! Im only getting 500 calories a day. What was your post op diet? My starting weight was 206.6 and today I'm 177.6. I know it's hard but maybe you should go back to full liquids for a week and then back to mush for a bit. Not a doctor but I hear the first 6 months are so critical and should be taken very seriously!! Good luck my friend! You can do this!

[No game 14,437]

Again I think the calorie thing is not the issue here, look at the differences in the starting weights... That alone will be an indicator of the need to have different calorie limits.

There are other things that can make a difference

In what is "normal" calories consumed. Gender, stomach size some stomachs are bigger some are longer..

The key is to make sure you are eating on plan as per your doctors orders AND drinking plenty of Water

At least 64oz a day.

[ISleevedIt 380]

Hi...try getting out to the mall and walking there. I've done that a couple of times when it was too cold to walk outside. It's in the 30's here and I just bundle up and go walking. The scale hasn't moved much for me, but I'm keeping up with the diet plan as well as the exercise because I know my body will eventually catch up to the calories I'm burning and let go of that darn fat!

[Obsidian 26]

Thanks for all the encouragement.

My post op diet has stages and come the 11th of march it drops off to regular foods with no restrictions on consistency.

Exercise is a bit hard since I live literally in the middle of nowhere. The woods. There are no malls anywhere near me. I would have to drive two hours to get to one. Good news is that the weather is warming up a little. Might have hit 30 degrees Fahrenheit today I think. I went out for a walk. I can't wait for the spring.

I decided today to really focus hard on getting my Protein in and my Water. Most importantly I decided to drop the carbs to perhaps hit ketosis again. It should help with my mental appetite at least.

Between that and getting out once a day for even a super short walk I am hoping that the weight loss picks up.

It's easy to get caught up eating the rice, crackers, and mashed potatoes that tend to be easier on my stomach. Funny how simple processed foods don't bother me so much but string cheese (which I love and was allowed even before the rice and tators) sits so heavily and uncomfortable in there.

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[Karee 8]

Try very hard to stay away from sliders and starch!! It's devil food!!

[Obsidian 26]

Yeah I know well what little demons carbs can be.

Honestly I REALLY can't wait for summer. Even as short as it is up here I have a devoted love for swimming. I lost my required pre op weight this last summer swimming every day for no less than two hours. It burns soooo many calories. I need an indoor pool. Haha

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[mezanne1401 190]

Ahhh, yes...the dreaded "3-week stall"! Basically, what happens is your body goes into "survival mode". Because we lose so quickly, the body will frak out so to speak. Your body will think that it will die because you are starving yourself and it will grab on to any fat reserves to keep you alive, even though you are perfectly healthy. You will hit a few stalls. It is aggravating, but don't be a scale ***** (like I am). I used to weigh almost daily. Between Jan 16 and Feb 18, I stalled a few times and only lost 12 pounds, where had been losing 20 per month. I got really bummed about it and quit weighing. I'm out of that stall now, thankfully!!! scales are evil now! Just stay off of them!!! Good luck!

[LifetimeLoser 208]

My surgery was February 4th so I'm literally about to hit four weeks. The week and a half right after surgery I dropped from 388(day of surgery) to 375. Since then I have been bouncing around from 372 to 378. It's getting frustrating because I was tracking my calories as I progressed along the food plan and gradually got up to about 1000 a day. Now mathematically for someone at my size 1000 calories is not enough to maintain weight. I have to be honest and admit that I haven't been getting out and exercising since I'm way in the north of usa and there has been two feet of snow everywhere and zero room inside the house for anything. But having dieted for over a decade I know that with only 1000 calories even with no exercise I should be in the weight loss range. I was before the surgery at least. For the first couple of weeks watching this i convinced myself that it was just cause I was healing and it would probably one day just drop five lbs and continue on. But now I am getting overrun by my frustration and making bad food choices (which also has had zero effects on the scale).

My question is... Is it normal to be stuck at a weight for a few weeks after surgery? Is there still loss going on that will just show up? Is it exercise? Not enough Water? Not enough Protein?

Help! I'm going a bit insane and my old enemy depression is rearing it's ugly head and we know how that goes. It brings with it the urge for our old comfort food.

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I understand your frustration. I posted on here a couple of weeks ago because I hit a stall for 2 weeks only 10 days post op. My NUT recommended replacing some of my Protein with carbs like applesauce. I did that for only about a day because I, personally, don't want to add any carbs that I don't really need. The scale did to start to move again. I had surgery January 30th. I basically lost a pound every day for the first 10 days, then hit a stall for 2 weeks and then lost a lb every day. After being frustrated, I eventually just stopped weighing myself and took my measurements. I also took pictures right before surgery and 4 weeks post op. The scale doesn't always reflect size loss.

At 5 weeks post op I am still eating between 300 to 600 calories a day. As some other people have mentioned, I don't think the calories are all that important. I mean I think there are many different paths to reach the same goal. I did ask my surgeon yesterday about it. He was not concerned about it. He told me as long as I am hydrated, take my Multivitamins, and get my protein in, then I have nothing to worry about it and don't worry about the calories I am also pretty much never hungry. He said that to him that means my body is still in ketosis.

I guess the important thing is how you feel with what you are eating. How is your energy level? Are you still hungry? etc.

This first month has been kind of figuring things out for me. I've realized that everyone has sort of a different approach, but most people end up losing weight. Some don't exercise, some eat lots of carbs, some eat no carbs, but for the most part everyone seems to be losing weight.

It is an individual process despite everyone going through the same procedure. As a veteran dieter, I pretty much no what works best for my body. I have always lost the most amount of weight, consistently doing low carb like the south beach diet and I have pretty much decided that is what I am going to do and stick with it. I am not going to worry about the fluctuations in the scale because I will only be weighing in once a month and at dr./trainer/NUT appointments. I guess figure out what you want to do and stick with it!

As far as exercising goes, I would put on some boots and just trudge through the snow. I know that winded me when I lived out in Lyons, Ny (in the snow belt...winter half the year).

If the scale is going to depress you, then maybe you should let up on it a bit. Our bodies will fluctuate daily because of the redistribution of Water weight...which is based on lots of things...sodium intake, water intake, muscle building, weight loss, ketosis etc.

Good luck! Keep us posted. Stick with it and you will see the scale go down. when that day comes you will be ecstatic.

[LindaS 316]

I've found that 3500 calories does not equal a pound for me. A deficit of 3500 calories doesn't mean a loss of a pound, and an increase of 3500 calories does not equal the gain of a pound.

Personally, I've found that in order to lose a pound, I need a deficit of more than 3500. To gain a pound, unfortunately, I just need to increase my intake by about 700 calories.

Some of this discrepancy is that tracking calories is flawed -- especially exercise calories. Although I track food, I suspect I actually take in more calories than I record. Calorie counts on portions can be off by 10 percent, so something you think is 100 calories can actually be 110. I read an article noting this in relation to 100 calorie Snacks, but I don't remember where I read the article. I think it was posted here. Possibly the New York Times....

I may record that I ate only 600 calories in a day, but my actually intake might be higher. There are just so many variables.

Still, don't let this get you down. If you do what you are supposed to do and stay on track, it will happen.

[Obsidian 26]

Well since my post I decided it was time for me to get back to lower carbs even if crackers and what not was easier on my stomach. After two and a half days I was back in ketosis. Yay. Also I started to drop a pound a day until yesterday. I am now down to 367 and going strong on the diet. So frustrating that if I eat around 800 calories the scale sometimes stops moving. So I am shooting for 700 a day at most. Not that it is always achievable. Sometimes I only eat 500-600 and sometimes I go over.

I am kind of wondering if maybe winter has anything to do with my seemingly way lower metabolism than normal? Less activities plus some built in biological mechanism. I hear some say that they are never hungry anymore and I was really looking forward to that but unfortunately I still do get hungry even if I'm drinking my 25oz Water bottle like it's going out of style and keeping my tummy full of Water. Sometimes if I make an 8oz Protein shake with my almond milk I can't finish it and it kills my hunger but often it makes me feel sick to my stomach too. Not so good.

What are you guys eating to only reach 300 calories a day? I'm confused because even the Protein shakes generally are around 100 calories each (Isopure zero carb alpine punch for instance is 60). Is there a super low calorie Protein Shake I am unaware of? It's possible. So spill your secrets! Lol

Edited to say: I have started to get out and walk a bit even in the snow. I haven't made it a daily thing but am working on it. Today I used the snowblower for a good twenty minutes if not longer. Great workout on a 200+ foot gravel driveway that is uphill.

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