Getting depressed because of my slow loss!

[Scylla 106]

I had my surgery on 4/23. I was 314.4 the day of surgery, and was 304 at my 2 week checkup, so I lost 10 lbs. in 2 weeks. I am now 302 at just over 3 weeks out. I am doing all the right things, exercising, measuring my food, not overeating and I feel like I should be losing more with the small amount of calories I am consuming and the moderate exercise I have been doing.

While I am happy for other sleevers' success and fast losses, I am getting really down when I see posts from people who had surgery around the same time I did talking about losing double digit pounds in a week, losing a pound a day, etc.

I am 44, so maybe it's because I'm older. I told my bariatric coordinator of my concerns and she said that I've been on medically supervised weight loss since September and did a 30 day Liquid Protein diet before surgery. She thinks the folks who are posting those huge losses probably did not. She said she used to see big losses like that in their practice before they started requiring a pre-op diet.

I don't know what to think, but I hope that if this is a stall that it breaks soon!

[Teachamy 1,042]

Get off the scale and go by how you feel and how your clothes fit. Weigh no more than 1X/week. I know it is tempting to base your loss on the experience of others--believe me, I've been there. But this is not like it was pre-surgery. You won't fail this time. This is not a race and there is no finish line. You will get there. Believe in yourself and your very brave decision to have this surgery. You got this!

[purplegerber 29]

So, looking at your tracker I see you have lost 64 lbs already... THAT IS AMAZING!!!!!!!

I won't lie, I come on here and often come on and see the gigantic drops and get upset with my 1-2 lb loss a week (this week I lost 0 so far). The one thing I try to remember (and this is hard) that this is my journey and nobody else's, I am not in a competition with anyone and everybody's body is different. I didn't get this overweight over night and it is crazy for me to think it will magically go away overnight. I tell myself this on a daily basis, some days it is more effective than others.

[Debi Amador 120]

I think you just hit a plateau. Your body has been losing so much that your body is fitting extra hard to hold on to it. I know it sounds crazy but allow your self a bite or two of a "treat" it reminds your body that it will still get some fats and that it is OK to let go of the fat it is holding on to. I didn't believe my husband when he told me to do that but when I finally gave in it worked. Just remember 2 bites are good, 20 bites are bad, LOL!

[RJ'S/beginning 5,358]

I think that you are concentrating on numbers instead of healing and getting stronger so that you can tackle the so called stalls. Your stomach is still raw. it is not healed yet and your body is still flushing out the poisons that they put in your body while during the surgery and afterward to avoid possible complications.

Not eating enough calories will slow your progress down. Right now I think you are probably dead on.

I have never looked at stalls as stalls. i call it body at rest....That is when my body needs a break and stops losing to catch up with everything you are doing to it. If it feels threatened. It will shut you down. Once it feels safe again...It starts to lose again...We are an amazing machine. Your machine is different then mine.

Stop with the numbers game. Take the scale out back and hit it with a sledge hammer until you can feel the difference in your clothes and how you feel. Then step on your doctors scale. You will find it much easier to stay positive when you don't weigh yourself too often...

I have never had a gain or a stall yet. And you know why! Because I have only weighed myself 5 or 6 times in 18 months. I never weighed myself when I was fluffy. I don't see the point now. I follow the program spend time learning and changing my thinking and eating habits and have confidence in my tool....

you have the option to make numbers the main concern or your health the main concern.....

[PdxMan 4,292]

I know a lot of Dr recommend to not weigh yourself at all in the first month. It has to do with Fluid retention. I also believe your coordinator is spot on about comparing yourself to others. Some folks may have been on different diets than you, so there is going to be variance there. If you just keep following the guidelines as closely as you can, you will lose weight. And as has been mentioned, your body will hit plateaus. It is a good thing as your body has the ability to go into starvation mode. That is a normal, healthy response. It will pass as you continue to follow the guidelines.

[Anselee 17]

It seems that that scale always seems to lurk over our heads if we let it. It reminds me of the little black rain cloud that always followed Winnie the Pooh from my childhood books. Before I started on this journey I would have never though about stepping on the scale daily. (you would have had to drag me kicking and screaming just to get on it in the first place).

Every program and every doctor and ever NUT advise is different. I can share mine if it helps. We are told to try to eat 6 times a day and drink at least 32 ounce of Water. I had my surgery on 4/28/14 and I am on blended food at the moment. We are told to try 1-2 two oz make two of our six meals Protein shakes to assist with healing. I hope this helps.

Try to be kind to your self my program only had us on a strict diet 1 week before surgery not 30 but we all needed to loose weight and change habits prior to approval.

[Scylla 106]

Thanks for the comments, everyone. You've all made some very good points. I think I am going to move my scale to my basement bathroom--I don't go in there very much and won't have to stare at it every time I use the bathroom! I don't need that little black raincloud ruining my day and messing with my head!

[Jacqueline Marie 73]

Get rid of the scale! When I had surgery I was on the scale 24/7. I stopped going on the scale because it was making me depressed and I only started going on the scale once a week and after the first 3 months I would only go on once a month! You are losing, that is something to be proud of and happy about. Before surgery we weren't able to lose... we would gain. As long as you are losing ... slow or fast... YOU ARE LOSING! Your body also needs to adjust to this big mix up. It is used to food all the time. It will catch up to you... stay positive!

[kpay10 95]

Hi Scylla.

I am a little over 2 weeks post op and have lost 7 lbs. I know exactly how you feel! I was on a 1200 calorie diet beginning in November and then the 2 week liquid diet pre op. I lost 51 lbs. pre op and I truly believe that the people who are losing massive amounts in the first few weeks are losing Water weight, which we have already lost. My doctor told me not to worry, as long as I am losing. I <3 him!

By the way, I put away my scale and am now only going to weigh once a week. I'm trusting the process and trying not to compare myself to others, as hard as that is at times!

Good luck!!