Need advice please!

[Marlymamamar 5]

Hello all,

I'm new here and 2 weeks post op. I was 296 on surgery day and at my first dr. Appt. I was 283. My dr. Told me I would lose about a pound a day. But I'm concerned because I havnt lost anything since. Today is my 2 week surgiversary and I'm still at 283. Is this something I should be concerned about? I am a little anxious that something isn't right or that I'm not doing it right. I'm eating 500 or less calories a day and I started back exercising and working out this week as well. I walked 8 miles just today and I came home this evening and no weight loss.

Also I don't feel full. I'm not really hungry but I just don't feel full like I did the first couple of days. I'm easily drinking the 64 ounces of Fluid because I don't have a problem drinking, swallowing or feeling too full.

I could use any and all advice as I am pretty much on my own. No family or friends that have had surgery. I also don't want to email my dr. Because I want to know if I'm just panicking first! Thank you for reading and hopefully giving advice!

[GAWildKat 82]

I'm 6.5 mons postop and I know the struggle those first few weeks postop. I didn't start losing weight right away either. My surgery was in Feb. I didn't notice any weightloss until May. I don't own scales so I only weigh at the doc. My husband finally had to tell me to go buy new clothes because everything was way too loose on me. So relax, heal and take the time to mentally adjust to the weight loss. It's a huge change in a short time. I went from a 18/20 to a 9/10 in 4.5mons. I'm still adjusting to being skinnier!

[bostongirlforever 11]

Yup,that was me! At two weeks out I hit a plateau and didn't lose for three weeks! So frustrating. Like you I started working out asap and I swear it slows the weight loss as far as seeing the numbers come down BUT I have seen where I'm building muscle and feeling great. Muscle weighs more than fat. And if you aren't use to walking that much I'm sure your body is holding onto everything it can. It will come off. It has to if your following docs instructions. With me it's speratic. One week I'll have a good weight lose the next not so good. Everybody is different we just need to have some patience I guess By the sounds of it you are doing great!

[James Marusek 5,244]

It is common to not lose weight immediately after surgery. In the hospital after surgery they pump your body with fluids so that when you leave the hospital you are heavier than when you went in. You have to lose this added weight before you begin your actual weight loss. So relax and let the magic happen. Eight miles a day seems a little on the high side especially at 2 weeks post-op. Is your doctor O.K. with this amount of exercise so soon? When I was young, I worked myself up to 10 miles per day. I actually started to gain weight because my body was converting fat into muscle and muscle weighs more than fat.

[Marlymamamar 5]

Thank you all for your advice, stories and encouragements. I love the advice James gave to just be patient sand let the magic happen. It makes sense to me now that yes I was full of fluids and I'm sure the initial weightloss was all the fluids I was pumped up with and now my body is adjusting to this new way of being nourished.

Wildcat, I feel so much at ease hearing about you being 6 mo. post-op and your journey. That's kind of what I needed to hear-that I was "normal" lol! Bostongiirl, I was thinking my weightloss would be fast and furious but it's probably a good thing it can speratic. Thanks!!

As far as me following the Dr. Instructions, yes I'm following them to a T. The only thing I did not follow was the crushing of the meds. I did it for 4 days and couldn't bear it no more. I let my Dr. Know and he said it was fine as long as I cut them into small pieces which I began doing. I'm able to drink the 64 ounces of Fluid, I have been getting 60-70 grams of Protein a day, I am now on the puréed diet stage and am tolerating it nicely, I'm taking all of my supplements and meds, and I started walking the day of surgery in the hospital and taking the recommended 6 short walks a day while deep breathing. I spoke to my Dr. On the phone about 4 days post-op and asked if I could go back to work the following Monday and he said if I felt good, had no pain go for it. I also asked about exercise and he said everything except lift/weight training.

Before my surgery I lost about 65 pounds on my own with diet and excersing. I began logging everything in my fitness pal and excercising 60-90 per day 6 days a week. Walking has been one of my every day physical activities and I hit about 14,000 steps per day on average which is about 9 miles. I walk the stairs as well, weekly I go up about 80 flights of stairs. I work out 3-4 days aweek in the gym and take Water aerobics and swim laps 2 days a week. So my activity level was pretty high before surgery and my Dr. Was well aware of that he said I'm a big, strong, fit girl???? my weightloss was about 2-3 pounds per week and sometimes less. I saw my Dr. this past Tuesday and my incisions have healed very nicely. He gave me the approval to get back in the pool for water aerobics. So you all are probably right about gaining muscle and me needing to be patient!

I'm ready to not be obese and just be fit and I'm anxious because I know it's coming! Thanks again for your feedback! I really appreciate it! I'm so glad I found this online support community!

[kcadoret 81]

For me one of the hardest adjustments (still working on it) was to not be so concerned with the rate at which the pounds fell. I was obsessed with the average rates of loss the doctor's told me about and staying within or surpassing that range. I'm still working on accepting that there is only so much I can do to affect the rate at which I lose weight and that it will happen when my body's ready. I've been loosing about 5 pounds a month for months 3-5 post op and in month 6 lost 15!

Best of luck on your journey

[red37 116]

You just had major surgery so your body is still recovering and will be for awhile. You will lose weight! Relax and follow your Drs plan! You will see results!

[Marlymamamar 5]

@@kcadoret and @@red37 thank you both for replying and offering some good advice. I appreciate it! Learning to be patient and just take one day at a time!????