Gain 7lbs this week.

[realmesearch 2]

I had surgery on June 15th and was really sick the first 2 1/2 months from complications. I have lost fast up to this last month and it slowed down which is good. I lost too fast at first. But this week I gained seven pounds and its held all week. Is this normal?

[rte837 141]

Could be muscle mass, if you've been exercising. Looking at your 99 lb loss, I wouldn't worry too much! Great job.

[realmesearch 2]

I have not been working out. I guess that's what I worry about. I have tried walking recently and half a mile is it. I know I can build this up. I am starting to get strength and less pain now. I have been slowly working on increasing my intake up to about 800 calories a day.

[James Marusek 5,244]

After RNY gastric bypass surgery, generally one loses weight quickly then after time, weight loss slows and then you bottom out and enter the "maintenance" phase. The goal in the "Maintenance" phase is to maintain the weight loss that you achieved thus far. A weight gain of 7 pounds in one week seems too drastic.

During the weight loss phase it is important to consume an adequate amount of Protein. The daily Protein requirement is a combination of the amount of protein obtained from supplements (Protein shakes, protein bars) combined with the amount of protein from meals. In the beginning of the process, one lives off of Protein Shakes to meet this requirement because the meal volume is extremely low. But as time goes on, one can begin to transition off from these protein supplements if one concentrates on high protein meals. These protein supplements contain calories. So when you say that you are increasing your calories to 800 per day are you counting the calories in the protein supplements that you are taking? So one strategy to continue weight loss is add up your daily intake of protein; concentrate on consuming high protein meals; reduce your protein supplements (and the calories they contain). That approach may help you kick-start your continued weight loss.

I put together a short article on my experience in the "Maintenance" phase that you may find to be useful. It is available at this link: http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf