New here & 1 week post-op with a bit of a freak out

[Max Caulfield 3]

Hi! So I am new. I had the sleeve done March 6th so I had my 1 week post-op appointment today. I was down 16 pounds. My start weight when I began this process (which involved 6 months of pretending to do Weight Watchers to get insurance approval) was 514. I lost 14 pounds over seven months having changed nothing. But I was already in eating disorder therapy for a decade and worked on Intuitive Eating and had stopped dieting in 2007 (this is why I was only pretending to do WW, which my doctors were aware of and fine with, because dieting is a massive ED trigger for me and it's also utterly pointless because it does nothing for me). Anyway, I had to fight the voice in my head saying, wait with everything I just went through in the past 10 days I've only lost 16 pounds? That doesn't seem like very much.

I understand this is irrational. I truly do. BUT... what I also realized is, I have NO clear idea of what to expect from this surgery in terms of weight loss in week one... I have a general idea over the course of six months to a year of what's considered average or common, but I don't know if 16 pounds might be a stellar first week... or if it's kinda crappy.

So... what do you guys think?

My most major fear going into this was that I was changing my life irrevocably and it wouldn't work. Dieting never has, and so I've always feared this wouldn't, either.

Thanks in advance. Also, please be gentle with me... I know I'm overreacting and that one week is not enough evidence to suggest this won't work, even IF it was a crappy weight loss for a first week post sleeve.

If the numbers continue to upset me, I plan to stop knowing them (and my doctors are all okay with this, too). I'm not aiming to be thin from this surgery. I'm hoping to get to about 350... and I'll be satisfied. I am not a typical WLS patient in pretty much any respect.

I don't honestly know if this forum will be a good place for me, since I am easily triggered and need to avoid that. But tonight I decided to create an account and see how it goes.

Thanks for reading. <3

[sideeye 1,440]

Don't freak out. And I think your instinct to stop looking at the numbers is probably a good one - if you can, get a smart scale and deprioritize the whole thing. Just step on it on the mornings you remember to, and don't care about the number. Then you can check the data once a week at a time when you're mentally ready for it.

I'm a day before you, March 5th, and have lost 10lbs. I started at just shy of 300. So proportionally, I'd say you're tracking right along with me. And I'm not freaking out, so neither should you. It's way more important to pay attention to food and how you feel when you're eating it - both how you physically feel (restriction) and how you emotionally feel (head hunger). Don't burn time or energy on scale-watching.

[XYZXYZXYZ1955 675]

Definitely don't freak out. Some people actually show a weight gain the first week because of the gas and fluids from the surgery. It's basically too early to know much of anything in terms of what to expect. For what it's worth, my surgeon told me not to pay any attention to my weight/loss, just focus on getting enough Protein and Water and taking my Vitamins and doing exercise (my knees are pretty bad, so I don't do much in the way of exercise). Of course I weigh myself and keep track of my loss, but please be aware that this is a long haul--there will be (frustrating) stalls along the way, when you won't lose despite the fact that you are eating what seem to be very tiny calorie counts. Don't worry about the stalls, either--your body will catch up and you'll start showing losses again.

Hang in there. So far, you're doing great!

[Seahawks Fan 771]

45 minutes ago, Max Caulfield said:

Hi! So I am new. I had the sleeve done March 6th so I had my 1 week post-op appointment today. I was down 16 pounds. My start weight when I began this process (which involved 6 months of pretending to do Weight Watchers to get insurance approval) was 514. I lost 14 pounds over seven months having changed nothing. But I was already in eating disorder therapy for a decade and worked on Intuitive Eating and had stopped dieting in 2007 (this is why I was only pretending to do WW, which my doctors were aware of and fine with, because dieting is a massive ED trigger for me and it's also utterly pointless because it does nothing for me). Anyway, I had to fight the voice in my head saying, wait with everything I just went through in the past 10 days I've only lost 16 pounds? That doesn't seem like very much.

I understand this is irrational. I truly do. BUT... what I also realized is, I have NO clear idea of what to expect from this surgery in terms of weight loss in week one... I have a general idea over the course of six months to a year of what's considered average or common, but I don't know if 16 pounds might be a stellar first week... or if it's kinda crappy.

So... what do you guys think?

My most major fear going into this was that I was changing my life irrevocably and it wouldn't work. Dieting never has, and so I've always feared this wouldn't, either.

Thanks in advance. Also, please be gentle with me... I know I'm overreacting and that one week is not enough evidence to suggest this won't work, even IF it was a crappy weight loss for a first week post sleeve.

If the numbers continue to upset me, I plan to stop knowing them (and my doctors are all okay with this, too). I'm not aiming to be thin from this surgery. I'm hoping to get to about 350... and I'll be satisfied. I am not a typical WLS patient in pretty much any respect.

I don't honestly know if this forum will be a good place for me, since I am easily triggered and need to avoid that. But tonight I decided to create an account and see how it goes.

Thanks for reading. <3

You’re doing fine at 16 pounds! You really shouldn’t worry about what you lose so early on. It should be at least 2 to 3 months before you even worry about it. I called my dietitian twice already with concerns & he told me not to weigh myself or be concerned at this point. Right now just focus on following your recovery plan. Your doing great!

[Max Caulfield 3]

Thanks everyone... and just to clarify I will only get weighed at the doctor's office. I won't allow a scale in my home. And I go at 3 and 6 weeks and then I think it's like once a month so I won't have to deal with the weekly numbers and I hope that will help.

[frust8 963]

What will help- is your clothes getting bigger as you get smaller. And maybe new pants, I look forward to getting back into jeans. So often when you're at the upper end in ladies the slacks are boxer waist and the colors are plug -ugly, the tops are poorly cut. I want to get small enough I can wear levis and nice graphic tees that aren't always guy ones. &,want to,look blob-less in them. I guess I want to look like a girl again instead,of just BIG. Maybe that sounds vain. And Lord Forgive me but I want a bona fide wolf whistle instead of thinking the guy sprung a leak like a deflating balloon.

Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

@Max Caulfield you may be triggered excessively by asking for opinions on a forum, as none of us are experts, we are all just 'participants' just like yourself. I have no personal experience with ED so my advice would be secondhand knowledge at best, which I will refrain from using. I will however say this - you are brave, continue to be brave, continue your therapy and listen to those experts, and I wish you the best outcome for you.

[Mattymatt 491]

7 hours ago, Max Caulfield said:

Hi! So I am new. I had the sleeve done March 6th so I had my 1 week post-op appointment today. I was down 16 pounds. My start weight when I began this process (which involved 6 months of pretending to do Weight Watchers to get insurance approval) was 514. I lost 14 pounds over seven months having changed nothing. But I was already in eating disorder therapy for a decade and worked on Intuitive Eating and had stopped dieting in 2007 (this is why I was only pretending to do WW, which my doctors were aware of and fine with, because dieting is a massive ED trigger for me and it's also utterly pointless because it does nothing for me). Anyway, I had to fight the voice in my head saying, wait with everything I just went through in the past 10 days I've only lost 16 pounds? That doesn't seem like very much.

I understand this is irrational. I truly do. BUT... what I also realized is, I have NO clear idea of what to expect from this surgery in terms of weight loss in week one... I have a general idea over the course of six months to a year of what's considered average or common, but I don't know if 16 pounds might be a stellar first week... or if it's kinda crappy.

So... what do you guys think?

My most major fear going into this was that I was changing my life irrevocably and it wouldn't work. Dieting never has, and so I've always feared this wouldn't, either.

Thanks in advance. Also, please be gentle with me... I know I'm overreacting and that one week is not enough evidence to suggest this won't work, even IF it was a crappy weight loss for a first week post sleeve.

If the numbers continue to upset me, I plan to stop knowing them (and my doctors are all okay with this, too). I'm not aiming to be thin from this surgery. I'm hoping to get to about 350... and I'll be satisfied. I am not a typical WLS patient in pretty much any respect.

I don't honestly know if this forum will be a good place for me, since I am easily triggered and need to avoid that. But tonight I decided to create an account and see how it goes.

Thanks for reading. <3

I think you will find that you've set a goal that you will breeze by. Also, there is no "typical" bariatric surgery patient. Each and every person is unique with unique circumstances that have brought them to the journey. I highly recommend that you watch this YouTube video. It will show just how much weight is a very individual problem

The surgery changes more than just your stomach size. It causes biochemical changes that work a little differently for each and every person. The key thing is patience and perseverance. Follow the program religiously, track your intake, and exercise. Let things happen as they're happening. 16 pounds after 1 week is a lot when you consider the average weight loss through diet and exercise alone is only 1.5 - 2 pounds a week. So you just about blasted through that average!

I am new to the weight loser's bench myself and the biochemical changes that I spoke of have already started happening. I began being aware of them when I began my first few walks around the hospital. My first walk was around dinner time on the floor so there were all kinds of smells. For the first time in my life, the smells were only pleasant and did not trigger a desire to eat. I was merely content to enjoy the smells and keep moving. I noticed that I had not only lost the feeling of hunger, but for once in my life, felt very neutral about food.

[FluffyChix 17,415]

I think you are doing outstandingly. Congrats. If it were me, I'd use your therapist and RD as touchstones--also your doc. Cuz as was mentioned, we're all just schmoes on the internet trying to get through our own realities. And we could inadvertently trigger something in you. Cuz I will raise my hand and be the first to admit I get crancky and hangry at times.

The thing you MUST do is follow their rules so you don't injure your surgery on a binge.

And having said that, congrats on the 16lbs. Having read your one week stats, I've now officially arrived at Crank Town. My stay will be indefinite. I'm 3 weeks and 2 days out. Today I'm 10.8lbs. I average 450-500 cals per day. And I've only lost 10.8lbs down since SW. LOL. Don't call me Francis or I will cut you.

Edited March 15, 2018 by FluffyChix