Post-op weight loss expectations

[lvidacovich 372]

Good morning all! I'm 2 weeks and 2 days post-op and things seem to be going well. Much less pain daily and really only when I sneeze or cough does it hurt. Incisions are healing nicely.

At first I lost fast, like 4 pounds a day. After a few days of that it slowed to 2 pounds a day, then 1 and now it's 1 pound every other day. I was 299 this morning, same as yesterday. It's been 28 total since surgery day (327 that morning) but the slowing down worries me. Am I still losing like a I should? What weight can I realistically expect to be at in 6 months? My 10 year anniversary is in May and we want to go to New Zealand and Australia for that but I'd LOVE to be under 250 so I can do all the adventure stuff I used to not be able to do due to weight limits.

I get my liquids, at least 64 in just Water and another 16 with my Protein Shakes at least. Yesterday I was pushing 96 oz of total liquid. food is Protein Shake for lunch, then yogurt (2 g sugar total), then Unjury shake around lunch then some sort of soft Protein for dinner (egg, chili, ground meat, etc).

Additionally I couldn't eat a full egg last night. Maybe got 3/4 of it down before I felt 'full' and had some pain. Is that normal? Will it get better and will I be able to get my full 4 oz in eventually?

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled with what's happened so far - I'm just concerned for the future. I really thought I'd be shedding a pound a day at least and I'm concerned that I won't get to the full 4 oz I'm supposed to be eating.

Edited November 7, 2019 by lvidacovich

[AJ Tylo 1,399]

First thing is stop weighing yourself every day - You will end up in a rubber room with a fancy jacket on that only ties in the back. For me Male - I averaged about 4-6 pounds a week - had a few weeks of 3 pounds then a few weeks of 7 pounds. I would focus on getting healthy and eating right and then track it week by week. Also Water plays a big game in this - One day you may be holding a bunch of water next you wont. I weigh in every Sunday morning when i wake up and log it.

As for the 4 oz F#$ck food - Nobody said you have to eat, you just need to make sure you Vitamins and Nutrients are correct - I simply do not eat - Eating is uncomfortable for me and more of a hassle - However my blood work ups are perfect - If you see below this is what keeps me balanced

[RickM 1,753]

Your initial couple weeks or so of loss includes a lot of Water weight, as you body gets used to the large caloric deficit and struggles to get used to operating on so little (that initial loss is primarily glycogen - stored carbohydrate - which comes off quickly and includes a lot of water that keeps it in solution. Once that has burned off and the body gets the idea that you are serious about this caloric deficit thing, it finally decides that it needs to get serious and start drawing on your fat stores, which comes off more slowly. So, yes, it is normal to lose a lot the first couple of weeks, and also to stall a bit and not lose anything for a week or so, and then start losing again, but more slowly.

Long to intermediate term, figure on 1-2 lb per week (5-10 lb per month) as a good sustainable loss rate, with some weeks or months being above or below trend. For instance, my loss, starting from a bit under 300 lb, was 32 lb the first month, followed by 15, 15, 10, 10, 10, by which time I was within about 10 lb of goal weight and started ramping up my calories to slow things down.

Also, figure on your loss rate declining over time - it simply takes fewer calories to move your body around 24/7 when you weigh 250 vs. 350. This trips up some people, particularly if they increase their intake after a few months - increasing intake meets declining calorie burn and you reach stability, whether you are at goal or not.. So try to maintain a fairly low intake at least until you are within sight of your goal weight.

Good luck!

[lvidacovich 372]

24 minutes ago, AJ Tylo said:

First thing is stop weighing yourself every day - You will end up in a rubber room with a fancy jacket on that only ties in the back. For me Male - I averaged about 4-6 pounds a week - had a few weeks of 3 pounds then a few weeks of 7 pounds. I would focus on getting healthy and eating right and then track it week by week. Also Water plays a big game in this - One day you may be holding a bunch of Water next you wont. I weigh in every Sunday morning when i wake up and log it.

As for the 4 oz F#$ck food - Nobody said you have to eat, you just need to make sure you Vitamins and Nutrients are correct - I simply do not eat - Eating is uncomfortable for me and more of a hassle - However my blood work ups are perfect - If you see below this is what keeps me balanced

There's actually more and more research showing that those who weigh themselves often, even daily, do better and keep the weight off longer. Google it, you'll see lots of info and data. Thank you for your weight loss stats. I hope this is the 3 week plateau I hear about.

And I wish I could follow your advice and just forget food. But I enjoy food and I don't plan on giving it all up forever. I'll work and eat within my limits. I hope that it's never uncomfortable for me to eat, otherwise I'll regret this surgery no matter how much weight I lose.

[lvidacovich 372]

2 minutes ago, RickM said:

Your initial couple weeks or so of loss includes a lot of Water weight, as you body gets used to the large caloric deficit and struggles to get used to operating on so little (that initial loss is primarily glycogen - stored carbohydrate - which comes off quickly and includes a lot of Water that keeps it in solution. Once that has burned off and the body gets the idea that you are serious about this caloric deficit thing, it finally decides that it needs to get serious and start drawing on your fat stores, which comes off more slowly. So, yes, it is normal to lose a lot the first couple of weeks, and also to stall a bit and not lose anything for a week or so, and then start losing again, but more slowly.

Long to intermediate term, figure on 1-2 lb per week (5-10 lb per month) as a good sustainable loss rate, with some weeks or months being above or below trend. For instance, my loss, starting from a bit under 300 lb, was 32 lb the first month, followed by 15, 15, 10, 10, 10, by which time I was within about 10 lb of goal weight and started ramping up my calories to slow things down.

Also, figure on your loss rate declining over time - it simply takes fewer calories to move your body around 24/7 when you weigh 250 vs. 350. This trips up some people, particularly if they increase their intake after a few months - increasing intake meets declining calorie burn and you reach stability, whether you are at goal or not.. So try to maintain a fairly low intake at least until you are within sight of your goal weight.

Good luck!

This is good and fits with what I was hoping for, thanks!

[catwoman7 11,235]

everyone's different, so it's hard to tell what your rate of weight loss will be. Although 28 lbs in two weeks is phenomenal - you're well above average. Although like an earlier poster said, a lot of what you lose in the first couple of weeks is Water weight, so it slows down after that for everyone.

no matter if you're a fast loser or a slow loser, you *will* lose the weight as long as you're committed to your program. I was a slow loser from the get-go (I lost 16 lbs the first month -- so you're already well ahead of where I was), and I lost all my excess weight - over 200 lbs. I almost never went off my program until I hit my goal.

[PollyEster 228]

11 hours ago, AJ Tylo said:

First thing is stop weighing yourself every day - You will end up in a rubber room with a fancy jacket on that only ties in the back. For me Male - I averaged about 4-6 pounds a week - had a few weeks of 3 pounds then a few weeks of 7 pounds. I would focus on getting healthy and eating right and then track it week by week. Also Water plays a big game in this - One day you may be holding a bunch of Water next you wont. I weigh in every Sunday morning when i wake up and log it.

As for the 4 oz F#$ck food - Nobody said you have to eat, you just need to make sure you Vitamins and Nutrients are correct - I simply do not eat - Eating is uncomfortable for me and more of a hassle - However my blood work ups are perfect - If you see below this is what keeps me balanced

In the second image, is that a countertop water filter/purifier? If so, that's a great design. Can you please tell me what brand and model number it is? Thanks!

[AJ Tylo 1,399]

Not its a Robot that attacks me and disperses Vitamins all the time, Texts me and beeps and called a hero

I hate Water but have a whole house RO system - Me and water have a issue with each other, Not due to surgery i have always been a water hater

[Panda333 276]

On 11/7/2019 at 11:40 AM, RickM said:

Your initial couple weeks or so of loss includes a lot of Water weight, as you body gets used to the large caloric deficit and struggles to get used to operating on so little (that initial loss is primarily glycogen - stored carbohydrate - which comes off quickly and includes a lot of Water that keeps it in solution. Once that has burned off and the body gets the idea that you are serious about this caloric deficit thing, it finally decides that it needs to get serious and start drawing on your fat stores, which comes off more slowly. So, yes, it is normal to lose a lot the first couple of weeks, and also to stall a bit and not lose anything for a week or so, and then start losing again, but more slowly.

Long to intermediate term, figure on 1-2 lb per week (5-10 lb per month) as a good sustainable loss rate, with some weeks or months being above or below trend. For instance, my loss, starting from a bit under 300 lb, was 32 lb the first month, followed by 15, 15, 10, 10, 10, by which time I was within about 10 lb of goal weight and started ramping up my calories to slow things down.

Also, figure on your loss rate declining over time - it simply takes fewer calories to move your body around 24/7 when you weigh 250 vs. 350. This trips up some people, particularly if they increase their intake after a few months - increasing intake meets declining calorie burn and you reach stability, whether you are at goal or not.. So try to maintain a fairly low intake at least until you are within sight of your goal weight.

Good luck!

Remember, men lose 2 times as fast so females can't go by what a man experiences.

[lvidacovich 372]

22 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

everyone's different, so it's hard to tell what your rate of weight loss will be. Although 28 lbs in two weeks is phenomenal - you're well above average. Although like an earlier poster said, a lot of what you lose in the first couple of weeks is Water weight, so it slows down after that for everyone.

no matter if you're a fast loser or a slow loser, you *will* lose the weight as long as you're committed to your program. I was a slow loser from the get-go (I lost 16 lbs the first month -- so you're already well ahead of where I was), and I lost all my excess weight - over 200 lbs. I almost never went off my program until I hit my goal.

I think I broke off the 3 week slide this morning - down 2 pounds compared to yesterday! 297, a full 30 down from surgery weight in less than 3 weeks. My doctor told me that because I was young (early 30's) and a male that I should lose the weight like crazy.

Thanks for the info and advice - I plan to stick to the program!

[VSGDavid 185]

Everyone loses at a different pace. On Average, I've lost 0.45# a day for the last 338 days. However there were times over the last 11 months where I didn't lose anything for 2-3 weeks, and then all of a sudden I would drop 10 pounds.

[Midnightsun 129]

You are doing great! You will most likely hit your stall soon.. Anyways I did for a bit. Doc said it was normal as your body adjusts. If you stick to the program it’s less than 10lbs a month so I would say super doable for you! Hope you surpass your goal and have a wonderful Anniversary Celebration!

[lvidacovich 372]

Quick update - I was 297 all weekend - like to the T, 297.8 exactly all three days lol.

Woke up this morning and was 295.8 so that's good. Had a BM which I think will help. I'm going to add more Fiber and milk of magnesia into my diet.