Plateaued - Already (7 weeks)???

[Cj975 6]

So my surgery was seven weeks today. For the past two weeks I have been stuck at the same weight OR gained 2-3 lbs. Basically fluctuating the same 2-3 pounds I guess. I wouldn't have thought I would hit a plateau this early. I'm eating the plan they laid out for me. I'm walking when I can (torn meniscus and degenerative disc disease issues). I guess I just don't understand why I'm stuck already. Just frustrated. Any words of wisdom?

[SomeBigGuy 110]

There's typically a couple stalls that lasts for 2-4 weeks that happens after surgery. I've heard them typically referred to to the 3rd week and 3rd month stalls when they typically start, but can happen any time. Our bodies have to recalibrate things after substantial loss, and it will hold on to fat and/or fluids until it knows its safe for it to lose more. As long as you stick to you calories, macros, and Fluid requirements laid out by your doctor, the weight loss will resume.

Restart your diet and track everything closely. Also go back to weighing yourself weekly instead of daily to reduce stress. Additionally, if you are working out more than you were pre surgery, keep in mind you may also be gaining some muscle weight, which offsets the number on the scale. If your clothing sizes are getting smaller, you're still on track!

It is very frustrating as I just came out of one, but I did slack off on tracking my eating closely over the holidays. Even though I didn't feel like I was eating that much more, I had crept back up around 1600 calories a day by having a treat I thought I had earned. I didn't realize it was so calorically dense and was a big mistake for me. I was using it to feel better after having covid over Christmas and New Years, but it did throw me off track and made my stall worse. I'm back on the strict diet this week and its starting to drop again.

[Cj975 6]

I wasn’t given calories or macros. Just work up to 1 cup at each meal and just see what you can tolerate. Eat Protein first and strive for 60-80 grams of protein.

[SomeBigGuy 110]

That does sound like the basis for the diet I'm on. They told me to work on getting 64oz of Water per day as top priority, then around 60-80g of Protein next. Next it was to prioritize some unsaturated fats (fish, poultry, and lower carb veggie protein options).

From there, they told me to keep carbs under 10g per serving, and under 55g total for the day (not quite as low as keto). Then try to keep saturated fats low where possible.

I'm a 6'1" male, so they had me try to target 800-1000 calories per day during the weight loss phase, and work toward 1200 after about 6 months. You may want to check with your doctor or nutritionist to see if they have a recommended range to target. I learned the hard way while I was sick with Covid over the holidays that its really easy for excess calories to be hiding in small things.

But overall, just keep up with what you are doing. There will be a stall within the first couple months, and a second stall a couple months after that, so just mentally prepare for it. Both will last 2-4 weeks and will likely have a slight regain in the middle of it. It doesn't take much Fluid retention to make the number on the scale go back up. Remember that a 16oz bottle of water is literally 1lb. It's not fat, so it doesn't count. if you're drinking a half gallon / 2L of water a day, that's 4 lbs sitting there, but it doesn't count as "fat weight". It is jarring to see a 4lb fluctuation on the scale, but you're not losing progress, it's just water that your body isn't done processing yet.

Think of the weight loss more like stair steps rather than a straight line. You can push through it!

[Cj975 6]

I wasn’t given calories or macros. Just work up to 1 cup at each meal and just see what you can tolerate. Eat Protein first and strive for 60-80 grams of protein.

[Shanna NYC 148]

Stalls are par for the course and do not mean you are doing anything wrong. It is just your body's way of assessing and adjusting. Remember surgery is a shock to the body and with limited capacity, the typical nutrients your body was used to getting is greatly reduced. Do not panic, do not go into overdrive to change too much. Stick with your program, aim for the Protein (and fiber) and Water goals, take your Vitamins and don't obsess too much over the scale. Trust me I know it's much easier said than done, but almost all of us have been there a time or two or more and it is completely normal.

As @SomeBigGuy stated weightloss is not a straight line.

(There is a whole lengthy thread under 3 week stall - though again it doesn't necessarily only occur at 3 weeks or just once.)

[Arabesque 7,414]

Stalls are perfectly normal & are an important part of your weight loss as the others have said. The first one usually begins around week 3but can be before or after this time like yours. They generally last 1-3 weeks & again they can last longer or even only for fewer days. The numbers are based on averages & so just give you an idea what might happen when.

Yes they are frustrating but it’s best to let them ride out. The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again. Don’t stress it out by making more changes other than those required by your plan so stick to it. Reduce how often you’re on the scales & try taking body measurements. Many notice that while the scale doesn’t move, their clothing fits differently.

Also, if you would like more precise information about portion sizes, macros, etc, ask for them from your dietician. It’s about feeling comfortable & confident about what you’re doing, For example did they say when you should be up to a cup of food? I was told 6 months for a cup but that was what I was told for me.

[ChunkCat 732]

I had a stall one month out that lasted for 5 weeks. I gained and lost the same 2-4 lbs every week. It was so discouraging. One thing I highly recommend though is MEASUREMENTS. I discovered that though I wasn't losing weight, I was losing inches!! This is rather common during a stall because our body composition is still changing even though the scale is at a standstill or going up a bit.

The stall will break eventually. Keep doing what they told you to do, make sure you are getting your Protein and hydration daily. Go for a walk. Try to ignore the scale for a bit. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I know it is hard, I'm 10 weeks out and have to remind myself of this every day!

[Cj975 6]

Thank you all so much for the help!!