When will I start losing?

I had my surgery on 3-18 and so far I am only down 10 lbs. All these crazy thoughts are going thru my head and i hear people lose 20 and 30 the first month and it makes me sad and wonder what am I doing wrong? anyone else having this problem or is it just me? I started on protein shakes this morning and I am going to start making sure I get at least 75 oz of water daily. I know 10 lbs is better than nothing but I WANT MORE!!!! BOOOOHOOOOHOOOO Thanks everybody Sandi

Sandi-You are actually doing just fine. My surgeon said I lost too much too fast the first week (27 lbs) because I was not drinking enough. He said I was dehydrated. He wants his patients to lose from 5-15 pounds the first week and about 25 the first month. So it sounds like you are right on track. Hang in there. Your body needs to adjust to the fact that you just had major surgery and it appears "that you are trying to starve yourself". The body will resist at first, so do not give up. Remeber we are in this for the long haul. not the quick fix. You WILL win in the end.

Thanks I guess I need affirmation that I am doing ok I need to realize rome was not built in a day and I guess I thought after surgery I would lose a million lbs the first month. I am not a patient person so it looks like I will also be working on patience and losing weight. Thanks again

Hi Sandy, I too had my surgery on 3-18 and have lost about 11 Lbs. I am eager to lose more --but this seems to be the pace my body wishes to give it up. I think if we stick to the plan it will all work out--I keep reminding myself it is a journey--not a marathon....keep up the good work.. Terry

Sandy, You are doing just fine. Keep in mind that the amount someone loses also has to do with how much excess they have to begin with (and gender - men lose faster). It seems that the more someone has to lose, the faster it seems to come off. Let your Dr be your guide as to what is right for you, not what you hear others commenting on. I know that is hard, cause I sometimes feel the same way, but you can do it. Focus on the positive - WOW 10 lbs you will never see again!!! Great Job!!! mgm

Hi Sandi! Just to let you know, my surgery was 3/22 and I have lost 13 lbs. as of today. I saw the Dr. last week and he said that was good as he expects 10-15 lbs. lost average. At that time, his scales showed 11 lbs. I was thinking the same thing as you as I have a good friend that lost a lot more than that the first 1-2 wks, BUT she also has more to lose than I do overall - I understand that that makes a difference also. Hang in there - you are doing awesome!!! Dayna

Sandi, You are correct that we "lightweights" should expect a slower loss than some with more excess. Also those of us who have repeatedly dieted and regained have more loss resistance. But it will work. You did not say how much protein you are getting. If you are not getting 60 gms or so, you might try to increase it. This helps convince your body that you are not starving it so that it will surrender weight more readily. Protein, fluids, exercise--that is about all you can do. The rest is just going to take some time, but IT WILL HAPPEN. Joy

Have to play the devil's advocate here. I am by no means a "light weight" and weighed in the morning of my surgery at 332 lbs. As of Monday of last week I had only lost 17 lbs (3 weeks post op). There is no hard and fast rule here so we should all just do what needs to be done -- get the protein in, get the fluids in, and move our bodies. Thanks. Maureen

Boy - I can commiserate....I've been a big whiner the last couple of days because of my stall. I'm starting to realize that the biggest losers in the first month aren't as plentiful as those of us who are stalling. At least it would seem that way. Just know that you aren't the only one. BTW Sandi - I just read your profile and I can't believe your son's name is Gage! How ironic - my son Mason's middle name is Gage. You *never* see that anywhere! Isn't that funny? I love it for a first name, but shied away from it because of that stinking book Pet Semetary. It's bad enough that's where I got the name from (only because I liked it...not because I'm macabre)! Dina

I thought my start was slow (had surgery 3/2) and it's more or less like yours. But NOW, it picked up so I have met the lower end of the 20-30 in one month (something like 24 pounds at 5 weeks). It came all in this big rush at the end, very weird. There's more where this came from. The more you can stay away from the scale and just focus on doing everything you must (water, protein, starting to exercise, no drinking before meals during or 1 hr. after), the happier you will be. I don't allow myself to weigh more than once a week and, after the first dismal loss, I waited two weeks. Your body holds onto things while it's healing. Also, do your measurements. During that same period of "small" loss, I had lost six inches. We're all scared we won't lose due to long and sad experience of too much dieting (plus how much it would stink to go through all this and not lose). However, that's not going to happen to you. Read lots of bios so you can see the whole process. Gano