Concerned I'm not losing enough.....

Hi everyone. I had my lap RNY 9/29/2003 (7 weeks ago) and so far I've lost 30 lbs. This seems less than other posts I've read. My starting wt. was 245 lbs. and now it's 215. Do others out there think this is "normal" or a little on the low side? Also, I can eat 8 oz. at a time or more if it's soupy, or 4 or 5 oz. if it's on the dry side; this seems like a lot more than others too. I eat 3 times a day: about 55 grams of lean protein per day; no added fat; no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or things like that; and just very low calorie vegetables; occassionally 1/3 c. apple sauce w/out added sugar for "dessert". I drink Koolaid sweetened with Splenda, or coffee with sweet and low. I don't eat anything that you could consider high-calorie (or even medium-calorie). I'm getting a little discouraged, what do you all think? Any exeriences, advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Sheila, I had surgery on 9/22/03 and have only lost about 30 lbs as well so it feels slow, especially when people post big numbers. However, depending on your beginning ht/wt and the amount of exercise you get in (and I've only increased my activity a little so far--haven't gotten to full work out mode yet), everyone loses differently. BUT I've seen this chart posted online before and thought in might make you feel better about were you're at, which according to this chart, you're doing well. Plus some people lose inches, faster than pounds....which helps with losing clothes sizes. Good luck in the rest of your journey!! Usual Anticipated Weight Loss after WLS For patients weighing from 200-250lbs 10 lbs in 1st ten days 15-25 lbs in 6 weeks 25-35 lbs in 3 mnths 35-45 lbs in 6 mnths 60 lbs or more in 1 yr 70 lbs or more in 18 mnths For patients weighing from 250-300 10-12 lbs in 1st ten days 15-25 lbs in 6 weeks 25-35 in 3 mnths 45-60 in 6 mnths 80 or more in 1 yr For patients weighing 300-400 10-30 lbs in 1st ten days 25-35 lbs in 6 weeks 35-55 in 3 mnths 50-80 in 6 mnths 100 or more in 1st year For patients weighing 400-500 10-35 in 1st ten days 25-45 in 1st 6 weeks 35-60 in 3 mnths 50-90 in 6 mnths 100 or more in 1st year

I had surgery 9/16/03 and I saw my surgeon 12/22 and he said that he was concerned that I had only loss 80 lb. in three months, but only 16 lb. in the last two months. Although, I am no lightweight. Where did the anticipated weight loss schedule come from? According to the weight loss calculator on this site, I am not on target. I don't know what to think. Some of us lose faster than other and that's all to it. Be patient and get that exercise going. You could try uping the protein to two shakes a day. This is what I was told. Please, don't forget about the H2O.

Sheila, I wouldn't worry about not losing enough. Of course, I say that as someone who has frequently worried about the pace of my own weight loss post-op, and fully knowing that it's not easy to shelve concerns such as these. You, like me, started out as a "lightweight." We may not have felt very light at roughly 250 pounds, but, in the grand scheme of things, we started out at the lower end of those on this journey. I was 257 pounds when I had my surgery Sept. 9, and I'm now about 215. I have almost three weeks on you, and I've lost just 12 more pounds since my surgery. Every time I start to get frustrated, my mother whips out her log of my weight (I give her regular updates, just like the ones I keep on my profile here) and reminds me, as she did this morning, that I'm still doing fine. Today, she noted that I'm down about six pounds over two weeks. And, at this point in the game a 2-3 pound/week weight loss is a fine pace. As you probably know, you can expect to lose 10 percent of your weight very, very quickly. After that, the weight loss slows down a bit, particularly for those of us who don't have as much to lose. Check out the weight loss calculator here on obesityhelp.com to see how you match up. You might be surprised to find yourself ahead of the curve. Anecdotally, I can tell you that I know of two post-ops -- who had the same surgery (lap RNY) as me with the same surgeon -- who started out in the high 250s. They both are now below 150, and it took about nine or 10 months for them to get to that point. If you start out around 250, lose 30 pounds in the first two months and have a goal weight of, say, 150, you only have 70 to go. A conservative weight loss of 2.5 pounds per week over the next four months would have you 70 pounds down and with just 30 left to go -- all this six months post-op. You might also be losing inches, even if you don't see the pounds dropping as quickly as you'd like. Our bodies are under construction these days, and the weight and fat is shifting, even as we lose. It sounds like your diet is really strong in the protein department, and it certainly doesn't sound like you're consuming tons of calories. If you aren't already exercising, you might try working that into your schedule. Be warned, of course, that if you build muscle, the weight loss might stabilize for a bit. That's just a result of the new muscle mass. At any rate, good luck. Remember, there is no magic schedule for weigh loss post-op (beyond more rapid loss in the "golden first year"). If you're eating right -- and it sounds like you are -- and you are exercising, your weight loss will happen at the best pace for you.

I had surgery 9/22 and started at 246 and have lost 37 lbs, BUT the last 5 bls came off this past week and the two weeks before I was on a plateu where I could tell I was getting smaller, but the scale didn't show it. I just read in the new obesityhelp.com magazine about a "weight reshifting" at 6 weeks out - maybe that was it. Sometimes I get discouraged by my weight loss, but then again, when has this ever happened in the past?!?! Others may loose quicker, but I try not to compare myself, and if I do, it's to my own past history... and when I do that, I'm amazed. Goal is not too far away...... at least it doesn't seem impossible any more. BTW, I also think that I can eat kind of a lot... but it varies on how dense it is. I look at that in the same way as the weight loss... seems like I can eat more than others, but I'm eating way less than I did before. Also, knowing that I seem to be able to eat more, I am aware and am trying to learn to really control my intake now. Good luck to you! We'll make it to goal!