normal? post-op weightloss woes

So I'm a week and 1/2 out (June 17th) from surgery.. and I'm down 13lbs since my weigh in for my pre op class which was about a week 1/2 before surgery (June 4th).  I'm down 20lbs total from my surgical consult weigh in starting weight.

However, Tues this past week is when I weighed post op at my Grama's house and I was down the 20lbs. When I was at my sisters house yesterday I weighed (I don't own a scale) and I was barely under what I weighed in at on Tuesday. Am I supposed to losing faster than this? Everyone says they can see the difference, and I believe I can in the mirror too, but if the scale isn't moving...

Is it normal to stall this early? Is my body still just adjusting post-op? And was that 20lbs mostly due to my pre-op LD or hard post-op?

I have my first post-op exam tomorrow at my WLS office... I just feel like the scale isn't moving. I'll see what the real weigh in is tomorrow I guess?

I'd be willing to bet you've read this here before.  Now is the time to BELIEVE -

"If you're not losing pounds, you're losing inches".  That IS the way it works post-op.   You drop a mess of pounds.  Then the scale stops moving for a while, and your brain wigs out  - "I DON'T WANT TO STOP LOSING!!!!"  That's when you need to start paying attention to the way your clothes fit.  They're getting baggy. 

Your body has to take relatively frequent breaks from losing in order to let your shape catch up.  You may even find yourself developing some aches and pains during your weight loss - your center of gravity, the alignment of your body is changing.  It's normal.

Just keep doing things the way you're supposed to, follow your program.  Stay away from scales for a LONG, LONG time!  If you only weigh in with your doctor, you WILL see regular, sizable drops!   If you get on a scale too often?  Well, like I always say, it won't move while you're looking at it.

Thank you Darla! I needed a virtual hug today and you gave me one! I know my body is losing because I see and feel the changes... its just hard when you don't see the scale move! And yes my clothes are looser!

That's exactly why I didn't even buy a scale... Once I've lost what I need to and maintaining then I will.. but for now I am not even going to worry about it except for post op weigh ins at the WLS office!

Stacy

Here's my advice . . . QUIT WEIGHING! ! !  
If you allow them to, the scales will become your jailer.  Just work the tool,do what the doctor/NUT has told you to do, drink water, exercise -- it will happen.  Try to resist the urge to weigh only on certain times -- like once a week or every 2 weeks, or maybe even for your checkups. Scales vary.  Water weight and other things can impact the readings.  Don't let that drive you or influence you.  It will happen. 

I agree with Ms. Cathy - quit weighing.  I've actually started to forget to weigh.  It's kind of funny.  My stalls so far have lasted 14 and 17 days.  But I swear I lose a size in thos 14-17 days!  Go by how you feel.  Hide the scale and weigh every 2 weeks I bet you'll be happier if you do that because you'll see a 4-8lbs weight loss and you will get excited!
Luvies,
Sal

Hey Stacy sweetheart.  You're losing just fine.  When I was talking to them at Abbott during my 3 week follow-up I was told by Liz and Vicki that my body is still healing and that it'll come off but it'll just take a while.  I'm 4 weeks (1 month) out and I've lost 20 pounds since surgery (33 since consult april 7th).  Sure, the scale can vary from day to day and that's why you should pick one day out of the week to hop on and check the progress.  I'm totally guilty of "I just went to the bathroom, what is it now?" scale stepping.  It drives you nuts.  Hell, at my follow-up I was 247 and then by the end of the week I was 240 and I blame most of that on having my period that week!  It's so funny that we don't believe what other people have been saying until it happens to us!!

I thought I was stalling, too but it turned out to be my body going "hang on a minute, I need to catch up!!" plus having my period.  I was sort of disappointed but Liz told me that I had lost 16% of my excess body weight so far when I went in and weighed 247 and she said that was normal.  As long as I'm in 'normal' or average range I'm happy.

I found that taking a progress photo every week really helps to show how the inches are coming off.  If you look at my photos, you'll see my pre vs 4week photo and it's freakin shocking to me.  People have been commenting about my weight loss and I thanked them but damn, when I saw the photos I totally understood what they were talking about!!

Thanks for the pep talk ladies! Its why I love ya! I feel much better now...