the dreaded subject...plateaus

Hey Everyone, The first three weeks after surgery were great, the weight just seemed to melt off. This past week..nothing!  No weight loss at all!  It is my worst fear!  I've added more water to my day, I've been walking in the evenings with my husband.  What else can I do to jump start the weight loss again?   I know we all go through this sooner or later but I was hoping for later, much later.   Any tips on what to do to get over this plateau will be very much appreciated! E

Hi Ethel -

The same thing happened to me 10 days out ... I lost 15 lbs in 10 days, then nothing, zip, nada! I was really upset and frustrated. However, I'm n ow 7 weeks post op and down 28 lbs. I think that if I'm doing my math correctly, that's an "average" of 4 lbs a week ... not score keeping, just want you to know it does start moving again and even when it seems slow, it's much more than I would have lost otherwise.

Hard as it is to do, try to be patient with yourself. My understanding is that you do start losing rapidly and as soon as your body gets the idea that you are "starving" it heads for the hills and puts you into "hibernation" mode to try to conserve the precious fat resources ... LOL. At any rate, eventually the low calorie intake takes over and you'll start losing again. As Dr. DeMaria said, it's not a steady ride down; instead it's a series of drops, followed by plateus as your body is trying desperately to hold onto it's resources.

So, keep doing what Dr. Farrel and staff have told you to. It will continue to come off.

Please take care and stay in touch.

All the best,

Barb

Thanks for the encouragement Barb.  I will 'stay the course' and let you know how it goes.   I guess it is just  the disappointment that this is happening so soon.   Oh well, Talk to you soon.  E

Believe me. I really do understand. I was just devasted when it happened 10 days out and lasted for another 10 days.

I'm not sure if you are weighing daily, but I'm told I shouldn't do that ... I try not, but I do weigh more than I should. Another thing, you might want to do is measure your neck, upper and lower arms at their largest point, same with your legs, then of course, the chest, waist and hips. The reason I mention this, is that you very well may notice a change in those measurements even though the scale isn't moving.

I think you are doing all of the "right" things ... so keep up the good work. Just because the scale isn't moving today, doesn't mean you aren't successfully moving forward. The scale will move again, and again, and again.

Warmest regards to you,

Barb

Hey Ethel -

I know it's short notice, but we have extra space at the condo down at Carolina Beach near Wilmington. If you are interested in coming down, please let me know. If you can't make it, maybe we could get together sometime in the near future.  I'd be glad to drive up.

I'd love to see you again.

All the best,

bmc

Hi Ethel,

Don't feel bad. The same thing is happening to me. I have been at a stall for about a week and I was just three weeks out on Monday. I can totally relate to what you and Barbara are talking about. I agree with Barb about the fact that our bodies are hanging on for dear life. We just have to have the faith that it will come off. You are doing great! Keep it up and the results will be coming! Lisa

Lisa -

Looks like you are having just about the same experience that I had. Keep up the good work. It will pay off!

I look forward to seeing you this week-end.

Barb

P.S. What can you eat at this point?

Hi Barb,      Yes, I hate these stalls...lol. I am still at the softs meats....shrimp, chicken, etc. Still no veggies or fruits. I am going to bring a sugar free version of pink salad. Not sure how it will taste, but gonna try. I hope most will be able to eat it. It will have sugar free jello, sugar free cool whip, non-fat cottage cheese, and some crushed pineapple. What do you think?  Lisa

How about some strawberries ... mmmmm. I'm sure that your salad will be great. I'm going to do a marinated shrimp ****tail. I love shrimp and so does my new pouch. Hopefully, they will be something you'll enjoy.

I look forward to meeting you!

Barb

Thinking back to my Atkins days...   I could loose like 8 pounds one week.. then the next week I would loose nothing.  I remember reading that your body just has to adjust.  You just have to stay the course and keep your body from trying to hold onto that fat.  It gets frustrating.. but all of a sudden after a week or so the weight would start coming off again.  The Atkins Community folks called it a Whoosh... LOL Just stick to your guns.  :)  These old bodies need time to adust to all of those drastic changes, but I know you will be melting away again in no time!!!