I'm stalled...and frustrated

I've only lost 2 lbs in the past week.  Now, I know that's really not much to complain about, but I was dropping at a pretty good rate, until last week...week 3...I guess there is a such thing as a three week stall, huh? I am just finding it so hard to believe that I am going to lose anymore, especially since now I can eat..well, I can have a bite or two.  I'm trying to get in as much exercise as I can, but with three kids under 3, and a DH who is gone or asleep 20 hours a day (he's a truck driver), it's hard to get out and go walking.  I live in a very rural place and the closest gym is 30 minutes away. I know the weight will come off, but this stall so soon is very disheartening.    BUt in good news, I have lost 26 lbs.  Thanks for listening!

Hi Becky, I just went through that stall phase (one of many I'm sure)  and in the midst of that stall I also gained 3 lbs, I thought foresure I had done something wrong.  I flipped out of course, and learned that a stall is within the norm.  Whewwww right?  So not to worry it's okay, It's just temporary.  After my stall and 3 lb weight gain I lost 5 lbs...GO FIGURE!    SO DON'T YOU WORRY!   

Instead of saying I "only" lost 2lbs last week... how about I lost 2lbs... and they are gone FOREVER! Celebrate all your successes... each pound at a time. Stop focusing on 'how much more I have to lose' and be happy about how far youve come... have things improved since surgery? Clothes bigger? Less medication? More energy? Success is measured in more than just pounds... measure it by the whole package. It took time to put the weight on, it takes time to come off... I *know* its frustrating early out and hard to be patient... but think about where you will be at 6 months out? You WILL keep losing and will one day wonder where all the time (and pounds) went!

Becky -

While I wholeheartedly concur with Jennifer's half-full vs. half-empty approach, I think it's pretty normal for us to "freak out" a bit when the loss pattern starts to change. We have so much vested in this "working" and any minor indicator that it might not be "working" is scary. I also think ... at least in my own experience, that we know that there is a somewhat finite "window of opportunity" and I was so concerned that I wasn't maximizing that window of opportunity. Sooooo, like you I was kind of "freaked" when my weight loss slowed or stalled. In part because the "trajectory" slowed ... Yikes! what did that mean? Some because I just didn't know what to expect. I also kept comparing my loss to that of others ... I know you aren't supposed to do that, but how are we supposed to know what's "normal" so that we know if we are getting as much out of this as we can. Finally, I found a website created by a fellow RNY patient who is a graph and chart geek ... thank goodness!!! Using his website I can track where I am and project where I'm going. I can see that based on my weight the day of surgery, my current weight, my age, sex and height, that I'm projected to lose x% of weight based on my to date performance. I also want you to know that I went from a projected lost of about 80% to a projected loss of about 100% of my excess weight. This was because I could "see" what I was doing and the impact it was having on my loss patterns.

You are doing a great job. Stay the course. You'll lose the weight.

I hope that this helps some.

Hugs,

Barb

P.S. The site I was talking about is www.thinnerself.com The calculations are statistical averages, but I have to say that I've found it to be very comforting.

Thank you all for your encouragement.  I know this is normal and the weight will go away, but it's still frustrating, especially since I am 1 pound away from an important goal I have set for myself.   I'm 1 lb away from what I weighed before my 2nd pregnancy.  Thanks again.

Hi Becky! Fear not!  The pounds will continue to drop!  I had the same fears as you when I began this journey.  I learned that whenever I undergo a change in routine-- eating habits, going back to work, adding a new chore-- my body goes into panic mode and says "THAT"S IT!!!  HOLD ONTO EVERY POUND!  WE ARE IN A RECESSIONS!!!"  And then it gets over its fine self and sees that I am not dying, and gives up the pounds again.  Your body will do the same.  And you will begin to breathe easier through the process as your journey progresses.  You are doing a great job!

Hang in there Becky.  My first (of many) stalls was at 3 weeks and lasted for 13 days.  My surgery was 10/18 and I have had multiple stalls.  Remember the huge shock given to your body... it's just stopping periodically to say "Hey, what are you doing to me?" So brace yourself for more stalls to come.  If you feel the need to get on the scales each day, do.  You'll get varying opinions on that, but I fessed up some time ago to being a "Scale-a-holic."  Even though I see those stalls more prominently, it is what works for ME.  

I just came out of a three week stall.  I lost weight but only a pound or two.  I increased my walking and monitored my water intake (I can never get it all in) and I have lost two pounds a day for the last three days.  I think it is like everyone else has said--your body just knows it is being starved and it goes into shut down mode until it realizes that it will survive.   Just look at it this way--26 pounds gone FOREVER!  When could you say that before?   Hang in there--this too will pass.   You are doing great!