Have I screwed this up already?

Hi all, So as you all know... I am 4 weeks out. I have lost nothing since week 3 however.... I have GAINED 5 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 freakin pounds!!! Have I screwed this up already? I do not know what to do... HELP!! -Juliana

Please do not worry about the 5 pounds, stick with the diet plan you will be fine. Hey If I could do this anyone can, the weight will come off trust me. Is it time for you period, I sometimes increase a few pounds ?   I think most of us have sent the " OMG THE SURGERY IS NOT WORKING FOR ME POST " .... but after 3 years on the board I have yet to see someone not lose the weight, have faith. If you had a RNY you will lose the weight, I have heard of some lapband people not doing it as fast , but stick  with it you will be fine. take care

Hey Juliana~  CHILL GIRL!  All of our bodies are different and we loose at different rates.  You can gain up to 3 pounds of water weight (so I have been told)  Just stick to your guns.  Plateaus and stalls are frustrating.  I have been stuck for about 2 weeks now.  Loosing inches, but not pounds.  Just be strong and committed!  Don't get the "OMG I have screwed up" thoughts embedded in your head.  Stay the course!!!

No you havent screwed it up :-) In order to really truly have gained 5lbs of actucal weight you would have had to eat a zillion calories... or be some super body building machine and can build muscle like nobodies business :-) Our bodies natrually go up and down around 5lbs... we also all react to surgery differently... the restrictive diet and anesthesia are hard on the body and sometimes it just doesnt know what to do.  Just be patient and stick to your plan and the scale will go back down... try and stick to one weigh day a week and dont become obsessed with the scale. Keep in mind success is more than a number on the scale... think about the big picture - how do you feel? off any meds? lost inches? I know its early out so you may not have responses to everything but its a good thing to think about when the scale does frustrate you :-)

Put that scale away!  You are only 4 weeks out and your body is still saying "what the heck???????", there are sooooo many factors that could be going on right now, don't let it freak you out.  As you know from reading these boards, your feelings of "screwing it up" is sooooooo normal.  One thing I've learned so far is not to jump to any conclusions when the scale climbs or sticks.  Relax, God's in control.  Your body will start doing what it's supposto' when it's ready, and then, Watch out World!!!!!!!!!  Hang in there girl!! Nancy

(((((Sweetie))))),

Oh! Do I recall that since of desperation and feeling like I'm the person it's not going to work for. It's working, your body is just taking a breather and trying desperately to protect what it considers your vital energy stores. Go to my profile and take a look at June/July 2007!

Keep doing what Patrick has told you to do. As a matter of a fact, call and leave a message for him. He'll call you back and reassure you that you are doing okay. He'll ask you about what you are doing and may give you some recommendations, but I have to tell you that while it seems so counter-inituitive, it's sooooo normal.

Hang in there sweetheart! It's working! It's gonna come off. You didn't screw it up. Dr. DeMaria told me that "you will lose the weight almost no matter what you do during this first year." The lifestyle changes that you make while you are losing the weight are really the indicators of how well you will do with maintaining the loss you acheive and something to do with the gross percentage of excess weight you will lose.

I hope that helps some. Feel free to call if you need to talk.

Love,

Barb

P.S. Candice asked about you at the movies and wanted to know if you might be at Perkins on Sat. I wasn't sure sure. I hope so. I'd love to see you again.

P.P.S. re: Scale ... I'm a scale queen and can't/won't give it up, but what I have found that works for me is to only "track" on the anniversary day of my surgery. It helps re: perspective. Also, go to www.thinnerself.com and start logging your progress there once a week. I'll bet it will help in the long run.

P.P.P.S re: Tape measure ... When the numbers on the scale don't move, often the numbers on the tape measure do ... It's just another way to measure your progress. Soooo, if the scale is being stubborn, get out that tape measure.

Juliana, Hang in there girl, I'm absolutely positive that you haven't "screwed this up".  Your body is just adjusting to all this change.  It has realized that it's not getting the calories that it's used to, so it's going into "conserve mode".  Stick with the plan, and you will start losing again.  I had a stall around week 3 - 4 also.  Now that I'm 3 months out, I have realized that I also stall somewhere right around getting my period.  You'll be all right.  Keep eating what your NUT recommended, make sure you're getting enough protein and enough water, and walk, walk, walk! 

I agree with all of the above. I am 6 weeks out and for almost 2 weeks my scales have not moved. I was 189 then for 2 weeks I went to 191 and now finally they have moved again and I was 187 this morning. I have learned very quickly that my weight will flucuate(sp?) because of water and fluids and also that we will have stalls! -Suzanne

You aren't screwing it up...  I was just gonna say that when you least expect it, the scales will move in the other direction more than those 5 pounds and you will be just like all of us.  We have all experienced something like this.  You are doing great so far.  Just stay on your surgeons directions and you will be down another 5 pounds before too long.  Promise!! Congrats...  

Juliana - hey - are you still taking TPN fluids through an IV? If so, that can happen.  But like Barbara says, call your surgeon.  Talk to him