I am going crazy

Hi Everybody I am very down today. I had my surgery on 1/3/2006 I weighed 276 when I got home from the hospital on 1/5/2006 I weighed 281. I gained 5 pounds in the hospital. The first week I got weighed in I was down to 269 at the docters that was on 2/11/2006. I am now 264 I have been at this weight for almost a week why havent i moved from 264. Its not like i am cheating . I just finished my cycle today. I feel I should of lost more weight buy now. 17 pounds is nothing to me. The docter told me the first month that I would have lost 30 or 40 pounds the first month. This month is almost over. And I am very frustrated. Any help would greatly appreciated I drink my protein drinks and water. Michele

You have to be patient hon, it will come off. Some people lose it right away, some don't. I didn't and I started out with a BMI of 49 (on the day of surgery), like you did. It took about 2 weeks for me to see any significant weight loss (aabout 17 lbs like you too) and then I didn't lose any (except for a pound here or there) for about 3 weeks. I still have days (like now) when I won't lose anything for 10 or 11 days! It's frustrating, but I keep reminding myself that I didn't gain it in a few days so why should it come off in a few days? I spent my whole life being overweight and at least now I know that the weight I lose, I will never allow myself to put back on (like I had done in the past). And the body sometimes has an agenda of it's own. We're starving it now and it wants to survive, so it's going to hold on for dear life. It's not used to this! Eventually though, it does come off. It's been 3 months for me and I'm down almost 60 lbs but I see people who lose more and those who lose less. Everyone is different and we'll all get there eventually! Hugs, Vi www.sitekreator.com/ShrinkingViolet

Michele: Hello and welcome to the other side, a new life/journey that WLS will allow you to take.....This new life is a challenge at many times, it is filled with ups and downs and bumps in the road.....I know it is very difficult to be PATIENT and allow your body to do WHAT IT WILL regardless of the things you do to influence it otherwise. OUR GOALS (*what we feel/want the scale to read) are not exactly in agreement with the body (which is in charge so to speak!) SO SO many things factor into wt loss and this is why NO ONE can compare or say there is a NORM for wt los post wls....Age, ht, wt starting, diet history, genetics, meds, comorbid health issues etc al play a role..there are factors we can control but there are JUST AS MANY WE CAN NOT! IT IS COMMON to gain wt up to 20# some say in the hospital it is lost quickly usually as it is just fluid! (I looked at stats I lost 29# in month one..was that a failure I didnt lose the 30# your surgeons suggested??? I THINK NOT!!! the next month was 19#...then 15# then 12#, then 10# then 7# then 5# then 3# then 1# then 5# then 2# then 1#....I GAINED 5# after 1 yr cause I got ****y with my self and started eating more and more carbs!!!let this be a lesson this is about changes we need to make..)Please try and look at the big picture I propose: Most of us have WLS to be HEALTHIER...and wt loss is a BONUS in that equation....I can not tell you how often I have heard this complaint from newbies (experienced myself also!) I am a slow loser, this isn't working, what am I doing wrong (as if we had total control...NOT!). "I will be the ONLYone WLS doesn't work for!"...We all hink it at one time or another usually.....So with that said YOUR NORMAL (if there was such a thing!)... TIPS to STOP obsessing and going 'crazy' FIRST AND FORMOST reframe your mindset... ~1) THIS IS about a LIFESTYLE CHANGE and developing HEALTHY Habits that will serve you to be HEALTHY for LIFE! (Notice no where in there did I say l lose wt )....although that will happen...how fast, much is dependant on your body, and how you choose to develop those habits and use your tool.... ~2) THROW THE SCALE AWAY!!! (*I had to get it out of my home many times!) I literally took it to my moms and only weighed weekly or monthly or when I went to doctors..which in beginning was often enough...The scale is SUCH a poor measure of health, success or anything I call it a HUNKAMETAL! IT lies often..it changes OFTEN for no good reason either! It is a number NOT WHO YOU ARE or how succesful you are/aren't... ~3) Now that the scale obsession is taken care of how will you measure success/health!? Humm measurements, photos, looking at self NAKED in a mirror daily. Look to the changes, this is to take mind off scale and help you adapt a better body image, an accurate one, to help the 'head' which needs time to adjust. The brain is a slow organ, we avoided the mirror usually for yrs...now befriend it..learning to love yourself and changes that are happening! See how you feel, what new things the chagnes on this journey have allowed you....etc. THE SCALE IS so much NOT the object to look to! (Now or forever, IMHO!)....IT IS NOT EASY but I feel it is needed and freeing quite frankly! ~4)Why did you do this? Journal about it, your goals, ambitions, expectation. Now reflect how are you doing/feeling, challenges, successes!!! This is a time of LEARNING, learning to be a new person, you have afforded self with a tool one to learn so much abouot you! ITs about you not the scale ok! (gentle hugs)..... Now plateaus happen, your in HIBERNATION MODE most likely: Hibernation Syndrome After WLS, you may be feeling tired and become depressed. When you are several weeks post op, and are either on a liquid diet or you are eating many fewer calories than you were pre op, this depression and inactivity can become more pronounced. All you want to do is sleep, you may have crying spells, you may begin to believe that the surgery was a mistake, or you may think 'what in the world have I done to myself?' All these feelings are completely normal and, to a certain extent, are to be expected. The low number of calories you are eating produces what many of us call the 'hibernation syndrome' and your depression and feelings of despair, are a direct result. During the weeks immediately following surgery, our body starts to notice that we are not taking in enough calories. It doesn't know we've had WLS, or that it's the year 2006. Our body is missing food, thinks this is a famine, and struggles to conserve our energy. The human body reacts like it always has in a famine; it makes us depressed--so we don't have the motivation to do anything, and it makes us tired--so we don't have the energy to do anything. In this way, we will conserve as many calories as possible and remain alive. You can see the practical value of this as our bodies have been living through famines, snowstorms, and other periods of unstable food supply for centuries. This stage can last several weeks. Our discomfort is compounded as we are, at this same time, trying to recover from major surgery, adopt new eating habits, and deal with a liquid or soft diet. To get out of this stage, our body has to say to itself 'gee, this famine is lasting a bit too long. If I keep conserving my energy with inactivity, I will starve to death. I'd better use my last store of energy (the remaining fat and muscles in our body) to hunt up some food'. At this point, our body will switch from getting energy from food, to getting energy from our fat (and muscle too if we don't eat enough protein) and that is what we want. In order to deal with this difficult transition period, tell yourself that you're right on track; this is exactly what is normal and to be expected. Tell yourself that, in a few weeks, this will pass, and you will feel like a completely new person. We all seem to turn the corner about 4-6 weeks post op. Then, your mood will lighten and, with your weight loss starting to add up, you'll feel more positive and have a better outlook on life. Just keep telling yourself that you will not always feel this way! You WILL be back to feeling like your old self. Just give it time! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So don't despair please, instead see what changes your making in your life...are you drining water? Exercising (if allowed), moving more at least? Trying to focus on protein first then healthier choices/ Eating as directed, taking vitamins? Suppliments or protein shakes? Are you followign up with labs/providers? Those are your tasks now...and for life! Those things w/ the tool get you to a healthier place in life...set small realistic attainable goals>>>>PLEASE do not make them number or scale related ok!>>>>> The abovve is my opinion, frommy experience of 3+ yrs, from running online and in person support groups, from seeing preop and postop wls patients in my practice...I say challenge yourself to be healthy physically and emotionally! YOUR DOING GREAT dont justlook at the scale and avoid it as necessary, learning to do that is new also a new idea for a new lifestyle! Remember we all lose differently, I for instance lost most my wt in 7mo, where a friend took 2 yrs to lose hers..see the journey is different, but we both are now doing what we need to to maintain that success the lifestyle habits are ingrained use the first 6 months (the honeymoon period) to do all you can to influence your habits and that will in turn influence the hunkametal too!!!!!!!!!!!! WLS is a chance to live differently (and of course lose wt but I think that is a side effect really of the healthy habits and living!)...this is forever it isnt a diet and IT IS NOT A RACE!!!!!!It is a tool to help us lose ~50-80% of our excess wt, some more some less, either way it is a great tool! HUGS!~ Take Care, Jamie Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh 320/163 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery) Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King "Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"