Not losing like I thought I would.

Hi, I think I'm doing everything right, but I am not seeing the results. Initially, after my surgery on July 6th, the weight came off great. Then after about the third week it slowed and I actually gained 1.5 pounds! I called the nutritionist in a panic and she assured me that it was just fluid retention. Well, about 2.5 weeks later I'm back in the same boat, gained 1.5 pounds!!! It certainly can't be what I'm eating, because on average I consume less than a thousand calories. I keep a very detailed food journal. Most of the time I'm not eating much "real" food and relying more on the protien shakes, because when I try to get the protien in with food I fall extremely short of the 65 gram daily total. I also exercise on the treadmill for 45 minutes a day. Again, I called the nutritionist and she said it has to be fluid retention. Even if it is, I should still be losing on top of the 1.5lb gain, and I'm not! I'm seriously beginning to regret the surgery. If all I'm going to lose is that initial 25lbs, the surgery was definitely not worth it. I've been reading the "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" book (great resource) and it did mention that some people are just slow losers. This would explain why dieting was always such a disaster for me. Has anyone else out there experienced this problem? I'm really feeling down and could use some support. Thanks, Pam

Oh Girl Friend You Are Soooooooo NOT Alone!!! I had surgery June 27th myself and it has taken me 6 weeks to lose 23 pounds. So I know how ya feeling. Right now I'm at 215 lbs and wonder if I'm ever going to make my goal of 150 at this rate. I'm also with you on the shakes, I just can't consume enough food to make my protein goals. I do the protein powder mixed with C.I.B. and 1% milk and I just recently picked up some Atkins bars to boost my protein in take to see if this helps. I don't own a scale, so that's a good thing, but what I do to find out if I've lost weight is when I go food shopping on Fridays I run in Bed Bath and beyond and weigh myself on the same scale..lol Years ago I lost some weight and I was chained to my scale daily and it was bad. If I had even gained a pound from morning to night I would freak out. It would completely devastate me and I would go into this horrible stu*****w, I just want to live my life and not worry about this crap anymore. So for now I won't buy a scale. This is the only way I will stay sane through this slow loss. I recently posted on the Llightweight board http://obesityhelp.com/forums/wls_lightweights/ and found out my loss is pretty normal. I know I'm not going to have numbers like my hubby will, its a fact, the more you have to lose the faster it will come off. On the flip side of that is people like me and you have a very high chance of reaching goal and in some cases dropping below goal. We also look at having less problems with sagging skin in the end because of the slow loss. So for every downer about the slow loss there is a positive. Your not alone hun, I too was aggravated, frustrated, pee-o.d that I went through all this for nothing, but like someone said to me.... "When was the last time you lost 23 pounds in 6 weeks and kept it off????" So true words... So I'm going continue to chug along on this battle and not let my weight rule me anymore. It did for may years of my life. I was so miserable. I now know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I just have to have patents... I didn't get fat over night and I'm not going to lose it over night..... Keep Ya Chin Up Hun..... You'll Do Great... We All Will........ ~Hugs~ NaDene~ P.S. Here is the link to my post at the LightWeight Board.. http://obesityhelp.com/forums/wls_lightweights/postdetail/12055.html?vc=0 I got so many replies from others like us it made me feel alot better being a slow poke....lol

Hi Pam, Just a thought. LOL! Have you just started exercising, on the treadmill? Muscle, weighs more than fat. Maybe your building up your muscle tone. Maybe you should also measure for inches lost, as well as weigh yourself. I'm not an expert, just something that I learned from going to the YMCA. Good luck, Nancy

Hi Pam, You're not alone, we are all in the same boat....well, most of us. There is no conceivabe way you cannot lose weight. You're walking 45 min a day and building muscle ...and muscle weighs more than fat. Trust me....you will lose. Also, when you have wls, you dont absorb all of the food you eat. YOU WILL LOSE....give it time, You will lose all of a sudden...I kept getting on the scale my dr. Harrington's nut, Helen said to me......stop getting on the scale every day...so i did. Dont feel that the operation isnt working because it is. Like Nadene said, you didnt put it on overnight ...and it wont come off overnight either. I am 12 weeks out August 17th and I have lost 51 lbs...it started coming off slow after the third week. Actually its good to have the lbs come off slow, as I had posted before, the liver goes into some type of spasm when you lose weight too fast because the liver wants to hold on the the fat it has. I also have a very hard time getting protein in. I try to get at least one shake in and some protein bar...beef, chix and eggs, are not too good to me yet. carol b

i couldn't say anything more than any of these other replies, i just wanted to chime in that you are doing everything perfectly!! don't get on the scale too much and you'll never see those gains. i promise! the other thing i've noticed is that right before i get my period - my weight goes up about 2 or 3 pounds. and it comes right off the next week. so really, don't get too frustrated with yourself - you're doing great! better than a lot of people - so many don't exercize!! so just keep up the good work, it'll pay off in the end. Kristen