Feeling so Discouraged

Hi everyone. I'm brand new here. I had my first appt for weight loss surgery last week. My doctor put me on a plan to begin losing weight with a hope of having surgery this summer. I lost 5lbs within two days. Since then I've only been gaining.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm following his plan to the T. I haven't deviated even a little bit. I emailed him today letting him know what's going on, and he responded... but the questions he asked showed that he really hadn't read the email.

I feel like I'm so new to this that this is really difficult for me. I've been successful in the past losing weight with Weigh****chers, but I can never keep it off. I do know though, how my body generally loses. I usually lose pretty well right after starting a plan, and then it slows down. So this is clearly not the case.

The doctor did ask me if I had started working out, and I haven't. I'm just REALLY struggling to find the motivation since I'm just gaining weight on this plan. Please tell me this is something that happens to people. I'm ready to call and cancel all of my appts. I'm barely eating anything at all, and I'm not losing. Im watching my family eat dinner every night while I can't. I would be ok with that if I was losing, but not losing is making this REALLY REALLY tough.

I'm sorry you're having a hard time. Try not to get discouraged during the pre-op diet. You don't yet have the advantages surgery will provide! Can you describe what your typical day of eating on this plan looks like?

Thank you! Im trying. This is hard.

Between 9-11 I have a protein shake (Optifast HP)

Between 12-3 I eat a Pure Protein bar.

Between 4-6 I eat another bar.

At 7 I eat dinner. Dinner is 6oz of lean meat (usually plain boneless skinless chicken breast) and 3 oz of either apples, raspberries, or strawberries.

Well I can see why you feel frustrated that you're not losing! But our bodies can be fickle, And it's possible you're experiencing water retention and hormone fluctuations. Hang in there!

Substitute the fruit for a big helping of vegetables. I'm nearly 14 years post surgery and never eat fruit, too much sugar and it spikes insulin and carb cravings. I do eat meat and a ton of non root vegetables (ie they grow ABOVE ground)

Same, though I'm not as far as you! Fruit is a rare thing for me, and I'm picky about the fruit. Banana? No way! Some blackberries, occasionally. Watermelon during watermelon season? Yes. All the time yes. I will have some ripe watermelon every day and this coming fall/winter I will eat persimmons. They are my absolute favorite fruit and their window of availability is tiny.

Thank you both. I appreciate your responses. Unfortunately I'm worse than a small toddler when it comes to vegetables. I'm trying... I really am. But I'm not there yet. So my doctor told me to eat only these specific fruits and only 3oz. for now.

I'm with you on the veggies. (PTSD type reaction from being force-fed as a child)

Concentrate on proteins and water. Dehydration, even slight, can cause your body to try to hold on to fluid and fat and can adversely affect metabolism. Try to let go of the idea that you have to have fruits and veggies in order to be healthy. Most of the nutrients we need are present in a lot of different foods.

When you do eat fruits, some are more "sugary" than others. Bananas for instance are VERY sugary, and the recommended serving size is 1/2 of a banana, but most people eat the whole thing. A glycemic index table can give you an idea which ones are less sugary.

Try not to get discouraged. I lost virtually nothing in a 3 month insurance required pre-op diet. I didn't even lose during the immediate "fasting" diet my surgeon had me do for a week before surgery. The surgery gives you advantages that really make a difference.

There will be times when our bodies become the most stubborn toddlers in the world and it's important to remember that weight loss is not a straight downward drop. I go from down, to flat lining, to a raising a bit all the time. You are also doing something brand new as far as eating, your body could be trying to hold on to everything it can since you are putting less food in.

Thank you for this! It's just so hard to stay on track when I'm not losing. It's one thing if it's hard and I'm losing. It's something else completely when it's hard and I gain.