Can I trust the scale anymore?
My surgeons goal weight for me is 140 - 156lbs. I am nearing that window and have left my cardio only workouts in favor of a free weight workout routine targeting two muscle groups per day 6 days per week with about 20 - 30 minutes of cardio each day. It's the typical back/bi, chest, tri, legs/shoulders routine that I see so often at the center of athletic training all done with free weights.
Since starting this routine a week ago (not long I know), my weight loss has halted to a screeching stop. I wonder though, can I really trust the scale anymore? I know that muscle weighs more than fat but, how much muscle can really have been gained in a weeks time for a beginner?
Maybe it's just a stall? I have been lucky to not have had any stalling in my 3 months post op so maybe it's just my time. I swore I wouldn't let stalls make me crazy but, this stall is making me crazy.
What do you guys think?
i would need to know more detail about you and how far you are along, but for me, at around 9 months or so i started strength training harder and my weight also stopped dropping. i have not lost another pound since then, but i did lose a bunch of inches on my pant size and a shirt size. scales are crude measures and don't take into account fitness, hydration, lean muscle mass etc. It is a really really really hard thing to wrap your head around, but not seeing the number drop on the scale isn't necessarily a bad thing. that being said, it also depends on where you are in your post-op journey. i can also say this, strength training is one of the most under-rated forms of exercise post-op, it is critically important in my opinion (and the only sure fire way to increase metabolism). best of luck!
right now. somewhere. somebody is working harder than you.
I'm not sure what else to share. I am 3 months out. Very close to goal. I get in between 80-96oz of water each day. I get around 80 grams of protein a day. I'm 33, 5ft5inches.
I am starting with 15lb weights on most exercises with 3 sets of 8 reps. On my last set I am reaching muscle fatigue so I'm guessing this is an appropriate weight choice. My workout is from the power block dumbbell website. Each day my workout takes about an hour to 1 hour 15 mins. It's pretty full.
I agree that weight training is key. That's why it has become my chosen exercise.
thanks. that's the detail "3 months out". You are pretty early post-op, you must be a light-weight judging from your original post and the fact that you are close to goal so fast. It takes some time to stabilize from fat loss within the body so you may need to be patient on the scale and fat/muscle ratio front. but you are definitely doing the right things.
right now. somewhere. somebody is working harder than you.
I was a light weight at the starting line. Thanks for the thoughtful responses and the encouragement. I'm just gonna press forward and start taking body measurements along with scale. 
I did the same thing as you......For the past 8 months, my workouts were mostly cardio daily and a bit of weight training a couple days a week. I started a serious weight training schedule about 8 days ago and the scale has also stalled. I've read about this before on the threads. I'm not even a little concerned. My eating habits are stellar, and my water intake great. This too shall pass. Good Luck, Sharon
