1st post 6 week post op new guy on the forum

Yea I'm 6 weeks out, Started this journey at 418# ,day of procedure I was 391#, last week I hit 363#. I was loseing 5#'s a week and now have seem to slowed down to 1/2 # last week. What is going on 5#'s a week was nice. What is your experiences with how it comes off . I have added more to my diet is this the norm?  

Hiya Joe and welcome to the Men's board.   First, congrats on your progress so far.  It's very common to hit a mini-plateau from 3 to 6 weeks or so out.   Your body is just catching it's breath and before you know it, it will kick back into gear again and the pounds will start flying off.  

Are you exercising yet?  You're in what many refer to as the honeymoon period right now.  That will last for 6 to sometimes 8 months post-op.  Use that time to your advantage and maximize your weight loss by exercising as much as you can.   You will still lose weight after the honeymoon but it's a little harder.

Best of luck on your journey man!

Chad.

Well, I'm two weeks behind you, but your progress seems fairly comparable to mine.  And yes, I too hit a plateau, for about a week, where I stayed EXACTLY the same each day, within a few 10ths of a pound.  Then, I dropped 5 lbs in one day.  Plateaus are VERY normal, we just have to watch our calories, protein, sodium, etc, and make sure we exercise. I was 414 on day of surgery, 12/20, and am today 385, for a 29 lb net loss.  I packed on 17lbs of water weight during the hospital stay, which took me about the first week to lose. Also, I was warned about UNDEREATING as a prime cause of insufficient weight loss, especially not getting in enough protein.  Easier said than done, I know I am having a hard time getting in 3 meals a day, let alone the 3 between meal snacks they want me to have -- it's all too unappetizing.

Hey Joe, Welcome to the Men’s Forum! Sounds Normal/typical to me. For the Slow down in weight loss? Pull back from your ‘daily’ charting, and look at a weekly or even monthly. There are up and down spikes each day, But if you ‘graph’ the highest to the lowest, I’d bet there is still A downward slope over the course of the month. Many have a "stall" around the third week. For those who had a few weeks of loss prior to surgery It can happen sooner. Very typical, and for good reason… There’s an 8 to 10lb. volume of "wiggle room" due to water alone. And it comes into play a lot. This has to do with our bodies using glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, But it is stored in our muscles for quick energy – One pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, And the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, (Like when you drop down to your calorie intake) Your body turns first to stored glycogen, Which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, You also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it Voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of any diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, Your body starts to ‘realize’ that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue And burning fat for energy. But your body also ‘realizes’---- (by way of your liver releasing hormones signaling low Cal intake) ---That fat can't be used for short bursts of energy – Like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, And rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, (Thus showing negative Calorie load overall) Your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while As you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Yes? The whole ‘weight-loss’ process is not a straight "Slide" down the scale. More like "Stair-Steps," (Down then forward, then down, then forward, etc... As your body cycles fat out of "deep storage" and through the Liver Into the muscles as Glycogen. The muscles and Liver can hold about a 3 weeks supply. This is why many people find that their "Stall" or "Plateau" Breaks when adding a bit of exercise And upping their water intake, or in the case of an "extreme exerciser," The total Calorie or Protein Intake, To signal the liver to let go of more Glycogen. Fear not, many people who are now enjoying life at a normal BMI Once had a few weeks or so of thinking- "...my weight loss has been awfully slow, has it stopped..."? Try a little more walking, or a simple change up in exercise and add more protein Without adding Too many Calories. And, keep the water intake high. If you go a full 4 weeks with 0 (yes, complete 0) loss, Then it can be considered an actual stall or Plateau. Till then, the little slow-downs are actually "Business as Usual." Hope this helps some. You are doing Great! Keep it Up! Best Wishes- Dx