Frustrated and sad

 I had the Realize band almost three weeks ago.  The first week I lost 10 pounds, the second week I lost two and this week the scale is creeping up each day.

I am making good food choices.  I'm eating high protein, low fat, low carb, low salt.  I am journaling everything that goes in my mouth.  I have been under my calorie limit every day.  I'm exercising five to six days a week.  I'm also getting all of my water. It's just so frustrating to see the numbers going up.  I do feel better and already have cut out or reduced a number of meds.  I've lost some inches.  I just want that scale number to go down.

Any ideas what I could be doing wrong?  I can't think of what I might be doing wrong.  I knew plateaus would happen, but I sure didn't expect it so early.  Has anyone else had this problem?  It's really discouraging.

Thanks,
Wendy

Hi Wendy,

You are only 3 weeks in and your body has just been through alot.  I know it is easier said than done but be patient.  I have been through periods when I did not loose weight but the inches were coming off and my clothes were fitting looser for sure. 
It sounds like you are exercising quite a bit...maybe you are gaining muscle at this point.  Muscle weighs more than fat.
Another thing....I think you need to eat all your calories.  Your body may be hanging on to the weight because it is not getting what it needs.  Especially with all the working out you are doing...I think you might  need more.  Tom always explains this very well in his responses...hopefully he will chime in.  You have to eat and feed your body to loose weight.

Be patient and hang in there...you will see the numbers you want as long as you follow your band rules!

Best wishes,
Leslie

Wendy,

 

You are doing two things wrongs.. (1) You are worried about the numbers (2) you are using a scale ..

 

Remember, weight WILL fluctuate. It depends on the DAY, the TIME OF DAY, and what’s going on “physically". If it’s TOM (no not me) time  which then you can be a “little heavier" because of water

 

That’s why I hate “the scale". There are other “scales" you can use to monitor your success: your constant hunger reduction (eliminated); reduced clothing size; increase energy; re-familiarizing yourself to body-parts unseen for years (errr… toes) ; “common" activity becoming easier (walking, climbing steps), just feeling good about yourself; sleeping better (reduced snoring); the mirror; better medical exam results (lower cholesterol and/or blood pressure); etc.

 

Many may compare their lost to someone else’s, and get discouraged. The amount of weight lost is affected by many factors. Everyone loses weight at different rates. It has to do with age, gender, one’s weight, exercise, etc.. A 10 pound lost to one person could be as affected as a 40 pound lost to another. Think of it this way: If a 400-pound person loses 40 pounds; a 300-pound person loses 30 pounds, a 200-pound person loses 20 pounds, and a 100-pound person loses 10 pounds – the 400-pound person didn’t necessarily loose more weight than the others. All three lost 10% of their body weight. Noticed, I started at 435 pounds. So my weight loss, while number wise may seem a lot, could be the “same result" if someone started at a lower weight and lost less “total amount" of pounds

 

And sometimes it is not the number of pounds that someone loses in a specified period of time that is important. Remember, if you are toning up muscle – your weight loss may seem to have slowed (or stopped), when in fact you are replacing fat with muscle. Muscle is heavier then fat. Someone weighing 200 pounds with a body fat percentage of 25 is carrying around 50 pounds of extra fat. That same person weighing 200 pounds with 10 percent body fat would be carrying only 20 pounds of fat. So it’s not the number that is important.

 

A close friend, who is a Certified Fitness Trainer, gave me a valuable lesson concerning losing weight. The first thing he said is “You have to EAT in order to lose weight". I know, it sounds strange. He further explained, this does not mean to OVEREAT, but eat sensible portions. That means eat until you feel full (not stuffed). He explained the body is a marvelous machine, and it will protect itself. If one doesn’t eat enough, the body’s metabolism will slow down - in order to keep it functioning. So make sure you’re not “cheating" your body by not eating enough (thinking the less you eat the more you will lose).

 

We are a generation of instantaneous results, however remember we didn’t put all the weight on at once, it took years. So don’t you think losing it would take just as long? This isn't one of those miracle instantaneous weight loss programs. Those types of programs always fail. This is a way of life. Plus in all my years of losing weight I’ve come too realized with instantaneous weight lost comes instantaneous weight gain.

 

Nowhere does any of the literature state you will lose x amount of weight in x days. Think LONG TERM. That’s what I am doing. My new outlook is  “Slow and steady wins the race".  Even if it take me over 5 years to lose all the weight I want to, I know in the long run I will be happy and healthier. My doctor firmly believes the slower you lose weight, the better chance you have of keeping it off. My doctor reminded me that each pound I gained took time to put on, and it’s going to take some time to lose those same pounds. Try to remind yourself that even if I lost only 1 pound per week, in year’s time I’d be 52 pounds lighter.

 

I noticed you mentioned CALORIES. Don’t worry so much about calories, but more about PROTEIN. Make sure you are hitting your protein amount. Protein will keep you full – longer. Last year when I first had the operation I noticed if I ate 4 ounces of protein I didn’t feel full - however if I ate 6 ounces I did. I spoke to my Doctor about it. FOR ME he said that those “numbers" are somewhat guidelines. He went on to explain there are some folks who feel full on 2 ounces of protein while some need 6 or 8. He also explained that the calories intake should not be too much of a concern in the beginning. The way he explained it to me was: Prior the operation I may have been taken 3,000 calories per day. After the operation, with the amount of food I was taking in - I may have been taking in 1700 calories. While that’s 500 calories more then the recommended daily allotment - it was actually 1300 calories less then what I normally took in. So not only was I losing weight, but was also feel full. We need to worry about calories when our weight slows downs/stops or starts going up. ADVICE WARNING: TALK TO THE DOCTOR BEFORE INCREASING /CHANGE YOUR INTAKE Remember, you don’t want to make your grams of protein by eating 4 gallons of ice cream or a starchy carb. So you need to use some common sense.

Don't be discouraged, As long as you're doing everything correctly, YOU WILL SUCCEED !! YOU ARE DOING PERFECTLY - except stay off the scale !! Only go on once a month.

Know we're here for you !!

 

Wendy,  my doctor warned me specifically that would happen.  When I went in for my one week, I was down 10 pounds and through the roof.  He basically laughed, praised my weight loss but indicated that the first month I’ll see dips and increases.  He said to expect it to go up but to look at the big picture as my body was healing.   With that said, I am a huge hypocrite because I weigh myself too often (only record it once a week though for comparison purposed).  Try not to be discouraged because it really is normal.  I was glad they warned me so that I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened.

Wendy,

I had my surgery almost 3 1/2 months ago and I had a very similar experience. I dropped a lot the 1st week, some more the 2nd, and then almost nothing for the next few weeks. After reading Tom's advice I decided to increase my calories instead of cutting them even more. Wonder of wonders, I actually started to lose weight again. I've had another plateau since then but I decided not to worry about it. After a few weeks the weight loss started again and last week I actually lost more than 4 pounds.

I've been amazed at how quickly my body is changing. Before the surgery I usually wore 3XL shirts and now I'm wearing XL! My waist has gone from 50 inches to 44 (actually, probably less since size 44 pants are now loose on me). I'm having a lot of fun "shopping" my closet for smaller clothes. I'm off of one of my cholesterol meds and can now go up and down the stairs without a lot of pain.

Gaining all of the excess weight I was carrying was not a linear process and losing it won't be either. As long as I continue to focus on consuming quality food rather than junk and stick to reasonable portions and regular exercise I know I will eventually reach my goals. There will be plateaus along the way and possibly even some reverses. What really matters is the overall trend of my weight. If, month to month, it trends downward, then I'm doing fine. Try to take the long view of this weight-loss journey. Remember, we're no longer dieting -- we're changing our lifestyles.

I understand your frustration.  I had my surgery 22 months ago and have 10 lbs to go to reach my goal.  I walked or rode my bike every day, worked out, but had set backs; but over time, I had to be happy for the success andnot look at what wasn't happening.  I also had to remember, that it took me many, many years to put on the weight, so be patient.  The slow weight loss also helped me to tone my body and not have a lot of access skin.  I still have some, but my Doctor said had I lost a lot all at once, I wouldn't have gotten my body back. 

Follow you plan, work with your doctor and you will see the results.  BE PATIENT!!!