I could use positive thoughts and helpful hints.

I had the lap band in 2008, lost over 100 pounds and then it slipped and my port flipped.  Gained every single pound back. 

I did gastric bypass on May 18.  Today is 4 weeks out.  I am only down 19 pounds.  I was 12 pounds down one week after surgery.  In fact, last week I gained two.  How, I have no idea.  I am struggling.  I think I’m so hungry and then I start eating and get nauseated.  I’m working on getting my liquids in.  I think I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and then I come to this group and see all of these remarkable weight losses in the first month and feel like a failure. 

What helpful hints can you give a newbie?  I’d really appreciate some positive thoughts and prayers too.  I have to make this work.  The rest of my life depends on it.  Thanks!

You are down nearly 20 pounds in four weeks.  That's 5 pounds a week.  There is no diet in the world that offers that kind of return.  I am not sure where you are failing.

The remarkable weight losses you see in other people in the first month are the exception, not the rule.  At the end of a year, you and they will be completely even.

As for helpful hints, whatever you are doing seems to be working fine.  Keep it up!  Post a day's food intake for us to critique if you wish, though.

Audrey

Don't compare yourself to anyone else it will make you crazy.  I would also suggest to not weigh yourself every day.  I am struggling with that myself.  But the scale makes me a crazy mess so I have vowed to not get on the scales until my next Dr. appointment.

Try to walk some if you can. 

You are doing great - hang in there.

I'm still on a partial mushy diet.  

For breakfast - oatmeal

Lunch - chicken salad with string cheese

Dinner - egg salad with some more cheese

Not exactly exciting but I'm still having problems with some foods and am afraid of stretching anything out. 

Do you measure everything out?

I would ditch the oatmeal and go with either eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta bake, etc.  Remember just because it is Breakfast time doesn't mean you have to eat breakfast foods. 

Are you drinking any protein shakes?

One other thing how is your water intake?

Absolutely, positively lose the oatmeal.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks should be protein forward.  Only after eating all your protein for the day should you even consider carbs.  And don't be afraid of fat.  Fat does not make you fat. 

Drink lots and lots of water. 

Take all your vitamins.  Eating low carb high protein can cause all kinds of issues if you don't, not to mention you malabsorb vitamins right now anyway.  What vitamins do you take?

Toss in some low sugar protein drinks or bars too if you must.  Some people find these necessary to maintain protein intake.  Others don't.  Your mileage may vary.

And I know some nutritionists and surgeons would say otherwise about carbs this early on.  I would tell them that they should be ashamed of themselves.  Why waste this premo time of malabsorbtion and weight loss on foods that do nothing for you, your weight loss or your healing process?

Don't be afraid of stretching anything out.  This early out, your pouch will let you know loooong before that happens... and often in a rather unpleasant manner.

Again, I think you are a success right now, not a failure.  But these would be my helpful hints.

Audrey

Some people list the number of pounds they lost each month in their signatures  (e.g. M1 -20, M2 -15, M3 -12 etc).   Twenty pounds the first month seems pretty normal to me.   I mean just based on what I'm seeing in people's signatures.

I do get that it is 5 pounds a week.  But I lost 12 pounds the first week and only 7 pounds in the last three weeks.  I was expecting more. 

I lost 20 in the first month, very comparable to 19. You also went through the stall that pretty much all of u**** in the first month as well. Use the search tool and look up "3 week stall". In the first month, I had gained in the hospital, lost that, stalled, went up and down two pounds for a week and a half, and then leveled out. My loss has been steady over time, but fluctuates in quickness. I can drop a half pound a day for several days in a row, then lose nothing for the next week. The overall trend is a loss. Don't compare your loss to others. It is hard not to do, but you will find some people lose very quickly, and for others much more slowly. Stick to the basics, protein, water, vitamins, etc, and it WILL WORK. You are doing great!!!

Most people lose in a stair step pattern--I certainly do.  Keep in mind that as long as you stick to your plan, it's physically impossible to not lose weight as you simply cannot take in enough calories.  To maintain your current weight, multiply it by 10--that's roughly how many calories you need per day to maintain.  I bet if you track your calories, you will find that you are at a significant deficit.  

Keep to your plan, consult with your nutritionist or surgeon if you need to and don't sweat the small stuff.  It will come.  :D

Jen