Newbie concerns...

I'm still in the first month after surgery and am still learning, so I have a question/concern.  In the first 10 days after surgery I lost 13 pounds - and have not lost an ounce since then.  It's been 10 days and nothing.  I don't expect to lose a pound a day, but I am eating tremendously fewer calories and volume that I did before surgery.  Why wouldn't my body continue to reflect this?  Is this something others have experienced?  Maybe it's just my body adjusting to the new way of living?  I don't know what to think.  My concern is if it's difficult to lose this early on, how am I going to get through the rest??  Am I being stupid and having unrealistic expectations?  Please help ease my mind...

Sonja

almost everyone experiences a stall right out of the gate.  It's called the "three week stall", but it can really happen any time during the first month post-surgery.  Do a search on it - again, it happens to just about everyone.  Stick to your program and it will break

Unrealistic expectations. Never underestimate the body's ability to adapt to what you are putting it through. You will not keep losing the way you did initially. Embrace the big initial losses with the understanding that they won't continue. 

Your body gets wise with time and we have to work at staying one step ahead of it. 

Keep in your water/protein goals and incoprate exercise when you are ready. 

It may help to keep a longer term perspective.  In the first 20 days, you have lost 13 pounds. Not bad.  When you weigh yourself - and are down a big amount - like over 1 pound per day - you really did not lose all that as fat - some of it was water and some was your body adjusting from the surgery ( and if you are still menstruating, you have all that to figure into things) . 

I would consider the weight you are now as a truer weight. If you lose 5 pounds in the next two weeks - you are back on track.  I would suggest not weighing daily and seeing where you are at in a week. 

Focus and track what you can control - protein, fluids, vitatims, chewing thoroughly and swallowing slowly, and waiting 30 min between drinking and eating.  Do not skimp on any of these in a attempt to accelerate your weight loss - it will backfire on you - big time. 

I would not say you are being stupid, but you may find WLS-life easier if you concentrate on what you can control and then seeing, periodically - weekly, not daily - what your weight is doing. (Take into account your monthly cycle if you need to - those water pounds will disappear.)  We all wanted the weight to be gone the minute we woke up after surgery - but even at 10 pounds per month - in a year 120 pounds is gone - for good - if you stay in track of things. 

For the first two months post-op, this journey is like a science experiment. You do not exactly know how your body will respond, so concentrate on learning the WLS lifestyle.

Hi Sonja

You are not stupid and its not that your expectations are unrealistic its that you need to ask yourself when have you ever lost 13 pounds in 10 days?  I am going to guess the answer is never.  This is a major change for your body and the calorie restriction is severe in the beginning. Find the white magnifying glass at the top right, and search "three week stall". As the other poster said a stall can happen at 3 weeks, 3 months etc and it does.  Many on here have said, this WLS journey is like a downward stair pattern.  You go down a few stairs (you loose a few pounds) you hit landing (you hit a stall) you then go down a few more stairs (you loose a few pounds) and you hit a landing (you hit a stall). It happened to ALL OF US and you are not alone, you are not doing anything wrong.  This is just the nature of this surgery. Everything is good.

Keep weighing, measuring, tracking in MFP (MyFitnessPal) taking your vitamins and drinking your fluids and try to get as much fresh air and a good walk in as much as you can. You will lose weight, that is evident already.  Its just a stall and as hard as it is to go from 13 lbs lost to nothing and not freak out it is normal and you will lose. Also take your measurements hips/bust/waist, that often changes when there is no scale weight loss.

Keep coming here on OH and let us know how you are doing.  Happy to have you join us on the "Whats on the menu today RNYer", we love newbies!

All the best, let me know if you have any questions.

Daisy 

Thank you all so much for your replies, they are extremely helpful and definitely calmed my nerves.  I am and will continue to track my intake of food and fluids, and continue my walks - although I fell last week, so I have been slow to getting back to it.  I hadn't taken my measurements pre-surgery, but did take them today and will check periodically to see how that side progresses.  I am very happy that I rejoined OH and am very grateful for the friends I am making here

Sonja

I feel like I should save this post for whenever I hit my stall. I know I'll feel the same way. 

Don't worry DG2AWAY. I'm sure there will be plenty on us. I'm hitting mine now. I just had RNY surgery on the 16th and had lost 25lbs. I have not lost anything in the last three days. I know I'm expecting way too much, but other people have said to weigh every day too. I guess I'll just keep my eyes and ears open and listen to people here and my doctor. Thanks for all of the great advice everyone. 

I definitely lost weight in a stair step pattern. I would often feel like you do, where you feel like you are losing nothing. Just keep on doing the right stuff and your tool will work for you. A month or two later you will look back and see that you did lose over that time. Be patient, stick with your plan, and you will get through this.