3 week stall -- feeling like a failed dieter

just you posting your comment makes me feel less alone in this blasted moment!
thanks sleeve sista'

I'm not a sleevie, but what I experienced was reality smacking me pretty hard over the head.  The euphoria of the pound a day weight loss immediately after surgery is intoxicating.  Yeah, this is how weight loss is supposed to go, this is great.  Then around three or four weeks, the body hauls up short and says, nope, Honey you gotta work for it.  Remember those bags of Kettle Chips and six packs of Bud Light?  They ain't gonna melt off your butt without some major sweat and tears.  So get to it girl.  Walk another mile, drink another bottle of water.  And maybe, just maybe if you've been really good, I'll let go of a pound or two.

Perspective is everything, I didn'****ch each pound going on, but I'm sure as hell watching each pound disappear.  It just seems like the disappearing is taking forever.  However, the disappearing this time is forever.  You're not on a diet, you're not going to yo-yo.  This is your new life, and it needs to shape itself a little at a time.  Hang with it.  What else can you do but wait for it?  Maybe the anticipation will make us appreciate it all the more.

Yep, you wanna get that protein up, but yes, this is something you will have to ride out. Remember, you just removed a big portion of an organ! Your body is going, "WTF?!!" and needs some time to catch up. My wt loss has gone like this: lose, up-down-up-down-up-down, LOSE, up-down-up-down, etc. It'll be ok!! You won't fail. :) 

Abby

Ahhh yes, those dreaded stalls               Most of us have experienced the same thing..... and probably most of us have thought the same thing.......  Are we failures?  Am I done loosing?  etc.   You are NOT a failure.  Just keep on your plan and the weight will come off.  You are doing an awesome job!!!!  Dont doubt yourself!  HUGS,  Cindy

Love your Sleevie.  It's normal and we all went through the stall.  Hang in there and be kind to yourself.  They say that stress makes us stall so get out there and take a walk, drink a shake and read a fun book.  The rest will take care of itself.  Why even think that you might be a failure?  It's definitely not somewhere you want to take your mind.  Your little Sleevie is just getting acquainted with you and will serve you very well.

my advice is don't weight yourself everyday and the "stall" won't seem so momentus.  you had a great first two weeks & pre surgery weight loss,  give your body a break (expectation wise)

You're doing very well, your body has to have time to adjust and rest from all the changes going on.  You're losing inches, and following your plan.  You will be fine.

Tracey, hide the scale for a week...or at least until Sunday. Then hide it again til next Sunday. Do NOT weigh in between.

Do this until you are sure you're okay. We all stall, we all go up and down. Frustrationing is what it is but if you let it consume you, it will make you nuts.

Pay more attention to your clothes and your measurements than the scale right now.

Liz

 Everyone else has weighed in with sage advice for you, Tracy, but that won't stop me from joining in on the ((GROUP HUG)) I encourage you not to define your success by a number on the scale, In my experience, thats a well-known recipe for defeat. You're a winner, as proved by the very fact that you've taken control of your situation. Remember that always... xo

The insane NP at my practice actually had a good description of this that helped me ride it out last year.

She said that initially, no matter which surgery you have, your bodythinks it has been pushed off a (food) cliff, and is in free-fall, flailing away and screaming WTF???? at the top of its lungs.

After a period of time, might be one week, commonly 3, might even be 8, your body realizes that it is NOT going to hit the ground, you ARE going to continue to feed it, and maybe it should take stock of what's going on.

That's the point you're at. Your body is consolidating itself: reorganizing and inventorying fat stores and muscle in preparation for what you are doing.

Hang in there. Some bodies are slower at this process than others, but you WILL lose again because you are NOT a failed dieter (although absolutely, that is precisely what it feels like!) - you are an in-progress goddess.

Drape your toga elegantly, and things will be fine in a bit.