1-Month Post-Op Visit/Weight Loss

Dear Group:

I had my 1-month follow-up with my doctor yesterday and he upset me very much.

When they weighed me, I was down 13.2 pounds from my 1-week follow-up and I was thrilled! Then he came in and said my weight loss was below average for the first month (11.x pounds; I gained 2 pounds at my 1 week follow-up) and I must not be exercising enough.

Do they normally calculate your 1st month weight loss and include the amount lost while on the pre-op diet? If so, I have lost 30.2 pounds! I was an unusal case as I did not see the doctor until the day before my surgery, so the weight they have on record for me was AFTER I had been on the liquid diet for 2 weeks!!

If anyone can shed some light on this I'd appreciate it. I would have said something to him, but this did not occur to me until later on. I have been trying so hard and have started back to the gym and everything so this really upset me!

Amy

Congrats on the loss Amy.  I think you are on the right track.  Each surgeon's office calculates a little differently.  I gained 15 pounds due to IV fluid during surgery, and lost that plus a few pounds during the first month.  When in the past have you been able to lose 30 pounds in 6 weeks or so.  That is great.  Try to increase your activity as you can, several short walks are great.  Increase your fluids and protein intake.  You body is noticing the sudden stop of abundant calories and trying to hold onto anything that comes its way.  I is sometimes hard to wrap your mind around drinking more fluid to lose weight.  Slight dehydration causes your body to retain fluids, thus slower weight loss.

I usually think of things I wished I had said or asked when I visit my MD too.  You are human and doing great.  Just stick to your MD's plan and you will lose the weight.  Feel free to write a list of questions to bring with you.  Call the nurses at your MD's clinic, they will help you with any questions.  Do your best.  Your MD may be trying to use your mind to get you to work harder, just be kind to yourself.  Hugs, Kathy

We all lose at different rates. There is an expected rate of loss that our surgeons really want us to meet. The first 3 months is the fastest loss time. But you see when a surgeons office is designated as a center of excellence, part of that designation is based on patient success. So, he needs you to succeed as much as you want to.

Now i have to say you are the second person in 2 days posting about this, and it is frustrating for me, that he surgeons are so negative with people. They must realize we all lose differently. Many of us will end up in a pwer struggle with our bodies the first month, because our body is trying preserve itsself. You are doing good, even if not up to HIS expectations. They figure the loss based on your pre-op wieght, just before surgery. Whatever weight you are just prior to going in.

Try to increase your water. There is a good liklihood that you can be retaining fluids because at this point it is hard to drink that much..but necessary so your body will not hoard the fluids thus reflecting  less loss, You could have lost 8 lbs of fat but are holding 5 lbs of water. So..to eliminate this from happening up tha****er intake.
Be sure you are getting in protein and all of the meals you are supposed to be, to help avoid your body trying to hold on to everything.

DO not let him make you feel bad. If you are happy with your progress (and why wuldn't you be.. you are doing great!) just follow the rules and don't let him take your feel good from you. You can only do what you can do.

amy, you just hang in there. maybe he was having a bad day. it doesn't excuse being rude, but some docs think of themselves as above socially acceptable behavior. in fact not just doctors. vick