Question:
Is this all that I'm going to lose?

Not to sound ungreatful but I am about 1 & 1/2 months post-op RNY & have only lost about 35 LBS or so!!! Is this normal??? What the heck is going on? What am I doing wrong or for that matter what should I be doing right? I know 30 LBS is 35 LBS but I've seen people at this stage losing up to 60 LBS. Now, I know everyone is different but don't you think that is a little slow? I started out at around 302, which is no lightweight. I know people with more weight tend to lose more in the beginning. Why is this not happening to me? The first month is when I lost about 30 lbs. then all of a sudden this month I've only lost about 5 LBS. or so. Am I on some wicked plateau or something? What can I do specifically to make the weight come off?    — Allison T. (posted on May 24, 2002)

May 23, 2002
I of all people know how depressing this is, however, it does work out in the end. I started out at 328, (I am 5'1") and I only lost about 17 # the first month!!Read my profile, more near the middle to end. It will go in it's own time.
   — Marie A.

May 23, 2002
This happend to me also at about 3-4 weeks I hit a plateu an did not lose anything for about 2 weeks. Now I am 8 weeks out and have lost 55 lbs.
   — Lisa B.

May 23, 2002
Take your measurements you don't loose pounds and inches at the same time. This happened to me to but am now 9 weeks out and 45 pounds and 28.5 inches lost. So hang in there it happens. I did not lose any weight for three weeks, but lost lots of inches.
   — Tonjia L.

May 23, 2002
Hi! Please don't be discouraged. I started at 322 (had open RNY on 3/18/02). I lost 27.5 lbs by my 5week post checkup. Then I hit a plateau after losing about 30-35 lbs. It lasted 3.5 weeks!!! I thought "Great, I had this surgery, gave up the only thing I really liked and for what?? To sit at 282 pounds ?!?!?!" Then this last weekend the scale moved. It went to 280, then 279, then this morning, it's 268!!!!!!! My waist was at 49ish then today it's 46 and a half!!!!!!!!! plateaus will come. They will go. They will drive you batty! But it's part of the process. Just keep drinking lots of liquids and eat like your doctor suggests and you'll weather through it. Walk a bit. I don't do too much exercise but once a week I do a lot of walking (like at a park or treadmill) and it will get the scale moving. Just relax and enjoy this journey. Afterall. You have spent your whole life seeing big numbers. Enjoy the process as you see new, lower numbers appear. And as they say, measure yourself when you hit a palteau, you may not be losing pounds but you're losing inches, somewhere. My wrist went from a bigger than 8 to now about a 7 and a quarter inches :p (I measure it b/c I've never had a bracelet and REALLLLLLY want one :p) Good luck and keep up the good work!!!!
   — Renee V.

May 24, 2002
Alison ~ Don't worry so much about it. It will happen! I started at 314 and at your point was losing at the same pace. I hit a lot of speed bumps around weeks 3, 4, 5, and 6. I lost only 11 pounds in my whole second month. By week 8 I was down 42 pounds, and honestly a bit discouraged. However, the last 6 weeks I am losing about 5 pounds a week, which I think is GREAT! I am not doing anything differently than I was those other weeks, I think my body was just going through and adjustment period, as is yours. I think the only thing you can do to keep the weight coming off is KEEP YOUR SPIRITS UP, keep exercising, follow the correct food plan, and get in all of your water! Best wishes ~Paula 14 weeks -70 lbs.
   — PaulaM

May 24, 2002
At 1.5 months post-op, I had lost 60 lbs., but I started at 407. Some people's bodies really hoard fat and have a hard time releasing it. I never had a hard time dieting ... I just had a hard time keeping the weight off afterwards!!! LOL Don't worry. You CANNOT fail at this unless you're purposely sabotaging yourself. Just relax and let time pass at its own pace.
   — Terissa R.

May 24, 2002
Hi Allison--I'm sorry you're having a difficult time. But I know that the weight will come off; it has to. I'm going to voice something that most people on this site will probably disagree with, but here goes . . . Why does everyone feel the need to weigh so often? In the past when I've dieted, I remember weighing daily or twice daily or four times daily and getting so discouraged. I hated myself, my life, the scales, everything because I wasn't losing something every time I hopped on the scales. I have made a vow to myself with this surgery not to weigh once a day or even once a week. I'm only going to weigh and take my measurements once a month on my surgery anniversary date. Here's my reasoning: if you only weigh once a month, you probably won't even know about those stupid plateaus, unless they last for several weeks. You'll weigh one day, and you might hit a plateau in the middle of the month that lasts a week or two, but if you're not weighing yourself, you won't even know about it. By the time you weigh again a month later, you will probably have lost something, and you'll be pleased with yourself. That's just my advice. I have also vowed not to view this surgery as another diet because dieting was making me lose my mind. As I said earlier, it was a vicious cycle of self-hatred and discouragement. I refuse to do that to myself again. The weight will come off, and I guarantee it will come off faster than it ever did when on a diet. Just try to enjoy the ride, and base your success on how good you feel and on how your clothes fit. Good luck!
   — Kristie B.

February 3, 2003
I quit losing weight after only 5 months. Not one pound has come off in 2 months! I can't get any answers either.
   — Georgia H.