Question:
2 1/2 months and already on a plateau!! Is this normal??

I had my surgery on 3/26 and have lost 65 lbs so far. 45 of that the first month. I seem to have hit a plateau for the last 2 weeks that I can't get off of. What can I do? I have increased exercise, water intake, protien intake what are the other options?    — shellyjoel (posted on June 4, 2004)

June 4, 2004
Shelley, CONGRATULATIONS on the loss so far, and the surgery! This is totally normal, and it's the first of many (don't shoot the messenger!!). Your body did some TURBO weight loss and it's like "HOLD UP! I NEED TO REGROUP AND ADJUST!". The best thing to do to keep your spirits up is to use the tape measure. If you go a couple of weeks without losing, measure your waist or hips, and you'll see that you're still getting smaller! Also, increasing exercise is WONDERFUL but remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so it can stall the scales - but in the best way possible! HANG IN THERE!
   — ScottieB86

June 4, 2004
relax!! this is very very normal. i have noticed over the years there are 2 main ways people lose their weight after having wls. the first group loses smaller steady amounts without alot of plateaus. the second group lose big amounts really fast and then plateau and then lose fast amounts and then hitting another plateau ect... this is very normal. another thing that really helped me was to look at the reunion pages at the top of the screen. i like to look at the reunion page with people who had their surgery 2 months BEFORE me. by looking at what they are going thur i know what to except and that i'm right on target with my peers and it keeps the stress away. remember you always lose your biggest amount of weight during the first month and then it slows down. best of luck to you.
   — franbvan

June 5, 2004
Shelly- By increasing your protein intake and decreasing your carb intake you can shorten the duration of plateaus. In the 14-15 months it took me to reach my goal (I started at over 500 and wanted to reach about 225), I never had a plateau of longer than a few days by always increasing my protein intake to at least 80 grams a day when the weight loss slowed; I would also dramaticaly reduce my carb intake to less than 20 grams a day (from my usual of about 45 grams). Some other factors to consider in your plateau would be evaluating if you are getting enough calories for your body to not go into starvation (about 700-900 calories depending upon the person), particularly if you have recently begun exercising.
   — SteveColarossi

June 6, 2004
It will pass - believe me you are still losing weight perhaps in unreadable ounces - one day you will rise and put on clothing that was tight or fitted and notice that it almost too big. Learn to weight yourself every 2 weeks or 1 time a month or you will freak yourself out with plateaus - which seemingly come and go quickly.
   — Anna M.