Question:
Lost 25 pounds at 1 week visit - now 3 weeks out no loss in 2 weeks

I am three weeks out today and when I went for my 1 week visit I had lost 28 pounds. Now two weeks later I have not lost 1 pound but have had small amounts of puree foods 4 - 5 times a day. I just dont know how you can eat so little and not lose anything. I didnt expect to plateau so early yet when I call the drs office they say not to worry about it. Then last week I had terrible pains in my stomach and in the sternum and they said it would be ok just do liquids a few days. Then this weekend my daughter who is in Med School said no mom thats a hernia - I have a large indentation and then a huge lump above it. I had it the day I left the hospital and the nurse said its just the incision and scar tissue growing. Grrrr I also have problems swallowing anything other than broth, jello and pudding and if I eat even soft noodles it feels like its stuck in my sternum and hurts so bad I want to die. Has anyone experienced this and is the NON weight loss normal???    — LilSisInTx (posted on November 5, 2006)

November 5, 2006
Check with your doctor about a stricture. It isn't a serious fix & can be fixed in our drs. office. Numerous people I know have had one.
   — asinmouse

November 5, 2006
First of all you should only be eating pureed foods at this point & only 3 times a day. You should be drinking 64 oz. of water a day or at least working up to that. You lost 28 lbs in 1 week. Your body is catching up. You should not be eating noodles or high carbs anyway. Your body is adjusting & you have to treat it kindly. You just had major surgery & will been time to not hurt. My Doc had us on 6 weeks of pureed foods. So if you are trying to eat real food at this point you need to chew chew chew that food & eat very small bites. YOu should take up to 30 minutes to eat the 4 oz. of food. Good luck & be good to your self & learn new habits for this to work long-term.
   — Marilyn C.

November 6, 2006
Congratulations on the weight you've lost! I, too, lost what seemed to be a lot of weight in the first week, and then came to a screeching halt! But now am back to losing a few pounds a week. (surgery was 8/21 and I'm 45 pounds down - 85 altogether!!). As for the indentation - is it around the largest incision? If so, this is possibly normal and what the nurse suggested. I had the same thing and have heard of several others that experienced it as well. In fact, after the first week, this was the only part of the recovery that really bothered me - but it went away in about 3 weeks. However - as always - you should check with your Dr. Good luck to you!
   — [Deactivated Member]