Question:
I WAS WONDERING HOW MUCH WEIGHT I SHOULD BE LOSING?

i am 12 days out and as of last friday i had lost 23 pounds since before my liquid diet which i was on for 8 days before the surgery but i weighed myself today and i was the same as last friday..im concerned..how much weight is normal to be losing??    — carissamarieg (posted on October 20, 2009)

October 20, 2009
You may be on a plateau. I know my first one happened about 2 weeks out from surgery. I remember thinking that I didn't have the surgery to just lose 12 pounds. Because your body is losing so fast it has to adjust itself to the weight loss. When I wasn't losing weight, I was losing inches, and that was a good thing. You will have several plateau's along the way and they are very frustrating, but realize your body has to catch up. If we were able to lose weight like "normal" people, the plateaus wouldn't be so bad, but we are losing alot faster than any "normal" person could. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions. I'll be happy to answer them if I can. Good luck!
   — Dawn A.

October 21, 2009
I am 21 days out from surgery, lost 25 pounds between the week before surgery and 2 weeks after, but haven't lost anything this week. But, I have been ill with an upper respiratory infection, had a steroid shot, and now taking oral steroids. I've noticed my face puffier in the mornings--probably due to steroids, and I'm hungry a lot more. You don't say which surgery you had, but if it was gastric banding, like me, you probably haven't even had your first fill yet. I have to remind myself to just be patient. I didn't put it all on inmmediately and it won't all come off immediately. Just be patient and make sure you are drinking all your liquids.
   — ladybugtx18

October 21, 2009
Everyone is different, and will loose weight at a different rate. Also, your rate of weight loss will change over time. It is too soon for you to be obsessing over your weight loss. Unless your surgeon has you coming in for a check-up, I don't even know why you are weighing yourself so often. Your body is still recovering from the surgery, and you are not even eating a normal diet yet. As a general rule, you'll tend to lose more weight each month during the first 6 months following surgery. As you get closer to your goal, weight loss will slow down, and you will even experience a few plateaus. This is a time when your body is trying to adjust to all of the changes resulting from you weight loss. It is a normal and necessary part of the process. I am 5 years post-op and am at my goal weight. I did not even reach that until about 3 and 1/2 years post-op. Toward the end I was losing only about 1-2 pounds a month. This is not a race. I had the surgery to improve my health and regain a normal lifestyle. By then end of the first year, I felt 20 years younger. I was able to do so many things that I hadn't been able to do in years. I had much more energy, my joint aches and pains were gone, I no longer became short of breath with activity, my sleep apnea disappeared, and my blood pressure returned to normal. The weight loss surgery is just a tool to help us with weight loss and maintenance. Spend the first year closely following all of your surgeon's rules so that you develop good eating habits for the rest of your life. During the first year, it's easier to develop new habits because you are loosing weight quickly, seeing and feeling a lot of changes, and your excitement and motivation are high. I would strongly recommend joining and regularly attending a WLS support group. You'll get good information relevant to WLS patients, get answers to your questions, and find support and encouragement from people who have (or are) going through the same struggles and successes as you. As a support group leader, I've noticed that the people who regularly attend support group meetings have more success with their weight loss and even better success keeping it off. As a final note, I wouldn't get too worried about a plateau until it lasts more than a month. As long as you are not gaining any weight, your body is just adjusting to the weight loss you've already experienced. If you are gaining weight, you need to become more concerned. If you've gained or plateaued during a two week period, begin to keep a log of all of the foods you are eating, when you are eating, how much exercise you are getting, and the vitamins you are taking. If, after a month you haven't been able to pin-point the problem and get back on track by returning to the basic rules of weight loss given by your surgeon, then take the log to your surgeon and/or his dietitian to see how they can help. Enjoy your journey toward better health, and God Bless.
   — KimM

October 21, 2009
You should not just be focusing on pounds lost. You will also be losing inches as well. My doctor tells his patients not to weigh but once each week. Most of the patients here didn't bother to weigh themselves everyday pre surgery so why now? The weight didn't come about overnight and it shouldn't be expected to be lost overnight. Remember to exercise this is very important to help keep muscle mass which you need.
   — rkurquhart

October 23, 2009
Thank You. I am 3 weeks post surgery and have not lost any weight in a week. I lost 21 lbs in 2 weeks and now have stopped and was wondering if it was something I was doing or not doing. Glad to see that this is "normal".
   — marilynh