Question:
3 Wks post op And ?

1st week out of the hospital, the weight was falling off like a hot knife thru butter, I know it was because of the gas they pumpep me with and all the IV liquids, now Im 3 wks post op and the scale isnt moving ? Kinda been hoovering around the same weight for almost a week, taking my protein, water but not enough , yogurt, ect. Walking very little tons of snow was on the ground outside and the weather sucked. Im just wondering if I could have hit a stall so soon? Also can liquids stretch your pouch or yogurts? Also my Dr said no gym for a month or I would go use the treadmill...I hope this changes for me alittle faster. My wife is ready to throw the scale in the trash.. thanks    — barry l. (posted on March 3, 2010)

March 2, 2010
Barry, You could be losing inches now instead of pounds. Inches won't show up on the scale, so measure yourself at least once a week. It is better to lose inches than pounds. So that is a good thing. You are moving right along. No, liquids will not stretch out your pouch, they might make you feel uncomfortable if you drink too much or drink to fast, but they won't stretch out your pouch. Your wife is right about the scale. Let your clothes and the measuring tape be the judge of how much you are losing. The scale is only a number. You can still walk at the gym, light walking, but your doctor means no lifting weights or heavy workout. You have probably lost the water retention, and all the junk from surgery, so you will come to a slow steady loss of inches. Enjoy the journey.
   — Kristy

March 3, 2010
i am four weeks out in down only 19 pounds no weight loss this week
   — teisha652

March 3, 2010
Hi Barry. I too had a slow down in week 3. This won't last, but to get the scale moving again I drank more water and increased my activity/exercise. Good Luck! Lori
   — peaches10101

March 3, 2010
As you will learn, you're perfectly normal. You will have stalls or as I like to call it, "splutters". My entire weight loss process has been like that. Lose 5-7 lbs one week, nothing for 2 wks or more. The further out you get, the slow the weight comes off. Again, this is normal. It can be very frustrating at times but as a guy, men lose faster and reach goal soon than females because of their muscle mass. It's just an edge you all have we girls can't do anything about. You'll be at goal before you know it as long as you follow your doc's orders. Do try to make your fluid goals; push a little more each day until you are easily getting in the 64 oz. Soon you will be exceeding it. And protein is key as well for healing and retaining your muscle mass. Just focus on those two goals and the weight loss will happen. When you're allowed, begin your exercise program. If you're allowed to walk now, make laps in the house if that's all you can do. Any movement is better than no movement and will help to prevent blood clots. Don't throw away your scale but putting it away and weighing yourself only once every two weeks would be better, mentally.
   — Arkin10

March 3, 2010
Barry, I feel your pain. I'm three weeks post-op RNY and just posted a blog entry about having lost a grand total of 10 pounds since surgery. I think maybe our bodies are going "WTF?" and will respond soon as they get the message that the gravy train is over! Ha ha. My surgeon said I could expect to lose as much as 10 pounds a week, so logically I expected 30 pounds by now, pretty frustrated. I think the advice to get off that scale is good. People lose weight with RNY. Follow your program, get in your fluids and protein, get in as much exercise as is permitted. My doc ok'd the treadmill, stationary bike and walking at 2 weeks, saying "just stop if you get tired.' I see what he means, I still don't have the stamina I had before surgery... probably a lingering effect of anesthesia and the large shock to the system surgery represents. But walking... very cool. I just went back to work and have been walking around inside the building on my lunch hour. At first people looked at me funny, but now that they know what I'm up to it's all cool. Keep the faith, brother! We're on the loser's bench now, it's unavoidable for the next six months or so. Practice getting some discipline in now during the honeymoon period because it all gets much harder 6 mos to a year out when the weight loss slows.
   — Greg K.

March 4, 2010
Hi Barry....don't get frustrated. I had lap RNY and my weight loss in the beginning was much slower than I had imagined it would be, too. There were people on the forum who would say "Wow!! Three months out and I've lost 75 pounds!!" and I would just cry because I'd maybe lost 25. But, in the end, it all seems to even out....I'm one year and 2 days out now, and I've lost 140 pounds, and gone from a size 28 pants to a size 10 designer jeans, and a size 3XL shirt or size 28 blouse to a size Large or size 12. I am so amazed every time I look at myself in the mirror that sometimes it seems like I'm looking at a different person, someone who's not even ME. And I guess, in a way, that's the truth. As long as you are following your surgeon's instructions, you'll get there. And if it's slow and easy, then you'll just have to go with it. At least you would have less danger of hormonal flip-flops from losing the weight so rapidly (many hormones are stored in fat, and when you lose it rapidly, they are released into the bloodstream and your emotions start doing a see-saw kinda thing). So, once again....you'll get there. And you can put away your scale if you want to, but I didn't. Weighing daily kept me accountable. I also have an incredible scale, called an Omron Body Composition Monitor, and it measures five different things (weight, body fat percentage, skeletal muscle percentage, BMI and visceral fat percentage). I've found that on days when it gives me a higher body fat percentage than normal, it's usually because I haven't had a bowel movement, so I'm reminded to drink my "Smooth Move" tea. Just do what's best for you, but don't let the starts and stops get you down. It's normal for most of us.
   — Erica Alikchihoo