Question:
I am post op 1-1/2 weeks, anyone hit a plateau?

I am post-op only 1-1/2 weeks, doing great, no pain, no problems at all. I have lost 30 lbs, but all of a sudden stopped. For the last 3 days, nothing. Has this happened to anyone else? Please help...    — bubbarino (posted on April 12, 2004)

April 12, 2004
Happens all the time. Put the scale away and you won't notice the plateaus. I weighed myself twice in my first two months - both at the surgeon's office. Believe it or not, the weight still comes off whether you weigh yourself or not, and you will get a lot less frustrated...JR (open RNY 07/17/02 -208# since surgery, -221# total, 6# til goal!!!)
   — John Rushton

April 12, 2004
30 Pounds in 1 and 1/2 weeks...........good grief, that's super! I only lost 10 pounds in the first three weeks and considered that wonderful. My advice, if you're going to weigh everyday, don't obsess over what the scale says. You can't help but lose at this stage but sometimes, and it can occur at various stages, our bodies just need to take a brief rest. You can't possibly be on a plateau since a true plateau is a much longer period of time than 3 days. Some doctors define a plateau as no weight loss in at least a month. You just need to relax, follow your doctor's instructions, (protein, water and exercise) give thanks for the rapid weight loss thus far, and let this process work for you.
   —  SCbabe B.

April 12, 2004
this is not a plateau. you will not loose weight every day or even every week. It is very common to loose only 1 week out of a month. you will loose faster some months and slower others. You WILL make your self insane if you are weighing in every day at this point. PLEASE , be realistic about your weight loss. If you lost at this pace( as I am sure every one would like to you would loose 100 pounds in a month. Now, that is just no going to happen, nor would it be healthy. relax, and let your body heal.
   — **willow**

April 12, 2004
During the first five months, I only weighed myself twice per month. Even with an 80+ pound loss the first month, I didn't want to become obsessed with the daily 2-3 fluctuations that "normal" people experience. Even now, after laboring weighing myself daily for several months, I find that I am better served weighing myself only a couple of times a week; it is tough, however, breaking free from that cycle where I would customarily reward any weight loss with a little food treat (after all, I had dieted and "earned" it) and would soothe any dissappointment with any weight gain with a little food treat (after all, it didn't really matter that I had been "good", so why not have a little something to ease the pain). As for plateaus, if you are weighing yourself every couple of weeks, you can probably avoid plateaus (periods of longer than 2 weeks in which there is no weight loss)-- I did for the more than 13 months over which I lost my 280+ pounds. Good luck.
   — SteveColarossi

April 12, 2004
Basically, you lost a lot of water weight so now what will come off is fat. Now it will be fast but normal rates. ie 5 lbs a week. Since it has only been a week and a half you can't really say it's a plateau though since at most you should be weighing once a week. You can weight everyday for fun, but if the scale doesn't move one day, then it stops being fun. Sounds like tings are going very ewell for you. The average loss for the first whole month is 20-30 lbs. You've hit that in a week. Yay!
   — mrsmyranow

April 12, 2004
Paul, this happens to EVERYONE. Sometime in the first month or two your body realizes "HEY, what's going on here? HALT!" And that it does. But your body gets over it and you will start losing again. I agree with the previous posters....Put down the scale and walk away. If you can't help it (like me) weigh in once a week. Just not every day.
   — RebeccaP

April 12, 2004
Don't worry about it. First, losing 30 lbs in 1 1/2 weeks is a lot. You will find that the scale will stand still for weeks and then BANG! you have lost another 10 or 15 lbs. It's the inches that will surprise you.. We get caught up on the weight but forget about INCHES. It's the inches that is going to change the clothing you wear and how you fit into chairs, etc. AGAIN, don't get caught up on the numbers. Good Luck to you... I'm 1 year post op and Life IS GOOD! Enjoy your new life!
   — Linda R.

April 13, 2004
Step away from the scale!!!! While 30 lbs in 1.5 weeks is awesome, you will go insane if you weigh yourself every day. Relax-- you just had major surgery and you are in the process of adjusting to a whole new way of eating. Give yourself time to recover-- take walks, drink lots of water, concentrate on your MD's post-op eating plan and taking vitamins and getting enough protein. You will lose the weight-- just don't lose your mind over the numbers.
   — lizinPA