Question:
I am 19 day's post-op and have only lost 9 lbs. since the morning of surgery.

Has anyone else started out like this? It seem's like I hear people losing 22-28 lbs. their first month. Also, I measure my food and can eat 1/2 C. of cottage cheese, yogurt,etc. without feeling full. Isn't this strange? I don't eat more than that amount but find it wierd I havn't felt full yet from anything. I started at 228 lbs. at my pre-op/then to 223 morning of surgery(after the bowel prep and liquid's)and now I am 214. Is this abnormal??? ~~~Angie    — Angela Q. (posted on September 28, 2003)

September 28, 2003
Angie - I think you are doing great! Eating a 1/2 of cottage cheese and yogurt is normal.. I am almost 4 wks out and eat 1/2 of pretty much everything from chunky soups to re-fried beans. Also I always measure everything and there has been only a few times where I have had the "full" feeling. Most of the time I just eat and know that I am content so I don't let it bother me. As for the weightloss. I think we need to give our bodies a little bit of time to adjust. Just do what I did and throw away your scales. Really I feel so much better without seeing my scale every morning. I am concentating more on how I feel and what my body needs. Hang in there! The weight will come off :-) Take Care....
   — baybekmbrly

September 29, 2003
Please don't judge your weight loss after only 9 days. You could be retaining fluids from surgery. 9 lbs is very good. After 30 days I had lost 16lbs, while others I knew lost 28-50. It takes time for it to come off, and everyone thinks that they are losing too slow in the first month. (peek in the archives and you can see just how many). I even know someone who lost 50lbs the first month who thought it was too slow. I am 5 mos out and down 78lbs. It will come off. You are doing good- 283/204/175
   — M B.

September 29, 2003
If I could do one thing and bottle it and give to all new post-ops it would be this advice: Please do not let the scale determine your progress, your body is undergoing tremendous change and it will for a few months now. Please get rid of the scale until at least 6 months out (the scale is a must for maintainance) and rely on a tape meausure. Take your measurements now and every two weeks on, because depending on the lenght of time of your obesity, there can be many factors that come in play, our bones are more dense and weigh more than someone never obese..... You will be going through many many changes this first year, but as long as you are following your Dr.'s advice for the 1st 6 weeks of healing and getting your excercise and water, water, water, you will be fine. If you use your tool and listen to your body, you will lose, so stop focusing on the scale and focus on your body, the scale is not friendly, even now I can wiegh myself everyday and have a range of 5-7 lbs difference, but I know that I am doing what I am supposed to so it is now just a number and not my key to how I would let my day go. Believe me, you will be at goal sooner than you think, and you'll be amazed at how fast it all happened. At your stage, your body is probably pissed off that you did this and it will hold on to everything because of the shock, just stay focused and it will be fine.
   — Dana B.

September 29, 2003
I am very familiar with this.... 20 lbs down 6 1/2 weeks out....I started at 252...the lady in the hospital bed next to me is way ahead of me and has lost double what i did ....being a "slow looser" bites the big one ....BUT here is youur encouragement...if you go back in the Library , type in "slow looser" and the go back and read every profile of every questions a slow looser ever posted ...and guess what you will find???? EVERYONE of them eventually LOST to their goal ....it went slow but within a years time they were down 100+ pounds! and so will you! and so will me! ITS okay Its WILL WORK!
   — E. V.