Question:
I'm a new post-op and very discouraged. Help?

I am 4 weeks post-op and am very discouraged today. My weight loss was great the first week then not too good week two and three and this morning I weighed for this week and I've gained 2 pounds. (I only weigh once a week). My net loss for 3 weeks is 4 pounds this early in the game. I didn't think that every pound would be a struggle at this point. Closer to goal, yes, but in the begining? I understand that we all go through plateaus and I am sure this is a classic example, but that still doesn't make me feel better. I have been fine with the slower weight loss until today. It hasn't bothered me. My thoughts are this - "Have I put my body through hell for a pound a week?" THat gets me through my first year window not losing half what I should. I know it is early in the game, but the first month of any diet has always dropped the weight off, quicker than this I might add. I lost more the first month at Weight Watchers. I'm sorry to have a pity party, but you guys truly understand. I will say (THANK GOD) this is my first bout of discouragement/depression/crying since I had surgery. This from someone who has battled intense depression for 15 years. Anyway, thanks for listening to my complaining. By the way, I'm following my doctors orders to a "T".    — Denise B. (posted on September 16, 2003)

September 16, 2003
It's very easy to get discouraged in the beginning. After going through major surgery, we want instant results. I know I did. My weight loss was very slow for the first 4 months (at least it felt slow to me). I learned early on not to focus on the scale. I began to focus more on changing habits and how I felt and how clothes were fitting. In my first 4 months, I lost less than 50 pounds. In my second 3 months, I lost more than 50 pounds. So although my weight loss started out slow, once my body adjusted to all the changes, it really sped up and it has remained consistent. I learned that emotionally, I can only handle stepping on the scale every couple of weeks to a month. All the slow drops and plateaus were just getting to me, but after a month, I always experience a significant drop in weight. It really helps. In 7 months I have lost 100 pounds and gone down 5 sizes. I'm happy with where I'm at now.
   — Janet S.

September 16, 2003
I recall hitting a plateau at 2.5 weeks out (which lasted a couple of weeks), at which point I ditched the scale and resolved not to get on it more than once a month. I also remember thinking that I lost faster on Weight Watchers.<P>But the most important difference with surgery, at least at that point, was that the pouch, if used properly, will keep you from regaining the weight you lose. *That's* what made it different from Weight Watchers, for me. The pace of my weight loss picked up and I never knew about plateaus (at least, not weekly ones) after that because I was pretty good about staying off the scale for weeks at a time until I got close to goal. Meanwhile, I focused on improving my exercise habits (tracking how much faster or longer I could do an activity), and on tracking my food and changing my eating habits (on fitday.com).<P>Once you have this surgery, you really want the weight GONE, and pressures build when you truly can hardly eat or drink, and many folks around you are losing lots faster than you are. But try to think in the long term. It's not about how fast you lose it (How'd that Weight Watchers thing work out, by the way? I regained 130 pounds on that plan, myself!). It's about keeping the weight OFF this time, using your new tool to build make those lifestyles changes STICK that we could never make stick before. For what it's worth, everybody goes through this. Hang in there!
   — Suzy C.

September 16, 2003
Don't worry, it's just your body going "WTF??!?" One thing I noticed was that each time I hit a plateu, it was at a weight I had been at for a long time. The longer I had been stuck at a weight, the longer the plateau. It's like my body had a memory of it, and resisted. 230 took a while for me. Maybe that's whats going on. I know it's discouraging but chin up, it WON'T last.
   — Cara F.

September 16, 2003
denise..i know what your going through...i know it seems frustrating but what your not thinking of is that you are a lightweight like i am which means you dont have a tremendous amout to lose so for us it goes slower..once you are able to excersize you will see a much better number on your scale...hang in there and keep the faith..
   — weezel333

September 16, 2003
i have been using this site for over a year now and i have read many many profiles(all wonderful by the way) and i started to see a pattern. if you go and look at 50 profiles you will notice the average lose the first month is about 25-30 pounds. now with that being said, i also noticed that some loose it really fast in the begining and then feel like they are in a plateau, the others lose really slow little by little , but at the end of the month everybody ends up the same. also another weight marker i found was the 4 month point...some people lost quickly to get to that point and others might of had the month before be really slow, but there was still about the same amount of weight lost. alot of people don't see the "big picture" because they are not at the same point of lose during each month that someone else is, but it doesn't mean that at the end of 12 months you will have lost any less than them. that's my story and i'm stickin' to it! good luck
   — franbvan

September 16, 2003
Please don't think you're alone. I'll be 4 weeks out this Friday and the scale has been stuck on 317 for me. I started out at 340 so it's frustrating but I'm trying not to be scale obsessed. The tough part is that I wasn't scale obsessed then everyone kept asking how much weight I've lost and I looked. I have one friend in particular that is driving me crazy. I keep telling him to leave me alone about the scale because he's making my obsess. I'm going to try and do what the other's have said and try to think about the long term.
   — Morna B.

September 17, 2003
Hi, dont feel discouraged, just do yourself a favor and "DONT" get on that scale but maybe every 3 or 4 weeks. I had my procedure the 15 of july 03 and am down 70 lbs, however we are all diff and been told us men lose it faster at the start. I was on nothing but liquids (9oz a day) for the first 4 to 5 weeks and I think that is why i lost so quickly. All I can say is the best measure of my weight loss has been my baggy clothes. Best of luck and never give up
   — DANNY C.

September 18, 2003
Boy, do I know how you feel. I'm 10 days out from surgery and have only lost 1 lb. since the actual surgery day. If I use my weight from the pre-op appt. then I am down 6 lbs.(from the lovely preps the two days before surgery). My post-op was today and they told me not to worry, within 6 wks or so, everyone seems to be somewhere in the same range. Good Luck!!
   — Angela Q.