I'm 4 days out, and upon leaving the hospital was told by the nurse not to weigh myself for a while.  She said I've been pumped up with fluids and gas and I'd be very upset after going through this surgery if I hopped on the scale when I got home.

when is a good time to start weighing myself (ie. When will the surgery "gain" disapate so I can get an accurate read of where my weight currently is?)

It's really up to you. Many will say stay off scale and just follow your plan. It is important not to let the scale rule you. Even when you do everything right there will be times when the scale will stop or show gain. As long as you are doing what you're supposed to do. I am naturally curious so I did weigh myself when I got home knowing it would show a gain but it wasn't as much as expected. 

I just can't get my head around this actually working.  I know it sounds weird but with so many years of failed diets, etc...I'm so scared I'm going to fail.  The minute I see the scale going down...,I'll be a believer :)

"I just can't get my head around this actually working..."

HI. I felt that way too.  The vets assured me that it would REALLY work for me. And you know what, it REALLY did!

Follow your surgeons plan faithfully.  It WILL work.

I was lucky in the sense that I lost 3 lbs a day in the first few weeks of surgery (I weighed myself right away).

However, if it is going to demoralize you to see a slight gain...stay off of the scale for at least one week.

Take your weight a week after the surgery adn the secnd week after the surgery. I dont recommend doing the third week due to the 3-week stall (i.e. a lot of peoples bodies stall in the third week...it is just adjusting and weight lss resumes).

I know what you mean. I feel the same way! I'm a month and 4 days out and I don't believe it yet. I've been in a stall since December 4th and today I was extra hungry. I weighed myself as soon as I got home from the hospital and I was up 10 lbs. from before surgery. I expected that so I didn't get too upset. I actually enjoyed watching that weight come off. I think it was gone in 3 days and it had been a long time since I saw the scale move that fast. I'm a sleever not RNY but I think this a lot harder than I ever expected.

I weighed myself a week later and am glad because seeing it come off was so inspirational. With that said, I was prepared to a gain or not because of the gasses, water weight gain. I was ok with either way. I know this is a marathon and not a sprint so I was ok either way.

Before surgery my nurse walked me to the scale and weighed me.  After surgery, when I was able to stand up again the same nurse walked me back the same scale.  I had gained 19 pounds.  When I told my surgeon, he laughed and said, "Go home and pee it out".  It was gone a week later and then the weight loss started to happen.  I was done 20 pounds from pre-op weight a month later.

In four days you have probably lost half of what they pumped into you.  You can just weigh yourself and compare to your last pre-op weight. 

I'm now 11 days out ( still kind of weird being on the other side) and out of curiosity I weighed myself when I got home from the hospital, I knew i would have gained because I the gas so I was prepared for it, I was only up 4lbs and today I'm down 14lbs from that weight. So 4 from gas and 10 on my own in 11 days. I will now be saying off for a while and let my body do what it needs to.

Congrats on your surgery!! I was 11 pounds heavier for a week or so post-op... little sausage fingers, I retain fluids every surgery. It really is up to you... it would have drove me crazy to weigh everyday... water, poop, time of month... depressing wild fluctuations. I set a day every week, same bat time and charted it weekly.

Most weeks I was a happy camper... the stalls were hard but normal so expect several as you lose. In fact many people have a small one early... and that freaks us out precisely for the reason you shared... we have all been on so many diets in the past our old fears creep in. I sat at -80 for a month (month 8) and I thought I'm never going to reach 100 pounds lost... it finally moved, went on to lose 158. 

Speedy healing,

~Michelle "Shelly"

Thanks Shelly!  BTW...I just discovered your site.  So excited to try your recipes when I'm ready :)