another question about slow weightloss
Hi, I will be 4 weeks out Monday (lap RNY and hiatal hernia repair surgery June 23), and have lost only 4 lbs from my presurgery weight.
I was ten lbs up when I left the hospital (day of surgery 230 lbs, day I went home 240 lbs), and had lost 50 lbs in the 9 months prior to surgery. I am 5'3", and am getting gentle daily exercise.
I have been on pureed foods for 10 days, caloric intake is less than 600 cal/day, carbs less than 40/day, protein intake is 70-80 gms/day, plus at least 48 oz of clear fluid (usually closer to 64 oz).
Can anyone see any glaring reasons why the weight is hanging on so tenaciously, or do I just need more patience? Thanks!
Edited to say: I don't think this is the three week stall ... but am open to that possibility too!
Below is a copy and paste from DX...very knowledgeable man. It might help. He had said after WLS it is like decending stairs...
Still staying on-track calorie-wise? And the scale shows you stopping? Or Even Gaining?!?!? ----------------------------Re-Post Unsolicitedadvice/info… -------------------------------------- Pull back from your ‘daily’ charting, and look at a weekly or even monthly. There are up and down spikes each day, But if you ‘graph’ the highest to the lowest, I’d bet there is still A downward slope over the course of the month. There’s an 8 to 10lb. volume of "wiggle room" due to water alone. And it comes into play a lot. This has to do with our bodies using glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, But it is stored in our muscles for quick energy – One pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, And the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, (Like when you drop down to your calorie intake) Your body turns first to stored glycogen, Which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, You also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it Voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of any diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, Your body starts to ‘realize’ that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue And burning fat for energy. But your body also ‘realizes’---- (by way of your liver releasing hormones signaling low Cal intake) ---That fat can't be used for short bursts of energy – Like, to outrun a saber-tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, And rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, (Thus showing negative Calorie load overall) Your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while As you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Yes? The whole ‘weight-loss’ process is not a straight "Slide" down the scale. More like "Stair-Steps," (Down then forward, then down, then forward, etc... As your body cycles fat out of "deep storage" and through the Liver Into the muscles as Glycogen. The muscles and Liver can hold about a 3 weeks supply. This is why many people find that their "Stall" or "Plateau" Breaks when adding a bit of exercise And upping their water intake, or in the case of an "extreme exerciser," The total Calorie or Protein Intake, To signal the liver to let go of more Glycogen. Fear not, many people who are now enjoying life at a normal BMI Once had a few weeks or so of thinking- "...my weight loss has been awfully slow, has it stopped..."? Hope this helps some. You are doing Great! Keep it Up! Best Wishes-
Dx
Thanks for your reply - this makes much more sense than thinking the surgery didn't work, although it has crossed my mind more than once that the surgeon repaired the hernia and forgot to do the bypass!
I'm gradually increasing my exercise, and am working on increased water intake too, so it seems the weight will leave my body when it is ready to let it go. The lack of tangible post-surgery results is a little disappointing at the moment, but likely won't seem too important a few months down the road when (I hope) I'm enjoying substantive weight loss!
Have a great evening!
