Just a slow start?

I am 16 days out and have only lost about 9 lbs.... I am following all the rules, getting my water getting my protien watching my carbs (getting little to none). I have actually had a great recovery very little pain and no problems!  Had my 2 week apt with my Nut today and she seemed to think I was doing well, the only thing she mentioned was that maybe my portions are not big enough  (1/4-1/2 cup) and suggested that I try to get more of my protien from foods... I hate to compare but its so hard when I see people losing 20 lbs in the first 2 weeks... And I am not even to 10 yet... I lost almost 15 lbs on my pre op diet in 2 weeks... I lost more in two weeks before then I have after...  I hear all about this 3rd week stall.. can my loss get any slower??  Anyone else have a similar expereince??  Any suggestions??  I am bound and determined to be successful this time!!!

Thanks!

Katie

 If you don't mind my asking, what is your starting weight?? *There's a reason that I'm asking you this*

My start weight was 237 before my low carb pre op diet, Surgery weight was 222.

 Okay!! You're what some seem to think of as a "lightweight"...so "sometimes" lightweights lose at a slower pace (AT FIRST), then usually it levels out. However, that is and has NOT always been the case. The good thing is...>YOU'RE LOSING!!! So, please don't become discouraged, and to lose nine pounds in 2 weeks is AWESOME.....were you ever able to do that PRE-SURGERY (before pre-op diet/on your own) with just diet and exercise??? Hang in there, the BEST is YET to come!!! 1 Corinthians 2:9!!  I'm rooting for you!! 

Thank you, I can use all the rooting I can get!  Im trying so hard to be patient.... I read every post on OH trying to find something that I might be missing...Losing weight has always been SOOO slow for me, hence the reason I had the surgery! Hard not to get a little discouraged to continue my path of slow weight loss!   I am stoked to have lost the 23lbs that I have in the last month!  Now I just need to work onthe patience thing :) lol

 It'll all work out!!! It'll pick up as well.....I look forward to seeing your progress!!!    

I think you're doing fabulous considering your body is still in the "WTF" have you done to me mode. I think seeing other people's numbers really does no justice to the overall process. Kind of like staring at one tree and missing the entire forest.

It really boils down to percentage of weight loss, not actual pounds. So, depending on your ultimate goal weight, you could be right on target for your starting weight vs. your goal weight.

So, how much do you have to lose?

To reach my goal of 150 I have to lose 87 lbs from my consult weight. I try to only compare  numbers with people that were close to the same weight. I know I shouldnt compare at all its just so hard not too... Kinda like I know I shouldnt step on the scale EVERY day but I do anyway!  Just so anxious to see the change!!! 

I was a scale ***** so I understand, but let's put this into perspective real quick.

You are 16 days out, right?? You've lost 9lbs of the 87lbs you had to lose, right? Or, you've lost 9lbs since surgery, and you've actually lost 24lbs from your consult weight to goal weight, correct?

That means you have already lost more than 10% of your excess weight just since surgery! ! !

If you've already lost 24lbs of the 87lbs, that a whopping 27% of your excess weight ALREADY, you're over 1/4 way to goal.

Maybe seeing those numbers, will give you a visual. Results can't much better than that no matter how fast we want to "see".

I also understand seeing the results, but remember, we didn't get fat overnight, we didn't just wake up one morning and be 87lbs overweight so it's going to take time to "see" the results.

This is just coming from someone that is over 2 years out, and the journey is way different than what it was the first 6-8 months post-op.

1) Enjoy every sweet little victory that comes your way right now because once you are at or below goal, the little things become even more little and a lot of us further out take things for granted that were once such monumental achievements and we kind of forget how it felt being fat because life is pretty phenomenal.

2) Just let your body recover, keep pushing fluids, get your protein in, and take your measurements so you can track your inches lost and not just determine your success by the numbers on the scale. You'll start noticing your pants/bras/shirts/panties fitting differently. Just wait, you're gonna love NOT being afraid of the dryer when you dry your jeans, and just know you aren't going to be freaked out because you can't get them zipped until you "stretch them" a little.  These are the little things I'm talking about taking for granted. I never realized how much I feared my dryer pre-op until I could pull my size 2 skinny jeans from the dryer, and slide those bad boys on without having to lie down on the bed to get 'em zipped.

People who lose 20 lbs in the first weeks after surgery generally didn't follow a pre-op diet or they have more weight to lose. 

It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound. For example, according to http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/calories-burned.php, I burn 1790 calories per day. I am currently eating 600 calories per day, leaving a deficient of about 1100 calories per day. That deficiet averages 2 lbs per week, which is about what I'm losing. If I step up my activity, I do see an increased weight loss.

Also, your body may be recovering from the water weight gained during surgery and the hospital stay. I gained 14 lbs. from IV fluids after the operation so it took awhile to begin losing weight from my start weight of 222. That is what I weighed the morning of the day before surgery. After drinking liquids and doing a bowel prep and no liquids after midnight, I weighed 216 the morning of surgery. At 8 weeks out, I have lost an additional 29 lbs. from 222: I now weigh 193. 

Lynda