Hi Everyone,

I had a VSG about three weeks ago and have lost a decent amount of weight. I did great on my 1 week of liquids and protein shakes before surgery. After surgery though, is a different story. I haven't lost as quickly as I thought I would. In fact, my feelings are the process is going quite slow? There will be days that I lose 2 or 3 pounds (in the beginning) or 1 pound, and 3 days since surgery that I haven't lost an ounce.

Why do you think this happening? Is this normal? I'm trying not to weigh myself every day so that I don't get discouraged but at this point I am also trying to figure out if my eating has something to do with it.
 
I know I need to drink more water, but is this really what is making me stall? If that's the case, the PA in my clinic told me that our stomachs can only hold 8 ounces of liquid at a time. I would have to drink eight 8 ounce liquids to make a difference in hydrating my body.

Also, something important to note... I am still on a full liquid diet and average about 48 ounces a day.... usually. Sometimes more, sometimes less. The days there are less, I usually don't lose.

HELP ME FIGURE THIS OUT. I'd like to go "House" on this business. Is it simply lack of water or is there maybe something more?

Your body is holding in all fluids it can to help you heal. Your metabolism is very low because your intake of calories is low. I was just sleeved on the 12th of this month and I actually gained 9 lbs in the hospital in 4 days of IV fluids and water only. It took me a week after I got home to lose that and started losing a little after that but am still on full liquids so I'm not looking for big losses until I can get exercising and get my metabolism up some. Don't over-think it and it'll happen when your body is ready for it to. Get your protein and fluids in while you heal. Good luck!

I am still pre-op but have read many, many posts like yours.  You might want to scan/search for this very topic.

I'm guessing most of the answers you get are going to tell you that you can't measure weight loss on a daily basis ... and most certainly not so soon after surgery when your body is still healing and figuring out which way it's going.   And you are not in a "stall."

So I don't think there's anything you have to really figure out ... except maybe just chilling out a little bit and letting the process work.  Best of luck to you!

 Yes, it is probably due to not drinking enough fluids.  All I heard before surgery was that I would need to sip, sip, sip.  That is what you have to do and I am really trying to remember to pick up tha****er bottle every couple of minutes and sip, sip, sip.  Your body will hold onto the fluid you put in and excess fluid until you are getting enough fluids. I was upset because I gained over ten pounds in fluid and it was not dropping.  On the 6th day I pushed hard to get my liquid in and lost 6 pounds in 2 days.  
I believe that 48 is close to the minimum amount needed to avoid becoming dehydrated.  My doc pushes for no less than 64 oz a day.  I am getting closer but it is hard to remember that I can't guzzle water to make up for forgetting to drink.

this is why I choose not to weigh myself daily.... its too much stress and pressure..

many thighs affect your daily weight... how many BMs did you have, if any, that day.... urination... how much fluid are you retaining... Did you drink enough water? Did you eat a lot of sodium? Are you being active?

 Stop weighing yourself everyday.  And yes, niot drinking enough water will help stall you out. Your PA sounds like an idiot either way. First, you almost certainly don't have a 1 cup / eight ounce stomach, and secondly, liquids are always slowly leaking/dribbling through your pyloric valve. Keep sipping!  

And again, weigh yourself every other day or less. Give yourself some peace. 

You are most definitely in the "3 week stall".  Search for that on here and see read what you find.  You will also more than likely stall a few more times before reaching goal.  I just game out of my 3rd stall.  Mine seems to happen every 25 lbs. 

You are still retaining fluids from the surgery as well as your body is holding on to everything it can since it thinks you are in a starvation mode.  Believe me, most everyone of us has had the same thought process you have.  The weight will start dropping off - I PROMISE!

You will never, ever, lose every day. Stop thinking that way or you'll go crazy. Once I accepted that fact the process has been a lot less stressful for me.

 Hijack: hwag- your month 7 is loooking awesome so far!!!!  WTG!!

Thank you! I'm so happy it picked back up! 7 pounds in 10 days is sooooo much better than the 8 pounds in a month from last month. I was pretty scared that I hit a wall at the 6 month mark but I guess you never know! I didn't change anything either.

Thank you for noticing :) :) 

Why don't you have your month 6 number up? I love stalking people's numbers!

 Oops, didn't realize I forgot to update the ticker.  It was 10 pounds.  The day before my surgiversary it was 12 pounds.  Inexplicably, i gain 2 pounds in one day and it took me a week to get rid of it.  I must have been a little dehdryated or something.  Not that I am complaining, I hit double digits each month for 6 months and that was huge.  

I am just so glad to see your numbers for month 7- hoping to replicate them here!

I am just shy of 3 weeks out and hit my first stall, but expected it after all I have read on this site.  I just keep doing my thing - drinking as much as I can to get in 64 oz. a day, eating my mushies.  Now I am dealing with the constipation, again, exepcted after all I have read.  Stop weighing yourself every day and just stick to the plan.  It will happen - It has to - think about what you just had done! This is one process that takes all the patience you can muster.  Hang in there!!!!

I was sleeved May 23rd (4 weeks ago).  I am in my fifth week and have lost only
13 pounds.  I have heard over and over again to stay away from weighing daily.
I weigh daily because my log sheet tells me to. I truly understand disappointment.
I have watched other people on this website say they have lost 30+ pounds in a
3 to 4 week period.  When I read those posts I feel like a failure.  I follow my
surgeons instructions, and get my liquids in every day. I am not hungary and
eat when the schedule says it's time to eat, and only what it tells me to eat on
the menu.
Now, the only thing I know to do is make sure all my liquids are plain water.
I want to stay positive, but it is hard to not feel like a VSG failure.  My next
appointment with my surgeon is July 10th (7 weeks out from surgery). I plan
to address my concerns to him. I do not want to give up yet.
I wish you much success.  I know you will get there.   Good Luck.

You've lost 15% of your excess body weight in 4 weeks.... My 28.8 pound loss in 4 weeks sounds like a huge loss compared to your 13 pounds but it was only 12.8% of my excess weight. Does that put it into a better perspective? You can't compare pound for pounds. Percentage of excess weight is what counts.

Yes, thanks for helping me see things from a different perspective.

 I'm beginning with a stall and 30 lb fluid gain from 7days in the hospital. Count your blessings because it could take me a month to get to my surgery weight.  It is all in perspective.

Thank you everyone.

I've just made it a goal to listen to my body. I couldn't figure out why my body wouldn't be loosing everyday. Thanks to your information things have been put into perspective. I've been brought back to earth knowing that I JUST HAD MAJOR SURGERY and MY BODY IS IN SHOCK. I am going to be patient with this process, because just like someone said... it will happen.

Since I am used to only weighing in at the doctor's twice a year I am not as tied to the scale as a lot of people seem to be. It's just a scale. It's not telling you anything about the inside situation.

Two days after I got home I got my period. woo-hoo! I'll drop all this water weight once that's done, but I figure I'll make myself bananas if I weigh myself even every week during this first phase. As I get more on solid foods and kick it up at the gym I may check in a little more, but for now. put the scale in the closet is my advice.