Am I the only one?

Hi all,
I had surgery four weeks ago. I lost 17 pounds in the first week and then ...NOTHING. I was already feeling more confident and excited but it was like false hope. I've been so frustrated! I have my one month post op appt tomorrow and am nervous about what the doctor will say. I hate to say it but I kinda feel like a failure. Everyone is telling me to give it time and that my body is still adjusting and all that. I've worked so hard to get to this point and have such a long way to go. I just want to see some results, I guess. Even if it 's one or two pounds. I keep hearing how with everyone else the pounds came off so quickly at first. I just hope that I'm not that one in a million that doesn't lose weight after surgery. Anyone else run into this problem so early on? Any advice or encouragement is appreciated.

Ok. reality check time. Ready? 

You are eating MAYBE 500 calories per day, right?

Your body is in shock. It thinks you are in a cave in a blizzard where there is nothing but sticks and seeds to eat. It has pretty much shut down. The great thing is it will...trust me it WILL wake up! :) 

Everything you are experiencing is perfectly normal. I had a 18 day stall at 3 weeks that almost KILLED me in frustration.

You are getting stronger and feeling better day by day. Drink your water. Take a walk. Take your supplements. Your body will catch up and you will begin to lose like crazy really soon.

Hang in there! :)

I lost barely 4 1/2 lbs my first week and the weight loss has been SLOW!   I think our bodies are just having a fit!

Are you measuring your portions? are you journalling? these are very important for about the first year....

Your not a failure, give your body a chance to learn to live this new way your teaching it.

Greetings,

Please don't feel like a failure and get frustrated because you are already a success with having the surgery.  Some of us are slower losers and this has to do with our make-up.  Some people shed the lbs really fast and some a lb or 2 at a time.  What I try to focus on is that this is a life change, it didn't come on over night and it won't come off over night. 

Your surgeon will give you some good advice and don't worry about what he/she will say.  Some things to suggest, as I think the last poster said, make sure you measure and log in your food.  I use Fitday.com and it really gives you a good idea of your protein, carb, fat and calorie intake and you can even print out reports for your Dr or nutritionist.

Please be patient, make sure you are getting your protein, vitamins and water in.  Try to get your exercise in too (my downfall.)

We're here for you and we're in this journey together for as long as it takes and then some!

Hugs,
Barb

Please dont think you are a failure. You made the decision to embark on this journey and it will be a ride. I lost only 1 pound the first week and I was devistated to say the least. But when I went for my 1 month follow up 3 weeks later, I had lost 34 pounds.

Like everyone has said, our bodies are in shock and want to know what we have done to them. We hit stalls and may take some time to break them. Dr. Suh is also my doctor and him and his staff will get you through this.........Trust me.

I am going to sneak into his office tomorrow and ask if I can get weighed......Good luck

Have a great day...............Rick

You may need to "journal" you daily diet. That may help pinpoint any issues with your diet. Yes, your body is adjusting. Dr. Suh did my surgery on May 10, 2006, and I lost over 150 pounds. BUT, it took 24 months for the maxmimum wt loss. 1st 7 months was 100 pounds gone, so it takes time for the whole process to work itself out. I'd recommend attending one or more of Dr. Suh's support groups. Personally, I attend 3 a month, and found it to be an important component of my wt loss sucess. DAVE

I feel I am BY FAR the SLOWEST loser of the Dr. Suh alumni...thru no fault of his or mine.  I have a condition that dictates slow weight loss for only a short while longer...I hope.  Doc says at a certain point...that is; minus 50 lbs., I should start to pick up.  On the plus side, I can tolerate ANYTHING..even those things "not allowed because of adverside effects" , which I have on occassion played with..but RARELY.  I also have had absolutly NO hair loss...even at nearly 5 months out.  I am counting on that being a GOOD side effect of slow weight loss.  I do however continue to take my "hair regime".  I feel energetic enough to get into a really good exercise routine and my sleep has improved, although I did not have acknowledged sleep apnea.    Soooo..I trudge on and hope that each and every new day brings more results..but if not, if I remain at a stall, I know it will fade away sooner or later, I don't break the protocol.  I have said before and I really really mean it, I feel true freedom in surgically altered forced portion control.  I do not want all the crud that is allowed from other WLS in my body...I LOVE the healthy choices I make, because they taste so darn good and make me feel even better.
This will be a more positive expereince for you as time goes by....you will be a success..We promise
Kim in Fontana

I appreciate all of your input. I signed up on fitday.com to help me keep track of everything. I know that I need to be more patient. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and hope that it all falls into place. Thanks again everyone!

A really good tip:  Drop kick the Demon scales!   You will have plateaus and stalls and gains (once in a while, like at the TOM) so get rid of that darned thing!  Don't let your life be determined by a number on a wheel.

Go by how your clothes fit, and take some measurements along the way.

You are doing well;

Good luck!