A Stall or Lack of Following Protocol?

Hi All,

I am 4+ months out. In the past 4 weeks I've only lost 9 lbs.  This week I only lost .2 lbs.  I'm concerned that I am either (a)  in a stall (which I  know often means I need to ride things out) OR (b) more worrisome, I'm not doing the things I need to do to be successful with the DS tool. 

Overall, I eat protein first, and if there is any room, I will have carbs.  I have a base of at least one 42g of protein shake a day and one double scoop protein coffee (32 g protein).  My food is protein -- greek yogurt, beef, chicken, cheese.  I do have carbs -- though I try to limit them as best as I can.  I think the thing I'm doing worst is drinking water -- I used to be a camel.  Now I only get about 50 - 70 oz of water in a day.  When I was first out, I was counting the protein drinks as fluid ounces, and if I do that, I am at the 100 oz per day; but I am wondering if I should stop doing that and up my straigh****er intake.

I do the vitalady vitamin protocol.   I am not exercising except for aqua zumba which I just started doing this month - one night a week.  With the heat we've been having, I just can't get motivated to get out there and walk.  Though to be honest, if it was beautiful weather, I'm not sure I'd make the time anyway.  I'm still learning and trying to be mindful of what I'm doing and trying to tweak things as they come up.  I'm certain I've got a long way to go. 

With all that said:  Do I strike this up as a stall and simply be forced to ride it out?  Or, should I be focusing on something different? 

Any thoughts are appreciated!

Thanks,
Dawn

You can count the fluid you add to the protein shakes, but not the total volume, since, as I'm sure you've noticed...4 ounces of liquid to a protein drink usually results in a 6-7 ounce drink...not necessarily 6-7 ounces of fluid, yes?

I think you're doing great.  Reread that first paragraph again.  9 pounds in 4 weeks.  Pretty much 10 pounds in a month.  This is a typical/average amount for how far out you are.

Sooo...really, you are worried about nothing.  Some months you'll lose more, sometimes less.  This is one of the "less" months, but it's still a lot of weight.  Perfectly respectable.

According to my calculations based on your ticker, you have lost over 40% of your excess weight in four months. Sounds completely normal to me. Chill and remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. I was right around 40% EWL with 100 pounds gone about then. Took me two years and two months to lose 100%. Quit being in such a hurry and stay OFF THE DAMNED SCALE.

I wish there was a "like" button for Elizabeth's comment.  Sounds like excellent advice.

Sheri

I am kind of cranky on this subject, because I truly had WLS to save my life. I'd be dead now otherwise. So I grow tired very quickly of this scale obsession thing.

Nonetheless, this is an important point even for "healthy lightweights." Stand back and get some perspective folks. Morbid obesity KILLS. THAT is the problem. Quit focusing on the ******g scale numbers, which lie anyways.

You're so right. I lost over 140 pounds taking me from 260 to about 120--this was about 15 years ago. I remember the scale obsession.  It was awful.  I was much better off once I just started watching how my clothes fit.  I seemed to have an inner scale anyway--if my clothes were a little tight and I got on the scale, I could always guess what I'd gained--and chances are it was ALL WATER anyway.  Getting rid of the scale and just taking care of our health must be the best path we can take! Preach on Elizabeth!

Sheri

I find it amusing when people are posting this now as I have experiencd that every step of the way here and I finally learned to give the scale away and CHILL and just be patient.  There has been consistenly a stall of 2-4 weeks between losses on the scale. At first I thought the DS wasnt going to work for me and maybe I couldnt eat any carbs at all if I wanted success. Since then I did one learn one trick tho to break a long stall - up your protein. Other than that I still get stalls no matter what I eat and I do have a reasonable amount of carbs still. At 6- 1/2 months now I am down 75 pounds but at your time out I was down about the same as you. You just have to read the forums here to learn most everyone has this same experience with seemingly slow losses but that is just how it is. If you are older, have a more damaged metabolism from dieting, or are a revision or two you might go a little slower even. I am really not exercising either tho I can be more active and have more energy so I am sure that helps. But patience and faith in the process of the DS is important I have learned. It's hard to be patient when you want it to happen fast but it just doesn't. Once you can relax into it and just enjoy the food and stay compliant and know it takes time it gets easier. At least this is my experience and I had read so many other express what you have.

 I am also 4 months out and I have lost 31% of my EWL. You are doing FANTASTIC with 40% EWL!! 

What I have learned these past months is that, no matter how fast I try to get there, my body will do its thing and I just have to relax.

I started at 410lbs, I have a very long road ahead of me, however I feel better than I have felt in years and I am doing things that I never thought I could. 

My high cholesterol is gone, my high blood pressure is gone. My blood sugar levels are back to normal. 

That is what really matters :) ... 

Thanks to all of you for your helpful comments.

After reading all you have written, I've thought about it and think the following:

1.  Who knew that you can only count the fluids  you add to a protein shake?  I didn't!  So thanks for that clarification!  Now I'm certainly going to up my water.

2.  Being overweight for as long as I can recall, I had the surgery but only half believed that it would actually work.  Frankly, it still surprises me that it does.  That underscores how desperate I was to change things -- I didn't believe it was a "sure bet", but put myself through it anyway in the hopes I'd be on the right side of the coin, so to speak.  I know a lot of you understand that.   

I think this type of thinking, coupled with my type-A personality puts me in this position that I worry about "breaking" the DS or, more accurately, not doing what I need to do in that elusive 12-18 months post op that I see referenced (by some, not all) on occasion.  

3.  My fear of failure is more overpowering than my desire to loose weight at a certain period of time.  I really am happy that I've lost as much as I have.  I'm feeling better and looking better.  My health is improved.  I simply acknowledge that I've still got a way to go in order to be as health as I'd like to be. 

I'm going to heed the advice and stay off the scale.  I've seen the advice before (and that is actually what has me weighing only once a week -- otherwise I'd likely be on daily!) and all I can say is that even four + months out I'm surprised this is actually working.   After personal experience unrelated to WLS, I didn't have a lot of faith in the medical resolutions.  For newbies out there, please don't read this any other way than - if I knew then what I know now, I would have done the DS years ago.  

Thanks again for your thoughts.  They were all quite helpful, and talked me down from the cliff I dreamed of last night -- made of bagels, pastries and chocolate. 

Hi All,
I'm new to the forum and am working towards getting the DS. Like Blondegal, I have had my reservations about WLS.  i have watched others that I know go through the RNY and LB lose the weight only to gain a good bit of it back.  It wasn't until I watched my PCP, Dr. Stephen Buse having such great success after having the DS that I finally decided that this was one surgery that could work for me.  I'm trying to be realistic in my expectations and have been researching the various protein drink products.  I have a big sensitivity to any thing corn or corn product (as in hfcs and all forms of sweeteners derived from corn).  I tried ensure protein drink hoping that it would not affect me, it did.  I would appreciate any information on protein drink mixes that don't have some form of corn sweetener or thickening agent in them.
Blondegal, it sounds to me that you are just suffering anxiety pangs form scale watching, otherwise looks and sounds as if you are right in line with the program.
Good luck and I'll  be on the forum more often. .