Stalled!!!!!

I had my band placed on Sept 15th.  So, about 5 weeks ago. I have lost about 17 lbs. However the scale has'nt moved in about a week. I have actually gained a couple lbs. My diet has'nt changed and I'm still working out everyday. The only thing that has changed is I'm back to full duty at work.  I have a very physically demanding job. So, I expected when I went back to work for the weight to start falling off faster...not to stop losing.

2nd question........... I'm going on a cruise in 2 weeks,  Any tips on how to survive the never ending food offerings. I'm a pretty strong person mentally, but everyone has their times of weakness and I'm sure if I'm ever going to have one it will be on the cruise.

Craig,

Don't sweat stalls.  They are part of the journey.  The scales may not be moving but you may very well be loosing inches.  Since muscle mass is 3X denser than fat mass it is entirely possible, if not probable, that your gain is due to you converting the two around.

As to the food thing on the cruise a little will power can go a long way.  But if worse comes to worse, and I say this purely in jest so don't flame my ass people, drain your band and completely enjoy the pickings then worry about the weight loss effort when you get back!

From what I've read, not yet experienced, you are in band hell now.  Before you get some real restriction, it is all on you and still dieting, for the most part.  I think you deserve credit for doing as well as you have.

What I would do on the cruise is focus on the protein, and get my wife to help out with being a cop.  That doesn't work well for everyone, but for me it does.

Stalls are part of the WLS gig as the body adjusts to starvation mode. Stick with the plan and you'll be dropping weight again shortly. Foobear has a great post explaining scientifically why stalls happen. He just posted it a week or so ago so peruse through the topics here and you'll find it if you're interested. 

Best of luck Craig,

Boner 

the stall will break. patience my friend.
as for the cruise....the good news is with the band and good restriction you really can't go overboard with your eating so to speak.  the hard part will be to not graze all day.  I hear that cruises often have food out all the time.  if you stick to your regular meals and throw in some fun snacks and sweets you should be fine.  just try to get in your protein first.  the band will help you keep your portions under control.  you know what happens if you overindulge......

Thanks for all the great advice. I keep telling myself that I'm only 5 weeks out, so to give myself some slack. But I'm just a very impatient person. Worse case I'm sure I'll start losing again when I get my first fill in Dec.

As far as my wife being the food police. She is the person for the job. She has lost 140 lbs in 18 months with her band.

Stay the course! Walk, exercise, follow your Doc's plan. The weight will start coming off again IF you do what you are supposed to.  Your body is adjusting to everything.  The plan will work if you work the plan!

Here's a good explanation of why we stall.

/Steve


Elizabeth N.
Burlington County, NJ
William S. Peters Duodenal Switch (12/04/06) Member Since: 11/11/02
[Latest Posts]Post Date: 10/4/08 1:08 pm

This is what is happening to you, courtesy of Diana Cox:

A "stall" at this point is inevitable, and here is why. 

Our bodies use 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, 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 a 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 that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth 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, 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.