Thanks. 

Hi. I'm sorry you are down. I was a "slow" loser. I wanted desperately to lose as fast as my friends that had the surgery before me (one friend lost 150 pounds in 9 months). What I realized is that regardless of whether or not I could lose as fast as them, I would wind up at the same point as them some day--even if it is 6 months later--who cares in the big picture of life. Six months is just a blip on the radar. The other thing that made me feel better is to know that my loss was more truly fat than others that lose very, very quickly. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat. When you lose very quickly, your body has no choice but to go after your muscle for calories to keep your body going. So it appears they are doing this great job on the scale, when really, they are reducing their body's ability to effectively burn calories because they are losing muscle and muscle is what burns those calories. When you lose slower, your body can use your fat stores more effectively. It also gives you time to change habits and let your mind catch up to your body. There are so many things that can affect the scale--constipation, time of the month, medications that cause fluid retention, just the normal ebbs and flows of our bodies.

The end of my story goes like this. At 1 year out I'd lost 100 pounds. At almost 3 years out I am down 150 pounds and just had my plastic surgery to complete my journey. Both of my friends that lost "fast" have regained. They both regained about 60 pounds and do you know the worst part of that--they look much bigger than they did at the same weight before they lost. Why? Because fat takes up much more volume than muscle, so when the lost super fast and lost that muscle and didn't do anything to increase their lean muscle mass, when they regained it was all fat and so their size reflects the increased volume from the fat being so much larger than muscle for the same weight.

I'd strongly encourage you to look into have a Bod Pod study. It gives you a really comprehensive look at your lean muscle, fat, basal metabolic rate (how many calories you need per day at rest) and even what your organs and bone weighs. Then, in a couple months you can do it again. If you do weight training and exercise, you can preserve that lean muscle or even build it and the Bod Pod will show that. I did it. The scale only showed a 4 pound loss, BUT I had gained 6 pounds of muscle. It was a positive change of 10 pounds, but had I not done the Bod Pod, I'd have only seen a measely 4 pound loss after the work I put in. For the record, I do not work for Bod Pod!! LOL! It just really helped me to see that positive changes were happening with my body. And the best part is that it showed me that my metabolic rate did not decrease, but rather I managed to increase it, which showed me that my body was working effectively at burning calories.

Hang in there. The stalls that occur during this process truly drive folks crazy. You aren't even 2 months out. It will all average out in time. Remember: Slow and steady wins the race!!!

Take care,

Denise

 Thank you! Where do you get a BOD POD?

HEY LADY!!

I know you are frustrated but our bodies are still very much healing.  The first 2 weeks after surgery i lose 20lbs.  then  a 3 week stall.  then it has been kinda slow but steady ever since.  We are pretty close in our weight loss and time. 

I notice i lose more when i get my fluids and protein in , when i dont my body seems to hold on to what it has and i stay the same or gain.

I have also noticed (i am guilty of weighing every day)  that i will show a low weight one day, pop back up  a 1lb or 1.5 pounds the next day,  then a pound down again. Whatever the lowest number is becomes the high number the next round.  Its kinda like 2 steps forward and one step back,  but it's my bodies pattern.  Its what it does.  can be frustrating til i realized this is normal for me.

Remember this is your journey,  your body dont compare to others.  You will do great,  (remind me of this when i am in the middle of my next stall and feeling depressed)  We will do great!!

 yes, my body seems to have that same pattern.. frustrating! 

The first thing I wondered when I read your post was...are you working out?  I would add that, if it has been cleared by your Dr.  And, as stated before by someone else, weight train.  The extra muscle will help your body better burn fat.

Also, I am one of the naughty ones who weighs everyday.  I HAVE to see that "two steps forward one step back" that someone else mentioned.  There is a pattern to my weight loss and tracking it helps me see those patterns.  I also track my time of the month and know how it affects my weight loss.  I actually LOSE before I start but gain during ovulation....knowing this, I  hit the gym extra hard during times that I know I'm going to lose to try to help boost my weight loss and conversly, during that time of the month I know I'm going to be stuck or go up no matter what...I may have a treat during that time or skip days at the gym to give myself a break.  If paying for the gym is an issue, buy some weights for home, resistance bands or P90X.  I love P90X...you do need some palm weights for it though.

 Thanks, I would like to do p90x but the dvds are pretty exp. I just got a stationary bicycle so that should help. 

We had surgery the same day I feel your frustration. You have lost more than I have as I am only down about 18 lbs. My NUT does not like to see more than 2 lbs a week loss or she considers you to be losing too fast. I wonder if she'll think I'm losing too slow when I see her next. Everyone is right though, continue with what you are doing. You're doing everything right and you're doing awesome! Even though I am losing slowly I no longer have high blood pressure and I am off the meds for it. That in itself is worth it! We are at the beginning of our remarkable journey and by this time next year we will look back on this and wonder why we worried so much! Good luck and God Bless! 

 Thanks, i am off my diabetes meds and my blood pressure has come down, although mine was good to begin with. i think its too low now. 102/76

I had RNY 8/16 and only just broke the 30lb mark. Throw away the scale and if you aren't seeing a counselor I highly recommend it.
If you need to feel like you are "doing" something - track every bite and sip, go 80-100gms of protein, make sure you are getting your vitamins, etc.

And just breathe.