Advice for newbies and pre-ops
I have been lurking around these boards for a while now. There are a few questions that get asked hundreds of times over and they are:
I'm only three weeks out and I have stopped losing.. what am I doing wrong!??! - NOTHING! This is only the first of MANY stalls that you will encounter on your journey. The weight loss is so rapid, your body needs to take a breather sometimes, ya know? Also, start taking measurements. I only seemed to lose inches when I WASN'T losing pounds. I lost 3 lbs a day for the first nine days after surgery and then nothing until day 27. At 8 months out, I stalled at 174 lbs for like THREE MONTHS. I thought I might be done losing, but at the time of this writing I am 17 months out and have held steady at a size 4 for the last six months or so.
I am not sure what we expect from our surgery, but it seems that most of us thought we'd wake up 2 weeks after surgery at our goal weight. (Ok, maybe we didn't EXPECT it... but, a lot of us certainly HOPED for it). You didn't put on the weight in a month.. it will take time to get it off.
How long will my hair fall out? Will I be bald?! - No, you won't be bald. At least, it's not likely. If you make sure you take your supplements and get enough protein, your hair will probably stop falling out around 4 - 6 months out or so.
I can't seem to get back on track because I'm eating stuff I shouldn't and not getting what I should. What do I do? - Well, you just sort of answered your own question. I assume, that since you KNOW what you are doing wrong, the reason you posted was because you either 1. wanted to be beaten up a bit for getting off track (won't happen.. because it happens to everyone) or 2. you want support. Everyone gets off track. Grab the literature that you were given when you started your journey and reread it. Attend a support group. Get excited about your surgery again! Realize that this is a LIFE CHANGE and not a diet you can just stop doing when you feel like it. (At least, not if you want it to work). Find a weight loss buddy to be accountable to. You CAN do this!
I'm only three weeks out and I have stopped losing.. what am I doing wrong!??! - NOTHING! This is only the first of MANY stalls that you will encounter on your journey. The weight loss is so rapid, your body needs to take a breather sometimes, ya know? Also, start taking measurements. I only seemed to lose inches when I WASN'T losing pounds. I lost 3 lbs a day for the first nine days after surgery and then nothing until day 27. At 8 months out, I stalled at 174 lbs for like THREE MONTHS. I thought I might be done losing, but at the time of this writing I am 17 months out and have held steady at a size 4 for the last six months or so.
I am not sure what we expect from our surgery, but it seems that most of us thought we'd wake up 2 weeks after surgery at our goal weight. (Ok, maybe we didn't EXPECT it... but, a lot of us certainly HOPED for it). You didn't put on the weight in a month.. it will take time to get it off.
How long will my hair fall out? Will I be bald?! - No, you won't be bald. At least, it's not likely. If you make sure you take your supplements and get enough protein, your hair will probably stop falling out around 4 - 6 months out or so.
I can't seem to get back on track because I'm eating stuff I shouldn't and not getting what I should. What do I do? - Well, you just sort of answered your own question. I assume, that since you KNOW what you are doing wrong, the reason you posted was because you either 1. wanted to be beaten up a bit for getting off track (won't happen.. because it happens to everyone) or 2. you want support. Everyone gets off track. Grab the literature that you were given when you started your journey and reread it. Attend a support group. Get excited about your surgery again! Realize that this is a LIFE CHANGE and not a diet you can just stop doing when you feel like it. (At least, not if you want it to work). Find a weight loss buddy to be accountable to. You CAN do this!
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
I thought I was losing inches because I had stalled then happened to catch a re run of a the Biggest Loser and Jillian Michaels said you can't lose inches without losing lbs. My first mistake was not taking all of my measurements at the beginning of my journey. Cleaned out my closet the other day found some smaller pants and guess what they fit?! So I am at mercy to what my body wants to do. It is discouraging after having great numbers the first month but I do realize it took 41 years to get this way I'm sure it will take more than 60 days to minus 180lbs. I've seen people post 100 or more lbs for their first 3 months it is apparent I will not be one of them and I'm okay with that because I feel so much better already and I'm still learning healthy habits.
I try not to weigh often because there has been morning I have had to yell at the scale and try to smame it into giving me better numbers. It has not worked so I'm trying to use my powers for good and worry more about the number on the treadmill.
As a newbie it is scary and discouraging but do your best to educate and exercise change what you knew before and find your way to your new life. It's a tool it's not magic.
I try not to weigh often because there has been morning I have had to yell at the scale and try to smame it into giving me better numbers. It has not worked so I'm trying to use my powers for good and worry more about the number on the treadmill.
As a newbie it is scary and discouraging but do your best to educate and exercise change what you knew before and find your way to your new life. It's a tool it's not magic.
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