helluva week 3, gained 5.8 lbs!!!

i was a little concerned at the end of week 2 when my weight loss slowed to less than a pound a day, but after having lost 14lbs in 4 days, i was okay with it.  i realized the 14lb loss was a lot of edema from my hands and lower legs/feet.  i checked the boards and was happy to learn about the week 3 stall, which i thought was explaining the creeping numbers and the small gain i had at the beginning of week 3.  

i stopped weighing daily.  i continued to get in about 72oz of water a day.  i continued my foray back into eating food with 4 meals of about 600-800 calories per day.  i continued to walk up and down my hallway, which i wasn't doing prior to surgery (i have mobility limitations from a serious car accident).  i thought i would be okay to ride out the week 3 stall, knowing that it would be okay if i didn't lose any weight this week.

what i wasn't prepared for was going from 317.8 on monday 12/2 to 323.6 on tuesday 12/10!  how could i gain 5.8lbs in a week?!?!  yes, some of the edema has returned, but really???  i weighed again today and at least i'm still 323.6 and haven't gained any more.  have others not only stalled but actually gained in week 3?  

thanks in advance for your experience and wisdom! 

How much protein and carbs are you taking in? I am trying my best no to take in over 40 grams of carbs myself. 80 grams of protein is always my goal. Also, be careful of the sodium in some foods especially if you are eating processed foods. I know deli meats go down great at this stage but they are HORRIBLE if you have water retention problems. I tried to test this out myself and I had gained 2 pounds overnight. My surgeon even stated to stay away from deli meat.

my guidelines say to eat 60g of protein per day, which is what i'm doing.  at this point, i'm eating almost exclusively protein.  my meals are essentially tuna and egg salad with low fat mayo, trader joe's turkey meatballs, tilipia, turkey and lentils and occasionally deli meat rollups with cheese.  the only carbs was a bag of frozen sugar snap peas that i ate over the week.  the entire bag only has 20g carbs, along with 9g protein.

* aside from the lentils

You are still healing.  You will get there.  Everyone is different.  I wasn't able to eat/drink 600-800 calories until I was 4 months out.  My point is that you can not compare yourself to anyone else as each of our bodies is different and reacts to things differently.  You may very well be retaining water and/or are constipated.  If you are going to weigh in, make sure you do it at the same time each day.  For me is it first thing in the morning before I eat or drink anything.  Just keep following your program and it will come off.

What Jackie said.  If I remember, week 3 was when my friend constipation settled in.  I finally took the advice of several posters on this site and got some Miralax, which did the trick.  Now, still on a high protein diet, I make sure to keep it in my house and use it at least once a week!

Hang in there - you'll more than make up the weight gain shortly.  If you haven't already, now is a good time to start taking measurements too.  I found that when I wasn't losing weight, I was still losing inches.

It's water.  You said the edema had returned and a gallon of water weights about 8 lbs.  If you keep your fluid intake up and your sodium down, it should go away.  If not, you probably need to see the doc to figure out what's causing the edema.

@mkvand:  thanks for your reply.  i hadn't put two and two together, thinking about just how much water weighs.  i think it probably is edema, as there's no other explanation for gaining so much weight.  i saw my pcp yesterday.  he started me on a diuretic, since i've continued to gain.  there's nothing more disheartening than having WLS and gaining weight in the first month!  good luck with your surgery!

I gained a week out from surgery. My body did very weird things that first month post-op. I know it can make a person a bit crazy, but try to trust that if you follow your plan, the weight loss will happen. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. And yes, tha****er weight will get you. Don't panic and hang in there!

@linzeelee:  thanks for the encouragement.  my pcp was surprised i wasn't thrilled with the surgery, but how can i be thrilled when i've been gaining weight ever since i started eating food again?  it is making me a bit crazy.  i'm trying to hold on and know that it will improve and i will lose weight!