Question:
Why am I not losing weight?
I am almost 6 weeks post-op RNY and have only lost 34 pounds since surgery. I haven't lost ANY weight for a week. I am not eating anything that I am not supposed to and I have been walking on a treadmill 5 days a week. I have been walking 2 miles until yesterday and I walked 3.28 miles. I don't understand why the weight loss has stopped. Anyone had a similar experience? And what can I expect next - how long before the weight loss starts again. I am just very frustrated at this point. Thanks in advance for all the input! — EugeneHinson (posted on April 25, 2008)
April 25, 2008
You are doing just fine. Great loss to date. The problem we all have is
plataus. Sometimes you will stop losing for a week and sometimes it might
be upto three weeks. Your body thinks you are starving it, so it is
hanging onto the fat. Do not worry, as when you start to lose, you will
see a rapid loss for a few days. Best of success to you.
— William (Bill) wmil
April 25, 2008
KEEP ON KEEPING ON, dont weigh everyday...get that water and liquids
in....u will experience this no lost thru out ur Journey so get ready for
the ride....I am 2.5 yrs out and I have face that many times...I just
drink, drink and drink some more and it will come off...Believe ME....I
love the World Wide Protein at GNC...that gets me on track FAST...Stay
Positive...U will lose alot the lst 6 months...just hang in
there....smiles.......I do wish u well ...it is an exciting Journey...but
yes u do face plateau throughout the entire weight Loss....Linda
— txblonde
April 25, 2008
KEEP ON KEEPING ON, dont weigh everyday...get that water and liquids
in....u will experience this no lost thru out ur Journey so get ready for
the ride....I am 2.5 yrs out and I have face that many times...I just
drink, drink and drink some more and it will come off...Believe ME....I
love the World Wide Protein at GNC...that gets me on track FAST...Stay
Positive...U will lose alot the lst 6 months...just hang in
there....smiles.......I do wish u well ...it is an exciting Journey...but
yes u do face plateau throughout the entire weight Loss....Linda
— txblonde
April 25, 2008
I am 8 weeks out and lost 38. I spoke to my dr and he said that was
terrific. He said you cant go by what other people are doing. It strictly
has to do with how much excess you have/had, your height, your weight, etc.
My dr actually said I was actually ahead of where he hoped I would be at
this point so thats great. Talk to your dr and let him see a list of what
your are eating so you can be sure its not the food. I am sure you are
doing great!
— zoeyriv
April 25, 2008
What about 5 pounds a week is not enough? Your walking is making your
body more dense and that counts for fat loss too...
Everything is good...Put the scale away for a couple of weeks and be happy.
— [Deactivated Member]
April 25, 2008
I am 5-1/2 weeks out and have lost 32.5 pnds. I thought maybe that was not
alot but I am realizing this must be about right. I have started to notice
subtle changes around my body. I think maybe I am expecting more and trying
to push too hard and not taking the time to enjoy it. It sounds like you
are doing great! Everyone tells me to relax and it will come off! :)
— johnjo2002
April 25, 2008
Hi Eugene. I am 3 mos out. I hit a stall at 2 weeks post op and it
litterally lasted 4 weeks..no loss, no gain. BUT I was losing so many
inches and just didin't understand it. Don't allow this stall to frustrate
you because you will hit them along the way and you have to just continue
with your plan and out of no where you'll see a huge loss. Don't believe
me? Look at my blog. I've been there and it was soooo frustrating; but
the losing started again just as all the other post opers told me it would.
Also, put away the scale becuase it LIES. If you base your success on the
scale, you'll be sadly disappointed from time to time...so do other things
like measure yourself and also get a couple of clothing items that are too
small right now and keep trying them on. AS the scale stays the
same...you'll see those pants, shirts, etc. fitting.....I've been
there.....it's funny becuase in a few months; you'll be answering a new
post oper about this very question and you'll tell them what we are all
telling you. THE WEIGHT WILL START TO DROP AGAIN...
— hatda
April 25, 2008
Most of us can PROMISE you that you are doing great! We read this same
concern daily! many of us read here and post daily. (Don't feel
discouraged) It's so inevitable for this to happen...I truly believe this
is why so many of us gave up dieting pre op...because we
"THOUGHT" nothing was happening and our mentality was "why
try so hard if it's not even helping?" What I wish to have had that
knowledge in hindsight! But you are losing weight...your body has not
caught up yet...but it will any time now. You'll see...and you'll hit many
of these frustrating plateaus thru out the next year or two.
Keep doing what you are doing and be glad your body is doing it's job,
trying to keep you healthy...Too fast and you'd so sick you couldn't move!
If you really want to see that you are losing...Measure yourself during
these times and you'll see the inches leaving before the pounds show a loss
on the scale...It's quite odd! You are doing wonderful!
— .Anita R.
April 25, 2008
Sometimes it happens that you stop losing pounds and start losing inches.
My body went back and fourth all the time. I would go from losing a ton of
weight to not losing one pound for a couple of weeks but kept my
measurments once a week and I was losing a lot of inches when not losing
the pounds.
— nascar_angel_3_2003
April 25, 2008
Hello Eugene, You are doing wonderful I was just like you wanted off right
now but I can tell you I am only 6 months out from a full RNY and down
right at 100lbs I have had good weeks and rough ones but My dr told me I
would lose and boy have I so don't get discouraged I had only lost that
much when I was where you are so keep going it does come off PROMISE.. take
care and if you have any questions just write me .... best of luck Cathy
— tenderlovinghugs07
April 25, 2008
I am in the same boat as you are. At my 6 week check up I was down 32.5
lbs. My Doc says I was doing fine. I know it will come off. At 7 weeks
the scale maybe dipped another 2.5. I only weigh myself once a week
because it is frustrating if you look everyday. When I got home from the
hosp. and was one week post-op I got on the scale and had lost 15 lbs. I
couldn't beleive it. But then I didn't move again for another 2 weeks and
then dropped 10 more. I am now almost 8 weeks out and have not really
moved for over 2 weeks. I'm hoping I see some movement when I weigh again
on Monday. We're both in the same boat it sounds like. It's frustrating,
I know but if we stick to our guns the weight will come off, of that I am
sure of. Paula B.
— paulajaneb
April 25, 2008
We're all in the same boat with the plateaus. This is why I think these
posting boards are wonderful - makes you know that what you're going
through is NORMAL! How can we not lose with what we're doing and what
we're going through!
— Donna_in_PA
April 26, 2008
I had the same problem a few times. You are doing great by the way. I found
as I exercised more my weight stayed. I think I was starting to get a
little muscle and toned. once my body adjusted to it the weight started
coming down again.
wish you the best
— Lynnmon
April 26, 2008
Also remember that you are exercising and muscle weighs more than fat.
Take a five pound bag of sugar that is the size of five pounds of fat,
while five pounds of muscle is only half that size. So while the weight
may seem to stay the same it may just be muscle mass that makes it seem
that nothing has changed. Are you still losing inches?
— Melanie C.
April 26, 2008
I'm five weeks out and have lost 14 pounds. My doc says I'd doing great. I
see my clothes get looser every day. Trust your body. You'll get there.
— guardiandoula
April 26, 2008
First off, weight loss is not always a straight line loss. Some times
there are plateaus. Some times there are gains. There are a couple of
possibilities that you need to consider. The first is: Are you retaining
water? The second is: are you getting enough protein and exercise. The
FIRST scenario will probably resolve itself given time. In a few days or
a week or so, you will lose the water and lose the weight. The SECOND is
actually a GOOD thing if it is occurring! If the SECOND scenario is the
case, what is happening is that the protein that you consume is being
turned into lean muscle mass on your body by the exercise. Lean muscle
weighs more than FAT per cubic inch so you can't measure your progress by
the SCALE at this stage of your weight loss but you CAN with a MEASURING
TAPE! If you are NOT dropping pounds but ARE dropping INCHES, you are
GAINING Muscle! MORE MUSCLE means LESS FAT! The lean muscle mass will
help to ACCELERATE your weight loss!
Having said ALL of that, there is a third possibility. Your body's
Metabolism SET Point could have readjusted itself to starvation mode. This
IS possible. Give it some time. If things don't start working in a week
or so you may want to contact your physician and get PROFESSIONAL advice or
go to a nutritionist. A nutritionist will be able to tell you just how
many CARBOHYDRATES you can consume per day and how OFTEN you need to eat
them to MAXIMIZE your weight loss. You may want to do this in ANY case.
It COULD help to MAXIMIZE your weight loss potential and make your weight
loss journey a quicker, safer, and more enjoyable one.
I hope this helps,
Hugh
— hubarlow
Click Here to Return