Question:
Why aren't I losing weekly?

I am 7 weeks post op.I lost 25 pounds in the first five weeks and nothing since,I am afraid something happen tomy pouch that it is bigger than it should be that I ameating too much I am doing something wrong,My friend who had surgery 2 weeks after me has lost 31 pounds already and she only weighed 20 lbs more than me going in,It seems like I can and do eat more than my friends who have had surgery,although I follow the dietician's list and don't always eat everything on it. feel terrible becasue I went through and awful lot to have this surgery it took 6 or 7 months to see all the Dr's I had to see and a sleep study twice I can't bear to think of being a failure again,If my stomach is the size of and egg why can I eat so much?(at least I think I am ,isn't a 3/4 a can of chicken and rice or chicken noodle soup to much?two small fish filet and a couple of tbsp of mashed potatoes which I eat two ites of? #/4 pkg of oatmeal,I pc of toast and one egg?Is this what everyone else is eating?Please some one help I feel so discouraged and yes I exercise I walk a mile a day and go to PT in the swimming pool 2x a week Help Patti ^j^    — Patricia L. (posted on December 11, 2001)

December 11, 2001
Hi Patti i bet you are very discussed i am 7 weeks post op and i can eat nothing i will eat 3 bites of cream of chicken soup or 2 crackers a half piece of cheese.I DON'T EAT I'M NEVER HUNGRY.i just wanted to share that with you . please talk to your DR. good luck keep in touch.
   — Julie B.

December 11, 2001
Hi, Patricia - I went back through my food diary (I kept one through 4mos) During my 7th postop week my diet was pretty much the same each day - breakfast:1 scrambled egg lunch: 2oz chicken salad (used chicken breast tenders) with a tsp of lt mayo on 3 saltines dinner: 2 oz chicken br / 1/8 cup lt ricotta cheese / 2 tsp tomato sauce snack: 1 oz lt string cheese My surgeon did not want any protein supps for the first 12 wks or so - I am using isopure now. It doesn't sound like you are eating too much, but if you are not using protein supplementation, you may not be getting enough protein in. At 7 wks w/the exception of 3 saltines, I was eating mainly protein -just to get in a minimum of 40gms daily. Don't be discouraged - I think that everything evens out down the road. Good Luck!
   — Jean K.

December 11, 2001
WRITE down every single thing you put in your mouth for a week and see you dietician with the list. That way you can be certain its not a food issue like drinking a lot of orange juice or something. Be sure to drink enough water too, dehydration can stall your loss. Good luck you will get there. Check your measurements, you might be loosing inches while stalled at this weight. If you weigh presently the same amount in the past for a long time your body may be trying to hang out at this weight, eventually it will give up the fight and drop fast again.
   — bob-haller

December 11, 2001
Patti, I lost weight the first few weeks and then had my first plateau at 3 weeks and another lloonngg plateau a few weeks later. It is discouraging, but some of us just lose that way. Frankly, I think you are kind of early to be eating rice, noodles and toast. I am not a "no carb" fanatic, but I would try to choose fewer simple carbs and more whole grain, whole fruit and vegetable carbs, because simple carbs can slow you down. But really, you want a "diet" that you can live with and if that makes you a little slower than the gal next door, don't worry about it. Look at what you wrote, that is not enough to maintain a high weight. It just is not, period. Your body will drop the weight and the scale will move, but I know from experience it is hard to wait it out. Now I am almost 7 months out and I have lost 82 pounds. A lot slower than some, but I never lost 82 pounds in any amount of time before, so I am ecstatic! Bob is right, the best thing you can do is track your food intake for a few days. A fun site to try is www.fitday.com. It is free and easy to use. Hang in there, the first few weeks are the most frustrating, but you'll make it.
   — blank first name B.

December 12, 2001
Um, not knowing exactly what kind of surgery you had or how big your pouch was, I will pretend that it was similar to MINE, OK? I had 30cc to start with my first surgery. Since then, I've been revised, but I also did not have a break-in period with revision, since I had very little weight to lose. OK, that said, even at 5 yrs out with a disrupted staple line, I could not have eaten oatmeal, toast & egg. That sounds like a very large volume to me, based on my own experience, but not to pass judgment on you. However, if that's what it takes to hit your off swtich, then I'd surmise that yes, your pouch is quite large OR the stoma has stretched. We get optimum wt loss on 6 one oz meals/day. However, I know people do reach reasonable goals on the 3 big meals/day, too. Knowing what I know NOW, I'd ask to be scoped & take a look, measure the stoma, check for staple line disruption, etc. Evaluate your intake, no milk, no sugar, 60+g of protein supps, 64 oz + of water, no grazing, no drinking with meals.. Checking it all together from a point of actual hard facts, as best you can, rather than from the point of abject terror where you are now. I'm with you! But separate the whole Bad Girl past thing they did to us, from "Do I have a flat tire? Am I using the wrong kind of fuel?"
   — vitalady

December 12, 2001
I am at the same place you are! Im 8 weeks out yesterday, down a total of 32#, and have lost only 14# of that in the last 5 weeks. I, too, am getting very frustrated and wonder what it going on. I decided to keep track of my daily intake of protein, carbs, and calories. I am averaging 70g of protein, 15 carbs, and 750-800 calories a day. Plus, I am drinking most of my water and walking or bicycling 4-5 times a week. Youd think with those numbers, Id be dropping weight like mad, but, I am not. I know many of us are slow losers. My surgeon said slower is better, especially since I am diabetic. Plus, it might help with the sagging skin down the road. I have also realized I cant compare myself to others because we are all different, our bodies do not work the same. Its going to be a slow ride, but, I am still enjoying it. Take peace in that you are on the road to healthiness and happiness! Dont watch what others are doing, just concentrate on yourself and what you need to do. Youll do fine and sooner than you know it, youll be at your goal weight! : ) Good luck and God Bless!
   — Kerry P.

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