okelly44

Thanks for this post! I am about 6 weeks out now and the first 3 weks I lost 16 pounds - 7, 6, & then 6 more. I knew this wouldn't continue, but I assumed at least I'd see 3 pounds a week or so. Especially since I've started back at the gym 5 days a week, I'm very active, and am eating maybe 800-900 calories a day. Sheesh! After 4.5 weeks when I suddenly saw no loss, I freaked and thought maybe I wasn't being stringent enough so for the last 10 days I have been absolutely strict eating almost nothing but Protein shakes, fish, and some steamed veggies. Absoultely no bread, sweets, or drinking Water less than 30 mins after meals. Even doing a food log religiously again. As I count it, I'm getting 800 calories or even less if you figure in the 350 calories I burn at the gym. But the scale is not budging!! Some have told me to be patient - my body may be adjusting to the new low cal mode and hanging on to weight for a couple weeks until it realizes it won't starve. Then I'll lost a big amount all at once. (This did happen occasionally when I was taking weight of the year prior to surgery.) Others wonder if 800 calories is too little and my body thinks it's starving? Still others say weight loss is more like a step than a down ramp (drop, flat, drop, flat.) I know all this is very logical, and if I am as diligent as I would swear I am, then basic physics should apply at some point. Still, it is so hard to accept for now. You hear all the stories of this 3-4 month honeymoon phase where weight melts off no matter what you do. That gives you the great motivation to stay strong when the weight loss slows down. So, of course, I'm panicking - my honeymoon ended after 3 crummy weeks?!!! WTH?? Already?? I kind of feel like this was all for nothing - but that's just the upset brat inside me pouting. Before surgery, I was trying to eat 1,200 calories a day and it took focus and hard work. Now with the sleeve, I am of course full much sooner, so eating less. But now shooting for 800 calories rather than 1,200, it's kind of the same struggle to stay on track, just a lower calorie count. Same fight, different rules. At the very least, I expected my weight to be dropping significantly and steadily. Otherwise, what's the point? I'm glad to hear there are tons of posts on this, which I shall immediately seek out to help me feel more positive. I'm not giving up...I'm angrily determined but it does take a toll on my cheerful outlook.

Does anyone have an idea of what it takes to really stretch the pouch permanently? I'm one month out and think i'm fine, but there were a few times I was really thirsty, gulped lots of Water and then felt like I had bricks in my stomach, I've made this mistake once or twice as well by eating a bit more than I should have. I'm paranoid now... can one instance stretch it for life or is more a case of constantly overeating that stretches it little by little? Learning to eat much less and spot satiety in advance, but just wondering how problamatic and occasional mistake could be?