SomeBigGuy

Yeah it should be fine, just keep the sugar low. As long as you're hitting your daily Water and Protein goals, and the sugar amount is in single digits per serving, you should be fine. I've been eating Fage plain greek yogurt as my snack since it has 17g of Protein and very low carbs. I love the 5% milkfat version but the saturated fat is a tad high. I know I should have the 0% but I don't like the flavor. 2% has been my compromise.

Thanks everyone for your supportive words.
it’s good to know I’m on track and these feelings are what everyone goes through.

I will def try those arm movements because the top of my left shoulder/ neck is killing me

This has been immensely helpful! I have surgery on Tuesday and just realized today that I’d been spending so much time preparing for how to eat-not how to feel. Thank you for sharing your experience and uplifting words.

Don't you have the willpower? Ha! Willpower involves something you have control over. Willpower has never and will never cure a disease and obesity is a disease. Rudeness however, is not...
Having dealt with being overweight most of my life (Thank you genetics, puberty, and PCOS!) it bothered me in the past when I was called names, overheard cruel remarks, or was told to "just push yourself away from the table!" But with the wisdom of age, life experience, and resulting blessed disregard for what others think about me comes a certain freedom. I don't feel the need to explain anything to anyone or defend myself because there is nothing I could ever say that would change their misconceptions. They want to believe what they believe. So I no longer let it get to me and I've accepted who I am with all my beautiful flaws. When someone I met asked me when I was due, I said - "I'm not pregnant, I'm just fat!" They were embarrassed, but I laughed, because I was 56 at the time and that ship had way past sailed! And I chose to take it as a compliment that she thought I was young enough to be pregnant! LOL
As for WLS, I've embraced it. I've made a decision that will extend my life and grant me many more years with my husband (poor man!) So I told my sisters, some friends, my hairdresser (gonna need him when the hair starts falling out!), my boss, and a lot of coworkers. And while the reaction has been hugely positive and supportive, I have to be honest, if it wasn't I just wouldn't have given a 🤐
I admit that when I was younger things would have been different, because when we are young we worry too much about what others think about us. But now I only live for today. As for rude and obnoxious people, I just look at them and think...
I will digress here with a little story - I once had a sister-in-law who was a truly evil person disguised as a saint; she was capable of the most heinous acts. She is only person upon whom I've ever wanted to seek revenge. So I would think about dastardly things and one day came up with the idea of going to bookstore with a large magazine section and taking a subscription card from EVERY magazine and filling them out in her name... every type of magazine imaginable. Then i thought about how long it would take someone to cancel all those magazines... and the type of mailing lists you would get on even after you had cancelled them, and I smiled a chesire cat little smile... and then let it go. In my head I had enacted my revenge! I shared it with my husband and to this day when someone really pisses me off I tell him about it and say, "They're getting magazines!!!" and we laugh.
So those rude, obnoxious, and nasty people who can't mind their own business and have to comment on things they know nothing about? I look at them and think "You're getting magazines!"

Remove myself from the conversation and that space that they were in. Negative thoughts and energy has a way of attaching itself to a person.

I wouldn't be surprised if you losing weight is absolutely terrifying to your ex. As long as you are obese, he can assure himself that you'll never find anyone better than he was, which seems to be important to a lot of people regardless of whether they ended the relationship or you did. It's a pride thing. But when you start losing weight, now you're probably happier with more energy, you might look more attractive, maybe dressing in nicer clothes, too... uh oh! Now he sees you were totally settling for his sorry butt and are likely to find someone way better, and then his ego will be bruised as all your friends and family tell you how lucky you are.
My ex, (who is legally not my ex yet, which is very annoying) is the sabotaging type, too. I see him 5 days a week when he picks up the kids for school or drops off from activities. I've had to tell him about the surgery as I'll need his help with the kids, and I am still on a family plan insurance so he'll need to know about deductibles and such, but I fully expect him to start panicking as the weight loss becomes noticeable. I can hardly wait to find out how he'll try to sabotage me.

It's hard when it comes from family members, but I think its inevitable because every family and circle of friends has "that a**h***". If they're the kind of person the judge someone for the weight loss, they were already judging before the weight loss. Take pride in knowing that you live rent free in their head tormenting them
As for you, just keep up the good work! People who haven't experienced it don't realize the work that is still required, nor the pain/discomfort that is experienced in the weight loss surgery process. Especially for people who's metabolism is just naturally geared toward not eating much or staying small. To them, they falsely believe that since it is so hard for them to gain weight by forcing themselves to eat more, then you must have voluntarily forced yourself to be overweight. They don't realize how foolish that concept sounds because they've never walked in your shoes. If they don't choose to make the effort to understand, they never will.
It is hard brushing it off from people that are close, but as I mentioned earlier about living rent free in others' minds, don't let them dwell in your head. Evict them and go on about your day!

That does sound like the basis for the diet I'm on. They told me to work on getting 64oz of Water per day as top priority, then around 60-80g of Protein next. Next it was to prioritize some unsaturated fats (fish, poultry, and lower carb veggie protein options).
From there, they told me to keep carbs under 10g per serving, and under 55g total for the day (not quite as low as keto). Then try to keep saturated fats low where possible.
I'm a 6'1" male, so they had me try to target 800-1000 calories per day during the weight loss phase, and work toward 1200 after about 6 months. You may want to check with your doctor or nutritionist to see if they have a recommended range to target. I learned the hard way while I was sick with Covid over the holidays that its really easy for excess calories to be hiding in small things.
But overall, just keep up with what you are doing. There will be a stall within the first couple months, and a second stall a couple months after that, so just mentally prepare for it. Both will last 2-4 weeks and will likely have a slight regain in the middle of it. It doesn't take much Fluid retention to make the number on the scale go back up. Remember that a 16oz bottle of water is literally 1lb. It's not fat, so it doesn't count. if you're drinking a half gallon / 2L of water a day, that's 4 lbs sitting there, but it doesn't count as "fat weight". It is jarring to see a 4lb fluctuation on the scale, but you're not losing progress, it's just water that your body isn't done processing yet.
Think of the weight loss more like stair steps rather than a straight line. You can push through it!

I had a stall one month out that lasted for 5 weeks. I gained and lost the same 2-4 lbs every week. It was so discouraging. One thing I highly recommend though is MEASUREMENTS. I discovered that though I wasn't losing weight, I was losing inches!! This is rather common during a stall because our body composition is still changing even though the scale is at a standstill or going up a bit.
The stall will break eventually. Keep doing what they told you to do, make sure you are getting your Protein and hydration daily. Go for a walk. Try to ignore the scale for a bit. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I know it is hard, I'm 10 weeks out and have to remind myself of this every day!

Stalls are perfectly normal & are an important part of your weight loss as the others have said. The first one usually begins around week 3but can be before or after this time like yours. They generally last 1-3 weeks & again they can last longer or even only for fewer days. The numbers are based on averages & so just give you an idea what might happen when.
Yes they are frustrating but it’s best to let them ride out. The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again. Don’t stress it out by making more changes other than those required by your plan so stick to it. Reduce how often you’re on the scales & try taking body measurements. Many notice that while the scale doesn’t move, their clothing fits differently.
Also, if you would like more precise information about portion sizes, macros, etc, ask for them from your dietician. It’s about feeling comfortable & confident about what you’re doing, For example did they say when you should be up to a cup of food? I was told 6 months for a cup but that was what I was told for me.

Just for a little perspective, a good rule of thumb is that on average people lose about 50% of their excess weight by 6 months, then it will take the following 6-12 months to lose the remaining weight because loss slows the closer you get to goal. Your 50% mark is 45 lbs, so you are technically ahead of schedule probably when it comes to your weight loss. Take a moment to let that sink in and Celebrate it! That's a big deal!
Yes, working out for some people slows their weight loss according to the scale because they are exchanging fat for muscle and their Fluid balance changes. But, another issue is that some people don't eat enough to fuel their body and workouts when they are in a losing phase, which will also cause weight loss to slow down. You need a session with a bariatric trained nutritionist to help you work out what your target calories and macros are so you don't end up in starvation mode and ruin that nicely reset metabolism you got compliments of the surgery!
Stalls are a normal part of it. I stalled one month out from surgery for 5 weeks. It was really lame and I have way more to lose than you do. But it is all part of the game! Putting too much stress on your body and emotions will definitely trigger slower weight loss too as was mentioned above. This is a marathon, not a sprint...
ETA: Almost forgot---are you monitoring your measurements?? Most of us lose inches when we aren't losing pounds according to the scale. That's because even when the scale is at a halt, our body composition is changing! Take those measurements!!

That is a good point that I didn't consider in my earlier response. I think you would need to check with a nutritionist or trainer to figure out what your target should be.
With more intense workouts, you'll definitely burn more, so its easier for your body to be in too big of a deficit, and think you're in starvation mode. In that case, its possible for some people to burn muscle and preserve fat since your body is in a defensive state. There will be a range where you're getting enough calories and Protein to build muscle, but still let the body know its safe to burn off the excess fat, but that's unique to everyone and would need a professional to help narrow down what that is for you.
But again, based on the numbers on your profile here, you're roughly half way through the excess weight loss target weight you had. The scale plays a part in the journey, but its not the only indicator of success, especially in the second half. Recognize the gains you're getting with the increased weights you can lift, increased reps/sets, more endurance, and energy. The scale can remain the same or even gain a few pounds, but that's due to the muscle weighing more than the fat it replaced, and during that time you may have lost a shirt or pants size and gotten stronger!
Obsessing on the scale number alone leads to stress, which leads to increased cortisol (stress hormone) production, which in itself tells the body to store all the fat it can because it falsely things there's a survival emergency. I know its impossible to avoid all stress, and its needed for us in short bursts, but learning to escape from chronic ongoing stress and worry will also help your body burn off the remaining fat.

If you're really focussing on building muscle, that will definitely offset the scale number. However, in that case, that's ok to gain that back. Muscle weights 1.5x as much as fat, so it will definitely cause a difference, which is why you can't make the scale be your only benchmark for fitness success, especially after the first "half" or so of your expected weight loss. Doing so will negate the gains and promote muscle loss, which makes the exercise pointless. You will still lose weight overall, but you need to focus on the fat loss, not total weight specifically.
We all have weight we can't lose with our bones, organs, and in your case, increasing muscle mass. The scale doesn't account for that, so you can't judge your progress on that alone. You need to factor in all the other non-scale victories, like smaller clothing sizes, more endurance and stamina, increases in what you can lift, and other health related items like blood pressure, blood sugar, asthma, and coming off of meds you previously needed. Success is measured by a combination of all of those things. Focussing only on the scale number will drive you crazy as you progress.
It sounds like you're doing great if you're already able to do this much exercise! See if you can meet with a nutritionist or your doctor, and see if your calories, macros, and Fluid intake are where they need to be, and stay the course on it. You'll be able to power through the stall, and start to see all the other victories you are winning!

That does sound like the basis for the diet I'm on. They told me to work on getting 64oz of Water per day as top priority, then around 60-80g of Protein next. Next it was to prioritize some unsaturated fats (fish, poultry, and lower carb veggie protein options).
From there, they told me to keep carbs under 10g per serving, and under 55g total for the day (not quite as low as keto). Then try to keep saturated fats low where possible.
I'm a 6'1" male, so they had me try to target 800-1000 calories per day during the weight loss phase, and work toward 1200 after about 6 months. You may want to check with your doctor or nutritionist to see if they have a recommended range to target. I learned the hard way while I was sick with Covid over the holidays that its really easy for excess calories to be hiding in small things.
But overall, just keep up with what you are doing. There will be a stall within the first couple months, and a second stall a couple months after that, so just mentally prepare for it. Both will last 2-4 weeks and will likely have a slight regain in the middle of it. It doesn't take much Fluid retention to make the number on the scale go back up. Remember that a 16oz bottle of water is literally 1lb. It's not fat, so it doesn't count. if you're drinking a half gallon / 2L of water a day, that's 4 lbs sitting there, but it doesn't count as "fat weight". It is jarring to see a 4lb fluctuation on the scale, but you're not losing progress, it's just water that your body isn't done processing yet.
Think of the weight loss more like stair steps rather than a straight line. You can push through it!

That is a good point that I didn't consider in my earlier response. I think you would need to check with a nutritionist or trainer to figure out what your target should be.
With more intense workouts, you'll definitely burn more, so its easier for your body to be in too big of a deficit, and think you're in starvation mode. In that case, its possible for some people to burn muscle and preserve fat since your body is in a defensive state. There will be a range where you're getting enough calories and Protein to build muscle, but still let the body know its safe to burn off the excess fat, but that's unique to everyone and would need a professional to help narrow down what that is for you.
But again, based on the numbers on your profile here, you're roughly half way through the excess weight loss target weight you had. The scale plays a part in the journey, but its not the only indicator of success, especially in the second half. Recognize the gains you're getting with the increased weights you can lift, increased reps/sets, more endurance, and energy. The scale can remain the same or even gain a few pounds, but that's due to the muscle weighing more than the fat it replaced, and during that time you may have lost a shirt or pants size and gotten stronger!
Obsessing on the scale number alone leads to stress, which leads to increased cortisol (stress hormone) production, which in itself tells the body to store all the fat it can because it falsely things there's a survival emergency. I know its impossible to avoid all stress, and its needed for us in short bursts, but learning to escape from chronic ongoing stress and worry will also help your body burn off the remaining fat.

If you're really focussing on building muscle, that will definitely offset the scale number. However, in that case, that's ok to gain that back. Muscle weights 1.5x as much as fat, so it will definitely cause a difference, which is why you can't make the scale be your only benchmark for fitness success, especially after the first "half" or so of your expected weight loss. Doing so will negate the gains and promote muscle loss, which makes the exercise pointless. You will still lose weight overall, but you need to focus on the fat loss, not total weight specifically.
We all have weight we can't lose with our bones, organs, and in your case, increasing muscle mass. The scale doesn't account for that, so you can't judge your progress on that alone. You need to factor in all the other non-scale victories, like smaller clothing sizes, more endurance and stamina, increases in what you can lift, and other health related items like blood pressure, blood sugar, asthma, and coming off of meds you previously needed. Success is measured by a combination of all of those things. Focussing only on the scale number will drive you crazy as you progress.
It sounds like you're doing great if you're already able to do this much exercise! See if you can meet with a nutritionist or your doctor, and see if your calories, macros, and Fluid intake are where they need to be, and stay the course on it. You'll be able to power through the stall, and start to see all the other victories you are winning!

Muscle weighs 7 times more than fat, so if you're weight lifting the scale might move downwards more slowly, but the inches come off quickly! I used to be a fitness/body building instructor and I'd hear this complaint a lot. Be more concerned with how you feel and how your clothes fit instead with if you're body building or free weight lifting.

There's typically a couple stalls that lasts for 2-4 weeks that happens after surgery. I've heard them typically referred to to the 3rd week and 3rd month stalls when they typically start, but can happen any time. Our bodies have to recalibrate things after substantial loss, and it will hold on to fat and/or fluids until it knows its safe for it to lose more. As long as you stick to you calories, macros, and Fluid requirements laid out by your doctor, the weight loss will resume.
Restart your diet and track everything closely. Also go back to weighing yourself weekly instead of daily to reduce stress. Additionally, if you are working out more than you were pre surgery, keep in mind you may also be gaining some muscle weight, which offsets the number on the scale. If your clothing sizes are getting smaller, you're still on track!
It is very frustrating as I just came out of one, but I did slack off on tracking my eating closely over the holidays. Even though I didn't feel like I was eating that much more, I had crept back up around 1600 calories a day by having a treat I thought I had earned. I didn't realize it was so calorically dense and was a big mistake for me. I was using it to feel better after having covid over Christmas and New Years, but it did throw me off track and made my stall worse. I'm back on the strict diet this week and its starting to drop again.

That does sound like the basis for the diet I'm on. They told me to work on getting 64oz of Water per day as top priority, then around 60-80g of Protein next. Next it was to prioritize some unsaturated fats (fish, poultry, and lower carb veggie protein options).
From there, they told me to keep carbs under 10g per serving, and under 55g total for the day (not quite as low as keto). Then try to keep saturated fats low where possible.
I'm a 6'1" male, so they had me try to target 800-1000 calories per day during the weight loss phase, and work toward 1200 after about 6 months. You may want to check with your doctor or nutritionist to see if they have a recommended range to target. I learned the hard way while I was sick with Covid over the holidays that its really easy for excess calories to be hiding in small things.
But overall, just keep up with what you are doing. There will be a stall within the first couple months, and a second stall a couple months after that, so just mentally prepare for it. Both will last 2-4 weeks and will likely have a slight regain in the middle of it. It doesn't take much Fluid retention to make the number on the scale go back up. Remember that a 16oz bottle of water is literally 1lb. It's not fat, so it doesn't count. if you're drinking a half gallon / 2L of water a day, that's 4 lbs sitting there, but it doesn't count as "fat weight". It is jarring to see a 4lb fluctuation on the scale, but you're not losing progress, it's just water that your body isn't done processing yet.
Think of the weight loss more like stair steps rather than a straight line. You can push through it!

Stalls are par for the course and do not mean you are doing anything wrong. It is just your body's way of assessing and adjusting. Remember surgery is a shock to the body and with limited capacity, the typical nutrients your body was used to getting is greatly reduced. Do not panic, do not go into overdrive to change too much. Stick with your program, aim for the Protein (and fiber) and Water goals, take your Vitamins and don't obsess too much over the scale. Trust me I know it's much easier said than done, but almost all of us have been there a time or two or more and it is completely normal.
As @SomeBigGuy stated weightloss is not a straight line.
(There is a whole lengthy thread under 3 week stall - though again it doesn't necessarily only occur at 3 weeks or just once.)

okay, I have 3 kiddos and they wont let me lay down too long. So maybe we have a dance party with lots of arm flaying and walking in place LOL how long did you take off work?

If you're really focussing on building muscle, that will definitely offset the scale number. However, in that case, that's ok to gain that back. Muscle weights 1.5x as much as fat, so it will definitely cause a difference, which is why you can't make the scale be your only benchmark for fitness success, especially after the first "half" or so of your expected weight loss. Doing so will negate the gains and promote muscle loss, which makes the exercise pointless. You will still lose weight overall, but you need to focus on the fat loss, not total weight specifically.
We all have weight we can't lose with our bones, organs, and in your case, increasing muscle mass. The scale doesn't account for that, so you can't judge your progress on that alone. You need to factor in all the other non-scale victories, like smaller clothing sizes, more endurance and stamina, increases in what you can lift, and other health related items like blood pressure, blood sugar, asthma, and coming off of meds you previously needed. Success is measured by a combination of all of those things. Focussing only on the scale number will drive you crazy as you progress.
It sounds like you're doing great if you're already able to do this much exercise! See if you can meet with a nutritionist or your doctor, and see if your calories, macros, and Fluid intake are where they need to be, and stay the course on it. You'll be able to power through the stall, and start to see all the other victories you are winning!

I wasn’t given calories or macros. Just work up to 1 cup at each meal and just see what you can tolerate. Eat Protein first and strive for 60-80 grams of protein.

So my surgery was seven weeks today. For the past two weeks I have been stuck at the same weight OR gained 2-3 lbs. Basically fluctuating the same 2-3 pounds I guess. I wouldn't have thought I would hit a plateau this early. I'm eating the plan they laid out for me. I'm walking when I can (torn meniscus and degenerative disc disease issues). I guess I just don't understand why I'm stuck already. Just frustrated. Any words of wisdom?

That makes a lot of sense People have already tried to talk me out of it, as if there are other options that I haven't tried! I always like to remind them that I have been big for my entire adult life now, and if I continue, the chances of my obesity killing me are far greater than this surgical procedure. OR they say things like: "but won't you miss the food? " to which I state: 1) I'll be able to eat still, 2) food is what got me here in the first place, so no, I won't miss it haha.
Unfortunately us bigger people become punching bags for others who are fatphobic, even without realising it. We are often what they fear! I cannot wait for the day that I feel comfortable in my own skin, even if that skin is loose! I also can't wait for my asthma to be better haha!