Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Recommended Posts

Has anyone else had this problem?

I am 4 weeks out from surgery. I lost 13 pounds Pre-op diet. and 12 in the 2 weeks following.

I have a Body Bug and really watch what I eat. 500-600 calories a day . Walking 3 miles a day. And the last 2 weeks I have been gaining. .5 lbs one day 1.5 the next. I am working my ass off and still show a gain.

So frustrated. I am 50 years old and yes, I know my body will take longer to lose the weight. But gaining?

Come on! unsure.gif

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Your weight might be slower , but are you losing inches , you are working out so there will be some muscle gain and more Water intake , so check your inches

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1. First 6 weeks are about healing; not weight-loss. Of course we all want to continuously see a drop on the scale but you need to let yourself heal. Doing too much too soon can cause damage and will slow down the healing process. Also, the 13lbs you lost pre-op were mostly Water weight, not a true fast loss, so you can't expect to continue to lose that much. Very rarely is weight-loss stable or linear. You'll learn that weight goes up and down and sometimes it stays for a few weeks.

2. Why are you weighing yourself everyday, especially this early out? Your weight can fluctuate 10lbs in a day. Stick to weighing once a week, twice max.

3. My advice: breathe, relax, focus on healing and not so much on the scale. Put it away for a few days. Keep doing what you're doing and the scale will follow in time.

Good luck!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You are only eatting 500-600 cals a day? AND exercising on top of that? That is your biggest problem. You are throwing your body into starvation mode. Believe me I did the same thing, come out of the gate eatting low exercising high and I ran into the EXACT same problem. Up your calories to 1000-1200 and you will see the weight start flying back off.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You are only eatting 500-600 cals a day? AND exercising on top of that? That is your biggest problem. You are throwing your body into starvation mode. Believe me I did the same thing, come out of the gate eatting low exercising high and I ran into the EXACT same problem. Up your calories to 1000-1200 and you will see the weight start flying back off.

I cracked up when I saw your profile pic and username. Very cute! Thanks for making me laugh!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

When I saw my Doctor, I told him what I was eating and the amount of exercise and he said that was fine.

Starvation or No, Calories expended are the same.

I'm getting my Protein and and Doc said the amount of Calories WAS NOT to low. As long as I was eating healthy.

I too thought I wasn't getting enough calories. I feel good and not tired.

You are only eatting 500-600 cals a day? AND exercising on top of that? That is your biggest problem. You are throwing your body into starvation mode. Believe me I did the same thing, come out of the gate eatting low exercising high and I ran into the EXACT same problem. Up your calories to 1000-1200 and you will see the weight start flying back off.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Healthy diet is 900-1200 calories a day.. I know you are fairly early on and may not be able to eat so much, but I'd up it a little bit and see if that helps. Remember this is your new life, it's not as much a "diet" don't starve yourself, eat a good regular, healthy diet.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

For sure, i'd suggest more calories. At least 1200.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I experienced the exact same thing. But it's true what everyone is saying, watch what happens when you add more calories, you'll start to shed weight quickly. Seems like the opposite of what you should do, but as you start eating more food, you'll drop more weight. Also, wheny you're exercising, you're using up your calories. So if you're eating 500 calories a day, and you're buring 300, you're asking your body to survive on 200 calories a day. It's not going to like you very much and will store everything you eat. Whether or not your surgeon agrees that you should add more calories is a different story. I'm not a doctor, but I've learned through trial and error. Have a goal of 1200 calories, it will help.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Unfortunately, most doctors don't have all that much training/education on nutrition. I too have experienced a stall and came out of it by upping my calories just a hair.

I wasn't doing only 500 or 600, but around 1000 and when I went up to 1200, things started moving again. Coincidence? I don't know, but it worked for me.

Does your doctor have a nutritionist or dietician that works with the practice? If they do, I'd consider making an appointment with one of them to discuss your needs.

Hope you get some answers.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Unfortunately for everyone it is not all about calories in vs. calories out at times. Last week I went to 7 kickboxing classes, I had tried increasing my calories to 1400 per day (what livestrong says that alone should make me lose 2 lb/week.) My kickboxing classes, I burn about 500 calories per class, so 7 classes should have led to a 1 lb weght loss. So added together theoretically I chould have lost 3 lbs. Do you know how much I lost? 0.6 lb!! Still trying to figure out what works for me. I'm going to go back to 1200 this week, except for monday and wednesday where I go to 2 kickboxing class.

I do think 500-600 calories is to low, especially with exercise thrown in. When I was still on mushies and liquids and stuff, I only lost weight the first week post ofp, then nothing until week 5 when I was on real food and got my calories back up to at least 1000. I need calories to lose weight, while some people cn lose on less, I can't and maybe you can't either.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I went through the same thing early on and asked for advice on here. I was eating about 500-600 cals per day and exercising 5 days a week cardio and weights for an hour and a half and not losing according to the scale but I was losing inches according to my clothes :) . The advice that I was given was to up my calories to about 1200 and I would start to see that scale move again and low and behold they were right!! :o I dropped 10lbs in a week!! What worked for my then is not working for me now that I am closer to my goal weight so I will have to make the necessary adjustments to get moving again. The lapband journey is never dull, boring or predictable. It is different for us all and you just have to keep trying things until you find what works for you. I find high Protein and 1200 cals a day have worked well so far and maybe I need to go up to 1400 a day to get the scale moving again.

Good luck and the advice about talking to the nutritionist is a good one!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I wish it was all about calories in/calories out but it isn't that simple...if you go back and read old posts you will find that there isn't one magic formula that will make the weight come off faster. Some people can do it on 600 calories a day but most can't. Personally, if I take in less than 1,000 calories per day I don't lose regardless of how much exercise I do...some people have to keep their intake around 1,200, it really depends on the person. For me, the first couple of months after being banded was all about trying to figure out how to make my band work for me. I slowly tweaked my calories/protein/carbs to try to determine what combination worked best and now that I have found that level I can honestly say that it works well 90% of the time but there are still weeks where I will do everything I am supposed to do and not lose. Yes, it is frustrating but that is life with the band...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Unfortunately for everyone it is not all about calories in vs. calories out at times. Last week I went to 7 kickboxing classes, I had tried increasing my calories to 1400 per day (what livestrong says that alone should make me lose 2 lb/week.) My kickboxing classes, I burn about 500 calories per class, so 7 classes should have led to a 1 lb weght loss. So added together theoretically I chould have lost 3 lbs. Do you know how much I lost? 0.6 lb!! Still trying to figure out what works for me. I'm going to go back to 1200 this week, except for monday and wednesday where I go to 2 kickboxing class.

I do think 500-600 calories is to low, especially with exercise thrown in. When I was still on mushies and liquids and stuff, I only lost weight the first week post ofp, then nothing until week 5 when I was on real food and got my calories back up to at least 1000. I need calories to lose weight, while some people cn lose on less, I can't and maybe you can't either.

Not true. It IS all about calories in vs. calories out. When you eat below the number of calories you need to maintain your weight along with exercise, you WILL lose. Just because you calculated what you "should" have lost doesn't mean that is what you "will" lose. Our bodies are not textbooks and there is no saying how much you will lose. The fact is the scale went down; maybe not as much as you wanted/thought, but it did go down. Also, all of the calorie tracking websites are generally wrong; I wouldn't advise following them.

It's all about playing with your calories. I started with 800 calories at the beginning of my journey and today I am eating 1700+ calories a day. I slowly upped from 1200 calories, adding 100 a week, to see where I needed to be to lose weight. Low and behold last week the scale was down .8lbs. Great loss? Nope. But a loss? Surely; and it puts me one step closer to 120.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I wish it was all about calories in/calories out but it isn't that simple...if you go back and read old posts you will find that there isn't one magic formula that will make the weight come off faster. Some people can do it on 600 calories a day but most can't. Personally, if I take in less than 1,000 calories per day I don't lose regardless of how much exercise I do...some people have to keep their intake around 1,200, it really depends on the person. For me, the first couple of months after being banded was all about trying to figure out how to make my band work for me. I slowly tweaked my calories/protein/carbs to try to determine what combination worked best and now that I have found that level I can honestly say that it works well 90% of the time but there are still weeks where I will do everything I am supposed to do and not lose. Yes, it is frustrating but that is life with the band...

Those eating 600-800 can lose weight by eating so little because they have a lot of weight to lose. How do I know? Experience. I started off eating 600-800 calories and lost plenty. However, you do stall/plateau, and when I did I upped my calories. The more weight you have to lose, the higher your calorie deficit can/will be. With 11lbs or so left to lose, I am now eating 1700 calories, and losing once again. Calories are up because I do not have as much excess fat anymore. It's all a game of testing the waters, really.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×