I am 9 days post op and starting to feel the restriction although my band is not filled at all. I was put on mushy foods the day after I got out of the hospital. I know that most people are on liquids right out of the hospital for a few weeks. My doc put me on 6 weeks of mushy food. I'm ok with that because with no restriction I would be dying of hunger, LOL.

Ok, so I went to get my staples out this past tuesday, 4 days post op and I was down 4lbs. I have not been eating half as much as I was before banding, I simply can't. I have been eating cream soups, mashed potatoes and a chicken dish that I made. I also drink lots of flavored water, regular water, diet V8, Crystal lite, slim fast and sugar free carnation instant breakfast.

I bought a scale today and I have only lost 7 ounces. I was 202.9 at the docs and my scale says 202.2. I know that it is ounces, but I am so discouraged. Am I doing anything wrong? My doc didn't tell me to restrict anything yet just to grind it. I will be starting gentle excersize next week. I have heard where people have lost so much in the first 2 weeks, I guess maybe I am jelous.

OK, I am done I am just feeling a bit discouraged. I am doing everything I can to stay full on a small amount of food and not eat junk and not getting results. I know that I have to watch the carbs and fat and calories but I am not taking in that much.

OK, I am really done now, LOL.

Thanks for "listening" reading :biggrin1:

hey sister girl!

dont be discouraged. I have actually gained a pound this week. do not compare yourself to people who lose a great amount of weight the first couple of weeks. Many of those are starting with a larger amount of weight to lose. Some are our size too, but you must remember that we are all different!!

My doc released me to 24-48 hours of liquids, then mushies as tolerated for four weeks. So we are in very similar situations as far as diet. compare yourself to me...we weigh the same, built the same, same age, same height....and guess what? We have lost approx the same amount of weight. and fyi, my ticker reflects my consult date for my beginning weight. On surgery day, I was 203.7, so since surgery day, i have lost five(and gained one back that does not show on the ticker). You do the math...it is four lbs lost for me, and i am 12 days post op.

concentrate on healing, not losing weight right now. girlfriend, we have our whole lives ahead of us now, and we have plenty of time to lose our weight.

We are all here with ya!!

Mia, don't feel bad, you're doing great!

The people you see losing 20-30 pounds immediately post-op are the ones whose doctors have placed them on those ridiculous liquid diets. More progressive docs, like yours (and those of us who awarded ourselves with an honorary MD ), use a much more lenient diet. There is no reason to drink liquids for weeks at a time when there was no cutting done to your insides.

I just wish ALL doctors wouldn't get our hopes up so high about rapid post-op weight loss and be more honest about how slowly it goes.

Additionally, I can tell that you don't have a huge amount of weight to lose. If you think about your slow weight loss, it makes sense. Think about how many calories it takes to maintain a heavier body versus a smaller one.

For instance, at my height, to MAINTAIN a weight of 350 pounds, I would need to consume about 3,000 calories. To maintain a weight of 200 pounds, I would only need about 2,200 calories.

People on a liquid diet are getting maybe 500 to 1,000 calories a day. The jump from 3,000 calories (for a 350 pound person) to 1,000 calories is much greater than the jump from 2,200 calories (for a 200 pound person) to 1,000. So even though you are eating less than you were before, you are probably losing weight more slowly than someone who is much heavier than you.

Does this make any sense to anyone? I came up with this theory after thinking about it forever. It sounds fairly pseudo-scientific, and I've been wanting to try it out on the board.

Home scales can vary so much from the Dr's scales. If you were you, I would use your weight on your home scale as a starting point from now and only weigh once a week. This may not reflect your true weight, as shown on the Dr's scales, but it will give you a good indicator of the amount of weight you are losing. Daily weighing can be discouraging because the body's weight can fluctuate as much as 5 pounds per day.

Your body is probably still swollen and retaining a lot of fluids. Relax and give yourself time. The average weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. If your scales were right on the money, then losing .7 pounds in 4 days is perfect!

The next time you weigh at the Dr's office, you'll have a better idea of how far off your scales are.

Chin up, it's way too early in the game to be discouraged.

LOL Strawarts!! I totally agree with your theory! I came to the same conclusion, but wasn't brave enough to try it out!

Mia, go easy on yourself & realize that this is healing time. Some lose, but some were eating 6000+ calories a day. ANY calorie restriction will bring loss at that amount.

For me, I got a tracking program from www.fitday.com (I bought the PC version for $20). It shows me the calories in versus out... and really puts the ball in my court. I feel like I'm in control again. (Ok, not in control over my food demons, but at least I know why I didn't lose this week!)

Hang in there, the 2 months really does go fast. You'll be there soon! (( Hugs!! ))

My thoughts were pretty much the same as P'Nut's.

After any surgery, they pump you full of fluids. You're body's electrolyte balance gets a little off kilter and holds onto those fluids. Remember, you're healing and swelling goes along with healing. So the slower scale movement may be related to post op swelling.

Also, you are about 203lbs, depending on which scale you believe. It's possible that the individuals you're comparing yourself to (which you shouldn't do by the way) may have started at much higher weights than you did. I've noticed that those who start at higher weights seem to loose quicker in the beginning. By the way, although I may weigh at the doctors office I don't pay a lick of attention to it. I swear by my own because that's the one I weigh on regularly. AND, who the heck wants to weigh on the doctors office scale NAKED?

Don't get down in the dumps. It's going to happen. You sound very determined and ready for the band life. BE PATIENT. Once you heal and the post op swelling goes down, you'll do just fine. This can take 4-6 weeks.

Good Luck,

9 days is way too soon to expect huge results... I went for my first fill after 6 weeks - and I had gained a half a pound...

Try to relax. Since the fill, I have lost 10 lbs... - but the weight fluctuates daily - so try to remember that.

Drink your Water, it will help flush out the system, and eat your Protein (mushy) and try to avoid carbs. I know - mushies are all about carbs - but you can blend tuna and chicken salad for high protein.

Good Luck and try to be patient.

hugs!

Thank you all so much. Reading your posts did give me a lift me up. I agree with your posts I just thought that maybe I was doing something wrong because as someone said mushies are mostly carbs. My doc did stress that the weight loss would be much slower that a person with a RNY.

Well, good news to report, I weighed myself this morning, naked, LOL and I was 200. I did lose a couple of pounds which makes sense for the 1-2 lbs a week. Like I said, I was afraid that I wasn't eating the right things or that I was doing something wrong. I am going to update my meter.

Again thank everyone who replied.

(((((Huggs)))) to you all!