male only Is This Rate Of Weight Loss Normal For A Guy?

[BizTraveller 101]

I am posting this in the Man's Room since guys lose weight differetly than women, so I thought I would solicit a guy's perspective.

I barely had a BMI of 40 when I started this. I qualified for the surgery with a couple of co-morbidities.

I started my pre-op 1,000 calorie-a-day diet at 276 lbs 28 days ago. I had my surgery 14 days ago and have been nailing my Water and getting 80 grams of Protein in every day. My post op calorie count has averaged around 800. I feel great. Just a little tired occasionally but no big deal at all.

Today I weigh 240. That is 36 lbs down in 28 days. I am glad to drop the weight, but I also worked with a guy in the late 1980s that dropped weight at that rate using Optifast, and then died of heart failure while I was working a midnight shift with him.

Just checking.....

[Disneytikifan 21]

That rate is ok it will slow down as you lose weight.

[chitowngirl 884]

Not a man here, but I'll chime in. Your weight loss is great, I personally lost the most weight the first 3-4 weeks post op. after that my weight loss tends to be 1.5-2 pounds a week. As far at the guy you used to work with, don't freak your self out like that, trust me we could all drive our selves crazy with what if's and could of's would of's and should of's. This is your journey and it is unique to you. That other person could have had some serious medical conditions, and his death may have had nothing to do with his weight/loss. Just be confident that you are doing all you can for your health. Good luck.

[RickM 1,747]

It is quite normal to lose quickly at first - I lost about 32lb the first month (I started at 292), then 14-15lb each the next two months, then about 10lb per month thereafter. What happens is that the initial loss from any serious weight loss effort comes primarily from your quick reserve energy stores of glycogen (basically carbs) which burn at a rate of about 2000 calories per pound. Then, once the glycogen is exhausted and your body decides that you are serious about this caloric deficit/famine thing it starts drawing from your long term energy stores of fat, which burns slower at about 3500 calories per pound. Many people experience a stall at about that time (the dreaded third week stall, but the timing can be variable,) as it can take the body time to kick into fat burning mode, and restoration of the needed glycogen reserves involves hanging on to some Water to keep it in solution.

Rapid weight loss is stressful on the body, but so are a lot of things. Ideally, we should lose our weight at a slower more sustainable pace but that's not how things are structured - either the WLS themselves or our psychological makeup (I would much rather lose it over two years than six months, but who has the patience or confidence that it will actually work if we don't have the constant reinforcement of the measurable loss?) That is in good part why I went with a more moderate balanced dietary program than many do, averaging in the 1100-1200 calorie range with no particular carb considerations, and still hit goal in a little over seven months - gotta love that guy metabolism, I guess!

Good luck with the continued loss - it will moderate shortly,

[Wheetsin 714]

Not a guy, but don't have to be to know these things.

1. Count on your initial weightloss (the first 2 weeks or so) to be at least 60% Water. More if you're also dehydrated at all. So figure at least 75% if Water intake is restricted. Just your liver, just for transporting glycogen, can use 8 - 12 lbs of water. And that's just one function of one organ. Just your soft tissues, just for environmental changes, can use 6 - 15 lbs. Look at female Fluid retention during PMS. It's nuts.

2. Guys tend to burn through weighloss, esp. with WLS. Most of the loss rates you're going to see here will be female. It's a fairly safe bet that your rate will surpass the average (female) rate here.

How the heck are you managing 800 calories 2 weeks post-op? This is something most people struggle with, so please share a day or two worth of menus. I think it'll be more helpful than you realize. Your Protein will account for 320 calories. Where are you getting the other ~500?

[RickM 1,747]

How the heck are you managing 800 calories 2 weeks post-op? This is something most people struggle with, so please share a day or two worth of menus. I think it'll be more helpful than you realize. Your Protein will account for 320 calories. Where are you getting the other ~500?

That must be another guy thing - I was pushing 900-1000 calories within a couple of weeks, though I was able to move some semi-real foods at that time and not just liquids (doc was adding veg to the diet at the 10 day mark because Protein consumption was more than adequate at 90g.)

[BizTraveller 101]

Thanks for all of the responses, and the reassurances. My wife has fought her weight for years and it makes her really crazy when I lose weight easily. That is another reason I posted here.

I have been running 600 to 800 calories since day 4 post op. I never had any significant pain, heartburn or nasea. When they said "drink 64 oz of water" I just drank 64 oz of Water. Same with the Protein. I have been compared to the Honey Badger if anybody is familiar with that YouTube.

My menus are not really complicated. I am going with two or three Protein Shakes a day, a couple of servings of V8 (with lots of tabasco), and a couple of Soups here and there (I have puireed some home-made black bean and white bean soups).

I go to soft foods tomorrow, so I will start getting more real food my system, but the V8 has been a big help until now.

I expect that is when things will start shifting into slow gear. A little stall will be fine with me. I wouldn't want to lose a lb+ a day indefinately.

[MKinVA 20]

My menus are not really complicated. I am going with two or three Protein shakes a day, a couple of servings of V8 (with lots of tabasco), and a couple of Soups here and there (I have puireed some home-made black bean and white bean soups).

I am curious about the tabasco sauce. How soon after surgery could you have spicy food? No problems with irritating the stomach?

[BizTraveller 101]

I have had no trouble with spicy food. I started spiking my Soups and juice about day 5.

Sent from my iPad using VST

[MKinVA 20]

Good to hear! I look forward to trying it!

[aroundhky 1,174]

Biz...you sound like me. Never got sick, able to get in all of my Protein and Water in (except for the 2-3 days immediately after surgery) and nothing really bothers my stomoach. Your weight loss at your point is a little faster than mine was. I think you'll be fine, probably had a bit of initial muscle loss losing weight that quickly, but that will come back. Congrats on your progress!

[BizTraveller 101]

Biz...you sound like me. Never got sick' date=' able to get in all of my Protein and Water in (except for the 2-3 days immediately after surgery) and nothing really bothers my stomoach. Your weight loss at your point is a little faster than mine was. I think you'll be fine, probably had a bit of initial muscle loss losing weight that quickly, but that will come back. Congrats on your progress![/quote']

Thanks,

Glad I am not alone. I can tell I am losing some muscle but I will start doing some weights soon. I will just keep pounding down the Protein and look forward to the day i can have a beer again.

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[SpecialK1960 252]

I have been losing at a similar rate. I was a 40 BMI and was approved becuase of comorbididies. I lost a lot on the liguid diet pre-op as well. I am down about 50 in a bout 53 days since starting the liquid diet.

I was concerned that a pound a day was too much, but doctor is pleased, I feel okay and heck - I'll take the weight loss. I know it will slow soon and then I will be wishing I had the big losses I had the first few weeks.