Early Stall But Something Interesting ...........

[mattr2 32]

I was sleeved on 8/13 and was down 14 as of 8/22, no weight losses over the past few days. One thing I am noticing though is my body composition is changing while the scale is not.

I have one of those scales that takes your weight and body fat percentage. When I was losing weight quickly, my body fat percentage went up slightly. Made me wonder if I was losing a lot of muscle even though I was getting plenty of quality Protein (80-100g) and exercise per day. I noticed through that when the scale hasn't been dropping, my body fat percentage has been going down. I track both daily.

Changes are still definately going on, just not always measured by weight. So, just as you read, you body is catching up to the rapid weight loss, it's true. To me, both number s are equally important.

Has anyone else measured and notice the same thing?

[RickM 1,753]

The body comp scales are measuring your body's impedance (electrical resistance) to derive the fat and lean mass percentages, and as a result, are very sensitive to hydration, which is going whacko these first couple of weeks (first they pump you full of fluids in the hospital, then that dissapates, then your body gets starved of its glycogen reserves from the initial caloric deficit, so then it needs to hold on to Water as it replenishes the reserves.... Right now, your body is confused, and so is your scale.

http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html

This article gives a good explanation of what's happening these inital couple of weeks of weight loss and why we typically see a stall in these first 2-3 weeks.

Once your body settles down into something more routine after the first month or so, the body comp readings start to make more sense. Your body fat readings will also vary during the day as your hydration changes during the day - you tend to be dehydrated first thing in the morning, which will read a somewhat higher body fat %, while the optimum time of day to read the body fat is usually late afternoon/early evening before dinner when you are typically as hydrated as you will be (you may see a 5% difference in your body fat % from early morning to late afternoon, and you may see a point or two difference from one day to the next depending upon day to day hydration differences; you may also see a change if medications change, particularly diuretics.) Of course, exercise routines and scheduling can impact your hydration and scale readings, so take that into accout as well (don't expect the best readings right after a workout!) The best way that I have found to use the scales is to follow a moving average of the body fat % and not get too wrapped up in day-to-day fluctuations. Your late afternoon readings may be measuring between say, 36 and 38 % at the extremes, so 36.7% one day and 37.1% the next (and 36.6 the next...) isn't particularly significant, but when you start seeing readings in the 35's and aren't seeing 37's anymore, that is a good sign of progress. The scales are a good tool for following longer term trends but are limited in value for snapshots - you may get whipsawed between despair and elation if you are looking for instant gratification from these scales! Used in this way, they seem to correlate fairly well with the "more accurate" body comp tools like hydrostatic testing or the bodpod.

Good luck and have fun with this crazy journey!

[lollyfidy1965 402]

Indeed. My weight loss runs in a cycle...a week losing 5-7 pounds, and 5-7 days stuck at the same weight. During those "off" weeks, I typically see changes in my measurements (I measure my neck, chest, waist and hips every couple of weeks, when I'm stalling). I've also found that my weight loss isn't directly correlated to my going to the gym. This past few days I've been unable to enjoy my usual gym routine (treadmill walking twice a day, and two hours of Water aerobics 5 days/week), because of a major hip (muscular) injury....but I'm still losing at my normal "losing week" rate.

[mattr2 32]

Awesome replies! Thanks for sharing.

I agree, the scales are not accurate but may show a trend over time. I know things are still changing even thought the scale isn't dropping. My clothes and feedback from my wife and coworkers are proof.

I notice now that I have moved on the mushies, I seem to be getting more hungry. I think my body is fed up with liquids only and wants the real stuff. 500-600 cals a day or so just isn't cutting it.