Nausea, slow loss, possible regret

[laffypatty 47]

Good evening everyone. I was sleeved on 9/16. I was fortunate to have little to no pain and a very quick recovery post-op. I even returned to work one week after surgery. On Saturday (2 days ago), I started having nausea. I've always drank a gallon of Water per day, and now water is the greatest offender. I get nauseated after a sip. I'm still getting my liquids in and Protein, by the hardest, via Isopure and shakes but cannot tolerate solids. I lost 11 pounds during my first two weeks and nothing since. In fact, when I got on the scale yesterday, I'd gained two pounds. How is that even possible when I'm consuming less than 500 calories per day, most of which is protein?! (I log everything in MFP.) I've been following this forum for almost six months now. I've seen everyone's success, but when the scale isn't moving, I can't help but wonder WTH?? I really hope I don't live to regret this. I've always been a high energy person and I'm pretty useless these days, which is awful since I work full-time, and have a 3-year-old and 7-month-old. My husband helps a lot (thank goodness!) Please tell me this works. Please, please, please!

[Montereygrl 104]

You are possibly starving your body. I wasn't eat more than 500 calories the first couple weeks and my doctor told me I was starving my body. I had to force myself to eat more calories. Call your NUT or doctor.

[JonRN 14]

I have to agree that at this point there is not enough calories. Our bodies don't like to be starved and it begins to hang onto what it has too. I was sleeved on 9/17 and my wife was sleeved on 9/10. Where I have been losing she hasn't but she is losing inches. See here 4 weeks photos (do a search for emttina 4 weeks out), and this could possibly be you as well. Good luck.

[JonRN 14]

She posted her pics 4 weeks out tomorrow.

[Daydra 345]

#1 - Take a breath, and don't panic.

#2 - Don't worry about the loss (or lack thereof). You are right at the stage where many people's bodies hit the pause button, so that part is normal.

#3 - Investigate the nausea. Call your doctor. There are some super simple and minor explanations for nausea (like, you are still experiencing swelling), but there are also more serious explanations for nausea and the only way to figure that out is to get in to the doc. I started having nausea several weeks out. We needed to do an upper endoscopy to straighten out my staple line, which immediately relieved my nausea. Except a few days later, the nausea came back. After a couple weeks of it preventing me from eating/drinking enough (sub 500 cal/day, sounds like what you describe...), I was so weak and fatigued, I'd nearly passed out in the shower. After a trip the the ER and a CT scan, which confirmed there were no problems, we determined that the nausea was simply due to remaining swelling from the surgery. This can take 8-12 weeks to completely resolve. All I needed to fuel myself properly was better anti-nausea meds.

Seriously, call your doc. It totally may be nothing serious, and that is actually the likely case. Unfortunately, nausea creates problems with your nutrition that can really cause you a lot of trouble. Fortunately, nausea alone is an easy fix, so don't be afraid to call your doc.

Good luck! Do everything you can to advocate for yourself, you're worth it and you deserve to feel good, but even more importantly, your well-being is dependent upon your ability to nourish yourself.

[peachie86 63]

Yes I noticed that when I get in all my Protein, Water and at least 900 calories I am losing. However on the days I get under 700 my weigh stays exactly the same. It is a little difficult being not extremely hungry and still in the soft food stage.

[laffypatty 47]

Thanks, everyone. What's funny is that at the beginning of week 3, I was instructed to have mashed foods and could eat fine, smooth chicken salad. I ate it with no problem last week but can't tolerate it this week. I can handle Protein Bars and shakes just fine. I really think my body just isn't ready for solids. If the nausea worsens or doesn't get better in a few days, I'll call my doc. I'm scheduled to see him next week... I'll try to up my calories. I started working our today. Hoping that gives me more energy and helps move the scale!

[gamergirl 4,609]

Thanks' date=' everyone. What's funny is that at the beginning of week 3, I was instructed to have mashed foods and could eat fine, smooth chicken salad. I ate it with no problem last week but can't tolerate it this week. I can handle Protein bars and shakes just fine. I really think my body just isn't ready for solids. If the nausea worsens or doesn't get better in a few days, I'll call my doc. I'm scheduled to see him next week... I'll try to up my calories. I started working our today. Hoping that gives me more energy and helps move the scale![/quote']

Why wait? He may be able to call in some meds that may give you near immediate relief. I agree with Daydra, it could be a quick fix but also, don't panic on the weight. Too early to worry about that first worry is enough Water, second is enough Protein, third worry is the 3 week stall

[GoldyGirl 186]

only Weigh ONCE a MONTH.....

[Daydra 345]

Why wait? He may be able to call in some meds that may give you near immediate relief. I agree with Daydra, it could be a quick fix but also, don't panic on the weight. Too early to worry about that first worry is enough Water, second is enough Protein, third worry is the 3 week stall

In my case, I tried to push Fluid at the expense of food/calories. Didn't end up working out for me real well. I didn't actually get dehydrated, but I'm still trying to come back from the weakness and fatigue from the extreme reduction in calories.

But yeah, there is no reason not to put a call in to the clinic and let them know how you are feeling. Your doc may want to get you some meds and see if you're doing better next week, or your doc may want to see you earlier. I have to say, whenever I called to say I was having problems with nausea and getting enough in, they wanted me in that clinic within 24 hours. The last time I had to call about it was the time I ended up going to the ER. They had an opening, but I have to figure out a ferry schedule and even if everything works out perfectly it takes me at least 90 minutes to get there. I couldn't get there in time, so option 2 was the ER. It's a serious enough side effect/condition/whatever you want to call it that it should be investigated as soon as possible, but that's not to say it's a terrible thing. It just needs to get figured out.

One last note... I'm usually inclined to wait and see if things get better, to see if I really need to call the doctor. Fortunately, I work in Public Health and have access to walk down the hall to the clinic area of our office and start picking the brains of the nurses down there. They pretty much walked me back to my desk and made me call my doc when I was experiencing what you describe. There's really nothing to be lost by making the call. You are not pestering your doc or the staff at your clinic. They would much rather have you call to ask the question than to have you either suffer or wonder.

Good luck and I hope you feel better!

[Daydra 345]

only Weigh ONCE a MONTH.....

Oh, to not be so neurotic that I could actually follow that very good advice...

[GoldyGirl 186]

Oh, to not be so neurotic that I could actually follow that very good advice...

I Put my scale in the good will donation box a few months before surgery.... I was So OCD to the Scale..NO MORE, I am Free, I will NOT weigh more than a couple time a month, I am at goal NOW.. before I reached my goal It was ONCE MONTH....

[Daydra 345]

I Put my scale in the good will donation box a few months before surgery.... I was So OCD to the Scale..NO MORE, I am Free, I will NOT weigh more than a couple time a month, I am at goal NOW.. before I reached my goal It was ONCE MONTH....

I think I'm starting to hyperventilate...

[GoldyGirl 186]

I think I'm starting to hyperventilate...

PUT the scale in the TRASH, the SCALE is NOT ur FRIEND.....get rid of it, NOW....

[Daydra 345]

But! But! It tells me so much information! It tells me weight, and body fat percentage, and my resting metabolic rate, and my percentage of lean body mass.... It's sooo much more than just a scale! I'm pretty sure it even makes me Breakfast in the morning!