Why am I not losing

[jes76 16]

Ok, so I am 4 weeks post op tomorrow. I lost 9 lbs on my 3 day preop op diet. Then lost 13lbs post op and gained 4 lbs back. For a total of 18lbs. 9 lbs pre op and 9 lbs post op. Why am I not losing? The scale hasn't moved in over a week. I wasn't getting enough Water in so I have been diligent about increasing my water intake. Some help please! Starting to think I am gonna be the small percentage that fails. Also I work 12 hour night shifts 3 days a week. The other days of the week I'm a day shift person. Some days I am up all day and then go to work and work all night with only a short nap in between.

[dsmith_rn 186]

Your crazy work hours don't help with the weight loss. I'm a nurse who works 12-hour night shifts, so I get it...you have to do what you have to do.

You are only 4 weeks out, and I know this is hard but try to have some patience with yourself. Possibly you've hit your first stall. It is only the first of many, so get used to them. They are frustrating, but my surgeon told me some things that help me get through them:

Stalls are NECESSARY. They are your body's way of trying to find a new weight setpoint. Without these "adjustments" you would continue to waste away to nothing and eventually die.

Muscle weighs more than fat. As you lose fat and exercise, you gain muscle and it may look like you're not losing, but you are losing fat and gaining muscle.

Stalls will occur more frequently and last longer the further out you are from surgery.

I had a stall that lasted almost 6 weeks, and then I dropped 10 lb in less than 2 weeks, then hit another stall. That's how it goes. You can't let stalls get inside your head and give you an excuse to fall off the wagon. Stay the course, stick with your plan and the scale WILL start moving again!

Good luck and don't get discouraged...the surgery DOES work!

Edited November 19, 2014 by dsmith_rn

[jes76 16]

Yes but to have only lost 9 lbs since surgery can't possibly be right

[jes76 16]

Especially since surgery was 4 weeks ago

[old_rn 110]

My surgeon said to lose the scales. All it does is frustrate you. I had the stall from weeks 2-4 and then I started losing again. When you are losing weight your body doesn't change much and when you don't lose your body is changing. So don't always look to the scales for results. Take measurements. Don't fall back into the scale trap