Week 1 Stall - frustrating and unexpected but understandable

[shriner37 249]

I am now 9 days post-op. I lost 8 pounds on my one week pre-op diet, and the first four days post-op I lost another 7 pounds. However, my scale has been at the same number for the last five days.

My first reaction was "this can't be, I'm only eating 500-600 calories a day!". Then I gave it a little more thought. Our bodies periodically need time to recover and rebalance after significant weight loss. Losing 15 pounds over a period 11 days is very significant weight loss. It would be totally expected that my body would need to sort things out metabolically and stabilize before losing further.

All of this is very understandable and makes perfect sense, but it is still very frustrating to step on the scale in the morning and see no movement so quickly after all of the hard work, pain and effort of going through surgery!

Has anyone else experienced this type of stall this early? If so, how long did your body take to recover and did your rate of weight loss pick back up?

[RickM 1,753]

Almost everyone has experienced it. Though it is usually referred to as the three or third week stall, it can come anytime in the first 2-4 weeks of any major weight loss effort. It is not linked to the surgery, but to when you start going into a large caloric deficit (like a pre-op diet)

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

Another little factoid to help keep your sanity through all of this - our bodies are like a big Water balloon (what do "they" say, our bodies are 50, 60, 70% or more Water? ) and there is almost no end of things that influence water retention - diet, hormones (both TOM for the ladies, and from the hormones that have been trapped in the fat that we are burning off,) medication, exercise, etc. so while we may average losing 10-15 lb per month (depending upon our average caloric deficit,) there is little reason to expect that loss to be even day to day or week to week. Indeed, the normal expectation is for it to be a declining function, with the loss rate tapering off as we get closer to goal.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

You just had major surgery and are still healing and recovering. What you are experiencing is completely normal

Just focus on getting in all your Protein and Water and stay off the scale.

[Kgl24 48]

I'm two weeks out and the scale hasn't moved for 3 days. That being said, I've lost an astounding 29 pounds in two weeks! I'm 100% compliant and I'm walking/running every night so I know it's just a matter of time before my body readjusts and starts losing again...but YES, stalls mess with your mind, especially this early in. Let's hang in there! We can do this!

[shriner37 249]

Thanks for the replies. I was well aware of the "three week stall", and understand the physiology behind it. It was just a little unnerving to have it happen five days after surgery. Hopefully weight loss will pick back up soon.

[Babbs 14,681]

Yup, stalls suck. Especially this first one when you're losing a shit load of weight and then our bodies put the brakes on.

The one thing I can almost garuantee is it will happen again. And probably again. But subsequent stalls are more a matter of making adjustments to make them end. This one? Just more of the same and ride it out.

[J170 29]

Don't weigh in daily.

[_Kate_ 2,224]

Don't weigh in daily.

I think everyone is different when it comes to weighing and how often. I get on the scales every morning and that works for me. I certainly don't obsess over how much I have lost or put on or my stalls but it helps me focus on what I should be doing. Each to their own and what works for them

[Anais 0]

Hi, I had my surgery on 14/9. Lost 8 pounds first week, second week nothing so far. Was worried that somehow I am doing things wrong?? Feel a bit relieved to find that others have also stalled around 2 weeks

[DrewzWife 65]

I'm almost five weeks out stalled after my first 16 days for a total of 11 days but I lost five pounds this week. It is very depressing and makes me feel like was this really worth it. I know the results will show in the long run I just didn't want to be one of those slow losers.

[shriner37 249]

I think for me I may have started exercising too much too soon. I started a fairly aggressive walking program but given the low calorie level of the pureed diet at the time I may have forced my body to react by shutting down my metabolism. I cut back on the time and intensity of the walking and saw my weight loss pick back up.

I know exercise is a critical component of weight loss and success after surgery, but the level of effort needs to match the calorie intake. In other words, you don't want to burn 250 calories daily in an exercise program when you are only taking in 400.