I’m trying to be patient and zen about this whole thing, but at this point I’m discouraged and generally pissed off. I’ve lost 3 pounds in the last week and only 15 since surgery three weeks ago. I don’t understand how it can be physiologically possible not to lose weight on 550 calories per day, on average. I exceed protein, meet water, keep net carbs at 25 on average and I do 30 minutes on the treadmill every other day.

Maybe I’m just in the group of people for whom this doesn’t work.

How many calories do you think you are burning in a day? 2000? If so 2000-550 = 1450 net caloric deficit a day. A pound is about 3500 calories, which means you should be losing about 0.4 pounds per day, which is about 3 pounds in a week. Perhaps you are burning more calories than 2000, but I don't know what you BMR is or how much exercise you are doing.

Obviously there are so many other factors that go into this that could impact this, but 3 pounds a week is nothing to sneeze at.

Edited April 8, 20188 yr by aNYCdb

Don't worry about it - pretty sure your surgeon would say the same thing. I'm starting week 5 and at week 3 I stalled at 17lbs lost. The next 5 lbs came off with a lot of ups and downs. It's frustrating but not unusual by a long shot.

There's a lot of unknowns still in this surgery, and you really can't apply the old calories in/out principle on a short timescale like 3 weeks. I'm able to plot my weight loss on a graph and surprisingly, when creating a trend line, it's actually a pretty smooth slope. So even though it feels to me like I'm stuttering, I'm really not.

Talk to your doc if you're really worried, and maybe take in more calories to see if you need to convince your metabolism you're not accidentally starving. And also remember that everyone's post-op meal plan is different, so while some people are eating refried beans by day 3, others are on liquids for a month. That's the downside to sharing limited information on this site - you can end up comparing yourself only to the people who drop weight like crazy (outliers) and against people whose diet is completely different from yours.

3 lbs is great.... before WLS you’d never be able to do that! Be proud


HW 242, SW 236- (Bypass 12/20/17)
GW#1- 199 [emoji736] (2/11/18)
GW#2- 180 [emoji736] (4/2/18)
GW#3- 160
CW 178
5’6”

That is a very fair point. I literally COULD NOT BUDGE any weight per-surgery. I guess I just read about people shedding pounds like mad and wonder.

I'm three years out...I lost 15 pounds the first month and 12.5 pounds the second month.

Thereafter, all of my losses were single-digit (1 to 7 pounds monthly). I was a slower loser and it took me nearly 18 months to lose 100 pounds.

The speed and rate of your weight loss doesn't matter nearly as much as your ability to keep it off for life. I'm dancing on a cloud because this is the first time in my live I've been able to maintain any type of weight loss.

Weight loss doesn't matter as much as weight maintenance. Society focuses too much on shedding pounds as quickly as possible when 95+ percent end up regaining. Weight maintenance is the key.

Good luck to you.

7 hours ago, ElseeG said:

I’m trying to be patient and zen about this whole thing, but at this point I’m discouraged and generally pissed off. I’ve lost 3 pounds in the last week and only 15 since surgery three weeks ago.

Maybe I’m just in the group of people for whom this doesn’t work.

Honestly, I think you have some unrealistic expectations. You're averaging 5 lbs a week, that's huge!

This isn't some miracle, our bodies can only lose so much so fast. And as time goes on our weight loss will slow. It's a little worrisome that you've lost 15 lbs and 3 weeks and somehow think the surgery isn't working.

I’m trying to be patient and zen about this whole thing, but at this point I’m discouraged and generally pissed off. I’ve lost 3 pounds in the last week and only 15 since surgery three weeks ago. I don’t understand how it can be physiologically possible not to lose weight on 550 calories per day, on average. I exceed Protein, meet Water, keep net carbs at 25 on average and I do 30 minutes on the treadmill every other day.
Maybe I’m just in the group of people for whom this doesn’t work.

But you are losing...

12 hours ago, Introversion said:

Weight loss doesn't matter as much as weight maintenance. Society focuses too much on shedding pounds as quickly as possible when 95+ percent end up regaining. Weight maintenance is the key.

@Introversion

great statement!!

don't see enough of you and your smart/small stuff!

newies et al would love to hear your words of wisdom.

@ElseeG

"group of people for whom this doesn’t work."

NO such group. you work with your sleeve, and it will work

for/with you!!

you are doing fine with your weight loss. 3 lbs is good!

be happy, and keep up the good work!!

kathy

weekly averages are 2-4lbs per week post surgical loss.

But saying that doesn't really help our own feelings. It does suck seeing some people lose eleventy billion lbs in a month or since 3 days out from surgery. At the end of week one, I was barely and I mean, barely, back to my surgery day weight from the iv fluid. LOL. So I do get it!

((hugs)) and hang in there. 5lb/week average is well above ave! And even if it is 3lb/week, 3x52=156lbs for the year if you never stalled or had a bad week. That's phenomenal progress. I'd say you would be at LEAST on a pace to lose 100lbs in the first year if you continue as you are now.

BTW, you should come fill out your profile info on a regular computer so we can all watch your progress, know which surgery you had, and can better relate to you.

16 hours ago, ElseeG said:

I’m trying to be patient and zen about this whole thing, but at this point I’m discouraged and generally pissed off. I’ve lost 3 pounds in the last week and only 15 since surgery three weeks ago. I don’t understand how it can be physiologically possible not to lose weight on 550 calories per day, on average. I exceed Protein, meet Water, keep net carbs at 25 on average and I do 30 minutes on the treadmill every other day.

Maybe I’m just in the group of people for whom this doesn’t work.

3 pounds PER WEEK. YOU are in the group that this is working very well for.

my god thats 12 pounds per month 144 pounds in a year thats an amazing stat.

you are standing to close to the tree to see the forest all around you.

You have had a good start and those numbers will lead you to great place in life.

The only thing i would add is some light weight training starting the second month after you are all cleared by doctor.

Muscle keeps the metabolism up and make your new slimmer you look and feel better.

good luck and keep up the great work you are doing.

It probably has lots to do with your stats. You didn't mention your starting weight. I have been frustrated as well, but my weight loss is going to be a lot slower than others because I only had 40 pounds to lose on the day of my surgery which was 3 weeks ago today. I weighed in this morning and I have lost 8 lbs since surgery. I'm getting in the same nutrients as you are. Be patient and trust the process.