I've been reading on this website (as well as others), stories of people who have had various kinds of bariatric surgeries that have failed. Granted, I'm guessing some may have failed due to lack of commitment, exercise, etc., but what about the folks who have followed their post-op diets/instructions to a "T" and either lose significantly less than expected or permanently stall after a short time? I tend to be a person who loses weight more easily when I eat normal, healthy, balanced meals, as opposed to "starving" on super low cal, low carb, diets. Right now I'm six days into my pre-op diet and I'm only down 3lbs. According to my dietician, I should be down at least double that. I've only been eating raw mini cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers along with five Ensure HP shakes and 64oz. water every day - that's all I'm allowed and all I've been having. I've also been walking 30 mins./day. Since Monday, I've had a nonstop headache, lightheadedness, fatigue, GI issues, and joint pain. I mentioned this to my dietician as well, but she didn't really address it. I'm worried that since I'm not losing quickly enough now, and I seem to be having these "side effects" that this might be indicative of how things will go post-op. Thoughts?

Edited August 13, 20205 yr by LAJ23
Added "HP" after "Ensure" to clarify type

STOP

You are already playing mind games with yourself - For those few who failed there is 1000;s of us who committed to the plan and met our goals. This is a tool and you need to run the workshop.

I see no way for failure if you stay on plan and one thing you will be alot happier and healthier then the plan you are on. It is a fact that being at a normal weight is easier on your body and joints.

8 minutes ago, LAJ23 said:

Ensure shakes

Which ones?

Ensure High Protein - they are the only ones I'm allowed to drink.

it seems like most people who fail (provided it's not some mechanical failure with the surgery, which is rare) do so because they aren't consistently following the plan. So just be hyper-committed, and you should be fine.

the headache, fatigue, etc is probably due to carb withdrawal. Mine got a lot better by about day 4.

if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, just smile and nod when the dietitian tells you that you should have lost double the weight. I was a slow loser throughout my whole weight loss journey, which was pointed out to me by one of the medical residents ("you should have lost a lot more by now"). I ended up losing 100% of my excess weight and blowing most of their patients out of the water. If you're following the program to a "T", you're good.

14 minutes ago, LAJ23 said:

Ensure High Protein - they are the only ones I'm allowed to drink.

You're doing everything you can. As the previous responses said follow your instructions and you'll be just fine

Well, I am almost a month out and I am constantly worrying about whether the surgery is going to work. What if I went through all of this for nothing? (BTW, you may see in my profile that I have lost 81 pounds; most of that was before surgery and I have only lost 15 pounds since surgery, and hit the 3-week stall right on schedule.)

I can tell you that you should absolutely not draw any conclusions from a single week, and frankly, shame on your dietitian for saying how much you "should have" lost in 6 days. She should know better. I lost over 60 pounds in the 5 months before my surgery, and I had a few stalls, including one where I lost no weight for two whole weeks, despite the fact that I "should have" lost a few pounds based on my calorie deficit. Also, I had some GI discomfort during my pre-op diet and I've had very few issues since surgery (other than the first few days), so don't make any conclusions about that, either. Your stomach will be totally different after surgery so there's no telling how you'll feel then.

Small but significant thing to ponder: stress and anxiety is linked to weight gain/retention.

Stress >> increased cortisol >> body’s resistance to insulin >> weight gain and/or weight loss resistance.