Hello all,

I'm about 60 days post op. I lost 11 lbs liquid diet and 20lbs since surgery. I am feeling down because everyone around me seems to be dropping weight but me. I do the treadmill at Planet Fitness. I'm following the after surgery phases to the letter. I get 80 to 90 Oz of water a day. I've lost nothing in over 7days in fact according to the scale I've gained a lb or two. I feel my baratric team is not giving me clear guidelines. I asked nutrition how many calories per day her response is don't count calories. Huh?!?!? My nutrition team keeps saying the scale is not a true indicator for weight loss but shouldn't it move some.....

I just feel down today about it. Someone help me out I don't wanna fail.

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You've heard and read this before: We all lose at our own rates. Comparing with others is just another way we've learned to beat ourselves up over weight.

And, most everyone experiences stalls throughout the weight loss process.

I'd bet dollars to donuts you started with less excess weight than those around you. The closer to goal you are the slower your weight loss will be. If people around you are losing more it's because they have more to lose.

But today is your lucky day as I have the sure fire solution to each of these problems: Get off the scale. You won't be able to compare your weight loss which is apparently causing you some psychic pain. You won't see the depressing stalls. For the important aspects of your program there is one thing you absolutely don't need: A scale. You just need to do what you are doing, following your plan to a T. Keep it up and you will get there.

The "No Scale" thing wasn't really my choice. I was too large to weigh on home scales, so I could only weigh at follow-ups. I did learn how not focusing on the scale relieved me of a lot of angst. When I could finally weigh at home I chose not to. All these years later I still don't weigh at home, now only at my annual physicals.

When it comes to counting calories... Well, I never did it. My plan was to eat 3 meals per day, each of 3-4 oz protein, 1oz veggies/other. This gets you all your requirements. 3-4 oz protein 3 times per day gets you 60g of protein. 1oz veggies/other 3 times per day will not be chock full of calories. Along with the other simple dos and don'ts we are doing fine. Heck, this is still my plan.

So, everything I see says you have a good plan and are following it. This is the path to long term success. Take the win.

Continued good luck,

Tek

You will often have stalls of a few weeks at a time. That's the nature of weight loss. You may go up a pound or two just because of fluid balance (pooping, peeing, salty foods, etc), but it will come off again if you follow the plan.

My surgery center also does not use a set number of calories. When I was 4 months out I told the nutritionist that I was eating about 800-1000 calories a day and she said that seemed in the right range. I'm 5 months out and eat about 900-1100 most days.

I weigh every day that I'm home (I travel a lot). it helps me feel like I'm on track, but I don't worry if the number goes slightly up or doesn't move for a few days/week. It's normal, and I just look at the trends.

My nutrition team and surgeon said the same thing. DON'T COUNT CALORIES AND STAY OFF THE SCALE.

I appreciate all of the responses. It's so nice to have good folks to snap me back into reality. I'm going to stop obsessing over that scale and focus on my new lifestyle. It's easier said than done but no more scale obsession.

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Sometimes in a "stall" the scale won't move but you're losing inches. You might want to take your measurements and measure weekly for a while to see if anything changes.

The stalls are upsetting but they do pass. Mostly what I have heard is 1-3 weeks but some have lasted longer. As long as your are sticking to your plan and not near maintenance though the loss will start again. Most times dropping a few pounds real quick when it does.

Sometimes in a "stall" the scale won't move but you're losing inches. You might want to take your measurements and measure weekly for a while to see if anything changes.

I agree because I feel smaller and can tell in clothes. I am terrible about remembering to measure myself.

Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm both a slow loser, and a serial staller. I've lost weight post-surgery at the same rate I did when I tried the old-school calorie counting. I've never had the "honeymoon period" folk on here talk about. I've lost count of how many stalls I've had, and have just this week finally broken another three week stall of zero weight loss. Like you, I follow my plan to the letter, do regular exercise, and know I eat at a large calorie deficit.

So I absolutely know how you feel!

But as The Greater Fool said - you cannot compare yourself to others, and you cannot let yourself be ruled by the scale. The weight IS coming off, and if it's coming off slower, that's not a bad thing! With luck my slow rate will give my skin the best chance of bouncing back. The trick is to enjoy your own journey without worrying about others, and to celebrate your own little milestones and victories. Because they're happening.