Not losing weight as fast as I thought

[Just a phase 98 3]

So I’m 5 weeks post op and have only lost 13 lbs. I feel stuck and wondering if that’s normal to lose only that amount in a month? I feel defeated as I only have Protein Shakes for Breakfast and lunch while I’m at work . but dinner is where i incorporate a Soup or broth. I just don’t know if I’m doing this right? I’m supposed to be in the pureed stage and then go into soft foods next week.. I need advice on how to help my weight come off faster /better.. this has been a crazy mind game for me ..

[FifiLux 565]

First thing, and I know it is really hard to do, is not compare your losses or gains to anyone else from here on out. Our bodies all adjust differently and everyone starts off with different weights, conditions, activity levels etc..

Second thing, don't worry 13lbs is good as don't forgot your system is still in recovery and discovery stage. Think about it, would you have lost 13lbs in just over a month without the surgery??? You will likely have put on a few lbs immediately after the surgery so not sure if you are factoring that into your 13lb loss but still either way you sound like you are on track.

Keep following your plan as you start to reintroduce food, for pureed foods I had minced chicken or beef with a spoonful of some mash potato or other veg or stuck with Soups (thicker than the liquid stage) and Protein Shakes.

You've got this

[Just a phase 98 3]

Thank you for the encouragement.. this mind game is a struggle some days I feel like I’ve got this, others (like today) I feel as if I’m lost and not sure I’m doing things right.

I appreciate it!

[DaisyChainOz 516]

I had the exact same thing, it was seriously doing my head in!

But.. it's quite normal, you might be eating at such a deficit that your body is literally slowing your metabolism right down, or you're retaining Fluid.

My Dietician last week told me on avg people lose between 4-7 kg (roughly double for lbs) between the first and 2nd months... I was despairing as I had only lost 5.1 kg... turns out, right in the middle!!

Try not to worry, it is happening!

I found upping my cals to 900 really helped!

[Just a phase 98 3]

27 minutes ago, DaisyChainOz said:

I had the exact same thing, it was seriously doing my head in!

But.. it's quite normal, you might be eating at such a deficit that your body is literally slowing your metabolism right down, or you're retaining Fluid.

My Dietician last week told me on avg people lose between 4-7 kg (roughly double for lbs) between the first and 2nd months... I was despairing as I had only lost 5.1 kg... turns out, right in the middle!!

Try not to worry, it is happening!

I found upping my cals to 900 really helped!

Thanks for the advice .. I’m new to this forum and I just didn’t want to feel alone since I have no idea what I’m doing.

[Arabesque 7,590]

@FifiLux is right. Never compare yourself with others. It will only mess with your head. I can guarantee the one thing you can depend upon is that you will do this in your way & is best for you & your body. Whether it be how much you lose, the rate at which you lose, how long it takes, when you experience stalls & how long they last, when you can tolerate certain foods and what foods you can’t tolerate, etc. and there’s nothing wrong with any of that. There’ll be similarities with other & differences & averages which give you an idea of what you might experience that’s all.

You’ve lost 13lbs. That’s amazing, Stick to your plan & remember to Celebrate every pound you lose.

[DaisyChainOz 516]

..

Edited March 19 by DaisyChainOz
Double post

[DaisyChainOz 516]

11 minutes ago, Just a phase 98 said:

Thanks for the advice .. I’m new to this forum and I just didn’t want to feel alone since I have no idea what I’m doing.

This forum is all about helping and supporting each other as we go through this! 😊

We are here for you!

But yeah, try not to compare yourself to others in any aspect of this journey, you're a unique individual, and no one else is the same, this is something I have had to really take on board with this weight loss journey! 😆

[FifiLux 565]

18 hours ago, Just a phase 98 said:

Thank you for the encouragement.. this mind game is a struggle some days I feel like I’ve got this, others (like today) I feel as if I’m lost and not sure I’m doing things right.

I appreciate it!

Oh I totally understand, we all have days like that.

Even now I still question my loss at times when I see others stats and wonder how they lost more than me, some in a shorter time period, and have a lower BMI etc. I start to wonder if I should eat less, go back to just liquids or up the exercise and such. I have to keep reminding myself that I am my own person, and mostly happy with how I look and feel now. I would not be where I am today without the surgery and work I have done since.

I recently noticed I have been slipping back into bad habits of grazing on nuts etc when not even hungry so am trying to get back to more mindful eating. It is not just a quick fix but a long, lifetime, journey and we will all have slips, moments of self doubt but we just have to remind ourselves how far we have come and why.

[BigSue 1,428]

Yes, that’s a normal rate of weight loss. As everyone else says, don’t compare your progress with others’. I had the same experience after my surgery where it seemed like everyone else who had it the same month as I did was getting these amazing results and I wasn’t losing weight any faster than before surgery (I lost 70 pounds in the 5 months before surgery). It was hard to see other people hit their goal weight in, like, a month when I still had over 100 pounds to go.

You go through so much just to get the surgery, not to mention the grueling pre- and post-op diet, so it feels like you should be seeing major changes by now, but it’s not a race. As long as the number on the scale keeps going down, you’re doing something right. And many people experience a stall in the first month before continuing to lose. There are all these rules of thumb for how much you “should” lose in the first 3 months, 6 months, etc., but everyone is different, and you’ll get there when you get there.

The first couple of months post-op are the worst because you’re recovering for a major surgery, adjusting to huge life changes, restricted to a limited diet, but still overweight. In the moment, it seems interminable, but a year or two from now, you will barely remember this rough period of time. Just have faith and stick with the program.

[Bessieboop1981 49]

You are doing amazing but I do understand how you feel. In the very beginning I just wanted to lose the weight as quickly as possible but then I had an epiphany! I need to fix my relationship with food! I'm 10 weeks out so I'm still early days but I know that just losing weight is a sticking plaster for the real reason I used food as a coping mechanism. So I think I need to consider therapy! The food noise gets so bad for me sometimes its like torture! I will be so much more happier when I nail these obsessive food thoughts but it will take time, I've had them my whole life.

Like many I have lost up to 6 stone and put it back on quite a few times before I took the plunge and had surgery so I guess I need to be kind to myself and learn to understand the parts of myself that I have ignored for so long.

Are you counting calories? at the 5 week mark I was managing around 500 cals a day. I didn't have the Protein Drinks because I was fuller for longer eating minced chicken, tuna, eggs, lentils, cottage cheese and pureed foods for less calories, a quarter of a cup at a time. I still managed to get in my Protein and at least 2 litres of fluids too. If I was a little under in my protein I would drink a clear whey isolate protein squash drink, they are around 100 cals and contain up to 22g of protein!

I am on 800 cals a day now as my stomach has done a lot of healing since then. Everyone is different though and I know that some people still can't tolerate actual food at your stage, so listen to your body hun.

Here's some ideas for purees for you, a quarter of a cup at a time is about right for the stage you are at but if you can't manage it all that's fine, its just a guide for you.

Tuna and Mayonnaise - 14 grams of protein

Blended baked chicken. I would bake chicken in some tinned tomatoes and season with garlic and herbs then blend it. 50g of chicken has 16g protein

Egg mayo - an egg has 6-7g protein

Bolognese - use 5%fat minced beef and blend with a Tomato based sauce or make your own - 11g protein

Protein puddings available in all the supermarkets - 15-20g protein

readybrek oats with some Protein Powder

Fat free cottage cheese blended with Peanut Butter powder and some sweetener if you need it. Cottage cheese has 11g protein per 100g PB powder has 8g protein per serving

Ricotta cheese bake - you can find the recipe on Pinterest and even on here!

I wish you well on your journey my lovely. You are on a path of healing, mentally, physically and emotionally and you are doing amazing! Be kind to yourself the weight will come off and at 5 weeks you are still healing and probably holding extra Fluid anyway.

xx

[BlondePatriotInCDA 593]

On 3/18/2025 at 10:18 AM, Just a phase 98 said:

So I’m 5 weeks post op and have only lost 13 lbs. I feel stuck and wondering if that’s normal to lose only that amount in a month? I feel defeated as I only have Protein Shakes for Breakfast and lunch while I’m at work . but dinner is where i incorporate a Soup or broth. I just don’t know if I’m doing this right? I’m supposed to be in the pureed stage and then go into soft foods next week.. I need advice on how to help my weight come off faster /better.. this has been a crazy mind game for me ..

What you need to ask yourself is something I used to help me when my weight appeared to not be fast enough; did I put the weight on in just a few months? No, so I need to be patient and let the process work and do my part while not expecting the weight to come off in such a short time!

Give yourself the gift of being patient with your body. I know its difficult, especially being that we're an instant gratification society now, but you deserve the grace, time and patience knowing you made the right decision for yourself having had the surgery! Follow the guidelines you were given by your bariatric team. But f you still don't feel the weight is coming off as fast as you think it should - schedule an appointment with your dietician/surgeon and ask for they're advice.

You've got this! Lastly 13lbs is an average/"normal" weight loss for 5 weeks 🤗

Edited March 27 by BlondePatriotInCDA