I need some answers here.... I'm sooo confused

I am 18 days post op - it the mushy/soft food stage - during my first two weeks (one of which was literally laying on the couch) I lost 9 lbs on Protein shakes and cottage cheese - But for the past few days the scales haven't seemed to move (except UP a few ounces).... What's up with this?

I have been recording my food intake and all of that - am staying between 600-800 calories, no sugar, very little carbs.

Shouldn't my weight loss at this point be a little more??? or am I asking too much. I've not had a fill as of yet so I'm hungrier than I thought I would be.

Getting frustrated -

anyone else had this experience????

Hi,

I had surgery 10/26/07 and lost 12 pounds the first week. I didn't lose another pound for over a month. There is very little rhyme or reason, especially in the early weeks, for why and when a person loses weight. The thing to keep in mind is this - the post-op recovery time is the time for healing. It is making sure your new band is where it needs to be and stays there. People naturally want to start losing weight as soon as the band is put in and it doesn't always work that way. I know it doesn't make sense to be on liquids and mushies and not lose anything but you just had major surgery and your body is healing and doing weird stuff because it doesn't know what is going on (of course I know a body doesn't know anything anyway, but you know what I mean...) Chances are (and I hate to tell you this) you might gain even more between now and your first fill. When the band is put in it is not doing it's job yet. You have some restriction from swelling from surgery, but that will eventually subside (before your first fill). That's just part of the process and that return of hunger will be how you know you are ready for that first fill.It may take several fills to get you back to that feeling of restriction that you had after surgery. I know it is frustrating, but try to just hang in there and not stress out too much about the scale. Sooner than you can imagine you will start losing with the bands help and all this preliminary garbage will be totally worth it! (and know that I totally stressed out about the scale!)(I'm just trying to save you from expending all that energy for no reason!)

What you are experiencing is very common and completely normal. There is a pretty good chance that you will not lose any more weight (and may gain a little) until your first adjustment. Many doctors put the band in empty, so you are probably getting little to no restriction right now. Also, the first 6 post-op weeks are really for healing, not necessarily for optimal weight loss. Consider any weight loss a bonus.

In the 2 weeks after my surgery, I lost 16 pounds. Then in the next 2 weeks (soft food stage), I lost nothing. Then when I added regular food, I gained 2 pounds! Finally, at the 6 week mark, I got my first adjustment, and within 4 days, I was down 3 pounds. Whew! This seems to be a pretty common pattern, so don't sweat it! Just eat as healthy as possible for now...lots of Protein for healing, and wait patiently for your first fill.

I was told it has a lot to do with the sodium intake as well.

And that our bands don't begin its real journey until we have our 1st fill.

Tinaf, I am with you ....I haven't gained but haven't got past the 16 lbs lost neither.

I don't lose any weight if I am at all constipated, and I was constantly constipated during the liquid/mushie diet phase. Nothing solid in, nothing solid out!

Someone on here once said that weight loss comes in steps, not in a gradual slope. That's how it usually is for me; a plateau, then a loss of several pounds, then another flat spot, and so on. Also, as said before, the period after surgery and before your first fill is often not a period of weight loss. Don't worry; it will come.

Tina,

I am today exactly where you were when you posted this. How's it going now? Still the same? Just curious...

Hi guys....I broke the plateau ....phew!