Another 3 week stall :(

[heyclementine]

While I honestly think your focus should still be entirely on recovery and healing at this early stage, I do understand your concern. Let me ask you this: are you in ketosis? Buy some urine keto strips for $5 at any grocery pharmacy and check to see. Your diet should be HEAVILY protein based to promote healing and with your greatly diminished intake ability you really can't/shouldn't waste stomach space on carbs. It's the perfect opportunity to do an Atkins type diet. Again, I'm not a huge fan of focusing on the weight loss issue this early post op. You are a baby still and your body is still in shock. But if you are worried....knock off the carbs and eat what your body really needs anyway, which is protein + fats. Watch out for some protein shakes which can have sneaky amounts of carbs in them. And, as always, drink more water! It's critical for slushing your wastes out as your body breaks down fats, and even slight dehydration can muck up the works. If your urine is dark and you can smell it-you are dehydrated!! Good luck girl. You are doing great! Right on target. In my experience I ALWAYS had slight stalls right before the big drops. No clue why...but it was a noticeable thing. You're gonna be just fine!

Thanks for the post, Will, you are always so encouraging! I'm getting all my protein from food (no shakes) so no carbs are sneaking in. And I hardly ever eat any. As you said, I'm mostly on an Atkins type diet right now, where I occasionally have a tiny bit of carbs in the form of a few bites of potato or whole wheat toast. I don't think my diet is responsible for the stall, though, unless it's a matter of just not consuming enough. I think you're onto something with the water, though. I definitely just don't get don't get enough. Thanks again!

 

[robs477]

Ok, as of today I’m about 143 days post op, 5 weeks, 3 days. Early on, about week 3-4, I had that proverbial stall that everyone talks about on here. PLEASE everyone, do yourself a HUGE favor and read and re-read all the postings everyone has put here previously regarding that rather depressing stall. Diana, @DianaCox in particular went in to great depths to explain exactly how and why that happens. It is your body actually going through the conversion process of converting stored fat into usable energy. This takes a lot of water to convert stored fat into the energy that is later used in our muscles via glycogen/glucagon/glucose conversions. During those CONVERSION processes, you will NOT lose weight and may actually gain some because of the stored water needed to accomplish the conversions.

I can actually tell when my body is doing that CONVERSION because I’m not peeing as much, my urine is orange and my aversions to eating almost anything was significantly heightened.

The first stall is the worst, at least for me and I have a theory on that also. I think that what happens is our bodies are SO used to storing fat, that it’s like a ONE WAY street, a ONE WAY cellular highway so to speak. All of a sudden, post-op, our bodies are trying to do the opposite, i.e., not store, but burn and use up the fat stores…BUT, that highway has only been ONE WAY for years and years due to our crashed metabolisms. In essence, your body has to re-learn how to burn fat again…thus the 3-week stall.

I have had numerous mini stalls since that big one, but I just laugh about it now because I know what it is and it is my body doing its conversion. AND…every single time when it’s over, I can tell because my urine content and color goes back normal and I’m starving ass hungry…AND the scale will show that I lost 2-4 lbs.

To say to stay off the scale is not do-able, it’s JUST NOT! and is like telling someone to not look at a car wreck. Understanding exactly what the stall really is, is what got me through it. The stall is actually a GOOD thing because it is your body re-learning the process of how to burn and utilize fat stores, so….just wanted to pass it on.

 

[robs477]

I'm at the same place. Some days I can't get in enough cals, others it seems like too many and my "stall" seems to have been lasting almost a month. Weight fluctuates across about 5 lbs, up and down but never really lower.

I have tried really hard to stay off the scale as well but it doesn't always work (I think I'll take the batteries out).

I've started wondering why it doesn't seem like it's working. I hope it's only me being impatient and not giving my new metabolism time to adjust.

And don't be fooled by that ticker down below, all but 40 lbs was pre-op weight and I still have another 60 to go.

Dave, to help break my first long stall, I actually took some advice that @hilary1617@SHales and @Munchkin and a few others gave me that said I wasn’t eating enough, AND suggested I have a HIGH carb day once in a while to throw the meatabolism OFF balance and break the cycle, AND, it worked for me….just a thought, here is the thread. Best luck to ya!

http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/robs-9-week-update….2832/#post-41943

 

[Elizabeth N.]

I understand that logic completely, but it's hard to go through this process and not, at least initially, feel inclined to check that it's "working" - even if the scale is not the best way to do that. It's just had to get past wanting to do it.

I totally understand that feeling. Thing is, the quicker you take control of your thinking and require yourself to behave in a more rational manner--despite the feelings--the sooner you'll get yourself off this counterproductive emotional rollercoaster. (This the basic premise behind cognitive behavioral therapy.)

 

[southernlady]

I understand that logic completely, but it's hard to go through this process and not, at least initially, feel inclined to check that it's "working" - even if the scale is not the best way to do that. It's just had to get past wanting to do it.

Oh I will FREELY admit that I was a daily weigh-er my first four months. BUT the only one I counted (and still count) is my once a week. Then I was on vacation and got out of the habit of daily weighing cause I do NOT check on other scales unless it is in a doctor's office. THAT helped break my "habit".

So yeah, I completely understand the LURE of weighing daily esp while dropping huge amounts compared to what you have EVER seen before.

There was two weeks when I was at about 3 months out where I was losing a lb a day due to sweat/activity...I was renovating a kitchen and bathroom. Then I finished and promptly popped back only lose 9 lbs that entire month.

A MUCH better indicator of how you are doing is a tape measure. I had done pre-op measurements and then on the date of my surgery each month, I measured again. THAT was far more of a rush to see than the weight. I didn't stop that til I was WELL within maintenance and 2 plus years out.

 

[Dave0168]

I can actually tell when my body is doing that CONVERSION because I’m not peeing as much, my urine is orange and my aversions to eating almost anything was significantly heightened.

^^^ This has got to be it because it describes what I've been experiencing to a T ans I've noticed my weight jump a couple pounds in a day or two which I know isn't from stored fat, it's almost impossible to gain 3 fat lbs in a day on the amount of food we can eat.

I am going to try upping my calories. Occasionally will have a carb day but that is few and far between because I can't stand the gas

 

[Dave0168]

Dave, how many grams of protein, fat, and carbs are you eating now?

I'm trying to hit 100 gms of protein but I don't accurately track it. I try to gauge it with solid food like tuna, eggs, etc and at least 1 or 2 protein shakes per day. I am aware of when I don't hit it, I can feel it in my energy levels.

As far as carbs, most days I'm between 30 and 50 gms and I don't separate fiber from other carbs. Occasionally I'll go higher but not very often since some carbs kill me with gas.

Fat I don't track but make sure I use HWC in my coffee, butter in my oatmeal and some kind of nuts or cheese at least once a day. That I gauge by my bowel movements, I can tell when I need to up the fat or lay off.

I know I should be better about tracking..........

 

[DSRIGGS]

Folks - Please, trust in your DS.

You are not in a stall at 3 weeks. Nobody said your weight loss would be linear. There were weeks when I lost 7-10 pounds and weeks I didn't lose. If you are focusing on getting in the protein you WILL LOSE the weight so don't get discouraged if the needle doesn't move one week (By the way I am one who weighed myself a few times a week and it never played in mind games..I am just a numbers type guy who likes the point of reference)

Please don't think I am being flippant because we all go through this panic early on...it is just human nature, but you are doing great.

Remember, this is a marathon not a sprint

Now do the math with me.

You started at 355 and are now at 325 after a little over 4 months. Exactly how much weight do you think you should be losing in a month? Is 30 pounds not a HUGE loss? Simple math says that if you lost 30 pounds a month for 12 months you would lose 360 pounds. Do you think that is realistic and even remotely desirable? Hell no, you would be dead. How about thinking that over 12 months you would like to average 10-15 pounds weight loss a month (120-200 pounds)? That is still a HUGE number.

Bottom line, if you focus on getting in your protein and liquids you will lose a crap load of weight. Believe me, you will look back at this post in a year and chuckle.

Hang in there and know you are doing great!