Weight loss... SLOOOOOWWWWWLY

I had RNY on 4/15.. as of now, I am only down 28#.. seems like I should be dropping it faster. I dont know what else to do to "get there".. I am afraid of missing my "window of opportunity".. and I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. I work a very busy job, some days I am completely exhausted by the time I get home, not having a break in a busy 8 hour shift is pretty routine (I work as a nurse on a TCU) I eat, snack.. do my vitamins, and water... I eat less than 900/cal a day..  strive for 700 -800 not more, preferably less... I TRY to walk daily.... like I said some days I am just EXHAUSTED. I am eating only protein at this point.. I just feel like I am going to fail at this.. Some people are posting amazing weight losses of 30-50# after 2 months post op.. and here I sit, barely 29# down. I have people tell me, they can SEE the weight loss... but even the measurments I have been tracking are not moving much.. I am just not sure what I am doing wrong, or differently than everyone else.. If I had a sedentary job, I would have lots of energy to go on an hour long walk after work, but most days I can barely squeeze in the 20 minutes walking my dogs...I track all my food on my fitness pal, and I am religous following it.. I dont know what I am doing wrong...

I feel your pain.  I had surgery 2 days after you and have lost 23 in the last 6 weeks. My calories, exercise etc mimic yours almost exactly....I guess we are just slow losers; not complaining by any means. I am walking a bit more than you are able, but my job isn't as hectic. Hopefully, it will just keep coming off; maybe a slower weight list will result in a bit less loose skin. One can only hope-lol!  Keep your spirits up :)

remember not every one is the same some lose weigh fast some dont  but what it matter is that you still lose weight be calm and think about it 28 pound in 1 month is still a good amount.

Keep in mind that

1) people who weigh more to begin with lose much more quickly than those who are lighter (because their daily caloric deficit is greater), so the people who are posting large losses may have started with 100+ pounds more than you

2) some people include pre-op weight loss with their statistics, so the numbers you are seeing may include what they lost in a six month pre-op diet

Ok, so you have lost 28 pounds in six weeks.  How is that significantly less than someone who has lost 30 pounds in 8 weeks??  

You are probably not doing anything wrong.  How quickly did you expect to lose?  Perhaps your expectations were unrealistic.  This is not a race and there is no prize for the one who loses the most quickly.  Also, remember that this is not a diet, that it is a lifestyle change.  You will be doing the same thing in a year (and in three years, and in 10 years) that you are doing now -- you will just be eating more and probably able to eat a wider variety of foods -- but there won't be any reward in terms of weight loss.  This is your new life.  

You will find it is much less stressful of you focus on establishing the new eating and activity habits and focus less on the movement of the scale.  I know that is difficult to not focus on the scale when you are newly post-op and anxious to get rid of the weight, but one thing that I can guarantee is that the people who are successful long term are those who truly embrace the lifestyle change and focus on the behavioral changes first and the scale second.

Relax... If you do what you are supposed to, the weight WILL come off.  I promise.

Lora

THANK you for that encouragement... I will take that advice to heart!!

I had my surgery on 3/24/14 and am only down #30.  I too feel am I not going to lose anymore.  I walk everyday, eat the right foods and drink my water.  My friend had hers on 2/19/14 is down #54.

You're not doing anything wrong.  28 lbs in six weeks is a perfectly  normal rate of weight loss. 

The only thing you may be doing "wrong" is having unrealistic expectations.

You are doing nothing wrong except not realizing this takes time. I wanted the weight off yesterday, Or the day of my surgery.

 

 A watched pot never boils... I remember feeling the same way at about the same time as you but now I'm down 80 .... 10 a month is average after the first month!

That is an average of 4.6 pounds per week.

The average weight loss is 20 pounds the first month (I lost 19) - then 10 pounds in months 2-6... so you are on track.

STOP comparing yourself to others. Why would you think after only 6 weeks that it won't work?  Stress is bad for your journey. Have some faith in yourself and your tool.  Second-guessing and worry won't help anything. You were created uniquely and just because someone else loses at a certain rate doesn't mean you will.  The speed of weight loss doesn't have to define your success!

If it makes you feel any better, I "only" lost 19 pounds the first month and it took me 14 months to lose 123 pounds, which if you do the math is "only" 8.78 pounds per month or "only" 2.1 pounds per week.  So it really doesn't matter how fast you lose it, just that you keep going and lose it. So yeah - I was bummed that I didn't evaporate in 3 months - but I am below goal and so what it took me 14 months?  Why was I in such a hurry?  

 

I think we all go thru a period where we're afraid we're not going to lose all we want to lose within our window of opportunity. These feelings will come and go. It's part of the process, at least it is for me. Some days I feel that I can maintain this lifestyle, and other days, when I feel hungrier and want to graze all day, I feel that I will be a failure. I think we're all a work in progress when it comes to our heads and the emotional struggles we deal with. If sounds like you are doing fine. Pls try not to compare yourself to others, and just follow your plan. Your body will release the weight when it's ready.