Plateau for 21 days!

Hi VSGers,

My rational thoughts and emotions are battling one another this week.  I am 6 weeks post-op, and have been plateaued for the last 3 weeks.  I know most people go through a plateau around the 3 week point, but I have to be doing something wrong to be bouncing around the same 2 lbs for 21 days!  I'm hitting my protein, and usually hitting my water.  Am I eating too many calories?  Not enough?  I'm trying to get my exercise in, but getting out of bed at 5am is tough...  Any thoughts/advice would be greatly welcomed.  Thanks!

I was in a 3 week LONG stall myself. The scale just started to move again this week. I upped my water and started eating a protein bar for more protein. I do not think I was getting in ENOUGH protein really.

You should also try myfitnesspal to help you determine your calorie, carb and protein counts.

Follow your surgeon's rules to the "T" on how many calories and such...

Hang in there. 

I'm going back for my 6-week post-op appointment tomorrow, so I'm definitely going to talk to them about it.  The only guidelines regarding my nutrition was 60g protien & 64 oz water each day, with my vitamins.  They didn't give any guidelines on calories, etc.  I'm currently eating about 800 cal/day.

Getting out of bed at  5am is definitely tough, and would be an extra hurdle that would prevent me from exercising. I tackle my exercise in 15 min increments and although I am a very slow loser.  I know that the extra movements I do in the  15 mins saved me from gaining weight thu the month of December when I was eating cookie every night.  I got a fitbit force for Christmas and trying to hit the goal of  10K steps and  10 flights of stairs per day has been a fun challenge.  I walk up two flights of stairs in my office building to go to the bathroom. When I am home several time during the day I will set the timer on my stove for 15 mins and walk around the kitchen/living/room.  I also at the recommendation of my NUT got the leslie sansone walk away the pounds DVD, it was  $10.00 on Amazon but most libraries have them. Her 2 mile brisk walk only takes 30 mintues.  All you need are sneakers and a DVD player

it is no secret eat less move more, increase your water intake to flush out the fat.  Every little bit helps, But don't just rely on your scale, how do you feel, are your clothes looser, did you take before pics how do you look now compare to them.

Good Luck -Deb

Thanks, Deb.  I did the before pics, but haven't done any since then.  And I took my measurements before, too - I am losing inches (if slowly), so at least that's moving in the right direction.  I appreciate your words of wisdom :)

Aside from the usual comments about you being at the classic stall point.....

"Usually hitting my water"?  Water variation from day to day can affect scale readings more than you think.  It's one of the reasons I think you should push to maximize water intake each day.

Aside from the benefits water provides, think of it as "topping off the tank" each day.  If you go light one day, and then do better the next, you could be retaining more water and thus show a gain.  In reverse, you'd show a loss.  All of it is arbitrary because it's water weight change and not actual weight change.

For the most consistent results, make sure you're topped off your tank each day.  That should make water retention more of a constant in any weight measurements.  In the end you can only do so much, but this helps.

I am stalling too- nothing lost since the last week of December. It is so frustrating, isn't it!! Let me know what the doc says. This is making me crazy!

Well, I saw my surgeon today for my 6-week post-op follow-up - and he says I'm doing great.  He was not at all concerned about my long 21-day plateau.  His advice was to keep hitting my protein goal (60g), make sure I hit my fluid-intake goal every day (64oz), and try to get 20 minutes of walking in 5 days/wk.  That shouldn't been too hard, right? 

He also told me not to worry about counting my calories.  At this point, my "pouch" (such a cute lil nickname for my mini-stomach) can hold approx 3 oz, and he wants me to keep meals & snacks at that 3 oz mark (1/3 - 1/2 cup).  So, I think I'm going to do one last "weigh in" tomorrow - get my weight, body measurements, etc and go awhile before weighing in again.  Maybe I'm just stressing myself out.

On another note, when the nurse practitioner took my blood pressure, it was really pretty low (83/70).  She was concerned, asking if I was dizzy/light-headed.  She took my BP from my other arm, and it was still low (91/73).  Anyone else have lowered BP after surgery?

Taking my weight loss in stride, and trying not to expect too much too soon...