I guess I am gonna lose really slowly?

I had surgery Sept 25th (RNY).  I feel great, have been doing great, am following the guidelines to the letter (except that I went rock climbing last week and totally forgot I hadn't been cleared for exercise yet, oops).  I have lost 15 lbs.  that is just under 3 pounds a week.  I am 5'3.5", my surgery day weight was 225 (had been 236 before the nine day liquid diet).  Since surgery I always get well more than 70 ounces of water and 60 ounces of protein, usually closer to 75 or 80 or protein.  My dietician tells me to not worry about calories despite my repeated questions about how a super low cal diet might affect my metabolism.  Against her advice I have been working hard to stay between 600 and 800 a day (she says 300 or 400 would be fine, see my next post ranting and raving about how irritated I am with her).  I have been hiking with heart rate monitor well within my aerobic zone maybe 5 days a week for a minimum of an hour, often two or three, and have done some weight work and of course, the aforementioned rock climbing. 

so, It is a wee bit discouraging to have lost only 15 pounds.  I read on here all the time that it is fine and that everyone loses differently and that it isn't every day you lose 15 pounds.  I just think I need some encouragement and assurance that that sounds true for me as well.  Because I think this is really really slow.  I used to lose way more that on just a standard diet.  i really don't get it.  Also, my husband, WHO HASN'T EVEN HAD THE SURGERY has changed his eating along with me and he has lost 15 pounds.  And is not hiking hours a week.  And has no malabsorption, and is eating like, oh, 15 times more than me. 

But I get it, it took me a long time to get here and it would be fine if it took a long time to not be here.  I just want to know I am on the right track.  Any ideas?  Words of encouragement?  I am especially freaked out because I understand that most folks lose the most in the first month or two and then it slowly tapers off.  So if it is going to taper off for me then I am really looking at a long haul here. 

Ugh.

Chin up.

You are considered a lightweight. Lightweights tend to lose more slowly than those of us who started at a higher weight do, but statistically lose the same percentage of weight. You have less to lose, so it may not fall off quite as fast. Make sense?

A sustained super low calorie diet could harm your metabolism, but most of us are concentrating on getting all our protein and liquid the first few months, so the focus isn't on total calories just yet.

You WILL naturally eat more as time marches on. It sounds as if you have been doing well, so keep on.

According to my surgeon, three to five pounds per week is typical.  Now, you're just under three pounds per week, but you also have to keep in mind that 225 lbs on surgery day is really a lightweight compared to many people having WLS.  If you'd weighed in at 350 lbs on surgery day, I'm sure you would have lost much more, but you'd also have a lot more left to lose.

I understand why you feel a bit discouraged.  But it sounds like you are doing all the right things.  Keep doing those things and the weight will come off.  Maybe not as fast as you'd like.  We'd all like to be the fastest loser, right?  But it will come off.

Here's something to keep in mind.  Most people lose about 50% of their excess weight by the time they are six months post op.  I don't know what your goal weight is, but I'm guessing you're hoping to lose, what, about 100 lbs?  So that would mean you'll probably be down 50 lbs by the time you're six months post op.  It looks to me like you're right on track to do that.

OK Louise, I just went and pulled out my RNY "notebook" to see exactly what my early weight loss was. I had surgery on 10/27 and weighed 205 on that day. On 11/20 (3 weeks and 3 days later) I weighed 194. That was a 11 pound loss. I had an original goal of 140 and I reached that in about 5 months.

My Dr told me to expect a 2-3 pound a week loss at my 3 week appointment.....I almost cried. At 5 months out I had lost 62 pounds. That averages 3 pounds a week, he was right.  You are ahead of where I was. Some weeks I lost more, some weeks I lost nothing. I don't know what your goal is, if it is 145 and even if you only average 3 pounds a week you will be there in a little over 5 months from now. How does that sound to you?

Edited for grammer :(

According to my calculations you have about 70 lbs to go to get to a normal BMI.  That means if you only lose about one pound a week you will still reach your goal by 18 months out.  And you would probably find maintenance a lot smoother.  Of course you will probably lose a lot faster then one pound a week but it helps to keep it in perspective.  You have plenty of time and as long as the scale is going in the right direction you are on the right path.

Basing this on what another poster said... If you have 85 pounds of excess weight to lose and you've lost 15 pounds of that in about a month, you have lost 18% of your excess weight. As Kelly said in her post, the average weight loss at 6 months is 50% of your excess weight. You are well on your way to hit that target.

As far as calories, my surgeon's plan called for 800 calories up during month one, and from month one thru month six they recommend 1200 calories. After month 6 it's dependent on the person as far as the amount of exercise they get, but the plan states a minimum of 1200 calories. I know that I NEVER got 800 calories in the first month as I tracked my intake on myfitnesspal.com. I will be 7 months out tomorrow and I eat somewhere between 800 and 1200 calories per day now depending if it's a big or small pouch day.

Dont look at the pounds, figure out your Percent of weight lost. I just had my 6 week followup and I thought i was losing slowing, but my doctor said I only had 100lbs to lose to start with so losing 24 lbs since surgery was really good. He said they like to between 15-20% the first 3 months, then about 10% every month after.

Girl, don't hurt yourself!! Rock Climbing???

lol

I am pre-op but my clinic says you cannot judge based on the first 3 weeks because you are still swollen and losing water weight, etc from surgery.

Hang in there!!

Thanks everyone!  I am feeling so much better!!  and yes, Rock climbing!  My goal was to get to the top of the wall by the end of winter.  But on my very first time out I got to the top.  I was up there shaking and holding on to those little hand holds like my life depended on it (which it might well have) and thinking, "holy #%$, I did it!!!!!"  it was awesome.

Hi Louise,  It looks like your got all the info you needed from the others,  I just wanted to let you know there is a Lightweights forum that you can read and post on too if you want.  Go to forums at the top of page and then click on more. 

Best to you. Candy