Is it normal for your weight to fluctuate while you are losing?

[Randy Hope]

Hi everyone, I am 5 weeks out from gastric bypass surgery, and down 24.5 pounds. Start weight 208. Great recovery overall. Surprised by how fatigued I still am, walking daily. My question is this, and maybe my expectations are completely unrealistic. I can go days without losing weight, and sometimes I can gain a half a pound to a pound. I can't believe, it I eat like a bird, how can I gain weight at this phase. It is so frustrating. Has this happened to anyone else? Any advice?

 

[3momchaos]

It’s honestly so crazy! I can do the same. Sometimes it’s excess sodium so water weight, sometimes it’s dependent on when I last pooped, other times it’s not bringing in enough calories, or it could be too much cardio. I stopped weighing everyday. Some people weigh once a week, I like to weigh in twice a week, Monday and Thursday. It helps me keep perspective on if I’m keeping myself in check on the weekends, and how well I can recover during the week. Because honestly, weekends are a little more free on the eating for me, so I make sure I’m not going overboard too much.

 

[dianeseattle]

I can't believe, it I eat like a bird, how can I gain weight at this phase. It is so frustrating. Has this happened to anyone else? Any advice?

Your body is protecting you from starving.

You're not a bird, so if you eat like one, your body's metabolic response is to stop burning the calories a human body needs to survive.

My routine is to switch up my eating to keep my metabolism surprised. I might eat a big greasy cheeseburger for lunch one day and plain yogurt the next.

Your metabolism will crack down unless you give it something to do.

This protective eating behavior is a significant element in every type of eating disorder.

Eat like a normal person by varying portion sizes and times of days. Your metabolismwill wake right up.

Also, drink water constantly, all day long. Water accellerates metabolism and flushes burned fat cells.

Let your body do its job. Eat.

 

[KarenWV]

I am a "once weekly weigh-er" based on reading lots of past posts here pre-surgery. Congratulations on losing an average of almost 5 lbs a week. That is an amazing amount.

You might have weakness while walking due to your reduced calories. My pcp reassured me that was what I was experiencing at the beginning of my post-surgery journey. You might check with your bariatric team if it continues, especially as your food intake increases.

As Diane mentioned, getting your recommended water in may help. Do you weigh yourself daily? You might try 1-2 times weekly and see if your weight loss seems more stable. Good luck and way to go!

 

[Elidh]

Randy, you’re doing great, but I agree with those that recommend not weighing daily. Once a week, at the most, is best, and even then there may be weight fluctuations. I was into the diet mentality for so much of my adult life (as was many others on this forum) and I would vary between immense elation and total despair based on what the scale said. This is a good time to break that habit. Celebrate your NSV’s and be proud of what you have achieved!

 

[Randy Hope]

Thank you everyone! I have been so paranoid and sticking with every 2 week dietary restriction progression post surgery, that my food groups have been pretty limited. I also walk about 2 1/2 - 3 miles per day, I was very active pre surgery. Today is my 6 week check in, so I am definitely going to take everyone's advice and talk with the team as well. I am going to mentally try to psych myself up to not weighing myself every day. This is going to be a tough one for me. When I was 27 and got to goal on WW, I literally weighed myself everyday. At that point in my life, I kept that 95 pounds lost off for 10 years by being vigilant, and then marriage, special needs kid, blended family--loss of self and self control, well you guys know the story... My health issues drove me to make major life changes a few years ago when I got really sick, and this is the phase of my journey to complete my weight loss at 53. 70 pounds lost before surgery, and then metabolism came to a halt. SO here I am.. Thanks for the support..Full circle indeed!

 

[missyinacage]

Hey, Randy. That is perfectly normal. As long as you are following your teams dietary guidelines, you will lose weight. I 1000% agree with those that tell you not to weigh everyday. Water weight fluctuates daily. You will only upset yourself if you stay so focused on the scale. There will be a million non-scale victories along the way; lost inches, smaller belts, easier movement, improved well-being. The surgery works.

You may want to weigh yourself daily after you've lost the bulk of your weight, just to make sure you nip any gain in the bud immediately, which I'm sure was your goal with WW. But this is surgical and it's fast weight loss. There are going to be times your body decides to slow down weight loss or stops it all together, sometimes for weeks. You will lose weight. Period. But your body also needs to heal and adjust to major changes, fast.

 

[Tomo]

Totally normal. If I eat pickles I can always expect a pound or two temporary gain. I stay off the scale for a few days. Water weight, elimination, time of day weighing myself... Etc. So many factors because our bodies are complicated. If I weigh myself and I'm stalled for a week or if I went up a pound, I remind myself that by tracking my calories, carbs, proteins that I have stayed on course, continue as usual. So, I try to remember this: "Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” because I know for myself, once I feel defeated, I can easily fall into the "all or nothing" type of thinking which is disastrous for me. So hang in there, if you are sticking to your plan, it will come down.

 

[dianeseattle]

"Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”

Great outlook.

But I think it's important to say we are not qualified to give medical answers to questions about anyone's medical journey.

We exist to give support, but every member here learns the group mantra early on:

ASK YOUR DOCTOR.

Aftercare is essential with WLS. Your surgeon is well paid, and responsible to help you have a perfect outcome from your surgery. I don't mean number of pounds lost. I mean protection from infection, safe healing of incisions, integrity of the digestive path and process, etc.

If you get a "good answer" from us, it may still be the wrong answer for you. Keep track of all the little differences, and if they repeat, and how often they occur.

I've been a member of this group for many years, and more than a few members have ended up at the ER because they minimized their various aches and nausea instead of calling the doctor.

And bonus: when you share your outcome with the group, we all learn something, but from our own perspective.

You may not be able to discern when pain is normal and when it's trying to tell you something urgent.