Hello,
I had my surgery 11/25/24 and I've lost 32lbs so far but seem to have stalled the last 2 weeks. I am still losing inches but the scale isn't budging. I am meeting my protein and water goal and work out 6 days a week. Am I just being paranoid? How much should I be losing? I've lost 9 inches on my waist and 3 on my hips so far. I feel good more energy and less winded. Just feeling down about the weight situation. Happy to be apart of the group!
Hi Dani,
The number of pounds or inches really can't be measured accurately because you're losing fat, and that can move from place to place as your body changes. My advice would be to hide the tape and stay off the scale. Trust how your clothes fit and how you feel. It sounds like you're doing everything right, but weight-loss surgery (WLS) isn't magic and you may even gain weight, then lose, then gain again. Stalls are common and usually caused by a biological response known as "adaptive thermogeneisis." This phenomenon occurs when your body is alerted to a deep drop in calories and weight and responds to it by slowing the metabolism so you won't starve. That's why it's commonly known as "starvation response."
You can break a stall pretty easily by doing a few things. First, make big shifts in how much and what time of day you eat. Your body will detect this activity and will kick into action, focusing on making sure you don't starve, but ultimately, adjusting to the pattern. And secondly, increase your activity at several times during the day. For many people there's a tendency to be a little fearful, so they overcompensate by not eating--which of course, kicks the starvation response into high gear.
Try to be pretty consistent. Everything you do becomes part of your body's new response to your diet, allowing you to eat less without kicking the starvation response into high gear. Try also focusing on your mind's fear about starving into a calming affirmation about the normalcy of what's going on. (You can also search "affirmations" within this group to find out more about that, including sample affirmations)
Remember that your "fat brain" is used to lying to you, telling you negative things and trying to defeat any weight loss.
Plateaus usually don't last long, although I had one after losing 75 pounds that lasted several months. I broke the plateau by taking up hiking. I already went to the YMCA six days a week, but my metabolism had adjusted to that, so my weight plateaued. Once I shifted the type of activity I was engaging in, I went on to lose a total of 115 pounds in a total 13 month period.
It is really common for people to have expectations that are hard to adjust instead of simply allowing the numbers to go down and up. Try to focus on being good to yourself with activities that don't include eating for comfort. Your body will thank you.
