Are You Losing Fast Enough? Post-Op Worries After WLS

Do you feel like you aren’t losing weight fast enough after your weight-loss surgery?

If you’re a post-op sleeve, bypass or duodenal switch patient, chances are you’ve worried about this.

What’s the rate of weight loss supposed to be? How much should you be losing each week?

Here’s the thing. This is much more complicated than a simple formula equation of how many pounds a week you should be losing after your WLS.

But wouldn’t that be so much easier? Lose 3 pounds a week or you’re eating too much. Eat half a cup at each meal and lose 18 pounds a month. #yeahright

I know you would love for me to give you a simple table that says “if you are X many months postop you should be losing X pounds a week or you aren’t doing it right.”

To be honest, that might make my job easier too!

But we all know that isn’t how it works. The human body is much more complicated than a simple math equation. How old are you? How tall are you? When was your surgery? What is your resting metabolic rate? How many meals do you eat a day? How much is from protein?

The scale can’t answer all these things for us.

And even if we lined up 10 females that were the SAME age and had the SAME surgery on the SAME day their weight loss would all be different. Yep, even if they had the same weight on surgery day. Same age, same surgery, same weight…different results. GAH!

Side bar: This is why comparison is toxic. Don’t do it! Congratulate your postop friends on their success but wash their numbers from your minds and do not start calculating where they are compared to where you are. For better or for worse. It helps no one and nothing.

Follow your post-op plan and trust the process.

Release those worries. Instead of asking “is my weight loss is going fast enough?” instead ask “are my choices the right ones for success?” Focus on changing for your lifestyle for the better, for the long-run and know that weight-loss does not stop for patients who stick with it. 

Focus on the “basics” of healthy post-op living:

Eat 3 meals per day, two bites of lean protein to one bite of non-starchy vegetable (members only food list here)

Take peanut sized bites, eat slowly (20 minutes per meal) and stop at the first sign of fullness without worrying if it’s too much. Listen to your body for it’s natural cues of feeling satisfied.

Focus on 96 ounces of fluids (non-caffeinated) in between meals. Avoid drinking while you eat and for 45-60 minutes after meals.

Don’t skip meals. Keep control over starches and sweets. Stay active. Find non-food activities for stress relief and enjoyment.

Yes I know, much easier said than done. BUT put your energy into these things instead of into equations of how much weight you should lose by what date. Release those thoughts! Break up with the scale if need be! Get out of the house, enjoy yourself and know that 6 months from now you will look back and laugh at how much you worried about if you were losing enough ;)

HOWEVER – if you goof around and don’t make these things a priority..then yes. Your weight loss will slow down and eventually stall out before you see your goals come to fruition. That’s the other danger in looking too much at the numbers. Sometimes they provide false hope and eating poorly gets justified that “it’s okay because I’m still losing.” Many a patient has been deceived by the honeymoon period. Stay honest with yourself!

Stay the course.

Be kind to yourself.

Remind yourself this is a marathon.

One step at a time, one day at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be sharing your success story with me like Sherree and Kay!

Did you know?? FoodCoachMe Premiere Access Members enjoy unlimited resources for their weight loss journey! Meal plans, educational courses and hundreds of WLS recipes! Just $10 a month! Cancel at anytime. 

All my best to you in health!

Steph :)