AGAIN! I'm extremely frustrated and just returned to work after having abdominal surgery on 5/23 and I'm up 10 lbs. I've been constipated for a week so finally I did the salt water cleanse and it helped somewhat but weight still the same. Is it possible to still retain fluid 3 weeks post op?
I'm really thinking i want to cancel my ww membership as I'm paying now to gain. I know it's crazy but mentally i can't go to a meeting and weigh in this high, i have to lose weight before returning mind game, i know but I'd be much more sad to see it change +8-10 lbs. What's going on with me? I didn't just eat constantly while off 3 weeks nor did i really eat off plan

Usually your body retains fluid around the site of surgery in order to protect it and help heal it..I would give yourself more time than just 3 weeks for a.n abdominal surgery..try 6.

I just sent you a private message before even seeing this post! I love your profile picture and your user name!!

I think any surgery wrecks havoc with our systems. It is totally possible that you're still retaining water etc since your operation.

Are you still tracking? I think eating on plan AND tracking needs to go hand in hand. You need to account for EVERY BLT (Bite Lick and Taste). I'm not saying you're not doing that, I am just wondering if that is what's off.

I originally started WW in November with a close friend (who actually is no longer a friend). She told me about 3-4 weeks in that she didn't see the point in paying $12 a week to just weigh in. She wasn't getting anything from the meetings and the program just didn't 'click' for her. But the thing is, you're paying for accountability, for help, for tips and recipes, for peer support, for a plan. If you're not getting anything from the meetings, consider changing times to a different leader. (I did and am thinking about doing so again). You're paying for a service and if you're not happy with it, change it! Does that make any sense?

Maybe go to a meeting and skip the weigh in. Talk to your leader after or before and share your concerns. Maybe you need to eat more weekly points, maybe less. Maybe you need a low impact activity to help get your body moving again or more. Who knows....your leader will!

I hope you stick to it! I love the program, even when I don't see a loss and I'm not going to give this up because I know the plan works!

I had 3 days of IV and epidural with my son, and it took over 5 weeks for the (12lb) water weight gain to diminish.

While *you* don't particularly feel any pain in surgery, it is still a massive shock to the body and the body reacts to that. Be kind to yourself and recognize this.

Surgery is a huge shock to a body. The body reacts how it reacts. It's going to take time to heal and to return to normal.

Get yourself to a meeting. Now. Skip the weigh-in if you must, but go and get support and take a deep breath and make healthy choices, again. Stop the mind games. Weight has nothing to do with your worth. This is just one stop on your weight-loss journey.

If you quit now... where's it going to get you? A year from now you'd be kicking yourself for giving up during a tough time instead of working PAST it, learning a few things, and ending up much healthier in the long-run.

Measure and track your food. Monitor your intake and be vigilant. The weight will come off. We have to be patient. We have to be persistent. We can persevere.

Keep at it.

Surgery like that is a big deal to your body. I wouldn't worry about the weight gain in your situation.

Also I really really really can't stress enough how important it is not to stop weighing in because you will weigh in high. Way back when (20 years ago) I lost weight on WW and became a lifetime member with a goal weight of 125 (well down within my goal range). I had to go out of town for work for a couple of weeks and ate out 3 times a day and came back and had gained 5 pounds or so. I didn't want to weigh in and have to pay and was embarrassed to go back with a big gain after having lost weight. So...I said I would go back once I had lost down to no more than 2 pounds over my goal weight. Bear in mind that I was still well within my goal range although above goal.

But I just couldn't stand to see that 130 on my weigh in. As you can probably figure out it took me years to go back and I've never gotten anywhere close to that goal weight since then. Looking back on it I was an idiot (if only because I could avoided a lot of embarrassment simply by going to another meeting with a different leader...)

Anyway, go to your meeting, if you have to don't weigh in but go...

Nothing like going to Subway to get a salad and seeing my ww leader!!! She said that she hasn't seen me i told her about having surgery and that i would come back for meetings asap, but might not weigh in just yet!

You are all right, if i go to the meetings at least that will mentally keep me on track. I started tracking again today, feeling alot better, drinking alot of water. Not going to make myself nuts by weighing in anytime soon as TOM is also on the way! Never ending!!!

So i've done really well all week, tracking again and drinking alot of fluids. The scale is the exact same 200.6 how can this be? I thought it was due to the trauma from surgery but how could i have gained 8 lbs in 3 weeks, i did not go off the handle and eat whatever i want TOM is still lurking and hasn't come yet, wonder if could be fluid still. Just bummed out as not even an ounce down

If I were you I wouldn't stress. 10 lbs is easily excused. I just gained 10 pounds from the last two weeks and within 3 days im already 5 pounds lighter. The human body will definitely hold onto alot of water especially weeks after surgery. I'm sure everyone will understand when you go to weigh in

It could DEFINITELY still be fluid retention. Surgery...and then TOM around the corner.

Keep at it. I know the scale isn't being friendly right now, but please... one more week. Be vigilant. Be healthy. You can do this.

Hang in there pointspluspioneer! We want to to stay!!

Dont sweat it hun! When I had my last surgery, I carried the extra weight for about 6 or 7 weeks, once your body has healed itself compleatly that weight will come off. Its like the others said...your insides were traumatized and its needing that extra fluid to protect and heal the surgical site.

If it really concerns you then talk to your surgeon about it but more then likely you will get the same answer because that's what my surgeon told me to expect after my surgery!

Once the healing process has taken place then you'll drop that weight super fast!

Thank you! I was down a couple over the weekend. Just seems that i'm out of the swing of WW since the surgery, no mojo! Easier to eat whatever! Summer is tough. I feel like i really need a kickstart again.

I've had surgery, and yes, the body needs time to heal and the swelling does go away...After surgery we need to nourish ourselves well to give the body all it needs to repair and heal...continuing your program will only help you heal faster and better...fruits, veges, good protein etc.
Take care of yourself

I think if you can stick it out even if you feel like running, it'll pay off so much in the long run!!

You're going to have to learn to not quit and throw in the towel when you hit a major setback (and everyone does!) anyway, why not try it in a supportive, warm environment!

Go to the meetings (which is *really* what you're paying for, not the weigh in--you have a scale at home, right?), tell your leader that you are scared to have that gain on your sticker and you just had surgery, so you'd like to skip the weigh in a couple of times. What's the worst that could happen? If people are mean or say you have to, you can say no thanks and leave. If you go and people are nice, maybe they'll be able to comfort you and share their stories about what happened to them after surgery, how long you can expect a gain, ect.

It's hard to reach out for help. Most people I know in this weight loss journey (myself included) are very controlling in some aspects, and very defensive of our space. So admitting a major gain *even if it's totally out of our control or perhaps because of it* is scary and it's easier to just quit and disappear. Except for that doesn't solve the problem!

Do what you need to do, but consider at least sticking it out for the next month. You're not paying money to gain weight, you're paying money to attend meetings to get the support from people who have so been there and want to help.