One of the best pieces of advice I got from my surgeon's required group therapy was, simply, "Do not watch the scale!" You should weigh yourself once a week. Your weight fluctuates constantly, sometimes by more than 2 lbs in a day. Also, always weigh yourself at the same time of day, in similar cloths (or lack thereof). I weigh myself as soon as I get to the restroom after my alarm goes off. While I weigh every day, I've pounded it into my head that 1 or 2 lb. fluctuations are going to happen.

OK, on to the less-fun topic. I *have* to use a stool softener. I take the little Dulcolax capsules once or twice a day. Other people have suggested fiber; that causes a lot of gas for me, so I've stuck with the Dulcolax. Drinking water is also critically important to this, so keep up the work on that front!

gosh even early on post surgery I would sometimes go a week or two with no results on the scale then plot a couple pounds just vanished. I'm a daily scale kind of girl but some women can't do that, sounds like if you expect movement every day you're looking at the numbers for the wrong reason. Use the fluctuations to learn how your body responds to your cycle, the sodium you intake and other factors. I've learned a lot about myself from daily weigh ins but I also don't expect it to change daily or even to always go down; tool or not we still have 'fat days'.