Dooter

Sure thing. I hope it helps. We are not doing anything wrong. We just need to be patient. (I can't stop weighing every day though!! GRRR!!) It can't NOT work. I keep telling myself that.

OHHHH dear one- the conversations we've had today on this forum about stalls!!! I am in one as well. Mine started at...guess when....three weeks!!! Yes, it's referred to around here as the "three week stall." I found a great explanation for it today from one of our seasoned sleevers. Check it out: (This was a post on another thread by "Tiffykins.") This is why you are in a stall. It's normal and expected. Your body will never go into a stall as long as you have body fat to burn: Weight Loss Stall or Plateau A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf. Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below. The Inevitable Stall By Diana C. A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days. What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements. Too Many Carbs? Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section onCarbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating.

I actually thought about that. It's not entirely out of the question either! Earlier today I read that the stall is almost necessary for the glycogen stores to come back to the muscle from the fat stores, along with the 8 lbs of Water necessary to make it soluble, so I'm confident it will break very soon. I just need to not be a freak. I must be patient.

Hmm. I did have pain near my main incision, but i also had a hernia repair which hurts there too. Check your temperature. Make sure it's not over 101. If it is too concerning, it wouldn't hurt to give your surgeon's office a call just to confirm that it may be a normal pain.

Thanks for the encouragement ladies! Tiffykins posted something earlier about the WHYs of the stall and the scientific happenings in the body. Made a lot of sense and I feel much better about it! I was just worried I was obsessing over the food log. I get crazy with stuff sometimes, and I didn't know if this was one of those things. I'll keep on it.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU......FOR POSTING THIS!

You could also research some natural gall bladder cleanse methods. You might be able to keep ahead of it? I never had the opportunity to try that. Mine went bad 10 years ago. Something to think about.

I was having some Laughing Cow Light swiss wedges with peanut butter. Sometimes I'd even stir them together. It's really good. It's the right texture for your stomach without having to actually blend anything. Also, the same cheese with 1/4 avocado is great too. It has important Omega 3's. Gooood stuff. Decent protein too. I also agree with the Greek yogurts. Very high in protein. Some are better than others, so don't give up on them if you try one you don't like.

Praying for you both!!

Yep. I had one repaired. I had to take the pain meds for two full weeks because of it. It wasn't horrific or anything, but I really did need to take it that long. Right at two weeks it just stopped hurting. The pain the hernia was causing me was much worse though, so I was really glad to get it fixed.

How far out from surgery are you? Is it near an incision? Is it coming from your actual stomach? Did you have a hernia repair? Does movement make it worse? Does it hurt when you're still? Did it start after you ate something? These are all possible factors...

The incentive spirometer is a little device they give you to help you take really deep breaths to prevent you from getting pneumonia and it also oxygenates your blood and helps get the anesthesia out of your system. If you don't have one, just take ten really deep breaths once an hour. That first week I was walking for maybe ten minutes. I was in a hotel, so I'd walk from one end of the hallway to the other 3 or 4 times. Or as long as I could. I was told that within 2 months I should be walking an hour a day. (i'm still working on that )

I hammer on this a LOT on here: WALKING will help you feel better faster!! People who do their hourly lap faithfully report feeling great 2 weeks out! You will daily notice nice improvements if you are good about walking. Keep using your spirometer too! You know about drinking, so I won't even go there OH, and when you do feel like you can sleep on your side...put a pillow under your belly. Helps a lot. Go get 'em!!

Isn't Forest Park Medical Center Great?? THat's where I had my surgery, but with Dr. Kim. I know he has a weekly support group. His office is in Colleyville. Call and see if you can go. ( I can't because I live 900 miles away. boo.)

Heeeyyyyy!!! You finally got it!!! yayyy!!!! Wishing you all the best!!! Walk walk walk!!!

Hahaha...thanks! We don't want anyone to have to wear a "Bro!" (reminds me of that Seinfeld when Kramer invents the man bra... )

WElcome to the club. I am the president, vice president, secretary AND treasurer of the "can't drink all my liquids" club. All you can do is try. Don't forget to count the liquids in Protein drinks, juices, etc... they all count for 'fluid' intake. Your capacity to take in fluids will continue to increase. You'll get there. Maybe I will too.

Oh, when those first pounds come off..you'll think you're the hottest thing walkin'!! I've only lost 40 and it's exciting to see my waistline reappear! You WILL be happy and you WILL accept yourself when you start feeling so energetic and fitting into smaller clothes!! Who is your surgeon? I traveled to Dallas for my surgery. Don't be nervous. (you will though) Everything will be fine. We all had the jitters pre op.

I'll try, but ACK!!!! A MONTH????? Two more weeks of this will kill me....

Well, I can't speak directly to your situation like "do it!" or "no, don't do it!" That's something you and your doctor need to decide if it is safe for you to undergo surgery. If he says it is, then remember, it's in God's hands. The day you leave this earth is set in stone already. (That's not to say you can be careless...but you get my point...) I think this can only improve your quality of life. Getting up from a flat position is hard for a couple of weeks, but you generally need to sleep in a raised position for a while so it's easier to get up from that anyway. If you are flat, you need someone to give you an arm up because it hurts a bit to try to use your stomach muscles. Well---I had a hernia repair, so it may have intensified that effect. It may not be as bad for everyone. I was freaked out about not surviving the surgery too, because I have a husband that adores me and three little boys who count on me. I had no logical reason for thinking I wouldn't make it. I was thinking of some fluke or mistake or something. I had an excellent surgeon though, so I could talk myself down with that. There was more chance of something happening to me if I did NOT start losing the weight and even possible gain more had I not taken this step. My two cents. That and 4 bucks can get you a cup of coffee!

Awww Jimmy, I thought you were going to make some comments about man boobs!!!

I think it goes to past experience. My first 20 lbs ALWAYS comes out of my boobs. I always return to my smaller bra sizes. (Well- c cups) Everyone is different though. If you came out of puberty with huge boobs, then they may stick around. Just keep em hoisted up so you don't bruise them with your knees. HAHAHAHA just kidding....a little humor..... (you may not be old enough to worry about that.

All of these things come back to you. Just smaller. I enjoyed dinner out with my family last night. I just separated roughly 4 oz of food, and slowly ate it and asked for a box. You get used to not drinking with the meal. Drink some before you order and while you're waiting, then push it aside. It's better to do these things on your OWN terms now. Imagine if you were forced to do these restrictions against your will due to some grave illness brought on by weight or even something worse. Just start imagining the success right now, and the different lifestyle right now so it won't be such a shock when it happens. It's good. It's good. You won't regret it.

It seems that many of us are in the throws of large stalls right now, so I want to bump this back up. I think it is very inspiring and helpful. Is it pinned? If it's not it should be.