Janet53

Definitely! At the time of my surgery I was 53 and for the year prior my periods had dwindled to nothing and I was certain I was almost finished. A month after surgery and I had a regular period complete with cramps and have had one every month since. I am one year post op on the 30th of this month. Due to some menopause symptoms also I have been struggling lately and have been on a long plateau. I was a slow loser from the start though so knew this would happen. My surgeon told me it was very common for the surgery to change your cycle.

Hello all, I could really use any and all advice and encouragement today. I had surgery 4-30 and was 219 on surgery day. I knew I was not going to be the fastest loser on the planent given my age (53), status in life (going through menopause) and just past history. I was ok with this. But as of 7-30 I weighed 195.8 and have been some version of 195.something for the last 6 weeks. I started exercise classes in mid July and all went well for a few weeks then I hit this wall. I eat about 1200 calories a day, sometimes a little less and sometimes a little more. Never more than 1300 and usually a little under 1200. I work out 3 nights a week for an hour and these classes are not playing around I can tell you. I come home soaked in sweat. Now before someone says that I should be working out every day, which I do know, shouldn't I be losing anyway? I am just so discouraged right now. Has anyone else gone through this? Do you think adding more exercise really will help? I am almost afraid to try because I don't want to feel worse about this. And I don't think I can eat too much less or I won't be getting the protein in I need. I just keep thinking that on my own without surgery I at least got down to the 180's before hitting this kind of plateau. And I ate a lot more and didn't exercise at all!! See my frustration? Ok, thanks you guys..

These have been really helpful to me! Thanks! A 2 month stall?? That gives me hope. Because I keep thinking I am done at 195 pounds which is really depressing. And the last 2 replies about eating the lower amount of calories is interesting because I feel like maybe I should be eating less. But my nutritionist actually suggested 1) add 2 more days of exercise and keep it at 1200 calories (although for me it's usually a little less) and if that doesn't work to try to actually add 100 calories. It's interesting how some folks say add and some day subtract. I think I am going to try to eat a little bit less first. I am keeping track and I am eating protein first and do not eat many carbs. Hard to get in the veggies and fruits though. I try to eat a fair number of salads with protein so I can get some greens in. Anyway, love the replies and I really, really appreciate it. Just knowing there was at least one person out there like Caradina who also had a really long stall gives me hope. Thanks!

Sansmom, I am feeling a little better about my 6 week stall since reading your post. Did you do anything to get your weight loss moving? Or did the stall just end? I am feeling so depressed right now. Mainly because I have been exercising and eating 1200 calories or less and not seeing any results. My partner who weighs 112 cuts out some carbs and doesn't change anything else and loses weight! And she isn't even trying to lose weight! I used to think people who complained about these kinds of stalls were doing something wrong, eating too much and not knowing it, etc. but now that this has happened I realize this is real. My metabolism really has slowed down to nothing. I would survive really good if I were stranded somewhere without any food. Thanks a lot ancestors. And while we are at it, thanks a lot menopause! I should have listened to my older sister who told me when I was in my twenties to lose the weight then because it becomes impossible later.

Great post! Thanks! I am in the slow loser category also. A combo of age, not as much to lose and menopause I think. I have lost 12 pounds in 6 weeks. I just figure like you that maybe I will get lucky with the hair loss if I lose slower. That way it will be worth it. Hang in there fellow slow losers!

"Hi Janet. Congratz in your surgery and your progress. Sounds like you're moving right along. : )" Thanks! Now if other things could just move along. This constipation is killing me! I never had this problem before but I can sure understand now what all the fuss was about when I would hear people complain! :0

I am having this problem also and I have never before had this issue in 53 years of life! I never knew how lucky I was. It's really miserable trying to pass a few stones only to have so many left in there making you feel uncomfortable! LOL Sorry for the TMI. I now know what people are complaining about that have this problem on an ongoing basis. I am going to try some of the things on this list. I can't eat prunes yet but I am sure I can have prune juice. I am also trying fiber one cereal. I drink plenty of water and have added the powder fiber stuff but it isn't helping. Good luck to all my fellow sufferers!

Hello from NH! Week 5 for me and I lost 4 pounds this week! Amazing since I have only lost 8 pounds the prior weeks. Just noticed there was a Gay support group on here. Hello to all! Congrats to Beach who just made it through surgery. And greetings to the rest of my "family". Anyone from NH or Atlanta? I used to live there and miss it a lot. Have a good week all!

I have lots of thoughts on this. I am in a similar boat. I was 219 on surgery day and am one month out. Lost 6 pounds the first week, then none for 2 weeks and then 2. I saw my surgeon yesterday and shared my concerns since I had been reading about all these people losing 20 plus pounds the first month. He reminded me that a lot of people are a lot heavier to start out with and that the first month of surgery should be about healing and to not even focus on the weight loss because he doesn't. I felt alot better. And as starting weights go, yours is one of the smallest I have seen. I feel quite sure this has something to do with it. Also, your body is still recovering from the shock of the surgery and this takes time. Sometimes more time for some people than others. Try not to feel too discouraged because you will start losing!! You can't not lose with the small amount of calories you are taking in. Hang in there!! Good luck!

Good for you! Keep up the good work and just focus and resting, sipping, walking ad healing for the first month. The rest will follow or so I am told. I am only one month out myself. Hope your journey is a good one!

8 pounds.

I definitely have hormonal issues myself. Which I am sure must make the weight loss slower. I have always been a slow loser though. I have been trying to up my water intake the last few days so we will see. Thanks for the suggestion.

Then I must be in the super slow category with 8 lbs in a month

I am one month post op tomorrow and have lost a grand total of 8 pounds. When I read all the posts about losing 20 plus pounds the first month and then slowing to 10 pounds a month I get really scared. I was hoping for 10 pounds a month but now that my first month was 8, I fear the following months which are typically lower will be 5 pounds a month. This is EXACTLY what I would lose on my own and I was able to eat a lot more food and have cheat days! I am not giving up hope, thinking maybe I am just a slow starter, but if I end up at 5-6 pounds a month from now on I am not going to be a happy camper.

I am one month out and have lost 8 pound pounds. 6 the first week, zero for weeks 2 and 3 and this week I lost 2. Not thrilled but at least I am losing again. I take in between 500-600 calories a day and between 65-70 grams of protein.

I had acid reflux prior to surgery (1 month out) and am taking Ranitidine (not sure if I am spelling this correctly) twice a day and so far so good thank goodness. He said that it might make it worse but that a lot of people are ok. Sometimes the weight loss will cure it. He also said that worst case scenario (which I would hate but still..) if I developed such a bad case of reflux that it was causing damage, he could convert my sleeve to a gastric bypass which is in effect the cure for acid reflux.

I am a month out on Monday and I have lost 6 pounds so I am sooo with you. But if you do a search on Google (and here too) about vertical sleeve weight loss stalls you will see that lots of people have had this stall experience in the first month to 6 weeks. Which I thought was really strange also because you figure a plateau will come later right? But I lost pounds the first week and nothing since. The other people I have read bout though.. EVERY one had a good outcome. One woman lost NO weight after surgery for 6 weeks (I would jump out a window LOL) and then all of a sudden it started coming off and she was very successful. We just have to be patient and realize that it will get better. About the reflux, are you taking something? I had reflux before my surgery and the surgeon gave me a liquid medication called Ranitidine (spelling might be off) and I have been ok with it. Good luck Pink!! Keep us posted.

Oh my goodness!! Bless your heart. Your problems sure put my small issues into perspective. How awful for you! I am sure it is probably going to be ok though. It sounds like they know what it is (the swelling?) so that is good. Surely they would have kept you in the hospital if they felt it wasn't safe for you to go home. This is so awful for you right now but I hope and pray that in a few days at the most you will begin to see an impovement. Please keep us posted. Keeping you in my thoughts Mary. I feel confident it will turn out ok. Hang in there!!

Cherry, I think the hair is going ot fall out anyway so why worry? I am dreading that part myself. Fluffy, I am with you! I just brought my coworker a $58 box of Isopure variety pack. I tried 3 and just couldn't do it anymore. I do like the Nectars ok and there is one chocolate that is very good. Can't remember the brand name but the name of the flavor is something like "extreme chocolate". I searched for best tasting Protein drink on Amazon I think and that is how I found it. It really is the best I have found. It has the least aftertaste to me.

Tofu was on my pureed stage diet and I cook it with reduced sodium soy sauce and a few drops of sesame seed oil. Yum! I have to wait till next week when I transition to the soft food stage to have tuna and mayo. Can't wait!

Hello all, I found a great thread on another forum that addresses a weight loss stall that happens right after surgery. One of the people described it as the "dreaded 4 to 6 week post op stall". Just seeing that someone referred to it that way made me feel better before I had even begun reading. Several folks on this site have also had this problem (myself included, It will be a month on Monday and no weight loss since my 6 pounds the first week) and I have received alot of encouragement. But I didn't find as many people who experienced the stall right away and/or that had a very small weight loss so I went searching on my friend Google. As a matter of fact (sorry for the aside), a few people suggested that they had never heard of a weight loss as low as mine in the first month. I assured them it was possible and said other people on this site have experienced it and worse. Anyway, I digress. I am unable to place a link to the thread because an error message comes up telling me the administrator won't allow it. But if anyone is interested you can do a Google search for "vertical sleeve weight loss stall" and the first thing that comes up has something underneath that says "stall after 2 weeks?" If you click on that you can see several things and it directs you to another place also. Worth the visit. Or it was for me. It had even had a follow up from the original poster several months (or maybe years) later where she verified that what she was told was true and it did finally end. Because I think that is the real fear. That somehow it will not end or we will end up losing 2 or 3 pounds a months for the whole time. Ok, done now. I am going to try not to visit this issue again as even I am getting sick of it. LOL Good luck everyone! I hope this helps someone!

No regrets so far. 4 weeks this coming Monday and I have only lost 6 pounds but am patiently (sort of:) waiting it out. I had (and still do ) a lot of gurgling and growling sounds in my stomach and it still is slightly uncomfortable to drink water and sometimes to eat. The first week I had a meltdown when something I tolerated the day before was causing me to feel awful. I did regret it for a few hours that day. But your hormones are also all over the place after surgery so I think it is normal to feel negative. Hang in there. It's done now and 9 out of 10 people seem to have no regrets at all. I bet you will feel that way too. Maybe sooner than you think! Good luck!

Thanks Ivy. I found more evidence that is is normal for some people to have this 4 to 6 week stall while the body is healing. I guess that's all any of us wants really. Just to know we are normal. Phew...

Sleeved on 4/30 and down 6 pounds since surgery. I've been the same for almost 3 weeks but I found a great thread on another site that talks about the "dreaded 4-6 week post op stall" and it made me feel 100% better. I think I am going to post something about this in a separate place for people experiencing this. I was in another forum and 2 or 3 people suggested something was wrong with me or rather that I might not be doing something right because they thought my weight loss was so low. But now I know it is normal for some people to experience this. Good luck fellow April sleevers! :) PS. I tried to place a link to the site and got an error message saying the administrator does not allow it. Ridiculous. Anyway, if anyone is interested you can do a Google search for "vertical sleeve weight loss stall" and the first thing that comes up has something underneath that says "stall after 2 weeks"? If you click on that you can see several things and it directs you to another place also. Worth the visit. Or it was for me.

Good info, thanks!