Greensleevie

"I haven't heard too many people stalling in the 2nd week but I'm glad there's some. Like I mentioned, it scares me how much my doctor said that getting a stall at 2 weeks was flat out abnormal." He is full of poop. Most surgeons don't even tell people about the 3rd week stall, because frankly, most of them don't know about it. He should read WLS forums, because then he'd see he's flat out WRONG. I am 4 years plus out, and have been on WLS forums for 5 years. I have seen literally hundreds of panicky posts like yours asking why they've stopped losing weight at around 2-6 weeks. Google it. Better yet, do a search in this very forum. You'll see around 10, 234 posts about this particular stall. And half of them are at 2 week post op. And guess what? Every single one of them continue on to lose weight. It also won't be your last stall. Stop fretting and just do what you need to do and watch the magic happen. It will all work out.

You're doing just fine. Some people don't feel "true" restriction until they start solid foods. Liquids and mushies can slide right through the sleeve. Wait until you eat your first egg or meat. You'll feel it. The stall is utterly and completely normal and happens to 98% of us 2-6 weeks post op. It actually has a name...."The Dreaded 3 Week Stall". It mostly happens around week 3. Try not to stress and concentrate on protein and fluids. Stay off the scale for a month. You'll be pleasantly surprised when you get back on.

"I feel extremely hungry ALL the time! I feel like I have no restriction. Also I’ve been eating junk food with no problems" That is the issue right there. Carbs and sugar begets carbs and sugar. The more you eat, the more you crave and the more "hungry" you feel. You're probably eating a lot of "slider" foods, also, which can be eaten and broken down easier in our sleeves so we can eat much more of it. Chips, popcorn, cookies, and crackers are some examples of slider foods. I'd be willing to bet you can't eat over 3 or 4 oz of chicken breast, though. I would start over with just protein, protein, protein. Anything your heart desires. Steak, burgers (no bun) bacon....the sky's the limit! As much fat as you want. Full fat butter, nuts, cheese, etc. Kick the sugar and white carbs. When you get a hankering to snack, keep a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and pick on that. Protein and fat keeps us satisfied longer, and that's why it's highly recommended for WLS patients. Its dense, so we can't eat as much and keeps us satiated longer. Also, have you thought about therapy for help with your issues with food?

This, this and THIS. In order to be successful with this surgery, self care is imperative. This is the perfect opportunity to explain to him that taking care of your needs just as important than his. At this time in your life, probably more so. Use the surgery as an excuse to start worrying about your own needs as opposed always worrying about his. He'll get over it. And if not, so what? You'll figure it out on your own. You really need to believe you are worth it. Make this a new beginning!

Another thing I want to add... A lot of us have a tendency in the beginning to say "I just want to be at a healthy weight" or don't set goals too low for fear we won't reach them. You will find once you get to that first goal you have made for yourself, you'll want to go lower or see how far you can actually go with it. A bit of vanity tends to take over, and once we know we are at a "healthy" weight, we then want to get into that dream size. It's a strange phenomenon I've noticed after many years of being active in the WLS community. Oh, and I did it, too

Wha?? I'm 4 years post op, and have been eating in restaurants and fast food joints from practically the beginning. I've yet to find a place I couldn't make a healthy choice. Sometimes it takes being a bit forward and asking them to prepare things a certain way, but as a paying customer I've never been given a hard time about it. As far out as I am now, I just seem like a "light" eater and can put away around 10-12 oz of food depending what it is. I actually like that I can eat more in a restaurant now as opposed to looking like a freak with my 2 bites of food and ALWAYS being asked "Is everything alright?" Anyhoo, don't be silly. We still have to live life. You learn to adapt.

You're so smart! I wish all people who were having WLS would ponder such things before having surgery. Otherwise, we wouldn't have an almost 50% regain rate after surgery. I think you're already ahead of the game by understanding that taking most of our stomach doesn't mean our brains and emotions go along with it . Sounds to me you are going to do just great, especially if you can find some support to help you deal with some of those feelings.

It's the totally normal 3rd week stall a bit early. If you do a search, you can find around 10,356 posts about it. Seems around 98% of us experience it. There's a science-y explaination for it, but in laymens terms it's just our bodies taking a break from the initial large losses. You'll continue to lose once it passes, I promise. It also won't be your last stall

I do think people should try to go as low as they can possibly go, because there will be some gain. Statistically, 10-20% bounce weight occures around year 3-4 as our body tries to find its metabolic set point and our metabolisms change as time goes by. I've recently put on 12. Guess how many years out I am? Four . Right on schedule!

Interesting article I found about the "stages" of WLS. A Brief Overview of the WLS Stages of Transformation™ Decision Point – The patient decides to have weight loss surgery. Shock and Awe – The patient begins to feel "buyer's remorse" or are in awe of how little they can eat. Grief and Loss – The patient feels sad about the loss of some foods, rituals, or even friends. The Miracle – The patient feels invincible, like they will never overeat again. Testing Limits – The patient goes back to foods that used to trigger them to overeat, like sweets. Behavioral limits are tested, too, in this stage. Relationships can change, interpersonal boundaries can shift, and transfer addictions can begin to take hold. End of Invincible – The "honeymoon" ends and the patient's eating can more easily affect your weight loss or weight maintenance. Give Up or Change – The patient realizes if they don't make changes, they will gain weight or stop losing. Learning – The patient opens up and learns to pinpoint what their real problems are (not what they assume they are). Experimenting – The patient goes through a trial and error process to discover what really will work for them. Self Trust – The patient develops a sense of self trust and self care that was previously nonexistent. Mastery – The patient regains some control and begins to experience some peace of mind with food, their body, and the scale. Freedom – The patient sees that what they really want to do, and what they must do to stay healthy, are one and the same.

I always advise people to go as low as you possibly can (while still being in a healthy range) to give yourself some wiggle room for some "bounce" weight most WLS patients experience a few years out. I bounced up 10, then stabilized. I'm glad I was low enough weight wise to where it didn't bother me much.

Nope. Everything you said was spot on. What you DON'T know is things change couple to a few years post op. You're hungrier. Your capacity increases. Metabolism and hormonal changes along with several other psychological factors that happen years out are part of the reason people regain. Even people with the best of intentions who are doing mostly what they are supposed to be doing can still experience regain. If you haven't been there, how can you possibly comment or understand the struggle? I'm going to be frank. Weight loss is easy at your stage. We get cocky thinking we have this ALL figured out. Then maintenence starts and we find new challenges and struggles that turn everything we thought we knew upside down. I would much rather seek advice from someone who has been there and understands than someone who hasn't. That's all I'm saying. Im sure others several years out would agree.

That's rich. Someone who's less than 6 months post op giving advice on regain. Please refrain from giving people several years out advice until you maintain your lost weight for at least a year. People who haven't been there have no idea about the struggle.

To be completely honest, the 65% almost all happens because of the sleeve. People don't realize during the early months, you really can pretty much eat anything and still lose weight due to the sheer lack of calories you're consuming. The rest of it then depends on diet, activity, etc. Our bodies tend to get complacent and get used to the lack of calories, causing a lot of people to stop losing. That's when you have to use a little science and tweak things to figure out how to get the scale moving again.

Here's a good video on the subject:

Absolutely! I get comments about how great my arms look all the time because I'm big on resistance training. My stomach, on the other hand, is a hot mess. Only surgery will fix that skin 😛

I carried my weight well and pretty evenly distributed. It took around 70 pounds before people started noticing (or at least saying anything about) my weight loss. I also think they were so used to seeing me in various states of gain and loss through out my life, they were just used to it. But it did frustrate me sometimes! But maybe that's your case, also?

Some people claim to still be hungry. I say it's more head hunger. The first 2 years I ate on a schedule, just because I wasn't hungry. And yes, more of a phentermine type of not hungry for sure. I wasn't interested in food on phentermine, and I wasn't interested in food the first year after surgery. But a word of warning: Head hunger is real and after our "honeymoon" period is over, cravings and hunger do return. So TAKE ADVANTAGE of that glorious non hungry time while it lasts and make the best of it to lose the most you can! 😀

http://www.healthline.com/health-news/bariatric-surgery-patients-see-weight-gain-after-honeymoon-period-080515#6

A little advice for someone who's several years out: Learn to delay gratification now, or you'll never be able to do it. It only gets harder and harder the further out post surgery you are. Why do you think there's almost a 50% regain weight from these surgeries? The "I want it now!" mentality is what got us all morbidly obese in the first place.

Yes, completely normal. Keep getting your fluids and protein and it will pass. Your body is just adjusting.

If you have a sleeve, it's almost impossible to stretch it substantially. It would take years of systematic overeating to the point of vomiting to stretch it significantly. The fundus, or "stretchy" part of the stomach, is removed with the sleeve. Weigh and measure everything and stop when you're finished (even before as soon as you "feel" it). That's the one sure way to keep from overeating to the point of vomiting.

This is why the better surgeons want you at your goal weight or a a stable weight for at least a year. Unless the extra skin is causing mobility issues, of course.

You will never be able to eat "normally" again if you want to keep the weight off. Let me use ice cream as an example. Can you have a cup of ice cream once in a while? Absolutely, as long as it's not a trigger for cravings and it's ONLY a once in a while thing. I personally don't eat it because it's a trigger food for me. At 3.5 years out, I won't stop at a cup. I'll eat a half gallon. Sure, it may take me all day, but I'll do it. My solution? Halo Top, a low calorie high protein ice cream like treat. We aren't normal. We are people prone to morbid obesity. The surgery helps for a while during the honeymoon period by decreasing our appetite and food volume. As time goes by, the benefits are less effective. Sure, we still can't eat the volume like we could before, but it's easy to eat "around" our stomachs. Use the honeymoon period to cement good eating and exercise habits so when the inevitable does happen, you're that much more ahead. If I don't eat nutritious, non processed food 90% of the time and move more, I gain weight. Our bodies fight to get back to where we were before, so it's our job to reset our metabolic clock to keep it from happening. The surgery also helps with that. I've been as high as 15 pounds over my goal weight when I slacked off on my diet and exercise. It also took me months to lose it again, because for some reason our bodies want to hold on to it once we are in maintenance! That being said, the short answer? Yes, you will need to be vigilant with your diet and exercise for the rest of your life if you want to keep the weight you lose off. Can you splurge once in a while? Absolutely! Just follow a 90/10 or 80/20 plan to where you're doing what you need to do 80 or 90% of the time. It's when it turns into 50/50 consistently is when we get into trouble

Yes! These poor souls who have eaten their way up to 500, 600, and 700 pounds obviously have severe emotional issues. They need intensive therapy before and after the surgery. Really, I feel it should be a requirement for ANY of us who are thinking about or have already had surgery. I think the rates of regain would drop dramatically. In another note, I used to think Dr Now was kind of an ass, but apparently according to people who have seen him speak at the WLSFA conventions, he was very kind and actually cares very much for the well being and success of his patients. That was nice to hear.