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I too was nervous about the time immediately post surgery. I am a big baby when it comes to pain and I thought I was going to be whining and moaning for days. Quite frankly, this was a breeze for me. I am almost worried because it has been too easy. I am about 4 weeks out now and have not had a problem eating at all. The weight loss hasn't been as great as I had hoped, but I am thinking it may be due to the "dreaded 3 week stall". Go in with a positive attitude. Reach out for support where you can, people really do love to help. Let the negative or non-supportive comments roll off of you. I have been very open to everyone that asks. I let them know that I have a family history of obesity, heart disease etc and I have severe osteoarthritis in my knees. I am 50 now and it ain't getting any easier to lose weight. This is a tool (although more extreme) just like The Biggest Loser, etc

Hello. I was sleeved 10/21. I did not gain anything from surgery and have lost 13lbs post op. I have been a little...oh let's say frustrated because I hit the dreaded 3 week stall early. I have stayed the same about 2 weeks now. I know it happens, so I am not getting bent or anything. I will just be happy when my body decides it is time to start letting go of some more weight again! I did lose 33lbs from August on my own, so that may also be playing into things now. IDK... But I am still happy. I know my body is adjusting and figuring it all out. And to be honest, I have probably not been eating enough. Trying to up my calories a little more, plus get moving more, to break the stall and get back heading down...Good luck!

Ive heard people talking about the 3 week stall...is this it? I lost a lot my first week (well at least I think its a lot, 20lbs) but I know I'm not gonna lose 20lbs every week and I might gain some back...who knows...I'm 8 days out.

People talk about stalls, the famous week 3 stall, then the 3 week stall. I actually am one of the few people that never saw a stall. My secret was being too large to weigh on home scales. For about the first year I could only weigh at my surgeon's office at monthly follow-ups. So, when your weigh-ins are a month apart, you don't see stalls. I can't express what a joy this was. I was never tempted to change anything in response to a stall. I just stayed with my program. My surgeon was never overly concerned with my weight loss. He asked how I was doing on the plan, how I felt, did I have any concerns. Weight never came up unless I brought it up. He was a cool Doc. Once I was able to weigh at home, I did it for a couple weeks, several times a day. Then I abandoned the whole concept and went back to just weighing at follow-ups. Who needs the angst? Even now, all these years later, I don't weigh at home, but only at my annual physicals at the Doctor's. One does not need a scale for success at WLS. Just trust your plan. My plan was also pretty straightforward. I didn't count calories, nor much of anything else. I counted meals of which there were 3 per day. I counted protein of where there were 3-4 oz each meal. That was basically my plan. That is still basically my plan. Good luck, Tek

@@kndoster - My 3 week stall started at 2 weeks and lasted 2 weeks! I'm a month out and the first 16 days I lost 16 pounds. EXCITED!!! Then the stall. I've started loosing again and I'm now at 20 lbs. I'm trying not to get discouraged, but it's hard sometimes. I understand EXACTLY what you're talking about, but it is normal! Good luck to you!!!

Lol, oh if i had a nickel every time someone asked this question I could buy prime Super Bowl tickets!!! 'The Dreaded 3 Week Stall'...yep happens to nearly everyone. Your body just had major surgery, has inflammation and healing to do, and adjustments to low calorie consumption, etc. Be patient.

Hey all... Wow time has really flown by! I can't believe how long it has been since i have updated my little blog here. I am sorry I have been so busy and distracted. Well for my numbers! I am 10 weeks out and have lost 62lb! I have gone from a 47BMI to a 37BMI. I am very happy with my results. I don't think I would call my self a supper fast looser, but I am keeping it steady. Other thank a 3 weeks stall somewhere in the middle, I have been loosing about 3lb a week. That I can live with I have gone from a size 22/2X to a size 18/XL I am so happy! And everyone is really starting to notice the changes. I think that is one of the most encouraging things... I have also begun to really like exercise! I have started going to Zumba once or twice a week depending on my schedule... I just love it! For all of you girls out there who hate exercise but love to dance, this is for you! The friends you make at these classes are supper awesome! They keep you motivated, and wanting to come back. Its like a little support group all its own. At least that is how mine is, I really hope they are all like that... I know My Fitness Pall is my life saver and best friend lately... All of my friends who are on there supporting me every day are just wonderful! Thanks so much! You keep me going! If any of you want to follow me or need a little extra support of your own you can friend me on MFP my screen name is the same. amberlydw8 I have some new NSV's over the past few weeks... I can cross my legs!!! It has been forever since I have been able to cross my legs! Awesome! I can run for and not feel like I am going to die! (not very far, but its so much better than before!) My knees, feet and back don't hurt anymore! I don't feel like the "fat girl" in the room anymore! I know I have a ways to go yet, but its amazing the change in my confidence levels... I can walk miles with out getting tired! I have a waist line! Its awesome! Well, That is what I got so far... Everyone keep up the good work... Let me know if you have any questions I am an open book or if any NSV's of your own you want to share!

Hi! Congratulations, so happy for you! YOUR DOING AMAZING!!!! Sista, lemme tell ya! Your at the ever so common 3 week stall which is lasting a few weeks for you. I stalled at 3 weeks too after I only lost 13 lbs! Yep I only lost 13 lbs (in the 3 weeks after my gastric bypass, which was on 10/17/17). It just took my body time to trust the process as yours is doing to you. It’s ok. Just please relax. Relax. Relax. You’ll lose again! Really! My HW-142, SW-127, CW-189.6 lbs. So as you can see, I’ve had a few stalls & still managed to lose 53lbs in 4 months. It’s part of the process to stall & level out. Some people lose quickly & some just a bit slower, but we all lose good amounts of weight. I am pretty tall & was just over the 35 BMI, so I was told that Ide lose slower than someone with a higher BMI. Those are all individual things we have to remember and take into consideration when looking at our overall weight loss picture. And it’s why we should not ever compare our loss to someone else’s weight loss. I know it’s easier said than done, right?! I know. But it’s true. With that being said, what I did, was I typed into google search “gastric bypass at high weight of 142” and a few ther people popped up with the same or similar stats. I then followed them to see how they were losing. That is the closest thing to a real comparison I’ve found for me, and I say all that because again, comparing yourself to someone else with different stats will be unproductive to you. It may hinder your progres and it will only depress you. Others may be losing faster or slower than you AS THEY SHOULD BE if they be a different BMI than you. As a matter of fact, even people with exactly the same BMI as you starting out will lose weight at varying paces, due biological factors in each person that differ slightly: such as their own liver function (LFT’s or Liver Function Tests are drawn prior to surg to tell the health of liver cells. As we lose, it puts much strain on the liver cells, and if strained with too much the weight loss at once, the weight loss process may become stalled or our body may respond in other ways to signal issues are occurring in thats dept.). Other individual biological factors that we need take into consideration are things likes our own metabolism vs someone else’s (if we have slower metabolisms we may not excercise as much as another which may slow our weight loss slightly compared to another person), also our own water intake regime is a key to our weight loss too (that’s why you will be good to watch your Creatatinine level in your kidneys-this level elevates with insufficient water intake and the kidney can become strained with quick weight loss if not assisted with the water & hydration it needs to allow fat to pass as we lose), also other health ailments we have or the medications we or another person is on may also slow down to quicken weight loss results. There’s so much to consider. Many factors play into the weight loss of our bodies. We need to allow ourselves reasonable and sufficient time to lose. You’ve lost a tremendous amount of weight! From 232 to 210 in about 4 wks is just truly amazing!!!! Seriously, step back and look at those results and ask yourself ‘when was the last time I lost 22 pounds in a month’?. LIKELY NEVER! So relax and try to enjoy the process. Seriously, we will all lose after this surgery, even those with crappy eating habits, crappy exercise habits and crappy water & protein habits. That’s actually a fact. Seriously-because 1) the very fact that our tummy’s are drastically reduced in size and 2) because we literally just cannot absorb most of what we eat puts demand on our bodies to keep losing. Now, through the process we will all stall at times to level out and to adjust, but that’s a good thing!! We want it to stop to readjust now & then! And then eventually our bodies will find a new “set point”. But that’s not typically until after the 12 or 18 month mark. So try to be happy as you sit back to watch your new “tool” do its job & the pounds will melt away! You should be stepping on a scale only once to twice a week according to research after these surgeries. Did you know that? I DIDN’T. My surgeon told me, then my nutritionist told me too. Then I started seeing it & read it everywhere. Yep. We don’t want to teach our new selves that a scale is the know all, by which to guage whether we are losing timely or not. A scale cannot tell us if it’s “water weight”, or “period time”, or “hi, thank you for stepping on me again today, I hate to inform you but your body will be taking the next 3 weeks to level out & readjust”. Your body is doing great, reward it with protein, water walking. HUGS!! Congrats again on doing so well!🌷Jen💕🌷

Hi. I was sleeved 10/10/17 and hit the 3 week stall. Finally lost a pound today.

The dreaded 3 week stall...it's a common curse....keep on track, it will break.

Hi Alexis! I won't be 4 weeks postop until next Wednesday but, like Fuzzy, I am at the 3-week stall. This site is awesome for support and I am finding lots of us who had surgery right around the same time. Welcome aboard!

Actually I think I had more pain after my band surgery them my sleeve ( my husband agrees). I was weaker longer, with this surgery but that had to do with band complications, not sleeve complications. ( My stomach had prolapsed and was adhered to my liver). 5 weeks out I am feeling good, just having problems with the dreaded 3 week stall!!!!! Good luck with your decision.

Well tomorrow, 12/2 is my surgery. I am not nervous yet, but I'm sure I won't sleep tonight. I didn't have it as tough as some others and had no pre-op diet. However, I will have a drain and a catheter. I maybe would have preferred the pre-op diet instead. I want to thank all the "veterans" on here for all your posts on various topics. Your posts have convinced me I can do it. Thanks to Laura-Ven, RJ's Beginning, Lipstick Lady, Gamer Girl, Butterthebean, Madame Reverie, Fiddleman and many others whose names I have forgotten. We didn't necessarily share any threads together, but always found your threads and answers interesting and your willingness to always answer questions about the 3 week stalls like it's the first time you heard it asked. I will hopefully see you tomorrow on the loser's bench and Good Luck to all the other 12/2 sleevers as well!

I love quest bars and I eat one every day. I count the net carbs and the nutritionist agreed on handling it this way. It's on my program's list of approved protein bars. I've been eating them for over four months now. I had surgery six and 1/2 months ago and I have never had a stall, not even the dreaded 3 week stall. I think I'm like the tortoise and not the hare - slow and steady is my race.

Hi sweetie! I have PCOS, too. I was diagnosed in 2002 and I only weighed around 220. I later ballooned up and had a BMI of like 60 I think. I tried tons of different things to lose weight for many years. I am not sure how to breakdown the last really hard 18 years. But I'm on oxygen 24/7. I had severe hypoxia and almost died from respiratory failure one day. All of this was a result from not staying on a cpap machine thinking I was cured from sleep apnea. Anyway, I later got diabetes. I was 404 pounds at my highest. So, in May of this year I made an appt. AGAIN to see another gastric surgeon. But this time I was pretty optimistic because I found out since I was on Medicare, they may cover the surgery. So I found a great surgeon online Dr. Chetan Patel here in Florida. He was so kind. Long story short I started working towards getting the surgery by meeting with the Nutritionist and I did everything she said. I started at 377, but I shed 47 pounds from May 22, 2020 to the day of surgery September 2, 2020. So I just had surgery like almost a month ago. I am so happy to say I had ZERO complications. Now....I've only lost 10 pounds since the surgery, BUT ask anyone on here there is a 3 week stall. It scared the crap out of me. But I am telling you all this because my Endocrinologist told me before the surgery that because I have PCOS I may need to go back on a little bit of Metformin. So, the last week I am back on 500 mg in AM and 500 mg in PM. And I have thyroid issues, too. Which in a month we will redo bloodwork to see if that needs to be adjusted. BUT LET ME TELL YOU. THIS IS THE BESTTTTTT decision I have ever made besides turning my life over to God. I feel amazing. I keep thinking. The mental changes just from having hope has changed my life. Girl. Do it. I have so much to say, but I eat like 600-850 calories a day. I get full easily. I do all the vitamins every day. If I feel hungry pretty soon after eating it reminds me to drink my water. I use the stopwatch on my phone all day long. You can't drink while eating and you need to 30 minutes between. I thought i would miss that, but my digestion problems totally stopped by doing that. And what a tiny trade off for a brand new life. I started college again 1 week out of surgery! Hello!!! Crazy wonderful life.

I had my sleeve on 6 February and for the last 10 days I have been in a stall. No weight loss and no inches lost. I had read all about the 3 week stall and thought I was prepared for it. No such thing. Of course you start to think "ok, I guess I am the rare failure". We'll this morning I broke down and I have lost 4 lbs. I am now 200 lbs even. I haven't weighed this little in about 15 years. So excited. I am going to treat myself by going for a walk on the beach.

My 3 week stall started at 2.5 weeks post op

Perfectly normal. Search 3 week stall. Also it may be best to step away from the scale for a few weeks. Your body is adjusting to a lot of changes at once. Until it figures out you are dying, it's not going to five up the fat. Stay the course and follow your program.

You've lost 18 pounds!! You should be proud!! J/K!!! Don't slap me, I couldn't resist. There is no doubt that this weight loss 'journey' 'ride' 'new life' (whatever you choose to call it) can be frustrating. You prob did hit the 3 week stall. Many people do. A couple other factors are in play here: How much total weight you need to lose; less weight = a slower process. Body fluids fluctuate so if you are weighing yourself daily you need to keep that in perspective. MANY of us feel in the beginning that something is wrong, or that we will be 'the one' that will go down in the history books as this surgery not working no matter what we do. If you are working your program, you WILL lose the weight. Some people lose it faster than others. People advise on here not to weight yourself daily as the number 1 most important tip. I don't agree. I think not comparing ourselves to others is number 1. You will lose it on your body's timeframe. Keep working the program. Protein, liquids, exercise= total success.

You are COMPLETELY normal. You won't feel a lot of restriction (if any) with liquids. All the diet plans seem to vary from surgeon to surgeon. Just follow the "rules" given to you and see what happens. You are closing into the 3 week stall that almost EVERYONE has. You will get through this!

I had my sleeve on Match 25th and have lost (15 pre-surgery / 10 post). I've lost more weight prior to having the surgery done and it's been 5.5 weeks where I have completely stalled and have not lost anything since the 1st week after surgery. I've heard of the famous 3 week stall but 5, going on 6 weeks.... I'm so frustrated. I get 20 grams of Fiber in using the tasteless fiber in my H20 and drink the recommended 64oz each day. I've been doing T25 workouts and eating just Protein (eggs, chicken, lean meats). I cannot figure it out. There was a point where I notice jeans fitting better, so thought it must be muscle gain but now I'm feeling bloated and no difference at all. I'm ready to give up. To go through the surgery, give up starch, fruit, alcohol, soda, sweets, even vegetables for 5.5 weeks I would expect 15 pound weight loss without even having the surgery. I'm hoping someone else has gone through this, looking for hope or advise. Was really excited to start this new journey but now feeling frustrated.

Sleeved 5/10. Down 25 since pre-op. Definitely at the dreaded 3 week stall! Taking in about 400-600 calories, getting about 60 grams of protein, walking 30 minutes almost every day. Just disappointed I guess. You want to see that scale go DOWN not stay the same day after day

Has anyone went threw a stall so early out I'm 7 weeks post op and I haven't lost weight in three weeks if so when did your stall end ? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You can certainly request the sleeve. But I concur with the others that say be open to listening to your surgeon if he recommends a DS or bypass. Make sure he provides sound medical reasons for that recommendation and if you still aren't comfortable get a second opinion. I think everyone should have evaluations by multiple programs if they have a few good programs that are a reasonable distance. I went to one just over an hour away since I was more comfortable with that surgeon and practice. You need to find the program that will best support you in the way that you need to be supported not the way I need to be supported. Even if you insurance does not require a pre-approval diet or a psych visit I recommend that you have the psych visit. I also recommend going to a nutritionist that you can build a relationship with that can prepare you for the eating changes specific for a bariatric patient. That NUT may be part of the bariatric practice or it may be a different individual. I think that starting to make the changes in eating prior to the actual surgery makes having the surgery and resulting changes less of a shock and less traumatic. I weaned off of caffeine and soda 1 month before my surgery. This way I wasn't going through caffeine withdrawal during my 10 day pre-surgery liquid diet phase. I even started easing into that diet about a week early and going replaced a few of my meals with the Protein shake. This way when I did go to the all liquid diet for the 10 days it wasn't as hard. I personally feel there is a correlation on this board between the people that don't know what to eat after surgery, are surprised about the 3 week stall, are surprised about what to expect after surgery for their restrictions for the rest of their lives are those that went to the evaluation and suddenly 1 month later have surgery. I think that when you get the approval so quickly you don't have time to go to pre-op support groups, you don't have time to research realistic real-life expectations post op. My insurance made me do the 6 month medically supervised diet. It was not the worst thing. It gave me time to really do my research. It gave me time to internalize the life-long changes I need to make to my diet and exercise to succeed.

AMEN @@tcon ! I am in the exact same boat as you ... That 3 week stall can take a hike ... I KNOW I'm loosing inches, just like you ... took me 5 tries this morning to get a shirt on that didn't hang on me and make me look like a frump ... But isn't that a good problem to have ?! I've gone down a size in pants ... but even the new size hangs on my hips and is baggy in the thighs ... Another good problem! So while the scale says "yeah whatever" ... Our bodies are finally understanding the change we put it through and is saying " HECK YEAH LADY!" Everyone .... WE GOT THIS!!! WAHHOOOO!