Search the Community

I also had a 3 week stall. I will admit, I was frustrated. It lasted a week, during that time, I just continued doing what I had been, I went to the gym and after a week, it broke. I hear some last longer than others. If it happens, it is nothing you are doing wrong, just your body sorting out all the changes going on. I am officially 5 weeks out now and down another 9lbs since my stall! Yay! It is good to hear that you are recovering well. And you are down 25lbs?? How sweet is that!!? Good Luck!

Hey, everyone. I'm two weeks post-op as of today, down 25 pounds since December 1st, and recovering nicely. I keep reading occasional comments about the 3-week stall. Am I about to hit a weight-loss wall? What happened to you, and what did you do about it? Thanks.

It WILL move again! You are at that 3 week stall, for sure. This is when taking measurements helps so much! While you're agonizing over the scale, your body is shrinking. Take some pics today and compare them to your pre-surgery pics. You'll be astonished by all the changes in your body and your face! Stalls happen and, despite anything we do, they are going to happen. We just have to find the NSVs to make them more tolerable! You are doing great!

AAARRRGH!!! I have been stalled for 4 days now! What am I doing wrong? What can I do better? I am fighting this battle in my head that the weight is not going to come off and I am getting discouraged. My diet today: breakfast : 1.5 egg whites lunch: 1/4 c guacamole or 1/2 c egg drop soup dinner: 4 oz cottage cheese. water inbetween meals. I know I need ALOT more Protein in my diet, but I needed a break from the Protein Shakes (and the constapation that goes with it). sigh* What do I need to do.

So today is my two week mark. I am officially down 15 lbs. And sooooooo happy.. i will keep this blog short and sweet. I have been going to the gym at least 3 x per week.. and im gonna kick it up to 4 starting this week, because i am afraid of the dreaded.. 3 week stall.. dun dun dun .. lol Anyways i've been doing zumba and free weights and paying close attention to my legs and arms since its about the only things i can do right now that dont hurt. I recently fell so im a little worried about the damage that i may have done so i am being really careful right now, and i will probably be going to the doctors soon to see if i screwed up anything. keep your fingers crossed for me. to date: starting weight 238.1 day of surgery current weight 224.0 starting pant size 18 current pant size 14-16 depending on brand goal 160

Almost everyone goes through the 3 week stall. It appears to be related to your body moving from the liquids/ mushies to solid foods and your body is adjusting. Just stay on the program and you will break your stall- I promise. Hang in there!!

6 days post op: Two nights ago was hell for me i was up with severe gas pains like the worst i've had. i ended up having a very loose BM and felt a little better the next day. Today my lower left incision still hurts but i havent taken pain meds in 16 hours. I've also been having these random sharp pains throughout my body, like one in my lower abdomen, one in the side of my neck, one in my back and a slight headache. I've done good and got my full 64 ounces yesterday, today i'm on track to do the same. I've been having little pains in the back of my legs since surgery but i've been trying to walk at least 5 minutes once an hour. and 2 times during the night between 4 hour blocks of sleep. Last night i had hell getting to sleep. Everytime i would reach the point of falling asleep i would stop breathing, wake up with a start and take a deep breath, this happened over and over till i went online read some articles to distract myself and finally fell asleep. I've never been diagnosed with sleep apnea but i suppose i could have it. 12 Days Post Op: So today i'm feeling much better than 6 days post op. I have my first follow up Thursday and the Dr said I had lost 34 pounds since my first weigh in and my incisions were healing great.( I took off all of my steri strips about 4 days ago due to the itching and a few blisters they were causing). The Dr actually cleared me for swimming or baths already. Also the Dr said i could try a bit of mushies on Christmas day(tomorrow) if i wanted. Thats a week earlier than what their diet plan is. So far the last 3 days i've been trying to hit my protein goal of 70grams. I've been having 1 scoop of Isopure Dutch Chocolate and 1 scoop of Muscle Milk Light Chocolate for breakfast and lunch and that alone is 74grams. Then i usually have a creamy soup for dinner. I missed my water goal the last couple days due to xmas shopping but i'm back on track today. I find that i can now drink regular small drinks of water without pain, not sipping, i hope thats normal lol. I do still get tired easily and i'm so glad that i ended up being able to take 3 weeks off of work. I thought i would be able to go back after a week lol yea right, no way in hell. A few days ago i went from sleeping in my recliner to my bed. It's been ok but i dont think i could have done it any sooner. I'm barely having any pain at my lower left incision anymore, the suture that was sticking out of it already fell off. Been getting in my 3 daily fusion vitamins, luckily i like the orange cream flavor. I'm going to start walking 30 minutes 3 days a week as recommened by my Dr.. They've cleared me for all exercises. And i've heard of the 3 week stall but for some reason i'm already stalled on week 2. I've been sitting at 287 since wednesday fluctuating by .5 lbs each day. Its frustrating to stall this early into the game. I hope it doesnt last long. I've been having a hell of a time with hunger. It's been a b***h . So i have my morning shake about 9 or 10, then i'm usually hungry again by 2, then at 6pm hungry again, then staying up late like i usually do (11pm) means i'm starving at bed time. Seems i cant go any longer than 3 or 4 hours if i'm lucky before i'm so hungry. And i've been taking my daily pepcid so i dont think its acid causing the feeling. Being hungry all the time and having a stall at the same time really sucks. Hopefully something gives and soon.

Dont worry! From what i have read, you have hit the "3 week stall" it seems to happen to a lot of people!

You are getting quite a bit of exercise and sounds like your calories are low. Maybe shake it up calorie wise? Also, keep in mind the 3 week stall everyone is mentioning.

In another post you said that you have cheated a few times. Have you stopped cheating? (I'm trying to be helpful not critical so don't be offended) Are you getting enough Protein? That is really important My dr has cheese on the list of things I can never eat again I'm not sure why he thinks it's so bad, I will have to ask him at my appointment I'm sure it will start to fall off soon. It could be the 3 week stall.

@Felicia - I know it is so hard, doing all this work, being good, and not seeing the reward on the scale. I stalled for 6 days in my 2nd week (apparently I hit my 3 week stall early, LOL) and it was very depressing, especially since I am still adjusting to my new lifestyle. Plus I was having serious energy problems which made it difficult to get back to normal life, making it even easier to get depressed. Remember that a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of adipose tissue (fat). You're being very diligent about Protein and nutrient intake; I have a theory that our bodies, right after surgery, and sucking up every ounce of nutrients and protein we put in it and rebuilding tissue like crazy after years of sub-optimal nutrition. (I can't back this up with proof but it makes sense to me). I also read on this board somewhere that the switch from glycogen burning to fat burning requires a detox period during which your body tends to hoard a little extra Water than usual... again, can't prove this, but based on what I know about metabolism it makes sense. Plus... TMI warning... how's your poop? If I have a BM I almost always notice a lb or two drop on the scale the next day. I did the math once... 3500 calories to lose one pound. I figured that I required 1800 calories a day to maintain my weight. I'm hovering around 600 calories a day intake... this means a 1200/day deficit. That means 1 lb every 3 days. If I'm weighing every day, I'm only going to see a loss a couple times a week. My conclusion is that I should only weigh myself once a week. So far I haven't been able to stick to that @likasulema - Most likely you were stitched up using dissolvable stitches internally (which will just dissolve away over time) and the outside was either done with dissolvable stitches too (if you can see them) or more likely, incision glue. At least that seems to be the consensus on this board. Neither one will have to be removed by your surgeon.

Sounds to me like you are doing everything right ... except for one thing ... searching the forum! This is part of the 3 week stall and is a good thing. Really. Pretty much everybody goes through it and it is a necessary part of the progression. You've just had major surgery, lost 13 pounds in less than a month, and your body is going WOA! It just needs a few days to get things in order as to how it is going to start feeding off of itself. Search the forum for stalls and you will see. There is lots of advice. I think you will find that cutting calories is one of the last things you want to do, BTW. Congrats! You're doing great.

My sister and I in the same boat. 3 weeks out and no loss. From what I've been reading this is normal. Alot of people experience the 3 week stall. With the amount of food that you are intaking...loss is bound to pick up again soon. Hang in there!! Trust me this is going to work for you. I'll keep you updated.

Im almost 3 weeks post op and started mushie foods last Sunday and so far i have gained 3 pounds !!! I dont get it.... I drink plenty of water and am only eating a handful of things like mashed potatoes, etc... I have also been very active, been to the mall like 5 times this week and have walked it for hours !! I have heard of the 3 week stall but now im gaining. For a week or so i was sitting at the same weight but now I am gaining.... Im getting so frustrated, should I go back to liquid? Or is this normal? Im so afraid of this not working, its bringing me to tears.... Please help !!

I am 17 days post op and i have hit a stall. I started mushy food on Sunday and have only lost 1 pound in 5 days !!! Since surgery I have lost 13 pounds. I thought it would be more and im getting a little frustrated. I keep hearing people tell me about the 3 week stall but i dont get it. I am not eating fatting food, i am only eating 3 meals and its low calories... Im hoping this is just a phase and that i start losing more soon.....

Welcome to the 3 week stall!! Don't worry. As long as you do what you're supposed to do the weight WILL come off. Don't let the stall screw with your head b/c I know it did mine. And there will be other stalls too but this one is the worst. By the way, I just want to say AWESOME to you walking on the treadmill. Starting exercise from the beginning is going to really make a major difference not only in your loss but also how you feel mentally when things like this happen . Stalls really can hurt you mentally but you can always progress with exercise. So just keep going for it!!

That 3 week stall is a PITA for sure! You are doing everything right and the weight will start coming off again. Look for the NSVs when you hit stalls. My experience has been that I lose inches when I am not losing pounds. You lose weight, then your body has to adjust things before you will lose more. Two weeks ago, I was bouncing up and down the same 5 pounds, but my pants got so loose they fell off. Now I'm losing between half and one pound a day again. It WILL happen and the stall WILL break.

You've hit the 3 week stall with a vengeance! Change things up, add Protein or carbs, subtract carbs, drink more Water, do some exercise. TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS! LOL Your body is readjusting to the changes you have put it through, surgery, then liquids, full liquids, then you've probably just started either mushies or solid foods. Now it's got to readjust AGAIN! While you may not be losing on the scale, you're probably noticing some of your clothes getting looser (this is when I had to get new undies!), and you probably have more ability to do things. Unless you're eating tons of sugar, cake, candy, ice cream, you WILL start losing again, probably with a big dramatic drop. Oh, and because someone else had this problem: Is your scale actually working? Good luck!!

dmike, I am 4 weeks out and I have the same feeling. You're doing good on weight loss, I wouldn't concern yourself with that right now. Do you feel the feeling even after you eat? Like almost immediately? I do, and I think it is acid. My stomach doesn't rumble, just generally is in almost a hunger pang constantly. I hope this goes away. I do eat every 2 or 3 hours. I drink most of my protein. Premier protein has 30 grams in 11 ounces. It's only 160 calories. I have 2 or 3 a day. I will also eat cottage cheese and eggs. Most days I can do 2 eggs at a time. When I was trying to do cream soups I had a stall for a week. Might have just been the 3 week stall, or it was the carbs from the soups. Either way I tightened back up and now I'm losing again. I started taking a prilosec, but doesn't seem to be helping yet. I have seen some say that it takes a week or so to kick in. We'll see.

The only thing that breaks a stall is time. The 3-5 week stall is something that every single one of us went through. Your body is in shock and just holds on for a couple of weeks. After that, the weight loss picks up. It is not unusual. It is nothing to be afraid of if you are a pre-op. Do a search for 3 week stall and you will see hundreds of people with the same experience. And every single one of them got through it and went on to lose a lot more weight. Seriously - step away from the scale. Put it away. Try to focus on how loose your clothes are starting to feel and how different your face looks (we all lose the face fat first). At this early date there is no way on earth you are messing up the program. Adding water or protein may make you feel better, but the stall breaks when your body feels comfy enough to let the water go. Cals in are less than cals burned and this will always add up to weight loss. Hang in there!

Still losing steady! Down 1.6lbs. Have not stalled since the 3 week stall. Just slow and steady and that is fine with me! I would rather go at this pace than the roller coaster of previous weight loss attempts. It is soooo nice to be on my feet and walking without the pain that the weight was causing me. I have gone from the bottom of the Obese BMI scale to the bottom of the Overweight BMI. Now I am knocking on the door at the top of the right weight category!!!! Wow! I could never have done this without the sleeve. NEVER!

I am in my 3 week stall too. I lost @ 25 in 2 weeks and then now just about 1 pound the last week. I was eating carbs in soup, so I went ahead and dropped it back down to 3 protien drinks, some eggs and cottage cheese yesterday. Scale was on the move down again this a.m. I am able to eat more than most i"ve seen on here though. I had 2 eggs last night without any discomfort.

I was sleeved 11/14/11 and I've lost a total 17 pounds (thats including the 8lbs I lost pre-op). I'm very discouraged! I hope its just that "3" week stall period:(

Burgandy, Most of us have some weight gain right after surgery from the fluids given via IV. Then, the dreaded 3 week stall hits almost as soon as we start seeing some improvement. It sounds like you might have both over-lapping. You lost 21 pounds pre-op? That might also contribute to the stall you are currently experiencing. TMI, but consider whether you are having BM's yet. I noticed that I lost some every time I had a BM, especially in the first couple of weeks. Are you feeling okay in general? Able to walk and move around without significant pain? As long as you are, then just keep following your surgeon's plan as much as possible. Walk, sip Water, try to get your Protein in, and repeat. Your tummy is so small after being sleeved that it's virtually impossible to not lose weight. It might take a little bit for that weight loss to kick into gear, though. For me, when I stall I find that patience is the key. I have to just keep drinking my water, getting in my protein, and doing my exercise. I have noticed that my clothes get bigger quickly when I'm not losing pounds. I am doing the stair-step plan, apparently. Lose a few pounds, then get stuck at a weight for a week or so, then lose a few more pounds. During that "stuck" period, I usually end up having to consign more clothing to the give-away box. If you are following your plan correctly, then you should start seeing weight loss within a couple of days...and it will probably be pretty dramatic. If you don't see some weight loss by early next week, check in with the doctor's office. I doubt there's anything wrong, but it will make you feel better.