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it's the infamous three-week stall. It happens to almost everyone. It's not always the third week - it's sometimes the second or fourth - but it's most often the third (hence, the name). It'll last 1-3 weeks (sometimes longer - although that's unusual - 1-3 weeks is pretty standard). Just follow your plan and stay off the scale for a few days. It'll break and you'll be on your way again. here are past posts on this site about the three week stall. All 17,501 of them (and no, I am NOT kidding): https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=three week stall

Breathe and find the post called "Embrace the stall." EVERYONE stalls somewhere around three weeks or so. I stalled at 4 1/2 weeks. Hide the scale, take your measurements instead, focus on your eating. You aren't eating enough Protein and that is vital. There's no way that you can gain 3 lbs of fat with what you posted. What you gained is Water weight as your body freaks out from the sudden loss. It's all part of the process.

I hear ya! I pretty much only weigh myself on Fridays or Saturdays. (Occasionally I might slip in a Wednesday scale reading, but only for those "big" numbers that a person is waiting to see.) I had my hubs take before and during photos. We did the before, and then 1 month post op, 3 months post op, 6 months post up. I probably should have done measurements too... but those photos are AMAZING to look at. BTW, my first stall started about week 3 and lasted for three weeks. I'm thankful that at least I knew it was normal, so I didn't really let it bother me much. I knew that I was following the doctor's plan and tracking everything. So when I was over that hump, holy buckets! The weight loss continued. Yay!

Hi there. I'm an old veteran -- 10 months out. But from what I remember, the three week stall is typical and I was down about it until I saw my surgeon for a follow up visit. He said I was right where I needed to be. He stated when the body loses so much at first, and a lot of fluids, the body is retaining for a bit and trying to even itself out so to speak. Once it figures things out, you'll start losing again. Although not a good idea to eat cake right now. Be strick about sticking to the program in the first few months, ok?

i had same thing. stall between week two and three but went down lb this morning so maybe on roll. lol. it will happen. just wsit

Vets, please help. I'll be three months out on Friday. I had never really lost my hunger and was completely ravenous from weeks 2-11. Suddenly I have zero hunger whatsoever. I only eat because I know I have to and when out to dinner with my boyfriend. I'm on the Keto and modified Gaps diets (gaps because my son who has sensory issues is now on gaps and I'm trying this gross bone broth and sauerkraut mess, and Keto because it kicks me out of stalls and I don't crave carbs one bit on it). Is it the Keto that is suddenly suppressing my hunger or is it the sleeve suddenly starting to suppress my hunger like others have had all along? Like I said I was starving every single day since starting purée stage! Is it normal to suddenly lose appetite around this time? Will it come back again? Not that I necessarily want it back.. I just think this is odd. I'm not feeling full, but just not hungry at all. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was sleeved on 7-31-15. My start weight was 325 the day of surgery. My current weight is 226.00.. I have also hit a stall! I have been at the same weight for almost three weeks.

three week stall. If you do a search on that on this site, you'll find something like 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding). It happens to almost all of us (and it's not always the third week for everyone - but sometime during the first month or so after surgery). your rate of weight loss is fine. I think some people's expectations come from watching shows like "My 600 lb Life", but keep in mind that those people start off at MUCH higher BMI's than the average WLS patient. Your rate is fine. I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I ended up losing 100% of my excess weight (over 200 lbs). As long as you stick to your program and your general weight trend is downward, you're good.

I love the joy when a three week stall ends... Weight just falls off.... 7 lbs in two days.... I kept losing and gaining the same 1 or 2 lbs for three weeks.... SUCKS !!

I am now 3 weeks & 2 days post and I am pretty sure I have hit the INFAMOUS three week stall (or plateau). I hate that inner me that needs to know that the scale is moving. My follow-up with surgeon is Tuesday and I would really like to be below 240 by then...2 lousy pounds. I have, for some unknown reason, had it in my head since the appt was scheduled that I wanted to be in the 230's and I haven't made it and its driving me nuts. I have already had a couple of small NSVs and its awesome but the scale thing is something I have fought since my twenties. Anyone else out there a scale junkie? How are you coping? I moved it out of sight and am not getting on it but every third day. "Taylor" (scale manufacturer) and I will meet up on Sunday morning (sans clothes, of course) and hope I have made some progress.

I'll hit the six month mark in a week. I'm down 103 lbs. I started at 301 when I began pre-op diet the week before surgery and am now 198. I want to loose another 48 lbs. I've been at a stall for two or three weeks now. I've actually gained a pound or two and then it will come back off. I freaked the first time I went up two pounds but I'm sure it was just water weight or constipation. That's happened to me a couple of times now and I always freak out when it does. I have to remind myself that all women bloat at various times of the month (even the skinny ones). Also when I've had periods of extreme constipation, I have stalled or gained but once I get everything functioning normally again, I'll drop those couple of pounds quickly. I think it's all part of the process and I try to not get hung up on it. During my few stalls, I just keep exercising, up my proteins and reduce my starches. My nutritionist says that avoiding starches (even the healthy whole wheat options) when your BMI is above 30 will help you loose faster. Once under 30, they still recommend limited starches. I was told to expect the weight loss to slow these next six months but that you'll still lose. They said a year rather than six months was the big milestone when you really have to work at losing. That the surgery will take you through the first year and then its more about me and my choices. I'm trusting in that and hoping that these new habits will get me to where I want to be.

How did I let this happen again? I had lost nearly 60 pounds, and slowly but surely, the weight had reappeared. I say that as though it happened without my knowledge or consent. I guess it would be more appropriate to say I put the weight back on. I wear it around like a lead coat. It stifles me, it breaks me, it pains me. Yet, I have done this over and over and over for my whole life. All the fluffy girls reading this know exactly what I am talking about. As a collective, we have probably gained and lost the same 60 pounds a million times. I hate to think it is because I am lazy, or that it is because I have no will power. I know that’s what most people think when they look at me - that woman is a glutton. I suppose there is some truth to it. Although, if they knew how disheartening it is to reach a goal, only to have it taken away . . . wait, there I go again, acting like some invisible power caused this. I know I have to take responsibility. I did this to myself. It didn’t happen to me, I caused it. But could it be that I can’t help it? It may be my fault, but maybe I just need some help to be successful. I tried many different things to “help” but nothing worked in the end. Weight Watchers was great, and I certainly learned a great deal about what foods to eat, and what portion size I should be eating. I remember the first time I learned about the portion size for pasta and rice. I think I laughed out loud. I did lose weight, quickly at first, but I never could get past that 40 pound mark. I had such a long way to go, over 100 pounds, and stalling out at 40 pounds just threw me over the edge. And when I would cheat, I WOULD CHEAT. I think it is a great deal like being an alcoholic. If I had one drink, or in my case, bite, it was all over. Forget about moderation, or “Points” or whatever. Then getting back on the wagon was harder than ever. Again, I know, excuses, excuses. Nevertheless, that was my pattern. I even tried medication for a while. I went to my doctor and begged for help. I remember saying, “I think something must be wrong with me. Even when I am really good, for a really long time, I can’t seem to lose the weight I need to lose!” So she gave me Wellbutrin. It states clearly that it is a medication for depression that should not be taken by people with eating disorders. Well, at 300 pounds, isn’t it fair to say I had an eating disorder? 50 pounds later, gained, not lost, I decided to quit taking Wellburtin. It definitely took the edge off, and helped me realize that I probably have some anxiety issues to work on, but it certainly did not help me lose any weight. In fact, it just made me complacent. The end result, however, was that it did force me to recognize that I have an addiction to food. It forced me to recognize that there was not going to be an easy fix for me. That was a huge disappointment. So, this last bit of temporary weight loss came from a surprising turn of events. I was pregnant, and all of a sudden, food was not my first priority. Taking care of the little being inside me was the most important thing of all. Because I was so large, 355 to start the pregnancy, my doctor was very worried about gestational diabetes. I met with a dietician at the hospital, and I followed her directions to the letter. I cut back on carbs, no more orange juice, lots of fiber, plenty of protein. Well, compared to the fast food junk I had been living on up to that point, it was no surprise that I started to lose weight. All told, I gained 13 pounds through my pregnancy, but lost 35 immediately after my daughter was born. Then, the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life occurred. My dear little one came 6 weeks early and was critically ill. She had to stay in the NICU for nearly a month. For the very first time in my life, I did not turn to food for comfort. In fact, I could not stand the thought of eating a thing. Leaving the hospital without your baby is the most unnatural thing in the world. I felt like I was literally being torn apart. I remember, the night I was discharged from the hospital, my husband and I were walking across the parking lot, and I said, “I feel like I am forgetting something.” Then I broke down and bawled. I don’t think I quit crying for the rest of the evening. I had to pump every three hours because I was hoping to breast feed my baby. Since I wasn’t eating, there wasn’t any milk to pump. I didn’t figure this out for about three weeks, and was getting very discouraged. However, I did find it funny that every time I turned around, someone was trying to make me eat. It was the strangest thing! My father especially, who was such a champion for me during that time – driving me back and forth to the hospital – would always try to get me to eat. I just couldn’t do it. In the end I lost an additional 20 pounds, creating an ultimate weight loss of about 55 pounds at that point. Eventually, my beautiful baby did come home. She is the light of my life. Being her mother is what I have been waiting for. I know all mothers probably feel this way, but she is the most lovely creature I have ever seen. She spreads such joy everywhere we go! I feel so blessed to have a baby that can make even total strangers smile with glee. I continued to lose weight. Ava and I walked every day. All the climbing up and down the stairs with baskets of laundry didn’t hurt either. Breastfeeding did work out in the end, so I know that helped me shed a few pounds as well. All told, I lost over 60 pounds. Then, I had to go back to work. Summer was over, and I had to return to my job as a literacy specialist at an elementary school. I started eating again. It happened slowly, and I saw it happening, but I didn’t do anything about it. It was as though I could watch myself through someone else’s eyes, but I didn’t try to intervene. I just kept eating. WHY? I have thought about this a great deal, and I don’t have any good answers. Was I feeling guilty about taking my baby to daycare? Probably. Was I worn out and looking for comfort? Probably. Was I wishing for more consistent help from my husband? Probably. Are those good reasons to gain 60 pounds? Absolutely not. So here I am, obese again, trying to raise a well-adjusted girl in the United States. That is why I have made this decision. She is the reason I am going to be successful this time, even though I have been unsuccessful all the other times. I want to raise her, not watch her from the sidelines. I want to still be alive when she gets married and has beautiful babies of her own. I want to be able to chase her if she is getting into harms way. I will do this. So that brings us up to date. I have decided to have gastric banding, also known ad Lap-Band surgery. This simply has to work. I have to do the hard work to make it work. I am going to be successful at this! Several things happened to bring me to this decision. My good friend Heidi had gastric bypass surgery a little over a year ago. I mention this for several reasons. First of all, I love Heidi. I have always thought she was one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, even when she was heavy. Second, Heidi has always reminded me of myself. We were both women of faith, school teachers, intelligent, opinionated and well-read. I hold her in the highest esteem and respect her immensely. When Heidi told me she was going to have gastric bypass surgery, I was so excited for her. She had followed a path similar to mine, struggled with her weight all her life, tried all the commercially available programs, all to no avail. I was a bit worried of course, especially because I had just heard about another person I knew that had died from complications from bypass surgery. I started thinking about the notion of never being able to eat gluttonous amounts of food again. I thought about not being able to drink a can of soda pop. I thought about eating only Dixie Cup sized potions. Yuck. That was not for me. Not only that, it scared me. (continued in part two)

Dang it....I've been there too and it stinks. The dreaded 3-week stall! I FREAKED OUT when I actually gained a pound during that time. Contacted the nutrionist at the surgeons office (because I was convinced I was going to be one of the people the sleeve surgery didn't work for.) Her exact words, "Relax. It is normal for weight to flucuate, especially after surgery. You do have restriction there. Just keep doing what you are doing and the weight will come off." She was right of course. Seems like when I have a stall or even gain, it's always right before I have a dramatic drop in weight. My weightloss has not been a smooth downward track, it looks more like steps...down then flat.....down then flat. You keep doing what you are doing and you will lose. May have a few more stalls along the way too. You are welcome to read my blog as I started at roughly the same weight but am only a few weeks ahead of you. http://hoosierfatty.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/three-week-stall-weight-and-diet/ Good luck!

Thank you SO much for sharing this. I cried when you were talking about your kids and the Snacks and having the energy to do the things you want to at home. I can relate to both of those things so much. While I am 100% doing this for me, I am so hopeful for the impact that it will have on my family. I think the part where you described that first small gain was exactly what I was talking about. I am just anticipating that " Oh No....I can't gain this back!" moment and just need to be prepared for it and not freak out. I'm just so thankful that we can all communicate on here and know better what to expect. I can't imagine having hit the "three week stall" not knowing that it's common. Now I think I'll be able to be better prepared emotionally. Thanks again for listening and sharing.

Conduct a search of the terms "three-week stall," "third week stall" and "3 week stall." Yes, this phenomenon is so common it has a name. Most sleevers stall sometime between the second and fourth week post-op. Now, here's the hard part: stay off the scale for a few weeks and allow your body to sort out the trauma it's been through. Always expecting a daily or weekly loss is unrealistic. Post-sleeve weight loss happens in a non-linear, unpredictable manner: we lose a few pounds, hold onto some, then stall and plateau and even gain water weight at times before losing again. Be patient with the process. Good luck to you.

well let me say this im in a stall so start pulling out your hair please!Your post made me come out of the shadows to tell you and others dont forget what things were like before wls or should i say 122lbs ago when you werent thinking about clean eating(congrats by the way)but for me i dont have a doctor i had to go out of the country and pay for this out of pocket so you darn right im going to be concerned when i see that my scale has moved up in the last three months,and its not fear for me its concern and the one thing i have to turn to is this forum to learn from others that have made it thru this.Because of this forum and other people who have hit stalls made it clear to me that i had to help my sleeve so i started drinking Protein shakes everyday for the last three weeks ive also incorperated walking every chance i get i started at two miles and now im at three miles,even if i get home at 11pm i go hit that track in the dark im just that determined ive also stopped drinking coffee and as we speak i havent had a cigarrette in seven days, dont get me wrong i am grateful for the 80lbs lost since 11-29-12 but i dont need to see a 4lb gain in the last three weeks and i do my best not to forget how i felt before surgey when i couldnt walk up my stairs without feeling like i was going to die or walk to the mailbox without my back hurting or when i couldnt bend over and tie my shoes,i remember taking a shower was a job becuase of all those hard to reach areas and look at me now walking three miles with no problem,or parking my riding mower and started using my push mower and let me not forget being able to feel my clothes bagging on me and being able to bend over and tie up my shoes so i need people on this forum to talk about things of all wls concern no matter how much its posted.even when im close to my goal weight i need to be more mindful when dealing with others who are struggling to get to where i am.I have a good friend thats complains about his weight everyday but still eats all the wrong foods that will only allow him to gain more and even thow i get tired of hearing his complaints and want to say to him "quit bitchin and do something about it" i dont i just remember that for the grace and mercy of God there goes i.So just think how many people are on this forum just like me that needs others to talk about there experiences with weight loss surgery good or bad. And again i didnt risk going to another country and putting my life on the line to gain weight hellllllllllll noooooooooo. '

Oh! I know the answer to this one! First of all, you're so busy kicking yourself in the tushie that you can't focus on anything else. If you truly need a good tushie kicking, let me help you out: Knock it off! You are not a disaster! You're simply stalled, and what you need is a good jump start. If self loathing burned calories, you would be a size two by now. Crawl up out of that pity puddle, take all that energy you are wasting and put it to more productive use! Yes, you CAN do this! It sounds to me like you are exactly where I was several years ago. I was a young mother with two preschoolers and one in first grade. My husband worked out of town and we only had one car. Very rural area, and we just moved there so I knew nobody. I felt very closed in, like I needed air. So I got some. You don't need a cabinet full of videos. You need a stroller and a pair of walking shoes. Girl -- that three year old of yours is THE best piece of exercise equipment you can have! I would rent him from you if I could, LOL. Put that little cherub in the stroller and get outside and ... BREATHE. Notice the clouds. Stop and admire a garden. Meet a neighbor. Think of ways that you'll greet your husband when he gets home. Think happy and you'll be happy. And the thing is -- you don't have to walk fast. You don't have to walk far. Just walk. I did this every day. Pushed the stroller to a nearby convenience store just for something to do, and bought a newspaper every day. Maybe a mile, round trip. I wasn't dieting. I wasn't even conciously exercising. I was just trying to escape my own depression. Within two months, I had dropped from a size 18 to a size 12. I am so not kidding you. I had been wearing leggings and didn't even notice. When I went to put jeans on, I was like ... hang on, where did I leave my tushie and when did I grow a waistline?? You have a minimum of 13 weeks before your hero returns from war. This is SO doable! Stop kicking yourself in the tush and get out there and walk, walk, walk. You can do this!! One mile a day, minimum. More if it feels good. Won't take any time at all, and it will be WONDERFUL for both you and the baby. So go on, lace up those tennis shoes and just do it -- I dare you! In fact, I double dare you. :smile2:

There is a typical three week stall, you may just be starting early. However, make sure you're getting all of your Water in. Not drinking enough can cause your body to retain the water and translate it into a "gain" temporarily. Also, if you're close to TOM, most of us ladies experience a slight gain, followed by a big drop after it's done. You're doing fine. Don't get stressed out now.

Hey everyone I am looking for people around my same time frame of surgery to kind of comPare how we are all doing Individually. Until this past week I was struggling majorly with food and such. I started eating peanuts to help with my protein intake. I am on soft foods and I don't eat only three times a day just yet because I am trying to get calories in. I have been at a stall for weeks now . I was a band to sleeve revision and started at a low BMi with the sleeve but still the scale hasn't moved in weeks. How much are you all eating? I notice I can eat faster now and more dense foods.

completely, utterly normal: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=three+week+stall

I just had a horrible pain attack again. This is when i get pain by the bottom of my rib cage in the middle. Horrible deep feeling pain. Didn't go to hospital but took a heavy duty pain killer after i had the pain for 15 minutes. Took a solid hour to work. Was in complete agony. On a scale of 1-10 it got to an 8. I was hot and sweaty. Was pacing around the house. Wanted to cry my eyes out. Nothing I did helped. No way of laying... Or stretching. Ice pack didn't reduce pain. But just made me less hot. Now I am loopy from pain killer. Also have neck and shoulder pain. Still don't know what the f**k this is from. Didnt eat anything stupid or strange either. Seeing GI doctor on Wednesday. If they have even the slightest feeling it might be my gallbladder I want the fucker taken out. This is the fourth time I've had pain and it was absolutely horrible. (went to ER three times for this). Just to recap I've had a cat scan, EKG, blood test, urine test, X-ray, and ultrasound. Ive been to my gastric surgeon and my primary doctor, not to mention the three different ER doctors. The only thing that was found was gallbladder sludge an a polyp in my gallbladder... Which they say wouldn't cause this pain. They all have no idea what this is all about. I'm praying the GI doctor an figure this out. I do a lot of driving for work and see my clients throughout the month (I'm a social worker) so having this pain while I'm at work (which thankfully hasn't happened yet) is just not an option for me. One of my biggest fears is that I will get it at work... I would take a painkiller because there is just no other way to deal... But that would mean I would have to take sick time... And just lay in my car for several hours... No way I can drive on this medication. Sorry for the foul language. Just stressed out. I know I've posted about this pain before... But if anyone has any ideas or similar experiences.... Please please help! Thank you Btw. I am now three months and 5 days out of surgery and I've lost 91 pounds (although been in a stall for a week now due to my period). Went from a 5x and just today I fit in a 3x!

I was sleeved on October 22, 2014. I have made what I think is a very quick recovery. I came home a day early. This morning I walked six miles. I'm planning to do 6 miles a day for the first three weeks and then get it up to 10 miles a day. Right now I'm doing 2 miles in the morning, 2 mid afternoon and 2 in the evening. The scale keeps on falling. Everthing is sugar free. Should I expect a stall even with the exercise I'm doing everyday? I'm planning to return to work next week which is very labor intensive, however I'm going to let my employees actually do the heavy lifting and the hard work for once. I'm going to start slow for when I return to work and maybe work from 8am to 11am daily and then take off and try to build up from there. I own the company so its not like I can get fired. LOL. This surgery has greatly impacted me already and I've also offered to all of my employees who my company insures that since our health plan won't cover sleeving, if they go to Mexico and pay for the air fare to and from, I'll pay for the surgery should anyone on the insurance plan need it... meaning immediate family members. I've told my employees I'll cover a max of $5500.00 for sleeving. I think more employers need to offer this. It seems like a lot, but in the end, I think it will make my insurance premiums go down.

Thank you ! I will definitely try to find ways to get in more calories. Solid foods still don’t sit right with me so maybe more soup it is and I’ll add a protein drink ! And I will definitely lookup the threee week stall thing ! I wasn’t eating as much because my body as it’s healing it’s not telling me it’s hungry ( I know I should be getting food in regardless) today is my three weeks and I know it’s not too late I’m starting today and getting in my calories !! Thank you so much so so so so much

I am almost three months out and have had my shares of stalls BUT I have kept up the the loss average through all three months so far. I am at close to a 60 pound loss as of this morning, and currently in a bit of a stall but that is how it has been for the last couple weeks. The scale doesn't budge for a few days and then it will slowly creep up a few ounces and then one day it will be down a couple of pounds......strange but its working! I am praying that if I stay the course it will continue on as well.......I will be following this thread to see if some of the veterans can shed more long term light.

I’m stuck in a slump. I didn’t have the dreaded three week stall but now at 8.5 weeks I’ve been stuck between 199-198. Since I started hitting the gym on September 22nd, since then nothing. And by hitting the gym I just mean treadmill/elliptical 45 min a day. I do see via pictures that things have changed since my heaviest I just wish the scale would “poo or get off the pot” [emoji23] Stalls are just jerks!