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Lately I've seen a TON of posts about lucky sleevers that drop 100 pounds in six months. Congrats to them and to their loss. And I would never, ever begrudge anyone the right to crow about a fantastic success. It's part of why we're all here, to share the ups and downs of this surgery! But frequently, these posts are followed by folks that feel frustrated because they aren't losing at the same pace. All too often, we forget that everyone loses at a different pace. It's easy to lose sight of the real goal (long term maintenance) in the face of the scale goals we set for ourselves. And it's also easy to forget that this isn't a race and that there's no special prize waiting at the end for reaching goal more quickly. I would like to contribute my loss pattern so that people can see that there is more than one way to achieve a goal. Being successful is about reaching your personal goals, overcoming your personal food demons and maintaining your weight loss for life. It's not about hitting goal in nine months. I encourage everyone else with a slow loss story to contribute their successes here as well. It's hard to research this surgery and find only the stories about extremes - people completely thrilled with surgery or people that regret every minute of life post op. The same goes for loss. When people search out stories on this, it's too easy to only find rapid loss or stall posts but nothing showing the more realistic and moderate journey many of us take. The sleeve is a permanent tool that does not have a special window of easy weight loss. There is no reason to feel discouraged when you haven't reached goal at one year out, or even two. There is nothing preventing you (short of your own body's natural stopping point) from achieving or re-achieving goal at any point post op. I lost 60 pounds in the first five months after my surgery. And I slowly lost 32 pounds over the next seven months. It took me another five months to shed the final 15 pounds to my goal. I lost 107 pounds over the course of 17 months. I stalled twice for nine weeks each time. I had months where I only lost one pound. I regularly experienced a gain of three pounds around my cycle, and often only lost weight in the last week to ten days of the month, after sitting at the same weight for nearly three weeks. I am a success, and at 2.5 years out (and currently pregnant) I still have good, healthy eating habits and maintained my weight loss quite easily. Even 30 weeks pregnant, I am still wearing a size 6/small (in maternity clothes, of course) regardless of how I feel about my expanding body! I learned what was important on this journey and am in better health today (not just physically, but mentally and emotionally), than I have ever experienced as an adult. Good luck to those currently on their journey, and I encourage everyone to share their stories here so that newly sleeved folks can see that slow vs. fast loss doesn't really matter in the end. ~Cheri

the three week stall ended with this past week and a 4lb loss. and now that's it again for days - the same #. I am happy to hear your story Cheri as it gives me hope that although I am a slow loser I will get there. Thank you for sharing. I truly wish I did measurements prior to surgery as I know things fit better on me even if my scale is "broken" lol.

I went for my 4 week post op visit and I didnt know about the three week stall and I talked to the PA about my weight loss stall and she told me that I wasnt losing because I was eating too few calories. She told me I had to eat at least 1000 calories a day. I managed it for a few days, but I am back down to about 850. I am getting all the protein in, but its just so hard to get those calories right now. I am trying, but some days I don't get there, but I do get my protein in.

All during my losing stage, I'd lose two lbs, gain three and lose two. I'd go up and down for about a week, then it would come off for good and on to the next one, two or three lbs. I weighed every single day, twice a day, but I never let it get me down. At support group meetings I'd hear people further out, some at goal, some not, say this is how it happens. Not a big deal. I did the up and down thing a lot more than I ever 'stalled'. I guess maybe one time I didn't lose anything for a week, then bam, two lbs gone. With 85% of your tummy gone, unless you are drinking your calories and eating no nos, you are going to lose. Enjoy the ride, it's wild! Stay away from snow shoveling!!! You might should call the doctor and let him know. Also, try water with a little fresh lemon and add a sweet 'n low or stevia. It's the only way i can drink it.....and a lot of ice!!

Stick with it friend. Just like everyone has said this is a tool. The most freeing thing for me has been allowing myself to be human. I am three months out. I weigh myself once a week. I have had stalls. They have freaked me out but then I realize this weight did not come overnight. I did this for me and allowing myself to be human and enjoying the process is great. Life is so much better. Hang in there!

Thanks Cheri. I know from prior posts that you were a slow looser and that slow does not mean unsuccessful. I understand the frustration of hearing people complain that they have only lost 30 pounds in the first three weeks after surgery LOL! I am 5'1" and shooting for 130. Like I said, I suspect I have 10+ pounds of skin. Right now I wear a size 6 comfortably. I was trying on pants last week and noticed that if it weren't for the panni, I could easily wear a size 4. I forgot that I have no hips. I am constantly having to pull my pasts up as they slide over the non-existent hips and get stopped by the lower stomach skin. My surgeon's goal for me is 110. I think he's nuts. I would be a size 0 or less. No thanks! I will try the strength training. I have equipment at home for that. All I need to do is pick it up. No extra money for a gym. It's funny, but when I do exercise there is a weight gain that accompanies it at first no matter what the calorie deficit is. Connie and Aussie: One week? Nahhh. Two weeks is a little more frustrating, but they can last 1-2 months despite the fact that you are doing the same thing you had been doing when you were losing. Both Cheri and ButtertheBean and others have posted detailed explanations on stalls. The simplistic explanation is that your body needs time to readjust after a weight loss both in chemical terms and physical inches. I sometimes think that the body is actually redistributing flesh. If you are doing everything right and not losing pounds, do not over-worry. Keep with it and you will lose. There are some that say changing up or playing with the numbers (protein, fat, carbs, exercise, etc.) will shock your body, but my experience up to now has been to wait it out. This may have changed for me since I'm close to goal. Cheri knows what she is talking about. I am with a few pounds of what I was just before Christmas. This morning I tried on a pair of pants that were super tight that I have not worn since then and I am swimming in them. The lose skin that I did not think was so bad a couple months ago is more noticeable now. I mentioned in another post that I actually have loose skin on my fingers. Don't let that scare you BTW. I'm 47 and had a 46 or 47 BMI when I started. It's so much better than the fat. Cheri - Keep us posted on that baby of yours! Named yet? I named my daughter when she was 3 weeks old - I mean 3 weeks from conception I was calling her by name. Yes, I'm weird, but she was long wanted and I have to plan EVERYTHING is advance :-P

I stalled at three weeks too. I was so frustrated. And I also gain every PMS cycle. So the scale was up a pound today. It is really frustrating but I am trying not to get upset. We can do this!!

A real stall is three weeks or more at the same weight. I had two of them and both were nine weeks long. Both started out as "natural" stalls, something you should fully expect post VSG. But like many of us, after about a month at the same weight I fell back into bad habits and had to address the bad behavior before I could get back on track. It is perfectly normal to have stalls and it is perfectly normal to have a less than perfect journey. If we had all of the tools we need to lose weight effortlessly, we'd skip the surgery and just join Weight Watchers again. The sleeve is that extra tool that helps us do the head work to overcome. So, expect stalls and expect some measure of frustration and expect that you will need to put effort into adopting new habits permanently for long term success. As for what month you stop losing there's no such thing. Really. I'll say it again: NO SUCH THING. Your sleeve is just about as large as it will get at roughly one year post op. Your capacity afterward is tiny compared to pre-op, even if it is considerably larger than immediately post surgery. We're talking about fitting in between 3/4 to 1 and 1/2 cups of food somewhere between one and two years post op. And that's it - forever - unless you try your very hardest to stretch your sleeve (though pain and real effort) what little it will stretch. So what does all of that mean? It means that there is nothing stopping anyone at one, two, three or even seven years post op, from picking up the pieces if they fall into bad habits and regain. The sleeve was and will remain a restrictive tool to help you lose weight and maintain that loss if you make the right food choices. Expect that the lower your body weight and the closer you are to your body's happy place, the harder it will be to lose weight. So yes, weight tends to come off more quickly in the beginning and to come off more slowly the closer you get to goal. That does not mean it's more difficult to lose weight. You'll use the same exact techniques and tools to lose. It's just harder for your body to give up those final pounds. I was six months to lose the last twenty. That's a bit excessive, maybe, but I was a slower loser from the start. But everyone slows down near the end - it's natural when your body has less to give up. And in my experience, people need to feel in control so they fiddle with their diets any time they don't see a drop on the scale every day. If you're tracking your food and you're not eating an extra four hundred calories a day all of a sudden, it's doubtful that your diet is the culprit. Everyone's body reacts differently but in more cases than not, the thing that shakes a real stall is upping the calories and carbs in your diet, not slashing them. Or you could just wait it out. Because with time, it'll pass and it's part of the journey. ~Cheri

The procedure was sold to me as you are saying. I tried my best to follow my water intake, protein shakes and foods off their list. My problem was that I was constantly throwing up stingy meats like chicken, lettuce and almost anything you couldn't grind down to powder consistency with my teeth. I did not throw up soups like tomato or chicken soup or mashed food like mashed potatoes. When my weight loss stalled at about 20 pounds I was told soup was bad for me - too much sodium. We played with adjustments about once every 6 weeks. Not what I was expecting. I have three doctors in the family who suggested I involve my primary care physician after a year and a half to have my band opened up. My HMR diet place in town just closed its doors and I am going back to weight watchers. My gastric surgeon said I should have had a gastric bypass and not the lap band. I would not do it again if I knew my results would be this poor.

Did you stall after three weeks of losing or at the start of your third week?

The definition of a stall is three weeks or more without a downward change in your weight. Since the last time your scale moved was on day ten, this doesn't even qualify as a true stall yet. I know it's frustrating, but you are barely three weeks out of the gate and your body is in total freakout mode. The last thing it is wanting to do is give up the weight. But guess what? It will have no choice. Soon enough it will do what you're waiting for it to do and the scale will start moving in the right direction again. Hang in there!

I had a good three week stall beginning 2nd week of December and just ending this past week! I was sleeved on 11/12 so it started at four weeks post op. I am most definitely the slowest loser on these boards -

What is a stall? How long does it last and how do I break it? A stall is a point at which the scale stops moving for a period of time. The length of the stall varies from a few days to a few weeks and sometimes a few months. Non VSG’ers typically call it a plateau. Stalls are perfectly normal and to be expected. As we lose weight so dramatically, our bodies need time to catch up physically - this typically happens during a stall. While the scale may not be moving, you may notice an increase in compliments. This is because while the number on the scale isn’t getting any smaller, you are physically getting smaller. There are many tips and tricks for breaking a stall (increase your fluids and Protein, increase your activity, up your calories…) but the reality is it will break on its own. I am three and half weeks out and have had 2 stalls already. Rather than panicking, I tend to welcome them as I understand their purpose. I think of it this way: Only you can see the progress on the scale as the numbers drop. Others can see the progress of your body changing that comes from a stall. It has it's perks. Good luck.

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.

I had my surgery o the 18th of Sept and have lost 60 lbs. But, the last three weeks not an ounce. I had a three week stall. Has anyone had a four month stall!?

What is a stall? How long does it last and how do I break it? A stall is a point at which the scale stops moving for a period of time. The length of the stall varies from a few days to a few weeks and sometimes a few months. Non VSG’ers typically call it a plateau. Stalls are perfectly normal and to be expected. As we lose weight so dramatically, our bodies need time to catch up physically - this typically happens during a stall. While the scale may not be moving, you may notice an increase in compliments. This is because while the number on the scale isn’t getting any smaller, you are physically getting smaller. There are many tips and tricks for breaking a stall (increase your fluids and Protein, increase your activity, up your calories…) but the reality is it will break on its own. I am three and half weeks out and have had 2 stalls already. Rather than panicking, I tend to welcome them as I understand their purpose. I think of it this way: Only you can see the progress on the scale as the numbers drop. Others can see the progress of your body changing that comes from a stall. It has it's perks. Good luck.

Don't forget to track how much and what you are eating. I like using My Fitness Pal. It really helped me in the beginning because it made me more aware of what nutrients I was getting in. My focus has always been to try to hit at least 80 grams of Protein. And, I had a three week stall that started week 3. They happen. I know it can be discouraging to NOT see the weight come off, but it will. I also learned early on to not weigh myself daily. Our bodies will fluctuate in weight day to day, even morning compared to night. Why? The food and fluids we eat/drink that is still in the system will increase our weight temporarily (and don't forget the other bodily functions). Pick a day and time to weigh yourself once a week. I swear it will help keep your sanity intact.

AGAIN ..I WISH we had a member who was great with graphic design who could collaborate on a VSG Inforgraphic that went by a general timeline. With neat graphics and colors and arrows that showed you the path. For example in PART I - PRE-OP section -- Stage I - SELF EDUCATION - Research the surgical options using web resources, asking those who have had surgeries, books, etc. Develop a list of questions that you would like answered as you learn. Research which hospitals in your area offer surgical options. Read their web sites. Call and ask questions of them. Learn what insurance options they provide and what their costs are if you are self-pay. Stage II - INFORMATIONAL SEMINAR - Attend a seminar on bariatric surgery. It may not be at the hospital you want to use, but go to one anyway and learn as much as possible. You may want to attend several. During this stage try to attend a seminar at your hospital of choice and call or email them and ask if they will email or mail any documents to you so that you can look over them. Again, add to your list of unanswered questions. As you learn more you will also have more questions. Stage III - DECIDE ON A PROVIDER - blah blah ... insurance documents, tests, pre-op diet, scheduling surgery Stage IV - follow through with STAGE III. Be compliant with your program. Blah blah. PART II - SURGERY Stage I - What you need to know and have ready prior to surgery. What to expect. Variations in days off from work, travel for those going out of country, etc. etc. Stage II - Recovery Stage III - The first four weeks. What to expect. Common issues. PART THREE - NEW LIFESTYLE Various stages ..I'm getting tired of typing.... PART FOUR - Some kinda title here like, maybe ...THE FIRST SIX MONTHS Various stages ... Your hair is going to fall out. You are going to stall ...blah blah blah... PART FIVE - FROM NOW ON More stuff here PART SIX - YOU SCREWED UP Arrow goes back to earlier stage

What Exactly Is A Stall? The last time I was on Weight Watchers (June 2011 through February 2012), I lost an average of .9lbs every week and I followed the program religiously. Forum members report first month losses of 20, 30, and even 40 pounds and then refer to a two- to three-day hiatus as a stall?! I don't get that. The body morphology has to catch up with the tremendous weight loss. That necessary phenomenon isn't a stall. A "stall" is what I experienced during my last month on Weight Watchers: no movement at all in close to 30 days. A massive weight loss of 20, 30, and 40lbs in one month cannot reasonably be referred to as a stall. I am only 29-days post-op but what I see is a two- to three-day "body adjustment (or catch-up) period" followed by another one- to two-pound drop on the scale. This is normal. You can't expect to see the scale drop every single day for an extended period of time. No one loses weight like that, not even malnourished cancer patients in the end stages of their disease. What I've noticed is that during this "body adjustment period," I will not lose pounds but mass. My stomach will tighten a bit more and areas that used to have fat will have less (or no) fat. On many other forums, they have a list of definitions of commonly used terms that members can refer to. Maybe we can agree that a "stall" means no movement on the scale for a minimum of seven days when weight loss was reasonably expected. Obviously, if I am consuming 3,000 calories a day, I can't reasonably refer to my failure to lose weight as a stall because I shouldn't expect to lose any weight. The point of this post is not to be picayune (nor is this directed at anyone in particular) but to alert forum members to the fact that, when it comes to weight loss, mindset is everything. If you expect to see the scale drop every single day for weeks and weeks on end, you are unnecessarily setting yourself up for frustration, disappointment, and resentment. I have lost 23lbs in 29 days: that's just over 1/3 of my excess weight in less than one month. The scale doesn't move every day nor do I expect it do. If I had experienced even 25 percent of this kind of weight loss on Weight Watchers, I NEVER would have signed up for the surgery. Do you know how long it took me to lose 23 pounds on Weight Watchers? It took 26 very difficult weeks or half-a-year! This surgery has expedited my weight loss by a factor of 83 percent! Should I be bummed-out, depressed, and resentful because my scale remains still for as many as three continuous days at a time? Should I refer to that three-day hiatus as a stall? Of course not. Knowing what to expect and having reasonable goals are critically important to maintaining a healthy and positive mindset.

I am only three weeks out and I have had a couple of stalls, but the way I see it is this- if you are only taking in 500 or so calories a day, is it logical that if you maintain that caloric intake, you won't ever lose any more weight? No, it isn't. Stalls are totally natural and normal. Our bodies think we are starving, so it hangs on to the pounds for dear life, until it can't anymore. We have not evolved much past the caveman days, if at all. LOL -Kendra

There is normally a stall around week three or so and you will stall-- I call them PAUSES, actually--- now and again throughout your journey. I read somewhere that we don't lose pounds and inches at the same time. While you're 'pausing', you're probably dropping inches from all over. Your body needs some time to adjust itself. You just dropped 30 lbs. It can't keep going like that without some kind of recovery. Push through the break, stay on food and keep advancing your diet. Focus on Proteins and get in your Water. It will pick back up!

I have been at a stall since Christmas. Lost 20 lbs then week three total brick wall. Worst part is I'm hanging right around 200- 204. I want to be in the 100's sooo bad!!!

My 'three week stall' hit at 2.5 weeks and didn't lose an ounce- the scale actually went up twice- for 2 weeks. Then I dropped 5lbs over night. Just try and keep your protein high and keep your fluid intake up and the scale will go. BTW- I had lost 26lbs when mine hit and I'm currently in another stall and have been since Christmas. It sucks- but it's all part of the process

You're in what's known around here as the 3 week stall. Many people have a big stall sometime in the first three weeks. This article will help explain why. Just be patient. Weight Loss Stall or Plateau A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf. Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below. The Inevitable Stall By Diana C. A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days. What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements. Too Many Carbs? Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section on Carbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating. Fit Day Spark People - If you join Spark People also join the DS group. The Daily Plate Calorie King For more tips on keeping a food journal see the Personal Nutrition Guide. Eating Enough? If you are under-eating or go more than 4-5 hours without eating, your body will shift into fasting mode, slow your metabolism and conserve your stored energy (fat). This can contribute to a weight loss stall or plateau. Make sure you are eating small meals or small Snacks throughout the day and also ensure you meet your daily Protein requirements. Try eating some protein with every meal or snack. For more information on protein requirements see our section on Protein. Drinking Enough? An adequate level of water in your body aids in the effective breakdown of fat. The daily minimum recommendation is 64 Fluid oz of water a day. If you are in ketosis you will need to drink even more water to ensure the ketones are flushed out of your system. You may also need more than the minimum amount of water if you are exercising or live in a warmer or dry environment. Exercising? Exercise can increase your metabolism and burn fat. Strength training will build muscles and will boost fat burning. In a stall you can try increasing your volume of exercise or changing up your routine to overcome a weight loss stall or plateau. If you have been doing mainly aerobic activity, try doing a bit of strength training, and if you have been doing mainly strength training, try an aerobic work-out. The High Fat - High Calorie Stall Buster Many DSers swear by the fat/calorie shock as an effective weight loss stall or plateau buster. Having a day of higher fat and calorie eating followed by a returning to consistent low carb eating can sometimes "shock" your body back into weight loss mode.