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A plateau is being the exact same weight for three weeks straight. It takes your body time to learn how to deal with major surgery, drastic weight loss and a significantly lower amount of calories. I'm not saying this to tell you to stop complaining - we all get frustrated on our journeys. I'm telling you this because for some people (myself included) losing in stops and starts is our body's normal. I lost all of my weight for the month in about ten days. I stayed the same weight (with a three pound gain around my cycle) for the rest of the month. I lost, on average, just over six pounds a month. And I had two nine week stalls in the 17 months it took me to get to goal. So, my advice is to take heart in the fact that you're losing. Try to let go of the expectation that you'll lose every time you step on the scale. At least once or twice you're bound to see a small gain instead of a loss, and as you near your goal, you'll find that you stay the same weight more often, too. You'll lose. You just removed 85% of your stomach and can't help but lose if you do the right things. ~Cheri

Yippie - I get to report that I'm officially a member of the Century Club! Interestingly, I was out of town all last week dropping my daughter off at college and getting her settled in to her new apartment. I ate LOTS of carbs. Lots of sandwiches at lunch time (argh-bread) and I even had a mini bagel for Breakfast a couple of times. Dare I admit it...and a glass of wine with dinner (very stressful week). It is so challenging to be away from home and find good protein/low carb options (Applebee's has a great under 550 calorie section of their menu, though). But I think all the carbs and subsequent return to lean Protein this week shocked my body out of an ongoing stall/slow spell I was experiencing. I just lost four pounds in three days. So, onward toward goal.

Im the same way! As a matter of fact my battery on my scale went out on me after three yrs the day before my surgery! I havent had the urge yet to even go and buy a new one. I almost want it to be a suprise when i go to my follow ups and the dr tells me how much more ive lost. I love going to my one week follow up last wed and them telling me i was 17lbs down! It felt great. So i am trying to hold out as ling as possible and just let things happen and find out what i weigh when going to see my dr. I dont know long ill last but im going to at least try it for the first three months. I see too many ppl upset or down on themselves when they hit stalls. And i know me i would be really hard on myself if i knew i was on a stall.

So, I am officially 12 days out. Tomorrow, on the 13th day, I have to go back to the office. Now, I don't necessarily mind what I do, but the idea of going back is scary. Will I be able to maintain my diet? Will I have any bathroom issues? I also usually work about 5 minutes from my home. However, I have to go to another office for a client meeting tomorrow morning. My office is great. The people are wonderful. This other office is horrid. It's everything that I hate about my job in 4 walls. It's also about an hour from my house. So, in addition to getting up and getting fully dressed for the first time in 13 days, I also have to drive quite the distance. I'm so upset about it. The client wouldn't budge on the meeting date. I don't understand why everyone thinks that their tax situation is so complex as to warrant a face to face meeting. Giving me your tax documents to my face does not make things any easier for both of us. In fact, it costs the client more money because they have to pay for my time in the meeting. I do this for a living, trust me, your W-2 is not complicated. In addition to this, I have to have a meeting with the managing partner about my list of clients that I need to call and "remind" to pay our bill. Now, that will be as much fun as a barrel of monkeys. This is a task usually set for people who are one step higher than I am and who make much more money than I do. Maybe I should be happy that I have the responsibility. However, this is a business, and they see dollar signs. They have found some one who can do the same tasks for less money. So, how wonderful is it that they have chosen little 'ol me to have the responsibility and work without the title and pay...OK, I need to get off of my soapbox. So, on my list for tomorrow are loose clothes, a huge water bottle, a protein shake (I'm unlikely to be able to drink more than one), and my laptop. God help me, it's going to be a long week. To make matters worse, I seem to be stalling a bit with the weight loss. I was losing 2lbs per day during the first week like clockwork. Now, the scale hasn't budged in three days. It's so depressing. It's also a lot like every other "diet" I've tried. I'm still not consuming much more than 200 calories per day. I've tried increasing protein and increasing food, but it doesn't seem to be working. Maybe I should try increasing my water intake. I feel bipolar, now. My emotions are all over the place. Just a few days ago, I thought I could have it all. Now, I don't know if I want it all. I just want to lay in my bed and watch movies for another week!

I had surgery on July 16th and lost well the first two weeks, then I haven't lost anything in the last two and a half weeks. I have read that people have a stall at about three weeks, but do they last this long? I am trying to get more liquids in, but my rings are tight every morning, so I know I am retaining water. Also having trouble getting more than about 40 grams of protein in a day. I am thinking of trying more meat because I am really sick of my protein drinks and they only have 12 grams of protein anyway. Should a stall be this long when I just had surgery a month ago?

Sometimes my brain just can't seem to agree with itself, and definitely not with my body. I know that the week three stall exists, and I know that my hormones are out of wack, but I am having a hard time not being frustrated at my body. I think it's a combination of the two, plus the fact that the week before last I put out a tiny also. I haven't had a decent loss since the middle of week 2. I have been stuck at 298 for the past week now. I should really learn to follow my own advice better. Put the scale away, Izuri! It's much easier said than done. It would be helpful if my rational brain could emerge a little more this week. I am on my period for the third time since surgery, which was almost exactly 3 weeks ago. I am not sleeping nearly as well as I used to, and I have had no energy for the past 3-4 days. I thought that maybe I'd switch things up on my diet. I've tried diligently to get in my protein, have cut my carbs down to under 40 like my doctor recommended, and have been loading up on water like it's going to disappear tomorrow. Nothing had helped me budge from 298. My rational brain knows that this surgery works. It knows that I'm already down like 27 pounds and that's a lot for 3 weeks, that I should just be happy and put the dang scale away. I know I'm retaining water because with all that like 80oz of water I got in yesterday I think I went to the restroom maybe 3 times (TMI? Sorry.) there's just no way I couldn't be retaining. Plus, my 28s fit, whereas they were loose before. I guess there's this little part of my brain that keeps worrying that maybe that was it. Maybe those under 30 pounds are what I get from this surgery. I know that's almost certainly not true, but I just wish that part of my brain would hush up. I just hate doing everything right and having it not work. I have read through a lot of week 3 stall posts to try and keep myself from being discouraged. I am not going to give up, but I would love if anyone had recommendations of things they do when they start feeling frustrated about a stall. I am gonna make it through this and come out on the other side finally freaking losing again. Anyway, I know it's been ranted about 100 times over, but I just needed to get it out somewhere.

I confess that I haven't counted calories or Protein or anything else since surgery (9weeks ago) I focus on eating protein and getting fluids in., but I have no idea exactly how muchim getting. I confess that because of the first reason I'm pretty sure that is why I've only lost 34lbs. I'm extremely concerned that I will be here next year saying how much I regret the sleeve and all I've lost is 35lbs and $5500 I confess I have a cup of coffee with half and half every morning and at some point between my other fluids I have iced tea. I also use a straw when drinking it. I confess that I've never been able to lose 34lbs on my own EVER, yet I still don't beliebe when people say they can tell I've lost weight. I'm convinced they are only saying that because they think I expect them to say it. I certainly can't see the loss so I'm sure they are lying about hat they see. I confess that I'm extremely frustrated that when I had surgery I was wearing a size 24 pants and now, 34lbs later I'm barely into a 22, and it's a tight 22 at that. I confess that out of 9 weeks, I've stalled twice, both times for almost ten days each, almost three weeks of not losing anything but confidence in this sleeve!

Not exercising can certainly be a factor in why you are not losing. But so could a lot of things. some you can control and others that you can not. First verify you are getting in enough calories, Water and Protein, other wise you will not lose. Exercise certainly helps, but even with exercise without those three you will stall. Stalls also happen for no real reason other than your body needs to adjust to your new weight etc. Make sure you are measuring your body, for the 3 weeks I was in a stall I saw the inches dropping but not the weight. Whenever I stall I up my protein and within a couple days my weight tends to start dropping. It took that 3 week stall for me to figure that out. I was eating 300-400 calories a day and 50 g of protein. Now I eat 700-800 calories a day and 75g plus of protein a day. Without enough calories and protein your body will eat your muscles not the fat and the weight stalls. Dont forget your Vitamins as well. Be patient with yourself this is a long process (marathon) and not a short race. Follow the rules and you will lose that weight, but follow the rules. Do not become complacent. In the beginning it is harder (10 weeks post op and it is still hard many days) but it gets better. Remember being stationary and eating the wrong foods is what brought us here in the first place. Best of luck! You can do this!!!

Don't worry, you're just in a stall. If you search 3 week stall or 4 week stall you will find a number of posts on this subject - You are not alone! You have just hit the dreaded stall that most of us eventually get to. The weight loss WILL continue, you just need to stick to what you're doing and not give up on your body. It's adjusting to this new shocking lifestyle. You threw it a curve ball. It's just trying to make heads or tails of it. However you wanna call it, your body will go back to normal and you'll start losing again. If you're looking for more information on this, there are quite a few threads I was able to find that may be helpful: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/47671-dreaded-week-3-4-stall-any-tips-to-break-it/page__hl__%2Bweek+%2Bstall http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/48315-stalled-at-3-weeks-and-now-at-6-weeksnormal/page__hl__+week%20+stall#entry443548 http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/47251-scaled-hasnt-moved-in-one-week-three-weeks-post-op/page__hl__+week%20+stall#entry432477 You will get through this!

On the first day of the challenge i was 195 today i weigh 184.5. I will be 14 weeks post op tomorrow. I went three straight weeks did not lose a single ounce. So i am assuming it was the "three month stall" at least i hope! My goal is to be under 180 by labor day! My bday will be the 5th. Then i cruise on the 15th! I would love to be 175 by sept. 15! nsv!!! I ACTUALLY jogged one half mile last night with out stopping, with a total of 2 miles on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the gazelle! Made me smile!!! I do allot of that lately!!! Loving my new life!

Readytolose Thanks for turning me on to this group. I too have a low BMI started at 194, been on Pre Op diet one week and down 9 pounds. Hope to get to at least 140, but would love to be in the 120-130 range, but I'll take baby steps to get there! =) For those in a stall, I have heard people talk about going back to an all liquid diet for three days just to jump start again. But Im pre-op so no idea.

People do not stall because they aren't eating enough. I see SO many people climb on here freaking out because they're "stalled" and the first thing they do after three whole days of no loss is start screwing with their diet. This is a major shock to our systems. Shedding weight at a rate of more than a pound a week is a shock to the body. It stops and starts and tries to recover along the way because you've completely changed from gaining weight to rapidly losing weight. This has been widely debated here but the starvation mode thing is doubted but a lot of us. Too many people carry those misguided notions from life prior to surgery (we MUST eat 1,200 calories or we'll starve, eat with a calorie deficit and you'll lose every time you step on the scale) and try to apply them to life post op. It's not the same. Diets are NOT all one size fits all, I say this over and over again. Why people who fail to lose the weight following a strict 1,200 calorie diet and exercising prior to surgery but then try to apply that same failed experiment to the sleeve post op amazes me. Calories are fuel. They are neither good nor bad. food in and of itself is not good or bad. Life and diet are not black and white. Food is fuel. The nutritional makeup of your food can be better or worse for your body, and you can certainly waste food space (very limited for a while post op) on absolute crap choices that do nothing to further your nutritional goals. Living like the sleeve is a diet is the biggest culprit I see in stressed out sleevers and regain posts. Everyone's body is different. How many calories you need is based upon how your body does. I was amazed to see that I lost best initially with about 800-900 calories a day. It took me months to get to the point where I could eat that much. I still lost when I ate less, and I still lost when I eventually upped my calories. It's not an exact science for most of us. There isn't a big, bold line we can't cross - it's flexible, and a lot of it is dependent on what you're eating and how your body reacts to those foods. I am a huge advocate of eating normally. That means no foods are off limits and moderation is key in all things. That said, I truly feel that our weight issues start with our brains and our habits of disordered eating. So until a freshly sleeved person learns more about how their new body tolerates things, and until they work on some of the head issues, I wouldn't say that worrying about upping calories, and downing possible trigger foods to do it, is a good idea. It's a process. There is nothing wrong with indulging once in a while - it's normal. But building a habit of telling yourself that you need extra calories, and therefore a bowl of ice cream (or some other such treat) is necessary each day *could* be a slippery slope for a lot of people. I truly believe you'll have such a hard time getting in your basic Protein first calories that you won't have room for the thought of anything else. That's how it is for the vast majority of us. And nothing tops a lower carb Protein shake for nutritional punch. We don't eat them to add to our calories in most cases. We eat them because you can drink pretty easily once you're healed, and drinking up to 50 grams of protein with only 200 calories for a meal is a darn good way to stay healthy once you're sleeved. You brought up some interesting questions. I am not trying to slam you or any of the other responses here, or lecturing you as if there's only one way to live post op. I've just spent a lot of time on these boards in the last three years and I've seen a lot of trends. Best of luck to you, and congrats on trying to work some of this out prior to surgery. It shows you're trying to prepare and that's important. Too many people skip the questions and research! ~Cheri

I have been stalled at 197-199 for three, almost four weeks now. I keep losing a pound and gaining it back and losing it etc. It is super frustrating, logically it is impossible not to lose weight when eating 700 calories a day! I always eat 80g + Protein a day and keep carbs under 40g. This weekend my fiance came to visit and we went out to eat a ton. I had a taco, some pizza, meats with sauces (calorie packed) and even some froyo. I pretty much just ate whatever. Well I weighed this morning and I am am down 2 pounds from Friday. So now I am wondering why. My job requires a ton of physical activity and I bike to and from classes a day, about 30 mins total, and burn about 400 - 600 calories when I work out 3 times a week. I am wondering if 700 is just too little for my body. Has any female sleever lost weight in a constant manner while getting in around 900 - 1000 calories? Just wanted to add that if I did decided to up my calories I would do so with more healthy foods than pizza and candy I was just observing the increase in calories in general and their effect, not the foods eaten.

So for a quick catch up on things from previous forum entries, I have my first post about me, my return home, the drain removal, and a quick update. This is all the stuff I posted about at the time and didn't remember until I read them again. Comments made on those post from today are in purple. From Sept 16, 2010: Starting to Freak Out My name is Desiree and I set my surgery date for October 4th yesterday. I've been on a journey of working to lose weight for a couple of years now. It all began a few years ago when I destroyed the cartridge in my knee and had to have surgery that put me on crutches for 6 weeks and I couldn't put any kind of weight on my leg. I decided to seriously work to lose weight then and was at my heaviest which was 342. I recovered from surgery and starting working with a personal trainer and following a strict diet. I lost several inches in 3 months, but not enough to count on the scale. While working with my trainer I once again tore up the same knee, only a different injury. This time it the cartilage on my femur and had a hole 1-2 inches in diameter torn into it. This equaled another surgery and this time 8 weeks on crutches with no weight allowed. I had considered the bypass and band off and on for several years but was always uncomfortable with rerouting nature's plumbing and having something plastic that required upkeep in my body. That all changed after learning about my stupid knee injury. While waiting for my 2nd knee surgery I went to a seminar for surgery. I found out all the requirements for my insurance company and started working on them. I found success with a non surgical doctor in the same office and put off the surgery part. Due to recovery time I had a stall in my dr visits and had to start over three months later. I had gained back most of my weight while recovering but over the next several months of starting back up I had dropped 30 lbs. I was happy and all was going well until the pain in my knee came back and I couldn't work out. I was told I have stress fractures in my knee caused by my weight and the thinner cartridge in my knee. The doctor said I need to lose weight more quickly so he recommended surgery. I consulted with my weight loss doctor and next thing I know I'm waiting on insurance approval. It was fairly easy because I'd already had the dietician visits and the psych evaluation. My surgery date is less than three weeks away and on Monday I start a two week diet of no fat, low fat, no meat. I'm starting to freak out and trying to find answers to all of these questions that are suddenly popping in my head and I do not like what I have found online so far. Then I found this site. I'm looking forward to sharing my journey with everyone and putting to rest some of my fears. I was scared for nothing! From October 6, 2010: Just Got Home Just got home today from my surgery. I was sleeved on Monday and other than the 4 hour delay it went great. I went in so hungry and still have yet to get hungry. The gas pains have not been bad but the soreness is bad. How long should I expect to be sore? Did anyone else pull their pain ball thing out at home? Did it hurt? And one last question, did anyone else have problems eating cold stuff like the popsicles? FYI Cold stuff doesn't bother me as much now but something warm makes me check to see if I spilled it on myself every single time. My original Drain Removal post was like everyone else's, me asking if it was going to hurt because I was freaked out by it. From October 14, 2010: Reply to my original post after having the drain removed. It didn't hurt at all. It felt like a suction cup being removed by my stomach and a little weird feeling when it made its way out but no pain!! Other than that the visit was fast and easy and he was pleased with how I am doing. Thank you again for all the help From February 22, 2011: Long Overdue Update This is long over due, but I think it's about time. I'm now almost 5 months post op and I've lost 62 lbs. I think I've hit my first plateau but I think that's because of the working out. I've been doing great and still amazing myself with foods I now like. I'm down 5 sizes which is such a great feeling, I can wear my prom dresses from high school again. I am struggling with hair loss, and I always get in my protein and take my vitamins, but I was told it's expected. My husband and I are planning our first vacation ever and after 6 years I think it's time. Little nervous about wearing a swim suit on the beach and flying on a plane, I've avoided that from fear of not fitting in the seat. I'll get some pictures and measurements posted soon. This was my last update and I never posted my measurements lol.

First of all, I'm only 9 weeks and 2 days out so the perspective I'm offering here is what I call the "newbie stall or gain" and not the stalls and gains of those of you get who are much farther out than me and a lot of us I see post about stalls. Since being released to eat soft foods, my diet has pretty much been the same. I usually eat 600 to 800 calories a day and for the most part, my intake is closer to the 800 calorie mark than it is to the 600 calorie mark. I weigh everyday, but only record my weight on my blog every Monday. When I weighed in on Monday July 30th, the scale showed a gain of two pounds from the prior Monday's weigh in. I had done nothing different that I could pinpoint as the cause of this gain. I wasn't happy about it, but knowing that it sometimes happens, I moved on from focusing on it. Throughout that week, I continued to weigh everyday as I normally do. The scale would show I was up one day and down one day but it wouldn't consistently go down. I was gaining and losing the same 3 pounds all week. When I weighed on Saturday my scale said 261.8. That is only .6 lower than my previous Monday's weigh in. I thought surely I was in for a little loss or a gain again in 2 days when I weighed in and recorded that weight. Sunday, though when I weighed the scale showed me losing 5.6 pounds overnight. It shoked me so much that I weighed 4 more times just to make sure it wasn't my scale going bonkers and yep, I'd "lost" 5.6 pounds overnight. I wasn't sure though that it would stick. I was hopeful, but doubtful. Then came Monday morning. I woke up, peed and hopped on the scale afraid of what I'd see. The scale showed exactly 1 pound heavier from Sunday's weigh in but it gave me a weight loss of 5.2 from the previous Monday's weigh in. It felt really good to put that in my blog considering the week before I had to put a 2 pound gain. Anyway, on to this week. So Monday, I weighed 257.2. On Tuesday, I weighed 255.6. I'd lost 1.6 pounds overnight and was down 49 pounds total. Yay! On Wednesday, I weighed 254.8. Another loss this time in the amount of .8 overnight. I was now only .2 pounds away from hitting the 50 pound mark. And all that brings me to this morning. I got on the scale and it said 253.2. Wow! I couldn't believe it. I'd lost again overnight. This time 1.2 bringing me to a total of 51.40 pounds gone forever. So, my point to this is you have to look at the whole picture of weight loss and not just what happened today or over the past week or two or three. The week I gained 2 pounds was no different than this week where I've lost 4 pounds in only 3 days. I've been very consistent with my program and there just is no logical reason for what has occurred. Okay, yes there probably is but it is probably stuff a scientist would have to explain and we wouldn't understand anyway unless of course one of us here is a scientist. Anyway, I know that sometimes it is hard to look beyond what is going on at the present, but we really need to sometimes in order to keep our sanity. Stalls and gains will happen and we will hate every minute of them but when we step back and look at the overall picture, it will look a lot better than what is going on in the present. I hope I've offered some insight to those of you struggling with a stall or gain right now and that it will give the ones of you who haven't expreienced this some comfort when you finally do.

I just had a three week stall and I'm 6 1/2 weeks out from surgery. Since my surgery ( June 25th) I've lost 31 lbs. This past two days I've lost again. I started to walk and drink all my 64 oz of liquids and try and eat a little more. Right now I'm eating about 800 cal a day. This stall sucked, but what ya gonna do. It pretty much happens to everyone I guess. Glad to know I'm not alone. Good luck!

I am so frustrated. I am also smack dab in the middle of a stall. I have not lost weight since week two and this is almost the end of week four. Actually, I gained three pounds. I know that I am retaining Water because my output isn't nearly as much as what I take in but I am doing everything else. I am getting in my Protein. Yesterday I had 74 grams. I am going to the gym for at least a 30 min workout and I am NOT cheating.Not much to cheat with anyway, I am on purees. What gives? I just can't go back to all liquids. I think I will cry if I have to do that.

I have been walking 2 to 4 miles three times a week and weight training (All pre-op). Now I'm 4 weeks post - op and my surgeon wants me to keep walking and also eliptical. In two weeks I can start weight training again. I've lost 28 lbs so far, but did go into a stall after 2 weeks out. Hopefully I'm coming out of my stall because I saw 1 lb lose today.

I HATE STALLS!!! I am almost three weeks out and I believe I was in a stall last week. Week One- 17 pounds Week Two- 0 pounds Week Three- 3 pounds I was so encouraged after that first week, I figured the weight would just start falling off. Not so much, this process is difficult and NOT the easy way out. STAY STRONG!!!

You're me too! Band to sleeve revision, lost about the same amount with the band then stopped. Gained weight back. Got the sleeve. Lost 16 lbs. Stalled at about 2 1/2 weeks and have been stuck here. I'm three weeks out today and am on softs, getting in a good amount of protein, tracking everything carefully on MyFitnessPal, getting in my fluids, staying away from carbs, etc. I'm stuck, frustrated, pissed off and am miserable because I wonder why I put myself through this for nothing. Closest I've ever followed a diet and I'm not getting anywhere. This sucks.

Hi...at 4 weeks I was on full liquids and pureed chicken ,fish, or turkey . I'am at 6 wks out now and have been having a nice little stall for the past three weeks...yes it's bugging me and yes I've asked on here and to my medical team ..."is this normal?"....and yes it is normal. Your body is adjusting to what we just put it through and trying to get back to "it's normal". I'm having a hard time just letting it do it's thing...but there is nothing else I can do but get my protein, water in and work out. That said it sucks...but I not gonna get too upset.....Good luck.

Thanks everyone! Raven21, thank you so much. I am 5'9" so only a little taller than you. I set my goal at 150, but would be happy at 160. In that picture I was about 260. I had lost about 10-12 pounds prior to that during my 6 month diet required by my insurance. (yes I realize I did not lose much during that phase. I was just happy I lost instead of gained.) My highest weight was 272. Once I got to my two week pre-op diet, I followed it religiously. I did have one cheat ( a piece of pizza) on the first day of my second week when I was on liquids only. I am not proud of it, but I was really craving taste and texture and my son ordered a pizza and was eating it right next to me. I was weak! After that, I was so scared that I had ruined my chances for a successful surgery, but all was fine. Everyone's pre-op seems to vary. Mine was one week of two Protein shakes & one sensible meal of lowfat protein and veggies. The second week was three Protein Shakes a day. During both weeks, I could have one of each of the following per day: 6 oz of lowfat, sugar free yogurt, 6 oz of sugar free Jello, one small piece of fruit or 1/3 cup of fruit. On the last day was Clear Liquids only. The only thing I did not give up until the final day was one morning cup of coffee with a little half and half. I lost 15 lbs during the pre-op diet. Once I had the surgery, I do not think I have done anything special. I try to make sure I get all my Water in. I drink a Protein shake in the morning to start off my day with protein since I am not a big fan of eggs. I eat protein before carbs (most of the time) which means I am usually too full to get any carbs in. The main thing is to be patient with yourself. Looking back, I can't believe it's only been two months. But in the day to day, it seems like I have been doing this forever, and shouldn't I be thinner by now!? I didn't post it, but like many people on here, I hit a stall at three weeks. I was stressed and unhappy about it. I had finally started losing again when I went to see my surgeon for my second follow up. I mentioned the "stall" and he looked at me dumbfounded. He pointed out that my average weekly weight loss was 3 lbs a week which was great as far as he was concerned. I guess when he put it that way, I realized how impatient I was being with myself. If I had been on any other diet, I would have been thrilled! Have you scheduled your surgery yet? Keep me posted! It's not everyday you find a twin! Tracey

I lost 11 pound pre op liquid diet and i lost 10 pound in three weeks.. I think im on stall right now.. I didnt lost anything in a week.. My Dr said that average weight lose is 20 to 25 pounds a month.. I hope it help u

Hi eveyone, I am 4 weeks post up. I am very grateful but still I have mixed emotions about my sleeve. Prior to being sleeved I would read where people would say that they were scared that they would be the person that the sleeve did not work for. I did not understand why they would think that. Well.... I'm afraid to say I feel the same way. Please know that I've read TONS of forum posts both here and on other sites, watched TONS of videos to know that I have to be patient and tha everyone's journey is not the same. Please know that I am not comparing. I am simply scared that perhaps this might not work. Here's my details: In late 2006 I weighed 284Ibs, I lost 77Ibs within a little over a year. I did this by mostly working out (almost everyday) and reduced my food intake. In the last year I stopped running and kickboxing due to osteoarthritis and a major flare up with my knees prompted to tone down my workouts. So within the last year I went up to 236Ibs. I never was able to go below 200Ibs. I decided it was time, I realized I needed the tool to help me. So I did my research I knew that I already know have working out down so that would not be a problem. I realized that I needed help with portion control. I lost 8Ibs pre op bring my surger day weight to 228Ibs. I've read that I would need to maximize the 1st 6 to 9 months for my wieght loss so I was prepared to do everything and beyond that was recommended of me. From day one I walked as I was told to. And days after that I made it a point to walk at least 30mins, I listened to my body and stopped when needed. I drank my water the 1st week even though that was hard. By almost week 3 I was drinking 60ounces of water. And now in week 4, I drink (not exagerating) 90-105 ounces. I have to say I really bounced back pretty good. I'm now back to working out at the gym on the elliptical and taking my spinning classes as well ast other cardio-weight training classes. So now 1st week post op I lost 11ibs... yay! but I knew I hardly ate anything as I was only on broth and popsicles. The second week I lost 1ibs, the third week I lost 1.8 and now at 4 weeks I lost 1ibs.... making it a total of about 14Ibs since surgery. Please don't get me wrong I know that it would have been hard to accomplish without VSG. BUT I trully never expected small losses at week 2 onwards. In all the reasearch I never knew that I would lose just about a pound a week after the 1st week. Now I know someone will say this is perhaps the dreaded 3 week stall but this is was on my second week! For some reason I thought after the 1st week that perhaps about 3 - 5Ibs lost on the average would be reasonable for at least 4 weeks. Believe me when I say I am really doing everything right, I forgot to mention that I am taking in at least 80gm of Protein. Am I missing something? Over a week ago my calorie intake was about 660cal a day. My NUT said I needed to increase the calories especially since I've been really working out, she would like to see me as close as possible to 100cal. I must admit, this scared me but I increased it to about avg 780cals this last week. I know everyone is different but I read where people about 4weeks out can hardly drink or eat and are no where near 800cals. I like to consider myself blessed to be almost back to normal but really wonder if my calorie intake of 780Ibs too high for 4weeks. Am I in the three week stall and then perhaps next week things will get going, perhaps my stall started a week earlier? who knows... I would hate to have gone through something I believed in so much as VSG and have it not work out for me. Really are there those that this does no work for. Most days I'm able to put the negative thoughts away and behind me but I can't help but wonder. I've analyzed my eating, water intake, vitamins, protien and workout. Where else or what else have I missed? I've got to lose right? My HRM reading says I've burned at least 400cals a day for the past 4days. Is there anyone out there that this has happend to but started to loss a little more by month two. When I 1st lost 77Ibs I worked out like crazy to keep it off. My hopes with the VSG was that I could still keep my workouts but not like crazy. These last three weeks I've worked hard for little loss and yet I'm not eating as much as I used to. I wondered if I did not workout if I would have lost anything. My goal is to lose about 60 to 70Ibs but I wonder if setting a goal is especially that low would be attainable. Sorry guys I'm just venting. PS: Sorry for any typos or incorrect spellings.

Stalls are a natural part of the weight loss process and although frustrating are usually nothing to worry about. That said, there are some things you can check that may shorten the length of the stall or even jump start your weight loss. Are you getting ALL of your doctor's recommended daily protein? There are lots of reasons why protein is so important but sometimes you can break through a plateau by increasing your intake of protein - eggs, low-fat cheese, fish, chicken, turkey, or tuna - for two or three days. Try to avoid anything processed. The science behind it is that the intake of pure amino acids increases your metabolism and forces the body to burn stored fat. Are you getting your doctor's recommended daily calorie intake? Plateaus can be "artificially" created if you aren't eating enough calories. The body reacts by burning less stored fuel. Essentially, your metabolic rate slows as the body attempts to conserve fuel in response to a "famine" state. Reducing calories is important for losing weight but it is not the whole story and you can go too far. Are you drinking a lot of fluids? Preferably water (ugh) but all fluids help flush the system out and can actually increase weight loss. Are you staying active? Exercise will increase the speed of your weight loss, increase the total amount of weight you will lose, and help you to maintain your goal weight when you get there. Forget about training to be the next superhero! Remember the Prime Directive - everything you do including your exercise must be sustainable. I walk at least four times a week. I started out walking 15 to 20 minutes and slowly worked my way up to 45 to 55 minutes and two and a half to three miles. I enjoy it and that makes it sustainable. Five years of an exercise plan that you enjoy is infinitely more valuable than five weeks of frustrating yourself and ultimately giving up. Stay focused on following the protocol, stay active, and stay away from the scales for a couple of weeks. Before you know it the stall will pass and you'll be right back on track to the new you!