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I did have the traditional three week stall that many people on here talk about. I went a whole week without losing a pound, and then bam...it picked right back up! No worries carriecat, you will start up again!

28 pounds six weeks out is a great number - congratulations!! 700-800 calories a day may be a little low. RNY is all about lifestyle changes. And lifestyle changes have to be sustainable. Long term sustainable. That's the prime directive. The sustainable test has helped me enormously in making dietary and exercise decisions from the day I had my surgery right up to this minute. I've averaged about 1300 calories a day since October 20, 2011. Two weeks ago and 100+ pounds lighter, the surgeon told me she didn't want me to lose more than an additional ten pounds and to up my calorie intake to 1800. That sounded a little high to me so I'm shooting for 1500. Crazy as it sounds, there are more days than not where I'm finding it very difficult to hit the 1500 mark. I have (I think) a great appetite but I just can't hold that much and I'm truly not t h a t hungry. I am absolutely confident that I could maintain a 1300 calorie average (there are days when I hit 1700-1800) but we'll have to see what happens with the weight. So far it's holding around 170 for the last three weeks. So based on long term sustainability, you might consider upping your calories to say 1000 a day for a month or two and see what happens. Most doctors recommend a weight loss goal of two pounds a week. Gradual calorie increases until you reach that average will take you where you want to go and do it in a healthy manner. Stalls are all part of the process and nothing to worry about. I love your decision to stay away from the scales for a week. Two would be even better! Stalls often last a couple of weeks but sometimes more. Stay focused on following the protocol, stay active and stay away from the scales as much as you can! You're gonna love the new you and congratulations again on a great start!!

The three week stall is normal and expected. Normal stalls are at 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and so on. The thing to do to help break them is to UP your calories and exercise. When we eat so small a number of calories, our bodies go into starvation mode and slow our metabolism as much as possible. Exercise helps combat that. And you need to eat a little more (especially protein) when you are going to be exercising. Realize that you didn't gain this weight at a rate of 30 pounds a month, so it's not going to come off at that rate either. Also realize that the weight is coming off. And this time, it is gone forever! So even if it's not as fast as you like (believe me, I'm in the same boat), just sit back and enjoy the ride. This time next year you will be MUCH smaller!

Hi cissie.... I will be 4 weeks post-op on Monday. I have been stalled for almost 2 weeks as well. I lost over 30 lbs the first 2 weeks post op now NOTHING. I read ALL about the week 2 and week 3 stalls post-op when I was getting ready for surgery - but there's still no way to prepare for this frustration! If you do a search in the forums here for "week three stall" - you will gets lots of results. It's very common at this point in our journey - but it sure doesn't make it any less stressful. I know better than to doubt my sleeve's ability because of this but I still do! I've only been eating 300-500 cals a day too. Protein first, getting all my fluids in, etc. I know I am doing everything right, now just have to allow my body the time it needs to adjust and try to keep my sanity!

I went on a tomato binge...I put tomatoes in everything. Rolled up turkey slices, a little lettuce with tomatoes sliced in my food processor (which makes them real thin), something about the tomatoes really fill you up. I have heard other people talk about watermelon, and I haven't tried that yet, but I bet it is the same effect as tomatoes. I have had a couple of grapes. Those weren't too bad. Don't really like bananas with my sleeve. I always hated water, now I love water...especially if it is soured with some lemon...I think I am right at 40 pounds lost, and my three month mark is next Tuesday. My 3-month dr visit is on the 16th. I wanted to be at 50 by then, but I am not so sure I am going to make that...but, I am not disappointed in what I have lost. And this two-week stall could throw off ten pounds by then. Who knows? I just wanted to congratulate you on your 89 pound loss...and say thanks for the encouraging words.

I ONLY lose after it goes away. That means I have a three week stall EVERY month and then lose 10-15 lbs that last week of the month. It's weird but my nutritionist said it wasnt uncommon.

How in the hell do you gain three pounds overnight? I had a two week stall and finally droped four pounds when I weighed on Tuesday morning (yes I got on the scales twice to make sure I read it right), so this morning I thought maybe check this one more time since the last two weeks were horrible with no loss at all. Yesterday I had a protein shake, 1/2 of a pork chop maybe a quarter cup, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and Mousaka for dinner, maybe 8 oz and yest it was to much had the worst pain I have ever felt in my life andmy GERD kicked in real good, but I hadn't had it in forever and I love eggplant. I had three sugar free ice pops throughout the day as well. I did not get in all my water though because of the pain asscoiated with dinner. I have been fanatical about what I have been eating and I walk almost every single day no matter what, last night was not my usual walk but up and down the street on the local main st of town. Its about a quarter mile from one end to the other and I made sure to get as many trips up and down the road as possible before the rains came. Its bad enough to be losing so slow but now it seems that I am doing something wrong or I am just doomed to be a fat cow forever at this point. Anyone else ever have this happen?

A weight loss plateau or stall is a temporary cessation of weight loss that can happen at any point in your weight loss surgery journey and can last days, weeks, or months. Plateaus happen to almost everybody sooner or later (no matter what means they're using to lose weight), no matter how hard they work at weight loss. Why do plateaus happen even when we’re doing all the right things? The human body wants to preserve itself. It fights weight loss by adapting the metabolism to accommodate decreased calorie intake and/or increased calorie output. The body's new plan of attack is multi-pronged: increase calorie intake by making you hungrier (so you eat more), use less energy to accomplish physical activity (so you burn fewer calories) and hold on to stored fat (so it can use it for energy). I think plateaus often happen because we're in a rut. So even if you believe you're doing all the right things in terms of diet, exercise, and mental or emotional effort - try changing them. If nothing else, it will prevent boredom and help you feel that you're taking positive action instead of being a victim of fate. Here are some things you can try to shake up your routine. Change the intensity, duration, frequency and type of exercise you're doing, so your body doesn't become too efficient at burning calories when you work out. Don't neglect strength training - muscle burns far more calories than fat does. Don't over-train - take one day off exercise a week. Plan all your meals (the "how much" as well as the "what"). Weigh and measure your food before you put it on your plate. Log your food intake - you might be surprised to see what and how much you're really eating. Try calorie shifting: vary your calories - eat 1200 one day, 900 the next, and so on, to keep your body guessing. Eat 3 small meals and 3 healthy snacks a day instead of 3 meals a day. Increase your water intake. Decrease your sodium intake. Don't weigh yourself every day - switch to once a week. Don't skip breakfast. By the way, if you weigh yourself every day and think that no weight loss for three days running is a plateau, you're going to have a long journey ahead of you. Get off that scale, now! I have one more suggestion that you probably won't want to hear: CULTIVATE PATIENCE. No, it's not one of my virtues, either. Give it a try anyway.

You have just shocked the poo out of your system. Give your body time to figure things out and readjust and find a new "normal." I lost ZERO the first week after surgery, then very little the second. At three weeks I hit a SIX week stall. Then I started blasting right on through all of it. Everyone IS different, so do not compare your progress so much with others. If you are following your guidelines, it WILL work. It will happen. Don't freak out on us! Drink, drink, drink. It's hot out there!

Yep, it's the dreaded three week stall, which commonly occurs 2-3 weeks after the start of most any serious weight loss effort. This article http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html provides a great explanation of what's happening and why. You will also probably notice that after you break this initial stall, that your weight loss will be somewhat slower as well - and this really is good news. The initial weight loss comes from your quick access energy reserves of glycogen (basically carbs,) which burn at a rate of around 2000 calories per pound, while your longer term energy reserves of fat that you will be drawing from after the glycogen stores are depleted, burn at a slower rate of around 3500 calories per pound - but it's the fat that we're trying to get rid of so that slowdown means that we're really doing what we are here to do! I never really stalled at this point, or any other for that matter, possibly because I never went seriously low carb on my diet as many do, so I never went as seriously into the glycogen deprevation mode as some (tho that is somewhat speculative,) but my loss certainly slowed down at that three week mark. Good luck and happy losing!

I had the sleeve on June 14th and have also his a stall. I went in for my two week post op appoitment and was told that this is normal. I also attend a support group for WLS patients and everybody said they his a three week stall. Some folks said it lasts a short time and for others it was a couple of weeks. Everyone gave the same advice, take your measurements. My thought on all of this is that I am 26 lbs down and happy. I never want to go back. Good luck, you'll get through this.

Yes, that's how my NUT defines it. I don't see it as harsh personally, and I honestly don't have an issue with a stall either. But, I might feel differently if I had a stall for three weeks. I am no longer weighing daily because I did have days where I went up a pound or two (discovered that sodium in beef jerkey really makes me retain water). No I weigh every Wednesday, so I had two weeks with not a pound loss but didn't sweat it. Measurements did change those two weeks and I'm doing everything correctly so I know I'll lose what I need to eventually. I'm also over 50 years of age, so I expect the weight to come off a little slower and I'm okay with that too.

Generally for the first two or three weeks you are going to be swollen and retain fluids some so you may not see huge amounts of weight come off. I actually gained almost 15 pounds in surgery but it was gone a week later along with a few pounds. I'm eight weeks out and have lost 26 pounds since surgery (the rest of my weightloss so far was pre-surgery diet) so I'm losing 2-3 pounds a week and have had a couple of one-week stalls.

My stall was at week three for 3 weeks! Most people have one early on.

I reiterate what Wheetsin says above. Very common at three weeks. Mine didn't come at three weeks, but came at 5 weeks, lasted for one week, then I lost three pounds the next week. I was in a stall last week too, no weight lost for one week, and then two pounds lost this morning. It's part of the process, our bodies are adjusting.

3 weeks post-op I started a stall that lasted... about 10 weeks. It sucked! It finally broke about a week ago. My best suggestion would be to do a search for "three week stall". It's something most people go through. Generally lasts 1 - 3 weeks, occasionally 4. Virtually everyone goes through it. So the best advice is to be patient and not freak out, don't try to change everything you're doing because you think it's your fault... don't let it get you down. Just remember it will pass.

I went to the mall today to return an item, and while I was there I thought I would browse the ladies section and see if anything was on sale. I found a cute shirt, but it was an XL in the regular ladies section. I've been in the women's 16-28 section for quite a few years. Just for sh*ts and giggles, I tried it on and low and behold that sucker fit!! It wasn't until I was on my way home that I realized today is the 26th and I'm exactly three months out. So when I got home I decided to weigh myself to see where I am and I'm down exactly 40 lbs! My eyes nearly popped out of my head, because I am just getting out of a 6 week stall. For six weeks I bounced around the same darn pound. It was so very frustrating. My logical self knew it would eventually end, but when you are in the moment and that moment last 6 weeks all kinds of crazy thoughts run through your head. Just wanted to share, especially for those who are in the midst of a stall so you know there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

I will be four months post op on Friday of this week. I was approved for diabetes. For the past five years it's been impossible to control. In addition all the insulin I had to take made it impossible to lose weight. Prior to surgery my AC1 was 12. I went to get blood work yesterday and my doctor called this morning to say it's 6.5. I am so excited. Because my diabetes was so resistant they thought it would take awhile to get off my meds. Also they really pushed for me to do the bypass because of it's success rate with diabetes. I am so happy for my sleeve and realize it only gets better from here!!! I've been stalled at 202 for three weeks now but honestly this is just another reminder that the scale really doesn't matter. The first picture shows the night before surgery, six weeks out, 3 months out and yesterday. Not a huge difference between the last two I've been stalled most of this month but I feel great and I can jog now lol.

Well today when i woke up I went to take a shower and when I looked in the mirror I thought damn you need to weigh yourself. I had went to the doctor for my three week check up last Thursday, so i went to step on the scale and I had lost 8 pounds in the last three days. I am now 25 days out of surgery and have lost 53 pounds. i have been taking my protein and vitamins and eating everything on the post opp diet. I had told my self I wasn't going to weigh myself because i know the stalls can be a real b***h. It was only the third time I have weighed my self since surgery. I feel really good because my heaviest during the approval process was 370 and to step on the scale and be 303 really made my day. I have been going to the gym 3 times a week for the last 12 days and swimming laps on my off days from the gym. my body isn't perfect but I feel comfortable with my shirt off. I have always struggled with my weight but been really tall and a ex athlete. I think that this surgery has giving me my life back. I had 23 years of a pretty much useless existence, until I had kids I pretty much sucked. I am going to make sure that the next 40 years will be different. When I got married I was 450 pounds, I lost 130 thru exercise and eating right but then fluctuated from 325 to 380 for two years. Never again!!! My beautiful wife This is a pic of me 10 pound heavier then I am now

I am one and a half week post-op, but completed two weeks of a two week pre-op clear liquid diet. During the pre-op diet and a week after surgery I lost 23 lbs!!! BUT...since last Thursday I have only lost 2 lbs. I was getting depressed thinking I am "eating" too much. But when I plugged in my food diary into My Fitness Pal, I was pretty much on target. After reading this post and the comments, I feel SO much better. Knowing there is a "three-week" stall for many makes me know I am not alone.

I had a small gain this week. I went from 266 to 266.7. I'm in the middle of week three so I think I've hit the stall everyone talks about. Now I know not to panic!

I can't believe it's already been a month since my surgery. I've had my ups and downs, but I'm trying to stay positive. My surgery itself was fantastic. It went so smoothly and I was so impressed with my surgeon, the nurses and the hospital. I was very fortunate to have no gas pain, and honestly I felt so much better than I expected to. My weight loss was fantastic in the beginning, but as soon as I hit week three, I hit the notorious week three stall. I have to say that despite having read about it, I wasn't expecting it. I weigh nearly 400 pounds, and I'm losing one pound a week eating 400 calories a day? SERIOUSLY???? Stupid body. lol. Week four I managed to lose two pounds, but still I'm finding it very disappointing, but I'm not exercising (blood clot), so that's part of it. I hit something unexpected and found out I had a blood clot when they went to remove my IVC filter. Crap. I'm self-pay so in addition to being worried about that, I also know this means I'm going to have an additional $20,000 or so of medical expenses. And then I had to call my boss and tell him that I'm going to be out of work for another two weeks. Stress city. I'm not happy. BUT...that's all there is. I can't do anything about things out of my control. I'm trying to stay positive and keep myself busy. In a month or so this will all be a memory and I'll be onto something else. Month One Stats: Surgery Weight: 416 One Month Later: 389 Pounds Lost: 27 NSVs: None yet

I was stalled for about 5 weeks and started drinking this once a day (you could do it twice a day if you want). I've lost 1 1/2 pounds in three days. It's also great for helping with regularity, which we sometimes have an issue with. 2 scoops Herbalife wild berry protein beverage mix 1 serving Herbalife active fiber complex 1 serving Herbalife herbal aloe 8 oz. water The beverage mix only has 70 calories, 15 grams of protein, and 0 sugar. The active fiber has 5 grams of fiber. The beverage mix comes in wild berry or peach mango and the fiber comes in unflavored or apple. If you want to give it a try, you can order off my website. The shake mixes tastes great too.

First let me say I feel fabulous! I've lost over 70 pounds in just over 5 months. I went from a 22 to a very comfy 12. The road has not been easy and for all you newbies...here is my list of amazing highs...and of not so sunshiny lows. Disclaimer: This is my experience...it may not be yours. It will be uncomfortable for a few days post op I was not hungry for weeks after surgery I was scared to eat or drink and I didn’t drink enough...thus constipation and weakness I didn't feel normal for about 6 weeks. I needed naps and I took them The weight literally falls off...seriously I was looking for pools of fat in bed when I woke up in the morning I hit the 4 week stall and it lasted two weeks. Expect it and don't stress On day three, I had a massive freak out…seriously threw a four year old fit…pissed off my stomach was gone. No one noticed for months and that irritated me. EVERYONE notices now and it's all they want to talk about. Don’t tell anyone you are going to Mexico to have your stomach cut off unless you trust them completely. I threw up alot...just slime mostly...while I was learning my new tummy. It will scare you and if you are like me…it will happen a lot when you transition to solid foods. food addiction does not magically go away...if you have a problem before..you will still have it. I think about food all the time, but I finally have a way to resist it. I am a sugar addict. I never crave carbs, but I crave sugar like a mad woman. Going out to dinner is awkward. I hate watching people eat Put the lotion on the skin! My skin got really dry. I’ve lost half my hair at 4.5 months post op. Mine came out in chunks. Freaked me out! Our Golden Retriever and I are in a competition for shedding. It will be ok. Take your Vitamins and buy Nioxin. It doesn’t help my hair loss, but I feel like I am at least doing something about it. Don’t take a powerful laxative when you are constipated…especially before your child’s school performance. It may say “See results in 2-4 hours” but it means 30 mins and then you’re stuck on a mini toilet with both legs numb, crying to everything holy to save you. Shopping is amazing! I still feel like people are looking at me like I don’t belong there…but that’s all in my head. My shoes no longer fit. they are too wide now! Your pre WLS Spanx will look huge in a couple months Trust me…put some Granola bars in your glove box and a few packs of mixed nuts. Sometimes your hungry and there is nothing that you can eat. Handy meals from the market or gas station when you didn’t plan ahead. Single string cheese, an apple, mixed nuts, readymade hard boiled eggs, The inside of California rolls- no rice, campbells Soup at hand or ready made soup in a coffee cup. Handy items at fast food places that sit ok on my tummy include: Taco Bells refried Beans or the inside of a chicken taco. Wendys chili, McDonalds oatmeal, McDonalds yogurt parfait I feel guilty in front of my heavier friends. I always try to wear a sweatshirt so I don’t rub the weight loss in their faces. You get drunk really fast...like a half glass of wine. Be careful...it sneaks up on you...and before you know it, you’re waiting for your hubby to pick you up...from less than a glass. Its crazy. I don't really even try anymore to drink. I crave raw fish, cooked fish, broiled fish, grilled fish...any fish really and it feels amazing on my tummy. I cant eat steak I love that I have collar bones I update my Facebook pictures and secretly love the compliments I own a woman's North Face now I can buy bras at Victoria's secret I pack all my food for work in snack bags and the little tupperware containers for salad dressing. I can still have M&M's...its just like 9...instead of the king size bags Take heartburn medicine everyday...don’t wait until you get heartburn. Buy stock in Maalox You can have a full meal at Costco- Samples + WLS = Cheap Date! Food Portion jokes get really old Fast food burgers makes me want to vomit. At 5 months...salad is wonderful. I can eat about a cup of greens...which takes me a while and I feel a tiny bit normal. Post-op, If you can swing it, buy a Vita-Mix blender and make your own soup. Canned soup was nasty right after surgery. Freeze them in 4oz canning jars. It will be two servings. Quit Smoking before surgery. I waited and it slowed my healing. It also gave me terrible heartburn. I am 5 weeks smoke free You don't have to "confess" you had WLS. It's ok to say thank you for the compliment and not feel guilty. I'm just now starting to accept that I had a little something to do with this insane loss. I tell people when they ask now how I lost the weight, that i exercise and use portion control. People will treat you different. Salesladies ask if I need assistance, men hold open doors and the skinny girls at work talk to me now. It's shallow and pisses me off, but it's nice to not be invisible anymore. WLS is very difficult. For me, it’s not physical, but the mental. Sometimes I just want a cheesecake like before. It goes away very quickly, but it still comes and goes. Sometimes I get angry at my sleeve because I can’t eat something I see others eating. Most of the time I have to hide my expression when I see people shovel food in the way I used to. It’s shocking to see when you’re on the other side of WLS. I used to inhale my food like a tiny food thief was going to come in and take it away from me. You will have to say no to your family when they all want to go to a Chinese buffet. I’m still not ready to walk in and be near a buffet. It feels awesome to give your clothes away, however, do not offer them to your heavier friends. It’s insensitive and they won’t return your calls for a week. Last one...I played laser tag this past weekend with a bunch of 9 year old boys. It was soooo Much fun!!! Please feel free to add any other thoughts or tips...

All i have to offer is what i've experienced in the last four months. Which is this: I was doing cardio, then some pretty aggressive weight training. My weight stalled at the usual three weeks where most of us DO stall....well, it lasted for six weeks. I think what was happening, is that I was building muscle as I was losing fat, so it looked like I was stalled out. I'm all about the scale, so I could not have that. For a time, i have been doing cardio only and slowly increasing my time. I can do 45-60 minutes on the elliptical now. I just went in for my four month follow up and the PA told me to do some strength training twice a week with very light weights and very high reps (up to 60) so I will not be a frail thin person. This way of strengthening will not add bulky weight to my muscles, just make them strong and add some burn to the metabolism. So far so good.