Search the Community

My experience was that it eventually moved. I stalled for over a month at about three weeks after surgery. I stuck to exercising and eating as recommended. Eventually the weight started coming off - 12 lbs in the past 2 weeks. I feel better knowing I always stuck with my plan, and it finally paid off! Keep at it!

Stalls ate super frustrating.. My order stall was at three weeks and from what I heard it was fairly common that it happens then the dreaded "week three stall" mine lasted like 3 weeks but then the scale was on the go again!!! I hope that the scale starts moving along for you too! Don't get discouraged keep eating right and drinking lots of water!!

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.

I had my surgery on June 25th. My energy level has been thru the roof since I came home from the hospital. I did not have pain or nausea. I started going to the gym 6 days a week at 2 weeks out. I either do an hour on the treadmill or 10 to 15 miles on the bike. The treadmill get my heart rate higher so I mainly do that. I use the bike when my husband comes with me to gym. He is unable to use the treadmill because he has severe bone spurs in his heels. I am currently eating to 2 to 4 ounces of Protein 3 times a day. I still have a Protein shake or two each day. To make sure I am getting all my protein in. I stalled at three weeks and gained 8 pounds. This lasted about 2 weeks and then it broke and I lost 13 pounds in 3 days. I went back to losing one pound a day and I lost 4 a couple days after that. Hopefully the weight keep coming off even if it is slowly. During my stall I went from a 26 to an 18 in pants sizes and my bra size went from a 46c to a 42b. Most people lose inches during a stall. Just don't get discouraged and keep exercising if you are doing so.

Angel, my surgery was July 1 and I've gone from 270# to 247#. I seem to have stalled at this weight for about a week now which is frustrating. I would say on average I am eating 1/2-3/4 cup of food per meal three times daily. I've found it much harder to get my water intake since I've had to withhold drinking 15 min before, during, and 45 min after meals. My energy level is pretty decent, like I'm not really napping anymore and I've found some projects around the house. My stamina has left me with not much ability to sustain physical activity. I can walk with my dog for 1-2 miles tops and have done no cardio or weight lifting. I have been going to the pool 2-3 times a week and paddling around. I'm not swimming real laps, just treading water and kicking around trying to work my muscles a bit. After 45 minutes of that I'm exhausted! Yesterday a trip to Pier 1 wiped me out.

My family, I think, is done with my daily updates so I will use this forum as it is intended - to share with perfect strangers in the same boat as me. First the great news! It is three weeks since I started my pre op diet 10/25) and it will be two weeks tomorrow that I was sleeved. I have lost a total of 25 lbs, I had no complications, I have been off the pain meds in the day since day # 3 and only take them at night because I am a stomach sleeper. I already got though my first small stall about 5 days without the scale moving but now it is dropping off fast. I have been able to move into puréed and soft foods and have had no issues although I have followed the rules (moslt, I think some of what I am eating is not so much puréed but it is super soft Now the not so gre

I'll be four weeks wen and I try to stay at about 1000 calories a day. I've tried just about everything and nothing has disagreed except too much sugar. I love Reece's and had two Reece's hearts, I know bad but I paid the price. I was only 277 at 6'1" going in to surgery and I'm at 256 now I've been at around 260 for three week sloooooow going. A normal day is coffee in the morning with sugar free apple sauce 1 cup, maybe a little beef jerky or some almonds for snack then some soup for lunch or a yogurt. Then supper I can eat more than a cup of salad or soup or small peice of chicken. Not going to lie I do eat the occasional corn chip or cookie the kids have. Which I know I shouldn't. Try to drink all day. I love the morning orange sugarless powder to add to my water, tastes just like Tang and the closest to orange juice with no calories. From walmart. Hope this helps. Your not alone. Your prob in a stall.

I hit the 15lbs lost since surgery mark today and I have already been thru a one week stall. I eat pretty much what I want to within reasob of course. I am keeping my calories under 700, my protein above 60, my carbs under 40 and my fat under 45. So far so good. For dinner tonight I had three saltine crackers and a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. If you want to see the rest of my food logs for the past several weeks you can friend me on myfitnesspal.com. My user name is "MyNanner"!

Yes, congrats on your progress! Some of us just have a longer haul than other folks. It's perfectly okay. I lost in fits and starts the whole time. I'm 5'1.3" and started at 242 and am down to my goal of 135 pounds. After plastics I'll be right where I want to be in the 120s and that's fine with me. I experienced two weeks every month of no loss (and usually had a three pound gain around my cycle, too) and I had two nine weeks stalls on my journey. It took me 17 months to lose 107 pounds, but I did it nice and slow and healthy. If you average it out, I lost just over six pounds a month. You're doing the right things. eggs are impossible for some people. Do you know what Chinese steamed eggs are? It's soft but savory and might be easier on you. Tofu is soft, if you like it. If you can tolerate cottage cheese it's fantastic - until I developed lactose intolerance it was my favorite food post op. And keep pushing shakes! Some folks can give them up and eat enough to get the nutrition they need but some of us can't! I still need them. My restriction is ridiculous (19 months out and one scrambled egg has me stuffed) and I simply cannot sit down and eat four ounces of meat in one sitting. I drink a Protein coffee or tea every morning and it helps me SO much. Keep trying until you find a brand you tolerate well and can enjoy. Vitalady does samples and I found that a huge lifesaver. And as for the other part of your post - trying to conceive. I'm not trying to get too personal, but make sure that both of you are being cleared as healthy. I had half a dozen doctors tell me that the reason my husband and I couldn't conceive was my weight over the course of four years. Nobody thought he'd be the issue because he had kids with his first wife. However, it turns out he's basically clinically sterile. We had to jump into IVF w/ICSI to conceive. Just like in everything else, too many doctors look at our weight and assume it holds the answer to everything. Yes, you are going to be much healthier and yes, likely more fertile, at a healthier weight. But I'd hate for you to slug away for another two years blaming yourself only to discover that it's something else causing the issue! Make sure you get a full workup - HSG, hormone panel, etc. And if your insurance allows it get a more understanding doctor. Preferably a heavier woman! Best of luck to you on both fronts. ~Cheri

If you have searched many of the past posts you will note that stalls are common. Weight loss is not linear and stalls, plateaus will happen even at this early stage. I've stalled 3 times and I'm just 2 weeks behind you in surgery. You have to ensure you are meeting your protein and water goals first, eating three tiny meals is probably not enough and your body could've gone into starvation mode. Are you tracking your intake, can you give us an example of what your day looks like? There is no way to "jump start" the weight loss again, just keep following your program and it will take off on it's own.

Well, it's been a whole month since I've weighed myself. After my three week stall, which broke with a measly one pound loss, I was getting very frustrated. I took one member's challenge (I think it was Lisalu) and decided to stay off the scale for a month. For someone who doesn't own a scale and was fine with a weekly weigh-in, I thought it would be a breeze. Well, it wasn't as easy as I thought. But, my clothes fit was changing so much along the way that it kept me going and I was able to resist. I went in for my 6 week followup a couple of days ago - it had actually stretched into a 8 or 9 week followup - and was excited to find that I had lost 11 pounds since my last weight check a month ago. What a confidence boost! My goal was to weigh 230 at the docs office but I weighed in at 228. Yeah!!! I've gone from a size 22 pants and 2X top to a very baggy 20 pants and 1X and some XL tops. My pants were so baggy this last week I went and bought some 18s. I'm going to have to wear them close fitting for a while because the saggy look ain't working for me. :lol0: I'm making my way out of the Women's section and back into the Misses section. I'm looking forward to the clothing options that will open up for me then. I'm happy to say that I'm finally settling into a good routine and feeling good about having had surgery. It's still difficult sometimes having to think so much about what and how I eat, but it gets better every day. I actually feel normal most of the time. Of course, the minute I sit down to eat I get a dose of reality from my stomach. But, it doesn't seem like such a big deal now. I know the scale strike won't work for everyone, but it helped make this past month so much less stressful for me. I just stopped worrying about my weight and focused on getting my Proteins and my clothes fit. I don't know if I'll stick with the monthly weigh-ins. Once every two weeks will probably be more realistic for awhile, but I don't feel like I have to decide now. I do plan to get a scale as I get closer to goal because it will be more important to monitor those last few pounds that come and go. Until then, I guess I'll keep sneaking onto the display scales at Wal-Mart. :thumbup: Best wishes to anyone starting this journey and empathy to anyone struggling with their scale. I feel ya!

This is so normal that I didn't even have to open your post to know what it said. Anything titled remotely close to "week 4 and concerned" is going to say something like "I lost a lot of weight in the first couple of weeks and haven't lost anything since. What am I doing wrong?" Seriously, do a search on this forum for "three week stall" or "week 3 stall" and you'll see multiple posts about it almost every single day. The best thing you can do is stay off the scale for a few weeks and keep following your plan. As the others have said, your weight loss will start up again and everything will be fine, but jumping on the scale frequently won't make it happen any faster! Rest easy in knowing that you are perfectly normal and doing everything right

Hello, February 10 Bandsters!!! I am just getting back on track after a stall for almost three months!!!! I switched doctors and finally got a good fill! I am at 6.8 cc's and I am loving it so far. I know it may be too soon to tell because I just got the fill on Thursday and it's Sunday. I have lost 6 pounds so far this month and I am hoping by the end of the month I can get another 6 off! That's 3 pounds a week which is possible with exercise. I will be hitting the gym first thing in the morning. I have been working out M-F for 45 min to 1hr in the gym and it's really helping me stay on track. I hope everybody have a great week.

almost everyone has their first major stall within the first 4-6 weeks after surgery. It's called the "three week stall", because it usually happens the third week, but not always But it's almost always within that 4-6 weeks post-op time period. Just stick to your program and will break. Mine lasted two weeks. Grrr. But then once my weight loss started up again, I dropped like 6-8 lbs within a couple of days.

I am. I was sleeved on 2/25 and doing great. I have lost 16lbs since surgery. 22 in all. Right now I am stalled but read its common week three. How about you?

1) three-week stall. Almost all of us experience that. 2) I lost 16 lbs the entire first month, and I went on to lose over 200 lbs.

in my first three weeks i have liat 30 lbs..tgen switched to soft and then to solids and I lose 2 lbs..then gain..then nothing..for almost 3 wks now. Doc and nut says it's fine but I'm not losing weight...following the meal plans..lots of fluids...and NOTHING!! I fear this is my new life...is this as good as it gets..km frustrated and depressed all the time thinking about this. one thing I am doing that I should is I can't stop checking my scale...been three weeks in this stall didn't think it would last this long.. Sry for the vent..just overwelmed

it's a stall. Almost all of us experience them - and the first one is usually within the first 4-6 weeks after surgery (it's usually the third week, but not always - sometimes it's the second week and sometimes it's the sixth week. But if you want more info about, search this site for the "three week stall" (it's so common to have it the third week that we call it the three week stall). There are over 17,000 posts on it here on BP (and no, I am NOT kidding..). best way to deal with it is to stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days. Stalls typically last 1-3 weeks before you're on your way again. And just so you know, this is likely the first of several stalls. It's a normal part of weight loss.

This is exactly what's happening to me... I can't get past this stall .. Lost 22 the first three weeks but scales haven't changed in two weeks :/ on week five now Able to eat pretty much anything now so I've been very lucky but I hope this stall changes quick Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I recommend loggin your food in myfitnesspal, so you can track calories, carbs, protein, fats. My surgeon tracks almost 2000 patients. A year after surgery, most are still eating under 1000 calories a day. They are healthy (some need just vitamins, some also need folic acid and B12 supplements). Did you put on weight at surgery time? Often people do and it takes a bit to shed that. And many many people have a ‘three week stall’ where the weight loss slows at the 3 week (but can me 6 or 8 or 10 week) mark. Stick to your programme. At first blush your eating sounds fine at this point - you can’t help but lose. Are you walking? That helps too...

I'm three weeks post op and I think I'm seeing the beginnings of a stall too. Scale hasn't moved in three days.

First, I'm also 29 and have PCOS. I was sleeved last November. Second, everyone loses differently. My body seems to have two weeks it loses pounds then two week "stalls" where I lose inches but minimal or no weight. I noticed this early on and I've had as long as three weeks with a single pound lost. However, try to think in averages. I set the goal to average 2 pounds lost a week since that's what doctors recommend. That doesn't mean I expect to lose 2 or more pounds each week. If I lose 5 pounds one week then 2 the next then 0.5 a pound the next two weeks I consider it a success. As you lose it will slow down so be prepared for that. I'm 14 pounds from goal and as you can see I've still maintained my weekly average with 2.16 lbs a week. You can read my monthly updates here: http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/320791-Kristen%27s-Journey-From-Pre-Op-and-Beyond

I don't know how long your stall will last. None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. Stalls and fluctuations are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. We all experience stalls and almost everyone experiences a stall about three weeks post-op. So, you are right on schedule. Just follow your program, focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids, and stay off the scale. Embrace the Stall! Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I'm nine months out and have only had a few stalls, but these days I don't expect to drop more than a few pounds a week. As long as I'm making some/steady progress, I'm happy. One thing to consider, work on increasing your exercise if you are able to. I walked nine holes of golf yesterday with my sons and ended up losing three pounds between a Sat morning scale check and one this morning. Good luck and enjoy the journey.

sounds like you've entered the infamous "three-week stall" a little early. Almost all of us go through our first stall sometime within the first month after surgery. It's usually the third week, but not always. Mine was weeks 2 and 3.