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Yes, a cup of liquid (not necessarily puree or cream soups) anything goes down easily. I remember in the hospital when they brought my first meal: good size bowl of broth, small juice, popsicle, Jello cup and I was thinking what on earth am I supposed to do with all this? All I'd ever heard was sip, sip, sip and don't ever take in more than 1oz at a time. Boy was I in for a surprise when the nurses were really irritated with me for not eating it all and not drinking the huge pitcher of ice Water they kept refilling! At home on Clear Liquids I'd usually fix myself a 16oz bowl of broth and sip it down slowly but I didn't have any trouble taking it in. I had a stall in week three. It was also time for my period and every month, things seem to stop a week and a half before I get my period, then I start and drop 2-4 lbs over night and start inching down again from there.

No no no !! You did not mess up. Your body is going through alot of changes right now and has to have time to catch up with everything that is happening to it. Dont be discouraged!!! Stick with your program and you will be fine, the weight loss will come.Talk to your doctor about walking a little more everyday. I understand that you have heart problems but even if its just a stroll down the street its better than nothing.I am at five weeks post op and I have had my own struggles as well. I lost 30 pounds pre op and the first week after surgery 10 pounds fell right off. Then wham! Nothing for two weeks. I was so discouraged and upset. But I read alot of posts and here and found out it was normal to hit a stall. Discouraging as it may be , we all go through it. I am kinda afraid that I hit another stall this week. I lost five pounds last week and for the last three days the scales have not moved but I know as long as I keep at it the weight loss will come. Same for you!!! Just dont give up. This is a process. Good luck!!

This was me... literally until this morning! I went three weeks with NOTHING. I went back to basics. I hit my Protein goal and drank my Water and stayed away from treats (for the most part). This last week I also stayed off the scale to give my head a break. I'm not sure if it was the water or just time but today my stall broke. It will pass, just give it some time. I know how frustrating it can be! Oh, some people suggested to me to change up your routine, I kinda did that as well as this weekend I went away so everything was different. I got back Sunday but waited until this morning (my normal weigh in day/time) to weigh in. Good luck and chin up!

Hey Dorrie, I will look at your MFP and see if anything jumps out at me. I eat pretty normal and when I say normal, I mean I have some peanut m'ms and cheetos occasionally. LOL. I am by far not perfect at this. I try to drink a protein drink whether it be muscle milk ready made or unflavored in OJ in the morning. I didnt have any this morning but most mornings I do. I eat peanut butter with mini nilla wafers around 10 or cheese and ritz crackers... not many crackers or wafers.. like 5 mini wafers or 2 ritz. I have been trying to lower my carbs down some so I could get out of the constant stalling too. It has worked for me. I try to keep my carbs down under 40 but definately under 70. I dont worry about the calories and I have yet to go over 850-900. I mostly stay around 750-800 but Its not because I try to. I dont eat lot of snacky things if i want my carbs to be low. Seems like all the snacks I like are carby. I eat roast beef lunch meat or ham and cheese for lunch a lot or sometimes chicken. I eat fish or chicken for dinner a lot. I buy the fajita meat already done andn just add some mixed peppers with it and its really good. I bought the three pack of peppers and sliced them and froze them so I can just get out a few to go with my fajita chicken or beef. Its super good and very low in carbs.. like zero. I hope this helps. I also walk 2-3 miles about 5 days a week and do zumba twice a week. You can look at my MFP which I usually update during the week if you want to. My username is the same as here. HTH Tammi

St. Louis Sarah.... have your clothes gotten any looser the past 2 months during your stall? I'm a little similar as far as the weight loss being slow the past few months and I had my surgery around the same time as you. I've really hit the weights with some heavy lifting the past three months, my pounds are very slow to drop, yet my clothes keep getting looser. The reason I asked is that I see that you've been doing CrossFit which mostly uses your body weight for lifting, which will add a good deal of muscle. I do CrossFit type of training about 2 days a week in addition to my weightlifting. So if you are still losing inches, I wouldn't worry too much about it due to you adding muscle, at some point, muscle and strength will plateau a little, and you will probably lose some more weight. As for the carbs, just keep an eye on them and not go too crazy with them. Consuming them around your workout is fine and will actually help you pre and post workout. Other than that, you might want to keep them to a minimum. Also consider what the others on here mentioned like logging your food intake and not drinking with meals. If you are feeling better, that's great and try to focus on the good things while sticking with what you're supposed to do. Hang in there, it's more mental than anything.

Whenever you start any kind of a weight loss program, not just surgery, you tend to lose very quickly the first couple of weeks or so because initially you are burning mostly glycogen - your quick reserves of primarily carbs which burn at a rate of around 2000 calories per pound; after those reserves are exhausted, then you start burning primarily fat which burns at a slower rate of about 3500 calories per pound. People often stall during this transition period, which is what is usually referred to as the dreaded three week stall. So, if you are already in that longer term fat burning mode when you go into surgery, then you won't see as big of an initial drop immediately post-op that those who didn't lose anything pre-op did (though you may see an initial gain and quick loss from the fluids they pump into you during your hospital stay.) Either way - pre-op or post-op, weight loss is a good thing and what we are here for! Good luck.

that lovely three week stall that lasts sometimes 2-4 weeks. that scale will move....dont worry! you will get there! stay possitive

Hey guys - I was sleeved 1/30 and I think I have almost exactly same stats as you two. I just had a REALLY FRUSTRATING 2 week stall. I've been reading everything everyone says about stalls and it seems what we are experiencing is normal (and even to be expected). I tried upping my calories a little and water a lot and switching up my exercise routine. Phew...stall is officially broken. I've lost three pounds in three days. My doc says this is what I should expect, really. He referred to it as stepping down (level for a bit, down for a bit, level for a bit, down for a bit....). Hang in there. There's no way we can't lose weight when we're consuming under 1000 calories a day (and exercising)! Have faith and patience.

As some of you may know,Protein, staying below 40g carbs, and exercising every day -- then I had some crappy stuff happen and I got knocked off my horse for a few weeks. But for the last 4-5 days, I'm bouncing back and starting to lose again. Then today, I had my follow up with my surgeon and it was awful. I expected him to be upset and he was. Granted their scale showed me about 3lbs heavier than I was at home this morning (and that's with the 2lbs they take off for clothes). Last time it was 3lbs. smaller -- but who cares? I'm only paying attention to my scale anyhow. I've only lost 6.5lbs in the last 21days. But the last two have been in just the past few days. I told my doctor about everything that happened, and he once again accused me of cheating. He tells me that whether or not I exercise, I should still be losing 4-5lbs per week. I disagree. I showed him my food diary (MFP on phone) and how I'm averaging 550-600 calories per day, and was as low as 430 during the week I was too nauseous to eat. He told me I should aim for 600 calories per day, and I told him how his nurse and nutritionist both told me to go down to 400 when I wasn't exercising. I found it nearly impossible to hit my protein intake during that time, which he says is a lie. He told me that "with how I'm doing" I'm most likely going to max out at losing only a total of 50-60 pounds. I've already lost 42. WTH? I really do not get along with him and he tends to throw out numbers at me and tells me that he doesn't think I'm journaling everything I eat. He has NO IDEA how f****** diligent I am with my diary. I read on here how some doctors allow things like refried Beans, Peanut Butter, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, etc. but I keep to his diet strictly. It's a rotation of greek yogurt, cottage cheese, protein drinks/shakes, white meat chicken, shrimp, scallops, and tofu. I can't do much cheese because of one of my other ongoing problems, and if I squeeze in a floret or two of broccoli or a spear of asparagus I feel like I cheater. I will agree that I want to work more at hitting my protein goals. Now that I'm feeling better, I know that will happen. But what happened to compassion? What happened to, "Wow. That sounds like a rough month. Let's see what we can do to get you back on track." No, I get, "You need to come clean and look in the mirror and see what you're doing wrong, what you're allowing to go in your mouth that you shouldn't." When I mention that my gyno may be considering surgery for my ovarian cyst problem, he was against it. His words, "Not many doctors know how to deal with fat patients on their table." I'm sorry, I know I'm obese but I find the word "fat" to be a bit insulting with the tone he used. I just don't like the word, since it's usually said with hate and it's not as clinical as "obese." Thank goodness I have no more scheduled visits with him anytime soon. I'm forever grateful that he did a wonderful job with my surgery. He is obviously skilled in that area. But when it comes to making a person feel human, feel worthwhile, and not feel like a complete failure -- he needs a lot of work. I already knew the loss was bad, I knew I had a rough time with my stall. I've been beating myself up mentally for the past three weeks. I'm not looking for a friend or a hug, but f*** him if I'm going to let him call me a cheater ever again. God complex anyone?

OHHHH dear one- the conversations we've had today on this forum about stalls!!! I am in one as well. Mine started at...guess when....three weeks!!! Yes, it's referred to around here as the "three week stall." I found a great explanation for it today from one of our seasoned sleevers. Check it out: (This was a post on another thread by "Tiffykins.") This is why you are in a stall. It's normal and expected. Your body will never go into a stall as long as you have body fat to burn: 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 onCarbohydrates. 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.

Hey all- Ok...I have an issue that I need to figure out. Right at three weeks I hit a stall just like I expected. I knew it was coming and I was gonna kick its butt!! Well, two weeks and one day later, there's no kicking. Only stalling. Well, I can deal with that I suppose, because I know this HAS to work. I'm eating between 600- 800 calories a day, and it's all light, low fat, sugar free and I have my Proteins first. I'm pretty confident that I'm eating right. I also go to the gym three times a week. I need to work on walking on the off days, and drinking more. That aside...I think logging my food every day on My Fitness Pal is putting me in a downward spiral of despair. I can SEE that I'm doing everything right and still the scale's not moving. I think i need to take a step back from the scale and from the food logging for a while. I know it's a valuable tool, but I think it's doing more harm than good right now. To be clear...I know I'm doing all the right things. I know the stall will break. I just need advice on whether to stop logging every microbe that enters my mouth right now. I feel the need to log the dust I inhale. I feel legally bound to log food. Can I stop for a while???

http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html Here's a great article on starvation mode and why it's just not true for obese to super morbidly obese people.: MTYHBUSTERS: Starvation Mode There are a number of nutritional myths running around out there on the web. Mythbusters is one of my favorite shows and misinformation annoys me, so I decided to do a series of articles on each myth examining what is and isn't true about it. (Plus stealing the Mythbusters title makes me feel like Kari Byron, or at least like I could be her mother.) So let's start by examining the whole "starvation mode" idea that you see all the time in articles about dieting. I picked this one to start with because I'm now tracking my food on My Fitness Pal and the number of people there screaming "starvation mode" is about 10x higher than most of the other weight loss boards I go to. They annoy the heck out of me, so I want to "answer" them in a permanent way vs. just arguing with them over and over on the boards there. So what is the Starvation Mode Myth? It goes like this: "If you don't eat enough, you won't lose weight!" Okay, so all I have to do to lose weight is ... eat more food! Wow, isn't that awesome? If I stall out at 800 calories, I'll just go up to 1000. And if I stall at 1000, I'll go to 1200. If that doesn't work, how about 1500? 1800? 2200? Oh wait, when I ate 2200 calories, I weighed 223 pounds. Okay, that's not going to work. But what if I just don't go below the magic "1200" that "everyone" says "no one" should go below? That must be what they mean by "starvation mode," right? If I stay at 1200, I will lose weight but if I go below that, I won't. The problem with this idea is that, if it were true, no one would die from starvation and obviously people do. Clearly, even if you eat what is obviously too few calories to be healthy, such as an anorexic does, you will continue to lose weight. So where did this idea -- that not eating enough calories makes you not lose weight -- come from? It started with the famous Minnesota starvation study. Some normal-weighted men agreed to live on a compound where their exercise and diet was strictly controlled. For portions of the study, they were on a "starvation diet" which is defined as 50% of the calories your body needs to function. For me, these days, that's about 750-850 calories a day. So I was on a starvation diet up for the first four months after my surgery. Yet I lost weight just fine during that period -- better than fine, really. Most of the people on The Biggest Loser are also on starvation diets, from what I can tell. They may eat a lot more than I do but they also exercise strenuously 6-8 hours a day. So they are often below 50% of their calorie expenditure for the day. They seem to lose just fine too. How can this be?! The answer lies in what actually happened to the Minnesota guys when they were on their starvation diets. Like most of us on a diet, their metabolisms did slow down. In fact, after they'd been on this diet for a while -- we're talking months, not days here -- their body fat percentage got to a point below what is considered minimal to live on (about 5% for a guy, 6% for a gal). At this point, their metabolism had slowed down as much as 40%. But -- and this is the important point for those of us on a diet -- they continued to lose weight. Even with that big of a slow down in their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), they were still operating at a great enough calorie deficit to lose. If this is true with a 40% slow down, it's even more true when the slow down is somewhere in the 14 - 22% range, which is more where if falls with normal dieting. WARNING MATH CONTENT AHEAD: Take an individual who needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain their current weight. Assuming calorie expenditure remains the same, they will lose (approximately) as follows: Calories Expected Loss Per Week Actual Loss 2,000 0 pound 0 pound 1,500 1 pound 1 pound 1,000 2 pounds 2 pound 500 3 pounds 2¼ to 2½ pounds As you can see from the table, once you go below a certain calorie level, you aren't getting the weight loss you'd expect. This is because your BMR will go down more if you eat only 500 calories compared to eating 1500. But, as you can see, you are still losing more than if you were eating 1000 calories. This is a lot different than the "no" weight loss that the "starvation mode" myth touts. The other important point to note about this study is that it was performed on normal-weighted men. When starvation studies have been done on the obese, they find that the impact of the starvation diet is much less. Our bodies have fat stores designed to get us through a famine (i.e., a diet) and when we have a famine (i.e., a diet), those fat stores get used. The drastic slowdown of the metabolism doesn't happen until those fat stores are largely gone -- which takes a lot longer for the obese than for those who only have to lose 10-25 pounds. So why are we told not to go under 1200 calories a day, unless under a doctor's supervision? Mostly because, the more you reduce your intake, the harder it is to get the nutritients you need from food. If you are on a very low calorie diet (as I am), you need to see your doctor(s) regularly, get labs done regularly, etc. Not to mention, Vitamin supplementation is a must. Doing what I'm doing on your own can be dangerous, as you may not know or noticed the signs of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Don't forget: some vitamin deficiencies can kill you! Another reason not to go below a certain calorie expenditure is that human beings are not machines and, unlike the guys in the Minnesota study, we aren't living on a compound with our activity and food strictly controlled. As a result, when we reduce our calories substantially, there is a tendency to subconsciously (or even consciously) reduce our calorie expenditure. Combine this with our tendency to under-report what we eat and over-report our exercise, and you can see where we can get into trouble. As an example, one Saturday I did a killer two hour workout. After which, I came home and took a three hour nap! Obviously my calorie expenditure that day was lower than if I hadn't taken the nap. Now, I still lost weight that week. But if I was only eating 500 calories for months at time, I doubt I'd be able to have done that workout to begin with -- I'd still be doing the 30 min. low intensity workouts that I started with. Plus, I might also be taking naps a lot more than once in a while. Both of which would have impacted my weight loss because they would have decreased my calorie expenditure. Eating more over time has allowed me to exercise more so that, as a result, my rate of weight loss hasn't gone down as much as it could have as my calories have gone up. Plus I'm happy because I'm fitter and healthier. In the end, it's important to consume enough calories that you have the energy to perform the daily activities you want to and to keep your body healthy. Otherwise, it's self-defeating. After all, the point of losing weight is to be healthier and to get our lives back. It's not to starve ourselves to the point of malnutrition and have so little energy we can't go out and do fun things. If you want to learn more about starvation mode and read more details about the studies I alluded to, here are some good articles on it: Are You In Starvation Mode or Starving For Truth? (some typos but the best summary article I've seen) The Starvation Myth (where I got my table from) The Truth about "Starvation Mode" (lots of research is discussed) And here's an article from the other side... Tom Venuto is a big proponent of Starvation Mode and avoiding it. Yet even though the tone of his article makes it sounds like he disagrees 100% with the articles above, about 90% of what he says is exactly the same: Is starvation mode a myth?- No! It's very real and here is the proof

Don't step on the scale!! You technically need to go without any weight loss for three weeks in order to be in a true stall. I've found that my body needs time to adjust before I start losing again. I am four months out and I will typically lose a pound a day for 5 days and then nothing for 7 to 10 days. I have a rule I've established for myself. If I step on the scale and my weight has not changed then I put my scale away for 7 days!!! I also take my measurements every month....Something I started doing at week 3 due to the dreaded week 3 stall. The other thing I do when I'm frustrated with lack of weight loss is I pull clothes out of my closet and drawers that are too small (or that I THINK are too small) and try them on.....it always makes me feel good!!!

My Hubby has to travel to Trinidad for awhile. His company says about a week which means at least two, and possibly three. He travels alot and this would stil be a short trip at three weeks, but I feel like I am not prepared for it. I am in a stall currently and REALLY hope to fight off the head hunger monster that creeps in every evening when I am winding down, and keep looking for a spouse that isn't around Support, suggestions and anything else you have, friends, please...I don't understand where it is coming from but this feels like it is going to be a long (yet short) trip. I would really like to counter this with positive time and activities...wish me luck!

Advocatemom, I also wanted to add that it's not uncommon to hit some stals at this point. I stalled big time all through my weight loss... up to 4 weeks. It's just now, beginning at around month 8, that I began a more steady, albeit lower, loss. I know sometimes it feels you're doing something wrong! But hang in there! You are doing what you're suppose to. Focus on that and trust the weight will come off. I would suddendly get this big loss; two or three in a row. I think in the beginning especially, our bodies are just making huge adjustments. I just wanted to let you know your experience is not uncommon. I've had it and read lots of people here too. So hang in there!!!!! We're rooting for you!!!! Lyra, I too wanted to thank you for the great resources posted above!!!

I just wanted to say hang in there ai have been there and was so frustrated. I gained six pounds at about 2/3 weeks out and stalled for weeks. I finally relost that weight and now three more pounds. I was beginning to think I was never going to lose again. Thankfully I don't have the option to wrote because I felt like I wanted to do so. I'm praying my gaining days are just do to adding good back food and that the losing can continue. Just keep doing the right things. I know how frustrating this is, but you aren't going to fail even though it feels like it. I was dreading people asking my how much I lost and I had to say nothing or worse I gained for give weeks! Don't give up.

I really don't want to scare you, honey, but it will probably slow down. I hit 50 pounds in three months, also, but now have been stalled for six weeks! Now, THIS WILL PROBABLY NOT HAPPEN TO YOU!! I am only saying this because you should be mentally prepared for when it does slow down so you're not overly disappointed and discouraged. I thought I was prepared and I thought if I did hit a stall, no biggie, everyone does and I'll move on. But i was not prepared for a six week stall (and counting!) I hear in your 'voice' real concern that your weight loss will slow down, but it will and it has to. Your poor little body simply cannot maintain that kind of drastic weight loss for an extended period of time. You will most not likely NOT have the stall from hell, like me, but your body will stop, or slow, and readjust itself. It will most likely happen a couple of times until you hit your goal. Just look at what everyone has gone through on here. I just don't want you to lose hope, and I want you to never stop looking forward to all those reasons you want to lose your extra weight. It WILL happen eventually, when and how YOUR body wants to, not how we necessarily want to. I've learned through this, and through many weeks of despair (which I'm getting over without the scale moving) is that this time it's not something we can control. There is no guilt or fear in this, this time. Of course, we can totally sabotage our weight loss, but, girl, that is HARD to do, lol! Just let go, quit worrying, and let your body do what it needs to do in this time of huge adjustment. It knows what it needs, and how to do it. Just follow the basics, and you can't 'lose', if you know what i mean! You have done amazing! And you will continue to do so, at whatever pace your body wants to

Good timing for me as well - I had one stall at 231.8 for two weeks; then started to loose once again; now three weeks later I am at a stall at 221.8 ! But the compliments just keep coming and the clothes just keep getting falling off. Today I had to move the seat of my car up closer to the steering wheel. Just came back from a work sponsored health fair - my cholestral is way down; blood pressure is perfect and BMI is down 12%. I am thrilled with all the good news. I am halfway to where I want to be; and happy with the results.

Thanks for that Irene! I definitely needed it today. I think this week is going to be my first "stall". I managed to avoid it at three weeks and have lost about 4lbs per week steadily since surgery (six weeks), so I'm over the moon with my progress! But, its still hard to see that scale get stuck. Your advice is just in the nick of time to remind me of what my surgeon said, "Don't worry about the scale day to day or even week to week, its about monthly trends." I know I'm going to be a completely different person in a year, looking back on this moment and smiling at how, once again, I got myself worked up over nothing.

I don't know a lot about plication, but I do know that almost everyone hits a stall around weeks 3-4. Mine lasted over a week, some people's lasts really long, like two or three weeks or more. It sounds to me as if you are experiencing something normal and should trust your doctor. As long as you're doing your part( making good choices, ramping up exercise as you can), you're in a good place and doing great. Slow weight loss is good for your body. Don't worry!

Lol, I regularly stall out for three weeks and then drop all my weight for the month right as my period comes around. If I worried about a stall all the time, I would never enjoy my sleeve. DO NOT worry about stalling right around 3 weeks after surgery, it is super common.

Thanks for this ... I just had a look and it says I should be eating around 1500 cals a day to get to my ultimate goal ( minus of 26lbs) in just over three months. I am eating between 1000 and 1200 cals a day... not sure if I should add more??? I am ok with the quantity right now, but if this stall doesn't break it might be worth trying for a week or two? Interesting...

I am just two months out, but had a 3.5 week stall at three weeks. I received much encouragement from VST and all the great people here. As was said to me, keep doing everything right and it will come off. I lost 4.5 lbs the next week once the stall broke and have lost some every week since. My doctor told me that losing weight with VSG is like standing on a step and waiting patiently for awhile, then jumping 2 or 3 steps at a time. That's exactly how it has felt for me. Good luck!.