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It's perfectly normal to stall in your weight loss, especially between the two and four weeks out mark. If you don't believe me, use the search function here and look for "three week stall." You are not alone! Keep following your doctor's instructions and the weight will start to come off again. Don't be disappointed in yourself, you are doing great, I promise!

Yesterday, as I was getting dressed for a doctors appointment, I noticed that my favorite comfortable pants (my yoga pants - whole 'nother story - love, love, love yoga pants) were dangerously close to falling off my hips.....which was not the case just last week while stalling. Also, my favorite blouse just felt sloppy. So, I put something else on, which ALSO felt strangely loose, but was not in danger of causing a social embarrassment. When I went to put my coat on, it very clearly felt like a stranger's coat. So then, I went to my storage closet and pulled out a wool coat that my boyfriend had bought me three years (and 50 extra pounds ago on my already obese body) for my birthday. It was still in the dry cleaner's bag from when I sorrowfully retired it when I could not button it up anymore. Cautiously I put it on, and buttoned it up - with room to spare! OMG - how could my body change so drastically in one week, when I had just come out of an exasperating stall? This morning, as I am getting ready for another closet flush, I have figured it out.......my body has been changing all along. I just could not see it because of my fatty fathead mindset. This sleeve thing and diligent exercise are doing their work even if the scale tells a different non-parallel story. That heavy 53" belly that was throwing my balance and posture off, is finally shape shifting and shrinking. Today, my mind is catching up with this amazing transformation that is happening to my earthly container. Oh yeah, and get this......The aforementioned appointment was at the pain clinic. I have been going there every three months for three years to get lumbar epidural steroid injections for sciatica. Yesterday, as I was getting positioned on the table, as the doctor is going through the patient ID process, he looks at me, and then my paperwork, and asks if they sent in the right paperwork. Have you been here before? They had to make sure, because they can't just give these injections to anyone, right? What is was, was that they did not recognize me. I explained it was for three reasons. 1. I was a redhead every other time I have been in there, but I am about to go through a drastic hair loss event and decided to quit keeping up with my birth red, and just embrace the gray of my mature years as the new hair comes back in. 2. It has been 5 months since I have been in because I had weight loss surgery and my discs have behaved a little longer this time. 3. I have lost 46 pounds and my face is way thinner. (When all is said and done, I will have to replaced my drivers license picture) Needless to say, I am stoked today. The sleeve has been so worth the inconvenience of having to treat my body and life like the precious gifts they are. Deny myself limitless carbs or deny myself inflammation and misery????? The choices are getting easier day by day. What a journey this is!!! It is not just about weight loss. I am discovering a whole new inside me who has been hiding behind a veil of fat and fear of rejection. Did you see the news story yesterday about the woman who was expecting triplets, and when delivery time came, there was a fourth baby who had totally escaped both x-rays and sonogram? It was hiding behind the other three fetuses in the womb. That's as good an analogy as any, I guess. I suppose a lot of us have just been hiding behind our issues and insecurities and are just now coming into or own as the people we are meant to be. Folks, I am just so happy today. What a revelation and huge step in my progress.

I'm three weeks out from surgery as of today, and my doctor told me I could go back to my yoga and taekwondo classes anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. Decided to give it a shot last night and I survived! Skipping all the self defense and sparring, of course, for another month so that I don't take any kicks to the abdomen, or get thrown to the floor, but just the workout itself and forms work was great. I've felt so tired for the last few weeks, and have been stalled for a week as well. I've never been one to enjoy excercise but it just felt so good to get back on the floor and show that I could do it. Bonus was I finally lost a pound overnight! Not being too sore from Taekwondo plus breaking a stall makes for a great morning!

You are three months+ post-surgery. Your body is definitely not finished losing weight. It knows what to do. It is not programmed to lose the number of pounds that WE think we should be losing each week! If you continue to follow your Bariatric Eating program, and work on building those new lifetime habits, your results will be what is to be expected of WLS. After so many years of battling our weight, of course it's natural for us to want to see those pounds drop off "overnight." But, we all would be doing ourselves a huge favor by focusing less on that number on the scale and worrying so much about STALLS, and instead focusing more on how we are doing day-to-day on getting ourselves into the habit of eating healthy and ditching our wants and needs for all those unhealthy foods that got us in this mess in the first place. Yes? Keep up the good work. . .

It happens to just about everyone. (As @@hudjess mentioned, there are TONS of threads to check out.) Just keep meeting or exceeding your Water and Protein goals. Your body is catching up with itself, and the weight will begin to come off again soon. My three-week stall lasted about 2 weeks. You probably want to stay off the scale during this time if it is going to upset you. Good luck!

do a search on "three week stall". It happens to almost everyone. There should be millions of threads on it in here...

You're doing nothing wrong. But I have to ask ... Seriously? Did you really think you would keep losing 2-3 pounds a day forever? After such severe changes (surgery, rapid weight loss), our bodies periodically try to find equilibrium. They respond with what we call "plateaus" or "stalls." You are right on schedule for the "Three Week Stall." There are many threads and even an entire forum here devoted to this phenomenon. Or you can google it. You're doing fine. Just stop weighing yourself every day. Best wishes .

Our gym has a pool and Water aerobic classes three days a week. I have been stalled (scale-wise) for a while but I am getting smaller. Well a few water aerobic classes has the scale moving again. Most of the people in the class are much older than I am (47). Some of them have limited mobility. It is a very good workout, and not intimidating at all, even though (OMG!) I am in public in my bathing suit, which is now kind of too big! lol

I'm doing a bootcamp three times a week. Its kind of like cross fit. It has made me super sore. I had no problem losing weight when walking, but since I started bootcamp i have been stalled. I don't know if I'm gaining muscle instead of fat or what. Also being so sore from bootcamp makes me lay of the couch and not move. I am thinking about going back to walking just so I can have the energy to do other things.

I'm currently in the midst of a stall as well, and while it's frustrating, I understand that it's all part of the process. I'm following my NUT's instructions, tracking my food, and exercising. As for my exercise, I've been biking (both at the gym and outdoors), using the elliptical, walking, and I started C25K this week. I need variety! For me, exercise also needs to incorporate strength training which I do 3x per week. (Upper body, lower body, and core are the three rotations that I work through.) There are a lot of smartphone apps like Mapmywalk, Couch 2 5K, and Jefit (strength training) that can give you ideas and track your progress. Stay positive and stay active! (And put your scale away--I hid mine in the back of my closet for now!) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Some people are fast losers, others are slow losers. You’ll lose at your own pace which is right for you. Three pounds is fine. Don’t expect to be losing 30+ pounds a month like they do on My 600lb Life cause you know they weighed 609+lbs to begin & you didn’t. Follow your weight loss trend not just what you lose every day. Fluctuations are common. Some days you’ll lose nothing then lose 1/2 pound the next. Or you’ll stall & lose nothing. Sometimes for a week sometimes for three weeks. You may be constipated or retaining fluid which can account for a pound or so too. Don’t forget your body is experiencing shock after your surgery too. Give it a chance to come to terms with all the changes & heal. Keep following your plan. Good luck.

Hey there Kaz, I was actually thinking bout you today and wondering how you were doing. Ahhh mazing by the way!- .5 is still .5 take that and add it to the rest it will all add up in due course. I've learnt early on to remember not every time i overate or ate wrong foods did I see immediate weight gain but sometimes I did and sometimes it came on slowly but eventually it did of course - therefore on the flip side, I expect I should see some immediate losses, some slow ones and some stalls.... Just coming out of a stall and slow loss these last three weeks. Keep going strong - and remember all the good advice and support you give to everyone else :-) Thanks, I needed that. Yes, slipped off the bandwagon into a chocolate lake again. Not the answer! Have to keep reminding myself of the money and pain I've put myself through for this; I'm determined again! X Hi Kazyy! I think we are both walking the same path but we will not be defeated! I know stalls are frustrating but we have to push forward. One of my tools is to only weigh myself once a month or I just wait until I go to the doctor. I took someone else's strategy about getting more Protein in. I also let my clothes tell me if I am losing. I bought a dress on 4/25 that was too small for me (it was bulging on all sides, lol). Yesterday was my second time wearing it and it is now too big. I didn't realize how big it was until I saw myself in a photo my friend took. So although the numbers on the scale aren't necessarily going down, my body is obviously getting smaller. So.....take it slow, keep eating healthy, exercising and getting in your Water and protein and you will do just fine.

Yes...you're in the three week stall! I stalled there and it lasted for six weeks for me. Called my NUT and she said keep up the Protein, add 100 calories of "good fats" (olive oil, avocado, etc.), stick with the program. I started losing again at about 8 weeks out. I DID lose inches during my stall, though. I think during that time I was burning fat and buildng a lot of muscle which weighs more than the same volume of fat. Adding muscle is very important to in order to get your metabolism burning better. So maybe try not to focus for the moment on the pounds and more on overall fitness? If you stay the course, it will come off eventually! Keep up the great work. 19 lbs. in a couple of weeks is totally excellent!

Hi Titan, You have gotten... some good advice. Just a heads up, this forum is for Vets... those farther than one year out from surgery. I'm going to move this to general advice where everyone can comment for you. The three week stall stinks!

Most people have a stall at around the three week mark, but stalls can come anytime. Most people are stairstep losers - lose a bunch and then rest for a week or two, then lose some more and rest. I am one of the abberations who didn't really have any stalls (only one week where I didn't lose anything) during my entire loss period.

My scale comes with an app called FitIndex that I really like. It also has a fancy smart tape measure that I bought so I can measure myself for the times when weight loss stalls. I am about a month out and lost 9 lbs on my pre-op diet and 35 lbs. in the first month post-op. I'm currently in the dreaded three-week stall, just continuing what I need to do and I know it'll resume eventually.

Ok guys chances are I’m just letting my first stall get the better of me but I’m gonna ask a few questions please feel free to comment on any or all. I was sleeved on 8/20. I lost 24 pounds pre-op. I didn’t gain during two day stay in hospital and immediately lost 10 more the first 5 days after surgery. So that’s 35 total pounds lost. Here’s the problem. I stopped losing weight just 5 days after. For three days now I’ve been at the same weight. I NEVER hear about a first week stall so I’m worried. 1. Is it heard of to stall first week? 2. I’m 7 days post op and can already consume more than 64 ounces (which I was told to work toward) by late afternoon. Is that normal to be able to take in that much so soon. It happened gradually but I’m just scared I’ve already stretched my sleeeve. Which is probably nonsense. 3. Finally, pain. Aside from the nagging faint pain of the big incision I have, is it normal to have rolling pains occasionally from my stomach. Not abs, pretty sure this is stomach. 4. Also, what’s up with all this flatulence. When will I stop farting so much? Thanks.

I also stalled at week three through 4.5-ish. Not a pound would move. Then it broke. Went from -27 to -42 from week 4.5-6. I had a 6 week check up today. Down 48 pounds. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

@retakk and Eat that Frog: If you want some reassurance and inspiration, please read my blog. The three of us are so similar; about the same weight, height, BMI and age....and I had hip, knee and feet problems and I was also self-pay. I am now a year out, at goal and I logged my journey every Sunday for the past year. Retakk....until I had this surgery, I could barely lose weight on 1000 calories a day....so don't despair. I did have some plateaus; but I had lost 30 lbs before I had my first stall and then it lasted a few weeks and started coming off again. I firmly believe this tool was made for people like us. If you cannot see my signature line, then go to www.queenofcrop.com/about and start there. I think you will find a lot of information and similarities between us. Good luck and congratulations on making this positive step in your life.

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.

From what I've read in various post here, what we call the "three week stall" generally happens sometime between two and four weeks out. This also seems to be the only stall we don't need to do anything to get out of. Just wait it out.

Believe it. I had a stall weeks 2 and 3 post-op. Almost everyone has their first one some time in first 4-6 weeks. In fact, we call it "the three week stall", because it often happens the third week, but not always. Just keep sticking to your program and it will break. Once mine broke, I dropped like 6-8 lbs in just a couple of days

You are in the three week post op stall that many many people experience. Patience. Maybe you need more Water. My doc let me count Protein drinks toward the Fluid goals. I found herbal teas to be soothing to my newborn sleeve.

Am really getting frustrated here! I was sleeved May 6th I am down a total of 47 pds I have had like three or four stalls I work out 2-3 days a week I was eating low carb and mostly protein and wasn't losing anything Now I have increased my carbs and it is just inching off What is happening!!!! I am so frustrated

8 weeks and 30lbs! Congrats. Yes congrats! You need to be proud of that. I'm at the dreaded two/three week stall and hope to hit 30 by the eight week mark! I've never been able to drink plain water. Briefly after surgery cuz I was so dang thirsty but not without mio or something. Fluids for me are Soup, sf Jello is my friend, Popsicles, Luke warm vanilla roobios tea (tazo) and flavored water. It's an alllll day affair though to get it all in. My protein is mainly still from 1 scoop of whey tech protein with 4oz of water. 24g and only one sugar. First thing in AM and again in Late afternoon. The rest comes from a greek yogurt, soup, eggbeater, etc...but I can choke down two shakes knowing I'm getting in 8oz of Fluid and 48g of protein.