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Honestly, I eat about 1500 calories per day, and am at 3 weeks two days. I try to eat all healthy foods, but have had a piece of chocolate or two. I am down nearly 30 lbs since surgery, and have yet to hit the three weeks stall. I cant imagine the people who eat only 5-600 calories per day, and I'm sure they are staggered that I eat 1500. Its a crazy world, and we are all different!

Hey everyone! I'm eleven weeks out today and have lost 48 pounds. However over the last week nothing is settling. It stops at the end of my esophagus and comes right back up in a ball. Always nauseated before and after I eat. I have to lay down to knock it most times and to top it off I have stalled. I've been the same weight for almost three weeks now very frustrating. Any suggestions? Is this nausea and vomiting normal? I'm miserable. Help!!

That's right - mostly likely the dreaded three week stall, which hits most everyone to one degree or another. This article - http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html gives a good explanation of what's happening. The bad news is that when you resume losing it will likely be at a somewhat slower rate, but the good news is that now it will be primarly fat, which is what we are here for in the first place. So rejoice, and enjoy the trip.

I'm 4 weeks, 2 days out and down 31. I did have a stall in week three but also had my period that week, so who knows?

Hey Linda! I think you might be on to something. Like you, my Fluid intake is very low. I usually fight hard to get 40 ounces of liquid in and I count decaf coffee too. Maybe that is why I stall every couple of weeks. I am going to try harder to get my fluid in this week and see if I see a difference. I bought a fitbit and that has helped me get with the program on being more active. My surgeon visit isnt until friday so I will ask him if he thinks thats why I have slowed down so much or if it could help get this next 35 pounds off. He told me at three months that if I wanted to reach my goal, I had to really increase my exercise. I am doing that now. I started zumba a couple times a week, yoga and I try to walk a couple miles at lunch every day. yesterday I got 2.5 miles! The fitbit motivates me to try to get the extra steps in, instead of being so sedentary at work. Good luck to you! Let me know if you find out anything else that might help us get this last 30-50 off and I will do the same. We are almost sleeve sisters! Maybe half sisters since we are a day apart. lol.

The thing is that the scale isn't moving. I'm at 218 lbs. I'm aware that there's a stall. But isn't this rather early for the infamous three week stall? I will not despair, I will not despair. Boo!

You can see my ticker so I don't want to talk about weight. It's been three months and I want to Celebrate the inches I have lost! I'm going to post them by date because I think it's more telling that way. Oh and I didn't measure EVERYTHING on my body, just a few reference points. Preop 11/1/11 12/19/11 1/12/12 2/2/12 Waist: 42.25" 41.75" 40" 39" Hips: 51" 50" 49" 48.5" Left Calf: 17" 16.5" 16" 16" Left Thigh: 30" 29.25" 29" 28.25" As you can see I rounded the numbers. I will attest to the fact that even when I don't lose pounds I am still losing inches. To all of us who freak out when we plateau for a few days or a week, we need to take a deep breath and get out the tape measure. Remember it's not a stall until it's been 4 weeks without any weight loss. That's what my NUT said and she added that it's still not a stall if I'm losing width in the form of inches or PARTS of inches. She said it's all progress and we must strive for progress, NOT perfection. I love my little NUT! Keep fighting the good fight my friends!!!! Big Hugs!

Your story seems similar to mine, no adverse moments in my journey with the exception of a three week stall and constipation issues. I have actually only lost 13 lbs in 5 weeks. :-) I'm looking foward to my 6 week follow up appointment next week and a real weigh in at the Dr's. I hope our journeys continue uneventful.

My weight loss has been VERY slow and in a pattern. I lose for about a week and then I stall for three. This has been ongoing since surgery. I have "only" lost 44 pounds since surgery day on September 12th and I have only lost two pounds since Christmas, which was five weeks ago. Be patient, it will happen and your body is just freaking out right now.

Don't worry, you will lose wt. I stalled at about week two and didn't lose anything for almost three weeks then I suddenly dropped. I think there is a very good chance that you will meet your Dr's goal. When I was in my stall I just took a deep breath and kept reading all the posts on this forum to reassure myself that my experience was normal and I wouldn't be the only person on the planet who got sleeved and didn't lose wt!

You will find you are also losing inches. I had my three week stall also. Your body has to have time to catch up somehow. Keep up the good work!

So after a bit of a stall in weight loss, I hit a milestone today. I am now down a total of 40 pounds from my start weight. The last two pounds took their sweet time comng off but today I was so excited when I got off the scale I was jumping up and down -naked, in my dining room. Thank god my kids were still asleep. Now only 80 lbs more to go. I am third of the way to my goal and I'm use over a month post op. This week I made some discoveries I want to share: First- If I'm going have any money left to buy nice clothes by the time I reach my goal weight I need need to figure out how to get clothing now for my change body that doesn't break the bank but I still feel good in. I bought a pair of size 18 jeans two weeks ago-$25 on sale - too big now. All my other jeans too big to wear out of house cause if I move around too much they fall down, or they look too frumpy because too big. So...I found a new second hand store that had just open near by a friend of mine took me too on Wednesday. It was nicer then most and had some really nice clothing for cheap. I got three pairs of designer jeans-one still had original price tag of $65 -size 16, all for under $20 TOTAL! - They were really tight on Wednesday, had to lie down to get zipped, but not so bad today. I actually got them on and up while standing up with no problem. Second- Oikos Key Lime Greek Yogurt-If you crumble up a small bit of graham cracker on top, It tastes very much like a Real Key Lime Pie. 11 grams of protein and 150 calories. I felt like I was being so bad but I wasn't. Third- When I was putting makeup, to go to meeting at kids new school, on this morning I noticed I had cheek bones again!!! So cool. I actually skipped to my friends car in my new not too tight jeans. Take care everyone.

I know I read somewhere there are certain stalls that almost everyone hits (like the three week one) so I hope someone posts that info again. I'd love to see it. I'm six weeks post op. I hit my three week stall, which lasted just over a week. last week I lost 7 lbs, now I'm stalling again. I hope this is not an every-other-week thing!

I am currently in a stall and it hasn't quite been 3 months since my surgery. I had the usual 3 week post-op stall that lasted well over two weeks. Now I've hit another stall that is currently at three weeks long. Is this fairly typical? To have them this often? Just curious as to how many stalls you all have had. Thanks in advance for any input!

cscake, I stalled at week two and stayed stalled for nearly three weeks then suddenly the wt started dropping off again. I've stopped weighing myself because it's never in a straight line. I stall, jump around a few lbs and then drop. If I weigh every day I go crazy, so I followed the advice of so many veterans here and ditched the scales!

Wow this motivated me! My heaviest weight was 265, goal weight 150, I'm 5'8" and I'm doing the couch to 5K program. So many similarities. However, I am 4 weeks post op and I didn't lose any weight before surgery, so I'm still at 241. I feel I'm a little stalled, but I have not been in the gym every day. I'm still trying hard to find time to work out with a full time+ job and three kids. Sigh. Any advice? And thank you for posting this. I'm 10x more motivated than 10 minutes ago!

I am 5'3 and was 216 my day of surgery. I have been a relatively slow loser and 4.5 months post surgery I have "only" lost 41 pounds and am currently on a three week stall at 175. I don't mind losing slow, but do fear that I won't lose any more.

I only lost about 12 pounds the first month. I am now 4.5 months post surgery and I have lost 41. Truth be told, I'd rather it be slower. I am not having any loose skin issues as of yet, so I don't mind it being slow and steady. I have been stalling for three weeks at a time, currently on one now and stuck at 175. My doctor says he wants between 10 and 15 pounds per month.

It's been awhile since I've been on here. There have been several gaps of time when I have "slacked" off in my motivation. TBH, what I struggled with was not being able to get ENOUGH calories with how active I wanted to be. I had finally made the decision to have my band unfilled and that was to occur this past Thursday. But strangely enough, even though it had been since summer of 2009 since I had been adjusted, I started having issues the week right before my appointment. It was a gradual build-up over three days to the point where I was struggling to get down fluids. I had to make an emergency appointment to get the band unfilled. This didn't upset me - it's what I was planning, anyway! The nurse practitioner couldn't believe that it had been 2-1/2 years since my last adjustment and I had zero issues since then. I joined a weight loss challenge with my employer at the beginning of the year that lasts 12 weeks. I stalled in my weight loss right before the issues that led to my emergency unfill. After the unfill, I had a major WOOSH and lost everything plus a couple more pounds. So, since the last week of December, I have lost 8 pounds. I HAVE to get about 1800 calories everyday, or I can't lose weight. VLCD (very low calorie diets) don't work with me for the level of fitness I am working on. I used to be running a lot and weight training. I couldn't get past a certain point in my weight loss because my body kept kicking into the starvation response. Considering that it's easier for me to get calories now, I'm eating healthier, and it's working like a charm, I'd say my theory was right. But we'll see. Currently, I'm doing the Insanity workouts, eating up to 1800 calories a day (split into 6...3 meals, 3 snacks), drinking Shakeology as one of my snacks, taking health supplements, and drinking lots of water. I feel fantastic. I do feel that the Lapband was a necessary evil and given the choice to do it all over again - I would. Over the course of my journey, I have learned SO MUCH about fitness and nutrition that I never took the time to really delve into before the band. I knew I was eating unhealthy, but really didn't have a clue of the best way to approach nutrition. I'm positive that I can take off the rest of my weight and keep it off. The surgeon that did my unfill said if I'm able to stay at a stable weight for several months, then I should consider removal. The Lapband was a great tool...but I think at this point, I may have outgrown it. How is everybody else doing? I'd love to hear updates.

Truthfully, I could care less if I'm a slow loser or a fast loser, so long as I'm a loser (of weight, that is)! I started at a 53 BMI, and I've lost 81 pounds in 4.5 months. IMO, that's the perfect rate of weight loss for ME. One thing about losing slowly is that it gives your skin more of an opportunity to rebound so you will hopefully have less loose skin when you get to goal. Losing slowly also means you are probably losing more fat than muscle, which is great! Less muscle to have to rebuild. And, numbers on the scale do NOT tell the whole story. I look for the NSVs or non scale victories. Are my pants looser? Can I walk further, do more, do I have more energy? All of those things add up, not just the pounds lost according to the scale. If you look through the gallery, ANY gallery, you'll see people who are 172 pounds that wear a size zero and people who weigh 172 who are a size 10. The differences are in height and muscle tone, usually. So the scale doesn't tell the whole story. Muscle does weigh more than fat. Muscle also helps us burn fat, so building strong muscles is important. I stall when I work out, then a few pounds will whoosh off in a day or two. But, when I work out, I lose inches. By doing basic workouts, walking, bicycle, light weight lifting, I have lost two pants sizes in the last three weeks. I also haven't lost an ounce in over a week. Am I worried? Nope. I keep eating my Protein, drinking my Water, and working out. The weight loss will happen, but I want to be a solidly built 170, not a flabby 170. The bonus of working out is the energy boost. IMO, everything looks better when you get that serotonin boost from working out and, BELIEVE ME, I can use that energy boost right now!

During the holiday (Nov-Dec) I stalled on my weight loss too. I didnt gain much (maybe two pounds) and while that doesnt seem much to me it was a lot. I had to reflect on why I wasnt loosing. I put off excercise until tomorrow and I snacked between meals. I dont regret it because I think the whole process is a learning experience. So once the kids got back to school I got back to putting me on the list. I work out even when I dont want to. I make myself go to the gym and if after 20 minutes I am still not feeling it I tell myself I can leave. I havent had a fill since October and was beginning to think maybe I needed one and told myself to wait until February after a month of listening to my body. I am now three weeks in and I am down 4 pounds and I actively look for signs that my body is full. (I ignored them during the holidays must have been that loud Christmas music) So I dont think that I need a fill at all I just needed to clean my ears.

Hang in there! I'm One Month out today too. I was discourged because I have stalled and been the back and forth with three pounds the last two weeks. I inched forward today and am down a total of 16 pounds since surgery- I lost 21 pounds in pre op diet, was hoping post op would be easier/quicker weight lost but its hard. I have no restriction and going on will power and walking only til I get my first fill Feb 8th. My sister reminded me that the beginning is hard and it will come off. Don't stress over it. She had got stuck at the same weight for a few weeks,she said it pissed her off, weeks with no lost - then droped 5 pounds the next week. 6 two weeks after that. No change in what she did, her body just took a while to catch up. She had surgery in sept. and is down 70 pounds now. I also know exactly how you feel with the added stress of returning nursing school term. I start back on the 30th. I still have another year to go with Nursing school. I am very proud and excited for you and me- to have been doing this and school is amazing. My uniform fits a little better then before. I am actually looking forward to being back in class and clinicals because I can control my food better. I have three small kids and this house is a dieters nightmare. So at least at school I can bring my protein shakes and I can do that can still go to clinicals. Sometimes is easier then eating other foods. I bought this battery operated smoothie maker on amazon for $6. I tried it out and it works. Has a little plastic whrilpool blade. Plus a bunch of ready made shakes for my locker at school. Try to relax! I know = like that is really an option. The stress of nursing school can be crazy I know- I have so much read and class hasn't even started yet, ( Mother/Baby and MedSurg this term) Plus stress also makes our blood sugar go up, -lead to retain more weight- lossing less. Plus school doesn't always have best options for dining, so just come prepared. Bring your on shake or greek yourt,soup in a cup sugar free jello, whatever yoiu need. Good luck with school. Hang in there you will do great!! Remember it is not a quick fix but a change for life and may take a little bit of time for our bodies to figure all this new stuff out. So relax and hopefully let weight slip away when it ready. Suzi

I am curious, maybe a little disappointed, but I promised myself I would NEVER write about a stall. Well technically, I'm not. This is my three week weigh in. I expected no or very little loss based on what I have read here. I started solids last Wednesday and knew I've been consuming more calories, maybe 500-800 daily. My weigh in this morning shows a 2 lb gain. Has this happened to others? I know I am a slow loser. I lost 5.5 lbs during my liquid diet and 8.5 over the next two weeks. I read where many lose upwards of 25 lbs during that time. I am patient, but I can't imagine a gain.. Has anyone else experienced this? My Dr did make me throw away my hydrochlorothiazide which is a diuretic, could this be the cause? I have consumed a lot of ham/cheese roll ups this week as a source of Protein and low calories, maybe the salt is causing Fluid retention? (TMI) Also having a constipation issue. Using benefiber without any real relieve yet. Any suggestions? . Words of encouragement anyone ?

I'm not disputing any of the advice you got here - all of it is good. But I'd also point out that these longer stalls do happen to a lot of us. My body hit happy weights at 190 and 160 and it took FOREVER to get past those two points. It was like my body was so happy that no matter what I did I couldn't lose weight. And the sad news? Once I was within 20 pounds of goal it took a whole SIX months to lose that last 20 pounds. Some months I only lost one pound the entire month, and some it flew off in short bursts of five at a time. Oh, and once I hit goal? I immediately bounced up three pounds and it took another three weeks of two Protein shakes a day to get them off again!! Sometimes, as much as we hate it, the best answer is to keep plugging away and wait it out. So my advice is to track that food again using a more traditional calorie counter, not the points system. Find what works for you without causing a gain. I discovered prior to surgery with metabolic testing that my basal metabolic rate is significantly lower than the average and that I need a lower calorie diet to lose weight. If you're eating the standard 1200 calorie diet now, it might be too much. Or even too little, based upon your exercise regimen. Make sure the issue isn't denial about what you're eating. That's my biggest culprit every time. I may only be able to eat one cookie at a time but I'll be darned if I don't get carried away sometimes and eat one at a time four times a day! Record every crumb you put in your mouth and if your intake isn't the issue it's likely that your body is at a happy spot. Persistence will pay off and eventually you'll be down to goal, even if it doesn't happen quickly. It took me 17 months to get to goal but man, life here is sweet. You'll be there if you keep trying. ~Cheri

Just disappointment and magically wanting that weight off I think. I understand why people need to vent although, IMO, a stall isn't a few days of not losing. A stall is 2 weeks or more without losing. Not losing a pound a day is not a stall (although it feels like one the first time that happens!) until you haven't lost for a couple of weeks. That's a stall! I had my first one of those at 5 weeks for 3-1/2 weeks living on less than 500 calories a day. Anyway whether it's three days at the very beginning or 3 weeks, it's tough to put up with without venting.