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I lost 18 pounds in my first two weeks after surgery. Then came the infamous "three-week stall." When your body begins to understand it isn't getting as much food as you used to give it and it goes into a bit of starvation mode...leftover from our caveman days when the next meal might be far away. Don't fret when a stall occurs. They'll happen more than once before you hit your goal. Had surgery August 27, now down 53 pounds. Am in another stall now, sitting at the same weight 3 weeks, but I'm working out, I keep going down in clothes sizes, I'm feeling good, I've changed my eating choices and eating habits for the better...I'm happy.

I was sleeved on the 5th with no complications. Im down 54 pounds and have been cleared to eat anything since three weeks out. I stick to straight protein when I have my meals and substitute a protein shake when I am not able to consume a meal or achieve my protein goal of 120 grams. I have notice if I don't hit my fluid goals it gets harder to eat a meal the following day. I haven't hit a stall yet unless you call only being down 2 pounds for one week. Life has been great and I feel wonderful.

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. We all stall periodically and almost everyone stalls about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids. Take your Vitamins and supplements as instructed. Exercise when cleared. And, Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I never had a three week stall and now I am stalled at six weeks. I had my period last week and when I weighed I was 240 now I am 242. I am not sure what to eat but I want to make sure I stay on track and keep losing not gaining two pounds. Please help ... what are some good recipes for six weeks out?

Sometimes right after surgery your cycle schedule can be messed up because your body is adjusting. My first period post-op was very light but then went back to normal. Also I have stalled every few weeks since surgery. Week three is a big stall week for most people. The weight will keep dropping just give it a little time ........... Is there any chance you could be pregnant? I only ask because I just found out that I am and I am only 4 months post-op.

I don't change anything, the stall will eventually end. How long have you stalled for? I don't consider it a stall unless I haven't lost in 7 days. From your stats it looks like you've lost 33lbs in 3 weeks!? So unless you lost the 33 in the first 2 weeks you are probably not in a stall. I think I was down about 12lbs at three weeks in and then I had a 7 day stall during which I gained a lb. Celebrate your progress. I wish I lost that fast . I'm 3 months in and just finished my most recent stall which was 10 days and involved gaining a lb before I dropped again. Ps. The stalls are when you lose inches.

To you seasoned sleevers....how long do the stall's last?? and do they happen frequently? Is this something I can learn to expect??

I have had at least three stalls. I am almost 3 1/2 months out. My last stall was 12 days and it ended today with a 1 pound loss. Stalls happen to almost all of us. My first was at 3 weeks - similar to yours. Even with all the stalls, I have lost 56 pounds and am now in Onederland at 197! Hang in there! Just keep working your surgeon's plan.

I know that you are going to hit many stall during this journey but it's be about three weeks and I was wondering if there is something I can do to help it along I had surgery on the 21 of November and I know I don't get enough Water in so for the past few days I been getting about 48 ounces in I'm doing good with Protein I exercise about 5 days out the week. Hw 414 SW 393 CW 360 Sent from my HTC6525LVW using the BariatricPal App

I am 3 1/2 weeks post op. Things progressing fine. No problem with liquid or Protein requirement. Am able to eat soft foods prepared in the blender. Even turkey meat loaf and tuna. Cannot eat much or I feel stuffed. About 1/2 cup is my limit. Ground chicken chili with soft white Beans has been my latest. I was losing pounds fairly steadily until this week. I've lost 35 pounds since beginning the two week liquid diet on Sept 5. Now I seemed to have stalled. I've heard of the three week stall so has anyone else experienced it? My Doc says to stay away from the scales for a while because I'm replacing fat with lean muscle tissue. I just can't resist stepping on those scales every morning. Any of you sleevers experience the stall? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

When I hit the three week stall, concentrating on getting in all or more of my water really seemed to help. I was feeling funky and once I started getting in all the water, I felt much better and the scale started moving again. Congrats on your loss so far!

I am in my first stall. I will be at three weeks tomorrow. The first two weeks I lost 18 pounds but since day 15, nothing. So, I have no advice for getting out of the stall, but sure look forward to others answering.

People do not stall because they aren't eating enough. I see SO many people climb on here freaking out because they're "stalled" and the first thing they do after three whole days of no loss is start screwing with their diet. This is a major shock to our systems. Shedding weight at a rate of more than a pound a week is a shock to the body. It stops and starts and tries to recover along the way because you've completely changed from gaining weight to rapidly losing weight. This has been widely debated here but the starvation mode thing is doubted but a lot of us. Too many people carry those misguided notions from life prior to surgery (we MUST eat 1,200 calories or we'll starve, eat with a calorie deficit and you'll lose every time you step on the scale) and try to apply them to life post op. It's not the same. Diets are NOT all one size fits all, I say this over and over again. Why people who fail to lose the weight following a strict 1,200 calorie diet and exercising prior to surgery but then try to apply that same failed experiment to the sleeve post op amazes me. Calories are fuel. They are neither good nor bad. food in and of itself is not good or bad. Life and diet are not black and white. Food is fuel. The nutritional makeup of your food can be better or worse for your body, and you can certainly waste food space (very limited for a while post op) on absolute crap choices that do nothing to further your nutritional goals. Living like the sleeve is a diet is the biggest culprit I see in stressed out sleevers and regain posts. Everyone's body is different. How many calories you need is based upon how your body does. I was amazed to see that I lost best initially with about 800-900 calories a day. It took me months to get to the point where I could eat that much. I still lost when I ate less, and I still lost when I eventually upped my calories. It's not an exact science for most of us. There isn't a big, bold line we can't cross - it's flexible, and a lot of it is dependent on what you're eating and how your body reacts to those foods. I am a huge advocate of eating normally. That means no foods are off limits and moderation is key in all things. That said, I truly feel that our weight issues start with our brains and our habits of disordered eating. So until a freshly sleeved person learns more about how their new body tolerates things, and until they work on some of the head issues, I wouldn't say that worrying about upping calories, and downing possible trigger foods to do it, is a good idea. It's a process. There is nothing wrong with indulging once in a while - it's normal. But building a habit of telling yourself that you need extra calories, and therefore a bowl of ice cream (or some other such treat) is necessary each day *could* be a slippery slope for a lot of people. I truly believe you'll have such a hard time getting in your basic Protein first calories that you won't have room for the thought of anything else. That's how it is for the vast majority of us. And nothing tops a lower carb Protein shake for nutritional punch. We don't eat them to add to our calories in most cases. We eat them because you can drink pretty easily once you're healed, and drinking up to 50 grams of protein with only 200 calories for a meal is a darn good way to stay healthy once you're sleeved. You brought up some interesting questions. I am not trying to slam you or any of the other responses here, or lecturing you as if there's only one way to live post op. I've just spent a lot of time on these boards in the last three years and I've seen a lot of trends. Best of luck to you, and congrats on trying to work some of this out prior to surgery. It shows you're trying to prepare and that's important. Too many people skip the questions and research! ~Cheri

You're likely stuck in the third week stall. It's normal and it will blow over. Not everyone gets the third week stall (I didn't) but stalls happen frequently and as annoying as they are it's just your body adjusting. They usually last a week or two. I've had three so far and I'm 5 months out.

I was just like you last month.....I stayed the exact same for 10 days around the three week mark. I researched it and found out it has something to do with glycogen and your body adjusting to the new eating/metabolism and basically saying WTH itself. I'm happy to report that it's now a month later, and I have lost another 10 lbs since the stall. It was driving me crazy, and my nurse suggested I put the scale away and get it out just once a week. (I do it twice) That helped, too. Hang in there.

You are not doing anything wrong. The three week stall is extremely normal. There are many, many discussions about it throughout the forum. I had a stall at one week post-op that lasted for 10 days. Next thing I knew it broke and I lost 11 pounds in the following 2 weeks. Every so often your body has to take a break and recovery from the quick weight loss and then it will start up again. This might be the first but it won't be the last. During a stall try to look for non-scale victories. I noticed that my body shrank a bit during my stall. Keep working the plan your surgeon has given you and things will work. In the general surgery section there is a food forum for recipes broken down by the stage you are in. Check those out for some savory protein options and ideas. I would also suggest to weigh once a week. The daily fluctuations are going to drive you mad. Hang in there. You are doing great. It's kind of like Dory in Finding Nemo - "Just keep swimming". You are going to get there!

None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. We all experience periodic stalls and almost everyone experiences their first stall at about three weeks post-op. Learning to accept the process has really helped me to keep following my program no matter what the numbers on the scale say. Also, weighing infrequently is a great strategy if the numbers in the scale dictate your emotional state. Early out I only weighed at my doctor's appointments. What I have found to be critical success factors for me: Just follow your program. Weigh, measure, and track your food. Make sure you get in ALL of your Protein every day. Make sure you get at least 64 oz. of Fluid every day. Avoid starches, added sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup), and fried foods. Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Exercise when cleared. Stay off the scale. And, embrace the stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I battled the same 5 lbs for three weeks when I hit the 3rd week stall. Don't worry, the loss will start again

You and I have the same surgery date, 12/2! And I've lost about the same since surgery - it turns out there's a standard three-week stall. Check out the discussions under POST-operative weight loss surgery Q & A - they have been super helpful to me. I'm now stalled after three weeks having lost 12 lbs since surgery but only 2 lbs this past week, and 8 lbs two weeks prior. In a couple articles I read online it says the liver was shrunk for surgery but works to get back to a normal size afterward and it takes - yep - three weeks. Sometimes this stall can last several weeks but afterward there can be a sudden, large loss. Apparently there will be multiple stalls along the way. The articles also said not to go below 600 calories a day as that can backfire as the body tries to store what it can during what it perceives as starvation time. I know many don't believe in starvation mode and I'm not sure it isn't just a myth. But to stay healthy it makes sense that at least 600 good quality calories a day is a good idea no matter the reason. Also, the weight loss rate depends on several factors. Males lose faster, those who are much bigger initially lose faster, women after menopause slower (that's me), etc. I'm reminding myself that prior to surgery it took me six months to lose 11 lbs. on my own...and my pre-diabetes and non-alcoholic liver disease labs and my borderline high blood pressure had not improved at all, though my cholesterol levels did. Post-surgery all are now in the normal range! No diabetes looming for me (like my mother), thank goodness. Here's wishing us both good luck during the dreaded three-week stall. We'll get there! I'm greatly encouraged by some of the posts about the three-week stall under the Post-op Q & A where the stats show those posting lost all or most of there weight and reached their goals despite having stalls and slow weight loss overall.

My longest stall was three months. I lost my weight really slowly also. What I did notice was during a stall I would lose more inches, it's your body trying to catch up. So in a stall weigh every other week instead of each week and take your measurements weekly instead. Also usually when a stall breaks you lose more weight over the next couple of weeks than you otherwise would have. This is a long hard process, keep you head up, stay focused and it will happen. All you have to do is compare what you are eating now to what you used to eat. There is no way you could not lose weight!!!! I am here to help if you have any questions!

The week three stall is infamous! Most of us had it!

it's the infamous three-week stall. Almost all of us experience that. It's called the three-week stall because it USUALLY happens the third week, but not always. Yours is a little early. Just stick to your plan and stay off the scale if you need to. And know it'll eventually break and you'll be on your way again. Stalls typically last 1-3 weeks. if you want to see how common this is, search "three week stall" on this site. You will find over 17,000 posts on this. And no, I am NOT kidding... P.S. I'm bored so I did the search for you. Here you go. We're now up to 17,501 posts on it! https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=three week stall

First off, take the word "only" out of your vocabulary. When was the last time you lost 25 lbs in four weeks? That's more than five pounds a week! That is awesome. Track every gram of protein, every bite. And hydrate. I have had two major stalls since my surgery in August. Both times, for whatever weird reason, they lasted for 9 days each. Then I lost like two or three pounds overnight. Don't be discouraged. As long as you are following plan it will come off.

We do talk about the phenomenon of regret during the first few weeks post-op, also called "buyer's remorse" quite a lot here. However, pre-ops seem to close their eyes to this kind of discussion, so we have lots of people who post during their first few weeks asking about regrets, and replying to such threads. I wish somehow we could get the message out that this is a normal feeling, and barring complications, usually passes by the end of the first month, when you have mostly healed and food choices are getting more interesting. For those who are new, how could we have phrases this so you would have heard it during your pre-op research? When you were pre-op did you do a search for threads with "regret" in the title? Do you feel like you understood the post-op graduated diet before your surgery? I'm really curious if there is some way to make sure that the right info gets to people before the surgery is they are not surprised afterward by buyer's remorse, the three week stall, etc.

I wished I had packed a robe, I was missing a tie on my hospital gown so my husband had to hold it closed for me. I used the chapstick, gas-x strips & slippers I brought. At some time through the process you are going to freak out or just be done with the whole thing. About two weeks out I got really grumpy with my husband and just started bawling when he came to give me my shot (some surgeons prescribe anti-coagulant shots.) I was tired of the whole after care process and just wanted to be normal. After surgery Water may taste sweet to you & it may make you nauseous, it faded after 2-3 weeks but it is really tough to get water in when your main source tastes nasty. For me the whole process doesn't feel real, I had an easy recovery & am losing weight pretty quickly. I wish I knew that I would be able to drink normally. When you are in post op liquid phase you may be able to drink more than 4oz if so it will freak you out and get you worrying. Just make sure to measure what you drink and keep to your timetable. If you one of the lucky folks you also won't feel restriction during this phase but when you move to more solid food you will. Also the dreaded three week stall is real. The worst part of the stall is the mental games it plays with you, all your previous diet fears & emotions come bubbling up and you just can't help it. It will break as long as you follow your program. Almost every surgeon has their own plan and post-op instructions, I am following my surgeons instructions and tucking things I am learning from my online support group that follows my guidelines. Even though you feel fine one month after surgery, be careful a this is when you can really hurt yourself (your internal stitches have not dissolved yet and if you do something wrong you will feel "pinching". It is not pleasant.