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Hi! First as many others will state on this forum, don't compare your weigh lose to everyone ele's, it will only serve to frustrate you. Everyone loses at a different pace. I only had to do a day before fast, so I'm can't be of any help there, but gaining weigh right after surgery is normal because they pump you full of liquids after surgery to keep you hydrated-- I left the hospital 5 lbs. Heavier. Also they fill your abdomen full of gas during surgery. The surgery is working and you will lose weigh but unlike many of us who think that the pounds will drop off in huge amounts and admittedly I was under that impression as well, it does not for the majority of us. From what i've read here and on other forums most are losing in spurts for example you may lose five pounds (or one) overnight or over the course of a couple of days and then nothing for a week or two or three. However, I go shopping in my closet and have found that I've lost inches as opposed to pounds as clothing fits that did not before, or is now too big. Chin up, this is a process that will take time to work. Focus on getting in your liquids, Proteins and start exercising as soon as your able to even when or if you hit a stall, just keeping doing what your supposed to do and before you know it you will be at goal. Good luck!

Need some help and advice, I have 5 weeks post op. VGS. I have lost 31 pounds in the first three weeks after surgery. Most of that was probably water weight that I was loaded with in the hospital. But since then (last two weeks) I have not lost a single pound. It seems that I have hit a stall of sorts. Did anyone out there have the same experience? I may be a scale watcher. Help frustrated and worried. Thanks

Hi Raquel, I was sleeved a day before you on July 27th, and I am experiencing the exact same thing. The first four weeks I lost about 20 lbs then for the past three weeks my weight goes up and down and have only lost about 5 lbs since. I have seen on this board that that is normal. I just hope this stall ends very soon. I know the frustration you must be feeling. Just know that you are not alone. I hope your stall ends soon. Good luck! Maria

Search the "three week stall" Almost everyone gets it... it is normal and you are not doing anything wrong. Mine lasted for 4 weeks!

Search for " three week stall" , you"ll find some great information out there. It is NORMAL and is usually followed by a good loss. It just goes to show that it is not just as simple as calories in vs calories burned. Our bodies are complicated machines.

tamareta, three weeks post op seems to be the most common first stall but there are no rules here. The body just goes into protective mode when IT needs to and then lets go when it finds that starvation isn't happening. Most people go through it from time to time and mostly we encourage each other that it gets better, stay the course.

At week three I had a three week stall. Then last week (week 12) I started another stall so far nothing is dropping. . My daughter and I did basically the same she is in the same stall as I am, her first one lasted 2 1/2 weeks and this one started a few days before mine. We both gained two lbs, we don' t like it but know it is temporary.

I just got over my three week stall and Liz is right, the scale wasn't moving but I was losing inches. I am glad for the stall cause I was a little scared losing two pounds a day. Congrats on your 53lbs. I can't wait to say the same, I am at week 4.

Last night at work was SO good for my ego. I had three different people at work tell me how great I looked. My Husband (God love him!) has always told me I look good, but rarely (?never?)has anyone else mentioned to me, out of the blue, how good I look. Last night at work. I had three different individuals come up to me and tell me they noticed how I had lost a lot of weight, and that they just had to tell me they thought I looked great. One of them was this tiny little doctor who can't weigh much over 100 pounds herself. She told me "not to overdo the weight loss thing"! Not that I will ever be as tiny as she is (she is only like 5 feet tall, and probably weighs all of 110!) When I told her I had another 35-40 pounds to lose she asked me "where? off your big toe?" Now my friends and co-workers, who know what I have done, have been very supportive. But these were people who didn't necessarily know that I had been sleeved, but just realized that I had lost a bunch of weight. All three of them told me how fantastic I looked. I had one of my new pair of shorts on when I went to work, and one of them told me that my legs looked absolutely great with my nice tan! I almost floated clear up to the ceiling I was so thrilled to hear somebody give me a compliment like that! In the future, every time I get discouraged about not losing fast enough, not being able to eat all I want to eat, every time I hit a stall, anything, I am going to replay that memory in my brain's DVD player to remind myself how great it is to look and feel good! I am going home for a ten day visit in about 2 1/2 weeks, and am hoping to loose a few more pounds before I go home. My husband is excited to see me. He has NEVER known me at this weight. I weighted around 200 when we met, got married, and all our married life (41 years!). So he can hardly wait to see me. I was just at the 200 mark when he left for home in August. He said he is going to get a sign that says "Kathy Warren" on it and hold it up when he picks me up at the airport, like limo drivers do when they are picking up someone they don't know, since he is convinced he won't know me! Funny Man! I am just a little over 180 now, and hope to be in the 170's by the time I fly home. And I can't wait to fly home. For years now I have HATED to fly, cause I had to ask for a seat belt extension (SO embarassing!), and then I sort of "spilled over" into the seats on either side of me, if I was in the middle seat. This time there should be NO "spill over"! And certainly no seat belt extension needed! The last few times I flew, I even went to far as to purchase a first class ticket, so that I would have the advantage of the larger seats and more room in First Class. Now I love to fly First Class, BUT it is so pricey! Am loving the savings that I am going to get by being able to fly economy, but of course, will miss the individual attention and service that comes with First Class! But I keep telling myself, I can fly home more often when it doesn't cost as much! Well, should close. I only slept four hours and then woke up. Am going to try and get back to sleep for a few more hours, as I have to work all night again tonight. Hope all you Post Op sleevers and potential sleevers are having a Great weekend. The weather here in the Central Valley of California is great. Hope you are all outside doing something special. Later........

Some never get this stall, but mine was 4 weeks long. How can you NOT lose weight eating only 300 calories a day? Thats the magic of the three week stall! It will start coming off again, I promise.. just keep up the good work. If you follow the docs rules.... you can search the three week stall here too for many stories.

I have been stalled for about three weeks now and it's killing me. I began to monitor my carbs and am keeping a food diary but I just want to start dropping the weight again!!!

I live here in Pensacola, Florida and we just had the joy of Tropical Storm Lee stalling out over us for the past three days. I am wondering if this low pressure weather could affect the band and make it feel tighter? I got a fill two weeks ago from 5.5cc up to 6.5 cc, and for the first 4 days seemed fine. On the 5th day, I could not hold anything down, including Water, but I chalked it up to nerves as I was going home that day for my sister's wedding. After day 5, things got better, and I was able to get food and fluids down, even though it was significantly more restricted. That brings us up to the last few days where it has gotten much more uncomfortable; fluids stay down fine, but most everything, including mushies, come back up. All of the sudden today, as the weather has started to return to normal, I can eat like a normal lap band patient again and fluids are not uncomfortable either. Could it be similar to the effect flying in an airplane has on the band? Just Curious? Surgery Day May 10, 2011 Weight at Surgery 457lbs Weight as of Today: 355lbs 4 fills @ May 4.5cc @ June .5cc @ July .5cc @ August 1cc

I got up this morning and tried to have my regular Protein shake and after one three sips "sleevie wonder" said NO! I tried a smoothie made with fruit and Water and it didn't taste good either. I made some Ginger Peach tea and was able to sip that just fine. I had some yogurt mid-morning and it sat just fine. Anyone else have this happen? (I've been on a stall for about a week, so I have been trying to up my protein intake but this isn't starting off so well.)

I did Optifast for six weeks before my surgery and lost about 30 pounds. I did three Meal Replacement shakes/bars a day and two cups of low starch vegies. It's a good way to kickstart your weight loss surgery journey and it also helps shrink the liver if you have a fatty liver, which makes the surgery easier. I have recently done Optifast again as my weight loss has stalled, and I've lost another 25 pounds. I think it's a great programme and after the first few days (which are tough, you can have headaches, fatigue) I found it easy. Good luck!!

Expect to be tired. I mean exhausted tired for the first two to three weeks post-op. Use every opportunity you can to nap and rebuild your energy. When you aren't napping, plan to be sipping constantly on either water or protein drinks. That's the best way to make sure you get in the required protein and water. Also, expect a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Embrace it and ride it out. Expect a "What the Hell have I done" Day. Mine was day five. I thought I had seriously screwed up and mourned the fact that there was no going back. Of course, today I am thrilled with my decision- but that day I was sure I had screwed up royally. Finally, expect to be dissappointed with weight loss in the first month. Despite learning everything we can it seems to never fail that everyone is upset with the three week stall and his/her weight loss. Lean on this forum when those days come- it helped me tremendously. Good Luck! Amanda

Hi Wondering1- I was also able to eat a larger amount of calories than others post-op. I remember being really concerned that the surgery had failed, that I was overdoing it, etc. On my doctors plan I was on a liquid diet the first two weeks and then could incorporate soft meats and foods starting week 3. On my plan, a grilled leg and mashed potatoes would have been allowed at day 15 as well. What I learned is that some us don't deal with as much swelling as others and therefore can eat more and some of us have longer stomachs which equal longer sleeves and the ability to eat slightly more (especially if you are tall). Of course, the bougie size can vary as well. I feel I have had great success and I have eaten from 800-1200 calories a day since the third week post-op.Of course those are generally "quality" calories and Protein dense foods. I would encourage you to follow all of your doctor's orders and when eating take your time, eat small quanities and really try to find that sense of "satisfied" rather than full. But, also know that there isn't anything wrong with you or your sleeve just because you appear able to consume more calories. I think you will also find that it is more difficult to consume a lot when you eat more dense foods like meats. You're doing great! Amanda PS I lost 14 the first three days and then didn't lose another pound until day 25. It's probably the dreaded three week stall that we all had to deal with. Just keep doing what you are supposed to and it will all work out. Promise.

Heather, Yes, it sucks. I was in exactly your position three months ago. I think it's more the norm than not. I lost 12.5 lbs the first week, 3 lbs the second week and then nothing. I didn't drop again for another week and a half. I had lost 43lbs in the three months prior to surgery. I couldn't understand. Most all of the people who were sleeved the same day as me had the same scenario. The best thing you can do is have someone hide the scale for you. Take your measurements (you really do lose inches when you are not losing pounds) and then don't worry about. I know that's easier said than done, but there is nothing you can do about it. The most important thing you CAN do about it is to make sure you get all of your Water, your Protein, keep your carbs low and take your Vitamins. Fast foward three months. I still stall about every third week but only for a week or less. I still average 10 lbs a month. I do the water, protein, and <30g of carbs a day. My surgeon assures me that I am losing at the perfect rate. He said that others that are losing much faster are probably losing muscle by not getting their protein in. Still, it's frustrating because I was losing faster before the surgery. It seems to be coming off so slowly; however, I realized this week, I have lost 85+ lbs in the last six months, and for the first time in my life, I have a tool that will help me keep it off. Hang in there. Remember, slow and steady wins the race everytime.

Hey everyone- I have been here making a post here and there but thought I would check in more formally and report my progress- August 9th was my three month surgeversary. I can report that I am absolutely thrilled with my sleeve! Today I was officially 65 pounds down- including my 2 week pre-op. Though sometimes I have felt like my loss has been on the slow side compared with others- somehow here I am three months later over half way to my goal! I have also found myself to be one who has to watch carbs to lose weight. I wish it was otherwise...but it isn't. Right now it looks like my sweet spot is around 40-45 carbs to keep losing- and I do net carbs. I probably could lose a bit more going to 30 but I need to also not feel tooooo deprived so I have decided o the 40-45- knowing that when stalls come, etc. I can cut back to get thing kick started. I also have weathered a vacation! I was worried- went to Kauai and Oahu for a family series of events which we photographed. I was scale-less, and also found it hard to keep up the things I do like clockwork here at home- like all the Protein, and the Water. I did my best, but I also let myself have more carbs in papaya and pineapple since I adore them and we were in Hawaii.I was active- in the water every day Net result was no loss- but no gain! In addition- I think I was pretty swollen with water in the humidity, and with flying, because I have lost 9 pounds in the nine days since coming home- woo hoo! My main motivation for getting the sleeve was that I had become a housebound near total invalid with nerve damage in my back, two really bad knees (tears in both) and fibromyalgia. Well, I can report my life has changed so much I can't believe it! I have tons of energy and I work out two hours a day- an hour of brisk walking and an hour of level III water aerobics. I still have a fair amount of pain, and some may be a fact of life- but I feel so incredible- I feel I have my life back! The sleeve is the best thing I ever did. Where are my Redvelvet peeps???? xoo

The last week has been tough for me as well. I hit my lowest weight last Monday, and since then, all I've wanted to do was eat carbs and I've been craving soda like nobody's business. I've been less diligent about exercising each day, and I've not been consistently tracking my food intake. I've gained a couple of pounds back . As a teacher, having the summer off to focus on eating right and exercising was great, but I've returned to work now. It's harder to make the effort to prepare food at home, especially during the evenings when I'm tempted to pick up something bad from a restaurant. I didn't have cravings much either until recently. I think it started when I at a BBQ join with family and there was grilled Texas toast served with the meal. I should have given it to someone immediately. I ended up eating the whole thing. As far as controlling the cravings, I think I just need to eliminate what little temptation I have around and resist the urge to stop at the drive through on the way home. I think I probably need to have two or three meal prep nights a week at home so I have Protein ready to eat. I'm bad about being hungry and only having frozen protein. The idea of waiting for chicken to thaw when I'm hungry often leads to a bad decision for me. That seems to trigger the junk food cravings, especially since I have a handful of fast food places within minutes of my home. I also need to enter my food intake soon after each meal. If I do that, I do a much better job of making decisions because the calories, protein, carbs, etc are right there and I can adjust my next meal based on what I have left for the day. I was doing well, but then started letting little things go, which snowballed into a bigger problem. I think there are just going to be times when this is harder than others. We can't beat ourselves up when we make bad choices, but we also have to remember that we made a significant (and expensive) decision to change our lives. The only thing we can do is move on and refocus on why we had the plication to begin with. I think part of my frustration is that I also feel like this should be happening faster and that it should somehow be easier. The reality that this is a longer term goal and doesn't work exactly like I want it to is also settling in with me now. I'm not entirely happy that it's not happening on my terms. I acknowledged that going into this, but living it day-to-day, meal-to-meal, requires real mental work and dedication. Changing mental habits has to be the hardest thing I've ever tried to do. Even when you think you're doing well, the old issues I've had resurface easily for me at this point. Remind yourself of the weight you've already lost. You've stuck with this through the stalls you wrote about before. Keep at it. You've been frustrated before and moved through it. I hope something there is of help. I wrote most of it to talk through my own issues, as well as reply. All the best.

I can't remember where I read this - I need to find it so I can explain it better, but stalls are very, very important when you drop weight like we do/will with the surgery (rapidly). The body needs a chance to catch up and 'balance' itself periodically before it resets and then starts to lose again. Your body is sort of panicking in stages. It will lose rapidly, think it's in trouble (survival mode/starvation mode), then hold on to everything it can for a while (homeostasis) and also retain Fluid. It's scared it is literally going to starve because it's used to such a large daily load of calories we used to eat, often for years. This is most common at about two -three weeks after surgery the first time. But then, after a while, it realizes that this is the new 'normal' and then it will adjust its metabolism and start to lose again. You'll lose for a while, then hit another stall while it adjusts itself again. Just hang in there. Your body will adjust and start losing again. Just eat what's comfortable for you - I wouldn't try to pack in more calories if it's not what feels right to you. Have patience. You will see from everyone on here, that the numbers always continue to down, they just may level out for a while! Good luck!!

Dear Mythreechildren2001, I know exactly where you are coming from! I too have struggled with my weight for my entire 62 years! I have probably lost and re-gained close to a ton of weight! (I'm not kidding, I have lost and regained anywhere from 75 to 80 pounds 17 or 18 times! [That's how many times I joined Weight Watchers!]) I have NEVER been able to make it to my goal weight, I have NEVER been able to maintain my weight loss! I always gained back everything I lost and then a couple more pounds for good measure. I finally gave up and just ate what I wanted, since I tended to do that anyway, and gained more! I thought I would never be a "normal" size, and had given up on every feeling good again, ever participating socially in life, ever being able to do the things that I wanted to do! My cousin is a bariatric surgeon and he suggested the VGS to me. (He himself had bariatric surgery and has maintained his weight loss for over 10 years now. He looks great!) Since my insurance wouldn't pay a penny towards the surgery, I cashed in my retirement 401K and paid for it myself. And then when I hit a stall shortly after the surgery, I thought to myself, "I have spend all my retirement money, and it's not working! Now I will have to work the rest of my life AND be fat to boot!" Talk about depressed. And everytime I hit a stall I tend to think those thoughts again. BUT, today made me SO happy! I have been in a stall for about two weeks, gain a pound, loose a pound. Next day same thing. Day after no change, after two weeks I was getting pretty discouraged! Today I got on the scale and (DRUM ROLL Please!) I had lost three pounds! I can't see that it makes a difference if I exercise or not, if I eat right or not, or whatever; my body holds onto the weight till it is ready to loose it! (That is NOT to say that I am not trying to eat right and exercise wisely!!!) But three pounds overnight really restored my faith in my sleeve!!! So try not to get discouraged. BELIEVE in your Sleeve! It works!

Thank you for taking the time to post this, I found it very informative. This is something I recently posted to someone researching. I would say that there are three regularly occurring post-op posts that you should be aware of as you prepare. Being aware will help you deal with the psychological aspect of the band in the weeks and months following surgery. 1. Be aware: You may experience a lot of discomfort after surgery that is pain related. People vary so much on this and of course everyone hopes to be one of the "bounce right back" folks, but be prepared to be in a lot of discomfort for up to a week or even more. It is NORMAL to be depressed and/or regret having the surgery immediately post-op. 2. Be aware: It is very likely that your weight loss will stall or even reverse (meaning actual gains) during the first weeks to month after surgery. This is counter-intuitive to people, because they just had weight loss surgery AND they are on a liquid diet and not eating. But it is NORMAL to plateau or even gain Water weight while your body is recovering from the stress of surgery. Try not to despair. If you keep at it, you will begin to lose weight soon enough. 3. Be aware: A lot of people feel very hungry and ready to eat eat eat almost immediately after surgery. For a lot of people, the band alone doesn't do anything for weeks to month until it is filled. This is what people refer to as Bandster Hell. A smaller subset of people do feel a reduction in hunger right away-- but if you don't go in automatically expecting you'll be a lucky one, then you won't be as baffled and disappointed if you aren't. It is NORMAL to feel hungry and frustrated until you reach the appropriate fill for your body, and that may take weeks to months. Knowing these things and expecting them will help tremendously with your emotional reaction to the band. If any of these things happen to you, you are in good and prolific company. Don't despair! Figure out before your surgery how you might cope with them when they come up and odds are, they won't be a problem for you. Knowledge is the key. I would add the following to that list: 1. The average loss at 2 years with the band is 60% of excess weight, according to band literature. So if you need to lose 100 lbs to be in a "healthy BMI", then the average person will have lost 60lbs by the end of year 2. This is the average, which means that there are going to be a few people who lose 0 lbs in 2 years and an equally few people who lose 100+ lbs in 2 years. Most people are going to be right around that 60% mark (I wish I knew what the standard deviation is, that would be even more helpful). 2. Weight loss is not constant and linear for most people, even if they are very very consistent with their eating behavior and activity level. It seems like it should be-- calories in/calories out-- but there are a lot of people that tend to lose in cycles and you may be one of them. For me, I lose weight in chunks, then I "plateau" for a few weeks, then I drop another bunch of pounds within three days, then "plateau" again. You may also be one of those people-- don't let it worry you. 3. Exercise may temporarily stall your weight loss or even make you gain, especially if you are starting or intensifying your program. I have been working out consistently for the past two weeks after about 10 years of nothing. I have GAINED weight even though my eating hasn't changed and I'm burning more calories. That's normal. I know if I keep at it, I will drop that plus some more and have a healthier heart and more stamina to boot. 4. This is hard work, even though the band DOES make it easier if you let it. I get full on small amounts of food-- not "stuffed" full like I was used to, but "ok, I've had enough and my body doesn't need more" full. This is REALLY hard to get used to. Full is never again going to feel like full has felt in the past. But, I can still eat past the point where my band says "eh, you've fed your body as much as it needs" and very very often my brain says "do it, you know you want to, mmmmm it tastes so good, just one more bite!". It is a real struggle sometimes to listen to my band and not my head hunger. I actually have a little mantra when I'm eating and being mindful. I say "if I'm not going to listen to the band when it says stop, then why did I bother with this surgery in the first place?" That tends to turn down the volume of the head hunger. I think people naturally go into this surgery very optimistically. They go to the seminar and the surgeon and the carefully selected successful patients of that surgeon talk about how amazing it is. They come on this board and look at the success story forum, and the "I lost 100 lbs" forum, and the "before and after" picture gallery. They see people's tickers (like mine) who have lost huge amounts in months, not years and they expect only the best , most luckiest results, and ignore the fact that the average expected loss in 60% of excess weight at two years. I understand this because I did it too, and I fully believe that I have been incredibly LUCKY so far and that it's "easy" for me to say this but I do think that bandsters who are really in touch with reality and not overly optimistic are going to be able to emotionally adjust to banded life better. Do not get the band if you expect it to work like bypass. If you want super fast results, and you want malabsorption, then get the bypass. With the "plusses" of the band, including its adjustability and its reversibility, come some costs and one cost is that it requires adjustment which is unpredictable in some ways, and it's associated with a slower rate of loss.

I thought i was going crazyyyyyy!!!!! Thank you for explaining and in a way that's acually understood. When would the average person expect that whoosh? I know everyone is different, but i am going on a 5 week stall and i eat right, workout ect. I am 8 weeks post -op and am down about 40lbs. But that's it, after the first three weeks nothing. I am seeing inches lost i guess that progress.

The day I started "mushies" at two weeks after surgery, I stopped losing weight. The stall lasted for 9 days, which is comparatively short. I am like Greg in that I will stay the same weight down to the ounce for 3 or 4 days and then lose a pound a day for three days. Like others have said, its like stairsteps. I do weigh daily and always have, even when I was gaining weight! However, you can't let the scale determine your behavior. Stick to the plan and the weight will come off. I have a friend who says she "rewards" herself with a treat when the scale is down. The problem is she also eats to comfort herself when the scale is not to her liking. A dangerous pattern. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..... Marie

I just wanted to thank everyone who has been posting on here about stalls lately. I was a bundle of nerves and negativity for over a week, so I followed a lot of advice from here and from my docs office. (one of the nurses there said her longest stall was 4 weeks!) For those of you still in a stall, I thought I'd compile a few of what I felt were the most helpful tips. 1. Increase your Protein intake. Drink another half shake or whatever it takes to get you up to the level your doc wants you at. 2. Read this article: http://www.dsfacts.c...or-plateau.html It has been posted a few times on this forum, and was shared with me by Nancy Rivers. 3. Get moving! After surgery it's normal to feel sluggish and tired, but its important to keep your metabolism and your heart rate up. 4. Put away the scale! Your body goes through natural fluctuations every day for all different kinds of reasons. It's really difficult to break the habit of weighing every day, so wean yourself off. Go every other day, then step it back to once a week or every other week. 5. Drink some water! Water is essential in so many of the biological processes that happen in your body. If you don't drink enough, you'll find very quickly that you feel tired, nauseous, and you might notice the scale staying the same. A quick way to assess whether you're getting enough? Check your urine. If it's getting progressively darker, you need more water. 6. Trust your medical team, trust your sleeve and trust yourself. The sleeve will work if you let it. You have the capacity to make it work for you and to do all the wonderful things that you have been planning with your new life. So put a smile on, go for a walk, and enjoy life! I really hope that these things will help someone still stuck in a stall. Comment if you have anything else to add to the list!