Search the Community

The Y is about 15 minutes away from me. In the morning when I am rushing around to get ready, 30 minutes back and forth will pose a bit of an issue for me. I LOVE THE IDEA of getting a few workout videos. That may work for the morning. The evening workouts will be at the Y! I am going to set up a three day a week workout schedule to get started! It should get the weight loss moving too. I have stalled (which I know is competely normal).

I was frustrated at the time with all the work I had to do and waiting I had to do and hoops I had to jump through pre-op, but I feel very thankful for them now. Not saying I'm never ever gonna be frustrated by my perceived (lack of) progress but being mentally prepared for the journey has helped a lot so far. I didn't sweat my three week stall at all. I bet it helps for me to have had a five year journey of trying desperately to lose weight and working REALLY hard and only losing minimal amounts of weight even with a lot of concerted effort. Two pounds a week to me feels like a miracle!

Don't panic at all. What you are going through is all normal. I didnt' lose anything for 3 weeks a week after I got banded. Just don't give up and start eating crap food during that time. My weight loss is weird. I wont' lose anything for a week and then I'll lose 4 pounds the next week. But, when you get on solid foods you will stall big time. You might even gain some weight.. like 3-5 pounds or even more. This is totally normal. Some people even eat too few calories and this will stall you out too. When I didn't lose anything for three weeks I ate something bad.. a few chips and an enchilada and I lost 3 pounds within the next two days. It jolted my system back into weight loss mode. Then I started eating healthy again. But again, you guys just got banded this month... the weight loss right now doesn't really mean much, especially if you lost it on a liquid diet. I say all of this, but I freaked out too, so I've been where you all are. Trust me, it gets better and you will start to see the weight drop.

As I understand it, this may be normal if you have metabolic issues and or use certain medications. This was the case for me. Two to three weeks post op I began gaining after being stalled from the start. My surgeon called me metabolically challenged but insisted I stick with the program. On average I lost less than half a pound weekly. Despite sticking to my program, I repeatedly had weight gain to re loose. After almost a year and a half, I made my personal goal which was about 15lbs below the medical goal. There was no wls "honeymoon" for me. No fast weight loss whatsoever. Hang in there. Try not to be discouraged. It will happen for you too although it may not be as expected.

I went for my two week post op appointment today with my doctor and I am down 25lbs, 10 pre op and 15 since surgery two weeks ago. Before surgery I feared that I would be the one person that would get this surgery and nothing would happen but so far so good and I'm going to mention it anymore to avoid the three week stall, lol. Thanks again everyone for your continued support and words of encouragement.

Revs, I was wondering when you write again and you didn't fail us....Please don't stop your rants. I think I have woman-crush on you. I agree with some of the other posters here...I just kind of move along when the repeated questions are asked, "Which Protein shake is the best?" or the irrational "My hair is on fire, what should I do?" "My incision is bleeding and oozing a green colored liquid - is this normal?" "2nd day post-op and I'm up 5 pounds WTF?" "3 weeks post-op and stalled - has this happened to you?" I agree with Revs on the point of putting forth effort to look thru some old posts - Yes, stalls happen at three weeks and if you spent any time on this site, you would see that everyone stalls at some point and the three week stall is real. OK - I'm off now...I'm going to weigh myself for the 5th time today to see if I've lost anything.

although most of us are told not to count calories the first few months (we're told to focus mostly on protein and fluids), how many calories are you averaging a day? It's not unusual to stall for two or three weeks, but three months is a lot - it sounds like you might be in maintenance.

I'm nearly two months out from my surgery and a few weeks ago I hit my first stall which lasted at least three weeks. I'm finally over it now - 11 lbs below where I'd stalled - and I have to say it would have been much harder to deal with that initial plateau if I hadn't already read all the great advice on these forums. When I stalled my panic set in almost instantly, telling me that I needed to eat less (even though I was already eating a miniscule amount of calories compared to my pre-surgery habits) or work out more (even though I was getting plenty of exercise multiple days a week). The disordered eating habits and punishing mindset I'd developed pre-surgery snuck back up on me quickly, and my instinct was to worry that I'd done something wrong that needed corrected in order to start losing again. But then I remembered how often I'd seen people here say "just work your plan" and "continue as normal, your body will take care of itself." I calmed down, continued on the diet and exercise that had worked so far, and sure enough I'm losing again just fine. So I guess this is just a long-winded way of saying I'm glad this website and this community are here, because it really did help to think back on this forum when I was ready to lose my mind over that first stall.

pretty much everyone stalls sometime during the first month after surgery. As the above poster said, do a search on the "three week stall". You'll find hundreds of posts on it (it's called the three week stall because it usually happens the third week, but not always. Mine was week 2 and 3). also, PLEASE do not cheat this early out! Not only are you not setting yourself up for a successful journey, but you could severely hurt your new stomach! Those incisions still haven't fully healed! and also remember - people lose weight at vastly different rates for all kinds of reasons. Your level of commitment to your program will have a MUCH greater effect on your ultimate success than your rate of weight loss will. I was a slow loser from the get-go. I lost 16 lbs the first month. And I've lost all of my excess weight - over 200 lbs! JUST STICK TO THE PROGRAM! The weight WILL come off if you're diligent!

To was feeling the same way at that time. I found I had to simply push through that fog and get going. I started working out using the elliptical and treadmill for 20 minutes a day. I found within a couple of weeks that I could do more and began increasing my workout time. I ended up at an hour a day and then got into a three week stall. I was told I needed to eat more and back down my exercise to 30 minutes every other day until the stall broke. Now I exercise every other day for a total of 40 minutes. I do a fat burn on the elliptical and add muscle endurance to that workout as mine has that feature. I also use the treadmill and do a cardio workout for about 20 minutes. By the way I excercise in the am when I have the most energy. I drink a premier Protein shake which has 30 grams of protein every morning. I work out shortly after I drink my shake. After my workout I have a yogurt with high protein granola. It is replenishing after a workout. I have been very consistently successful with this routine. I also noticed when I first started it was very hard for me to walk up my stairs leading into the lower level where my equipment is. Now, I can literally run up my stairs and I feel fantastic!

My dreaded three week stall that is. I actually stalled at about two weeks, and it held until just past four weeks. Last Tuesday was my one month check and I was 270lbs. I am very lucky that my home scales and my surgeons scales weigh the same. (I was 270lbs at home too) As of this morning I am 264lbs. And my other major milestone was I hit my 50lb mark over the weekend. Since this all began I have lost (now) over 50lbs. I still have a long way to go to hit my goal, but this is the single biggest weight loss I have ever had in all the years I have been obese. It is such an awesome feeling. It is inspiring me to keep on keeping on! ( esp. after the stall) And part of that weight loss I did on my own, before the sleeve. I knew my life was about to change and I couldn't wait to get at it. I do have a lot to be thankful for this week, I finally see a brighter future.

A year ago today around this time I was in the hospital getting prepped for surgery. I was ready for my life to change. The following 9 months were spent meticulously following my plan, learning about my healing body, and being amazed at the progress I was making. Months 10-12 have been different. My hunger is back in full force. I can eat more at a time than I thought, and head hunger has taken control. I'm not losing 1-2 lbs a day, or 1 lb a week, or even 1 lb every two weeks like I had been. My highest weight before surgery was 310, lowest after surgery was 211, and today I weighed in at 214. I am terrified, disappointed, and ready to take control again. I have been active 5 days a week, but I have not counted calories at all. My fear is that if I start to count calories, I will fall into my old patters of guilt, depriving myself, guilt, treating myself, guilt, eating all day, guilt, guilt, guilt. But here I am, three pounds above my lowest post op weight, guilty. Where is the girl in the beginning of the journey who turned down carbs and sweets with absolutely no hesitation? Where is the girl who wanted to do exactly what the doctors suggested for fear of hurting myself, wasting thousands of dollars, and getting unhealthy again? After months of being so regimented I find myself face to face with the girl who got herself into the 310 pound mess she was in to begin with. Not only that, but when I start to get down on myself for losing control, I also get upset that I can't see just how far I've come. My thighs don't hurt when I walk. I don't have asthma attacks. My migraines are non existent. I can sit comfortably in a car and a plane with a regular seat belt. I can walk, run, and exercise for extended periods of time. I feel great, I like the way I look. But...I'm still 40 lbs away from my goal weight and stuck. Have any of you gotten to this point? Has anyone else gained back a few pounds or hit a stall for months and felt useless? What advice could you give me for moving forward and learning to love who I am while still striving to lose weight?

Okay, take a breath. The weight will come off, but not in a couple of weeks time. You are just post op and your body is swollen and trying to adjust to the trauma of surgery. During the surgical case they give you IV fluid and you are going to get rid of that soon as well. Please be patient. I went through the same thoughts/feelings and it is much better now. You will go through plateaus and stalls when your body is trying to keep up with the loss. The three week stall is infamous, but it does get better. I'm 5 weeks out next Monday and still learning. I remember how I felt when I was where you are and I thought if I had to drink one more protein anything I would choke someone. . Take one day at a time. It gets better and there are a ton of ppl on here who have been there and will listen/encourage you. I'm keeping you in my prayers that this will turn around soon for ya.

restriction eases over time. I'm several years out now. If this gives you any idea, at restaurants my usual order is an appetizer - or else I'll order an entree, eat half of it, and have them box up the other half. No different than a lot of my never-been-obese women friends, to be honest. that week 3 thing is the infamous "three week stall". It's not always the third week, but it usually is, hence the name. But the vast majority of us hit our first major stall sometime during the first month or so after surgery. Stalls typically last 1-3 weeks. When you hit one (and you'll likely hit several on your journey), just stick to your plan and stay off the scale for a few days - and know that it'll eventually break and you'll be on your way again. If you want more info on the three week stall, do a search for it on this site. Last time I checked, there were over 17,000 posts on it. And no, I am NOT kidding...

Two days ago marked my 3 week anniversary to my surgery. What a difference each day makes! I've been struggling with some deep depression since surgery and a lot of soul searching has gone on. One of the hardest things for me to do is sit still. I've spent more time at home than I'd like to and am actually looking forward to going back to work to break up the monotony. I've now read 7 books since surgery and about to finish my 8th. Reading has been my lifesaver through this surgery. Since I started on soft foods I've been unable to eat more than a few bites before I am overcome with nausea and have to go lay down. And that's been really frustrating. I'm still drinking two protein shakes a day and eating yogurt to balance out the fact that I can't eat any other types of protein without getting sick. On top of that, the anti gallstone medication (Actigall) I'm on really adds to the nausea. I can wake up full of energy every morning, have my protein shake and then my Actigall and a short time later I'm stuck in bed with nausea for the rest of the day, even after taking my nausea meds. So my books are really helping to take my mind off of things while I'm lying in bed. Yesterday was the first day that I felt any way back to my normal self. Every day I do a self check to see if I feel like I'm ready to go back to work or not -- and every day I get the nausea. Yesterday I chose not to take the pills and got out of the house. New siding is getting installed on my apartment so it was pretty loud yesterday and was an added incentive for me to leave. I decided to go to a restaurant while we were out and try some of their halibut. I barely had a few bites down before I was full. I then spent the next half hour worrying about when the nausea was going to kick in. It didn't! Marking yesterday as a big jump in progress. Today I will go back to taking the stupid medication, but I'm happy to have one day where I felt I was returning to normal. Summer break started for both girls this past week. Brie (15) already got a job for the summer. She'll be 16 in a few weeks. I'm taking her back to the DMV next Friday to see if she can pass her permit test. Summers are always hard, especially the beginning. My youngest, Sylar (11), has to go to her father's house in another state for the summer and he wants her the week that she gets out of school and will not allow her to return until the week before school starts. Sylar has been in basketball for the past three years and I haven't been able to get her into camps because any time she's out of school for over a week she has to be at her father's. I was able to wrangle keeping Sylar here for a week longer this year just so I could make sure she got into the local high school's basketball camp. She'll be able to meet and work with the varsity coach during camp and get to know some of the other girls in the upper grades that play basketball. Sylar and Brie typically experience some emotional problems before Sylar leaves so I'm glad that I'm able to keep her busy and happy before she heads out next Saturday. I'm currently in more of a stall than I'd like to be but I'm working through it. It's been 2 weeks since I lost any weight. I took a recommendation by someone here about eating a tsp of peanut butter when you are in a stall. I don't know if it was that or something else but I started losing again right after I tried the peanut butter for the first time. I'm a believer for now. I also saw my primary care physician two weeks ago and got results from my ferritin and Vitamin B-12 levels. Turns out both are elevated right now so I'm fine eating my gummy Multi Vites and not taking the B-12. I'll need to call back and find out about when I need to take another test to confirm my levels. The last thing I want to do is end up with levels getting too low. I bought a new board game, Ticket to Ride, for myself as a late birthday present last week. I played it once while I was trying to snack on soft foods and ended up getting really nauseated. Between the memory of the nausea and losing the game, I have refused to play it since. I'm on a quest today to find Elder Sign, another board game. If I can't find it at any of the game stores in town, I'll be stuck going to Powell's for it. While Powell's isn't a bad place, I have no want to ever go into the stores anymore. I included a picture of the current rotation of board games that have a permanent spot at my kitchen table. Now to get something to eat this morning and hope for the best after taking my Actigall.

I was 3 weeks out a couple of days ago. Lost 18lbs up to two week weigh in, then nothing when weighed on Thursday this week. But my body shape is changing and yesterday I bought a dress 2 sizes smaller than before! As VSGKirk says, our bodies have had a bit of a trauma and are coming to terms with all sorts of new stuff. All we can do is not to panic, stick to what we should be doing and only stand on the scales once a week Oh and read all the posts on this site about the three week stall, then relax. Others who have been trhough this say it will pass.... Good luck!

Looking back on this... so much is true. The emotions, the stall at three weeks, Hell week, etc. But you get through it.

Don't want to scare you, but my three week stall lasted a month and a half. One day I got on the scale and was down 4 pounds over night. I did nothing but keeps to my diet (protein, protein, and more protein.) I still cant figure out how someone who is 250 pounds, works two jobs, and eats less than 100 calories a day didn't lose weight. As I said, haven't changed anything, my body just finally caught on.

This isn't much advice but perhaps it can be of some comfort. I also stalled at three weeks and did not lose anything during weeks three or four. Then the weight loss picked up again and I have been losing consistently. (I am in week 8 now). So, just hang in there and try not to feel down or upset. You will start losing again soon! Good luck!

28 pounds six weeks out is a great number - congratulations!! 700-800 calories a day may be a little low. RNY is all about lifestyle changes. And lifestyle changes have to be sustainable. Long term sustainable. That's the prime directive. The sustainable test has helped me enormously in making dietary and exercise decisions from the day I had my surgery right up to this minute. I've averaged about 1300 calories a day since October 20, 2011. Two weeks ago and 100+ pounds lighter, the surgeon told me she didn't want me to lose more than an additional ten pounds and to up my calorie intake to 1800. That sounded a little high to me so I'm shooting for 1500. Crazy as it sounds, there are more days than not where I'm finding it very difficult to hit the 1500 mark. I have (I think) a great appetite but I just can't hold that much and I'm truly not t h a t hungry. I am absolutely confident that I could maintain a 1300 calorie average (there are days when I hit 1700-1800) but we'll have to see what happens with the weight. So far it's holding around 170 for the last three weeks. So based on long term sustainability, you might consider upping your calories to say 1000 a day for a month or two and see what happens. Most doctors recommend a weight loss goal of two pounds a week. Gradual calorie increases until you reach that average will take you where you want to go and do it in a healthy manner. Stalls are all part of the process and nothing to worry about. I love your decision to stay away from the scales for a week. Two would be even better! Stalls often last a couple of weeks but sometimes more. Stay focused on following the protocol, stay active and stay away from the scales as much as you can! You're gonna love the new you and congratulations again on a great start!!

Hi JageK (Jennifer) - I'm getting sleeved Sept. 29th with Dr. Aceves. I have been (pretty) quietly watching this board for all of the different emotions that I see people go through, both pre and post op. Before I saw that you were three weeks out, I thought to myself (from reading the other posts) that if this is your first stall you must be about three weeks out. It seems to be very common, so don't feel like you are a failure - seems to me that you are on the successful track now as many of those very successful sleevesters out here seem to hit that same stall and I am expecting it also mid October:glare:....but I know it will pass and some last longer than others. Good Luck! Trudy :lol0:

Read around this site--the three-week stall is kind of legendary, or at least very, very, very common. Your body kind of needs to pause to catch up every now and then; many people report losing inches during this time, if not pounds on the scale. My doctor advised not even thinking about weight loss--to focus on the big four things: water, protein, vitamins, and exercise. I'm human and I have a really good scale, though, so . . . yes, it's great to see it change nearly every day. I'm sure I'll find the three-week stall frustrating. But just hang on in there--it'll start going down again. Oh--and this won't be your last stall, either, so . . . chin up!

I've seen quite a few people around these parts talking about people they know who have lost weight "on their own" while they personally had WLS and I must say, this mindset makes me a bit pissy. Before having VSG, I tried every freaking diet out there. I exercised like a maniac. I tried drugs I knew were potentially harmful to my long term health. I resigned myself to being fat every single time I failed before slapping myself around and trying something new or trying something old again and again. I saw nutritionists, I saw gastro specialists. I considered a hypnotist, but I waved that off as hogwash. (No offense to anyone who tried it, just not my cup of tea.) I lost weight, I gained weight, I lost weight, I gained weight, I lost, I gained, I yo-yo'd myself right into a flucked up metabolism and mass frustration for myself and my family. I finally decided that I had no other options and settled on the Vertical Sleeve after researching my WLS options for almost a year. I went through 4 months with one surgeon before realizing there was no way in H E double hockey sticks could I let him cut me open before starting the process over with another surgeon that I felt comfortable with. I did all the pre-op work with a nutritionist (whack job!!) figuring that if I could concentrate on losing for those 6 months, maybe I wouldn't need surgery after all. I saw the counselor (WHACK JOB!!!) and never got to the root of my troubles other than the fact that I am a greedy piglet. (She swears I am repressing sexual abuse in a past life -- no REALLY, a PAST life, not just in my past. Uhmmm...) I did my pre-op diet for a month instead of the required two weeks because I wanted to. I exercised my fanny off (literally) over the last 7 months. I weigh, measure and log my food. I read labels. I make good choices putting my Protein needs first. I make sure to get in my 10k steps every single day even if that means running in place for an hour at 10pm when I know I have to be up, bright eyed and bushy tailed in 7 hours. I look for recipes that are healthier for my family that I can eat as well but I often cook two meals so they can eat what they like and I can eat what I need to eat. I put the fork down before I want to so that I don't spend the next 30 minutes bent over the toilet even when it took me an hour to prepare a meal and I've only had two or three bites because ,my tiny tummy isn't tolerating more than an ounce instead of it's usual 3 or 4. I read menus days in advance if I know I am going out so that I can order seamlessly with everyone else. I attend parties and conferences and work functions and eat mindfully so I can enjoy the event without calling attention to myself. I suffer through stalls in my head so that my family doesn't have to hear my incessant whining because I know they've suffered enough of my nonsense over the years. I appreciate everything my changing body has allowed me to do over the years despite the abuse I put it through and I appreciate how much it's thanking me as I am relieving it of all the excess weight. I went to kickboxing even when I don't feel like it and now I teach it so I don't have a choice but to go. I joined a high dollar gym and hired a high dollar trainer, not because I am a high dollar girl but because I am now forced to go. I look at my saggy skin and my floppy boobs and my melty thighs and my squishy bum and my hangy arms and while I regret that I didn't do this 5, 10, 15 years ago, I smile that I did do it seven months ago. I am losing this weight ON MY OWN. If you honestly think I'm not, please tell me who is doing it for me. They owe me a whole bunch of money, time and heartache for all the things I've put myself through over the last year+ and I owe them a HUGE amount of thanks for getting me where I am today.

Congratulations on great results! Search the forum for "three week stall". It's a common occurrence and completely normal. You've lost 40 pounds in a short period of time, and your body needs a period of adjustment. It generally occurs sometime in the 2-4 week period after surgery and can last a few days or even several weeks. You will have other periods of stall along the way, just embrace them as a necessary part of the journey.

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. We all experience stalls and just about everyone a stall 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 directed, and exercise when cleared. Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall