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Hi everyone, I am not real good with talking about myself, that's why I just say add on me on Facebook to keep up with my progress lol. But for my 3 month anniversary since being sleeved I thought I would make a contribution of my journey thus far. My journey started a few years ago when I first started hearing more about weight loss surgery. At that time though, my mind sent about weight loss surgery was that it was for those looking for an easy way out of their responsibilities of taking care of their body. I thought to myself that I was responsible for putting the weight on and I should be responsible for taking it off. As I tried to do that I found it was impossible to reverse the damage already done and also maintain the life schedule I had. I met someone who had the bypass and she explained everything she was going through. I started to realize that it is not easy at all and that it is just a different type of responsibility to commit to a surgery; and by far it was not taking an easy way out. In July 2010 I woke up one day and said I am going to get the surgery. I went to the orientation meeting, and then in Sept 2010 I started all the preliminary doctor appts. In the second week of October they submitted everything to my insurance and told me it would probably be 30 days before we heard back. Well we heard back within 24 hours from my Medica insurance and I was approved! The funny thing is at this time I was going to have the bypass! I then finally met my surgeon and he said "you should really think about the sleeve." Well a lot of the research out there said go with the bypass, but I also did not realize that the sleeve was so new and that's why it was lacking information and research. I trusted my surgeon after he explained the differences and decided to get sleeved on November 10, 2010. In September I weighed in at 343. The day of surgery I weighed 329. 3 months later I now weight 260lbs. I have lost 10 inches off my waist and 4 inches off my hips. I have gone from a size 28 shirt to a size 16, and a size 28 pants to a 22. I still have a long way to go but with this surgery I know I will succeed in reaching my goal. But it hasn't been all fun. I have gone through many trials of finding the right foods my body won't reject. I use to be able to eat fish/tuna/seafood, but now my body rejects to the point of vomit. Last night I tried a little bit of pulled pork for the first time and that I think went well. I have been living on chicken!!!! It seems to be the only meet my body is comfortable with. I never did eat a lot of beef, so I haven't been in a rush to try it. I have found that whey Protein in crystal light/water has been wonderful! the fruit punch crystal light is the bomb and I put 28g of protein scoop in every time. Right after Christmas I did go through a two weeks stall where I thought I might lose my mind! the scale wasn't moving, but I could feel my clothes getting looser. I would come to the forum and read everyone's posts about stalling and they were so helpful, and I thank all of you for posting your experiences because it helped get me through my fears by reading them. Along with eating right, I joined a health club and I work with a personal trainer once a week and then I work on my own the rest of the week. He sort of helps me set the tone for my week which I like. My personal trainer is also a metabolic technician which allows him to have special knowledge to what my body is doing because of the surgery. Some said why waste the money on the trainer? Well my answer is because I do not have the knowledge to have figured out where to begin. Walking on a treadmill is great, but I wanted to do more. I wanted to strengthen my body, not just lose weight. When I started weight training with him we had a regimen of 2 rounds 15 reps a piece on the following: leg press 680lbs shoulder press 20lbs chest press 20lbs lat pull down 20lbs row 20lbs Now I am at: leg press 160lbs shoulder press 40lbs chest press 40lbs lat pull down 60lbs row 60lbs I was walking at only 2.4 miles per hour and now I am walking at 3. So has sort of been me over the past three months. I do not know if any of it useful to those about to get sleeve, but if I had to give any advice it would be have patience and be dedicated. It has been a life changing experience, and it has better me as a person. Not because I am getting thinner, but because it has brought out the confidence that was always in me but hidden, and has me wanting things out of life I never thought I could have before....and none of it has anything to do with my size. Good luck everyone!

I was sleeved Jan. 26th - and since the start of the pre-op diet (5 days before surgery) I am down 31 pounds! I can't believe it. Yes - like you, I am confident that I could have lost this on my own (probably not as fast and with a lot more effort, i.e. exercising) > but you have to think long term. The nurse at my surgeons office told me the next 18 months are going to be the easiest time for losing weight. I think I'd have a much much harder time continuing the weight loss on my own over the next 18 months, that's for sure. So, while I can do it for a month or two, maybe three, but then whatever happens and I lose track or get tired of keeping track or find excuses not to exercise..... My surgeon also told me the average is to lose 60% of excess weight by the one year mark. So, 1-2 pounds a week is completely reasonable, and I do not expect to continue with this fast weight loss as this first month. Also, the slower you go, the longer it stays off, and the less skin sagging (I hope!). So, really, there are other surgery options if someone needed to lose more than that over the long haul, but I looked at the slower rate as the healthier option for me. Don't sweat it, if you are following your doctors instructions, you'll do fine. Apparently stalls are normal but not forever. Good Luck!!

I have also stalled. I am almost three weeks post op and started introducing foods into my diet so I am at a stand still. I feel your pain. It is very discouraging to see such a dramatic loss and then just stop. But I knew it would not last best thing is for our fills to come along and we get to the point were we can start exercising more.

Relax girlfriend! I was sleeved two days before you and starting weight quite a bit more (247) and right in line with your loss. I think we are doing great! Just let the sleeve do the work, stick to the plan and it will keep coming off. I have had some stall time too, 5 days at one weight, lost a pound and on two days at the next weight... If I was weighing every two weeks I'm sure I would never notice I was in a stall ... I have been measuring now and then too, and have continued to lose inches... have you done this? I have decided to celebrate the three week stall! It just shows we are on the same path as all these nice folks that are losing a bunch of weight with the sleeve. PS my starting weight was two days before surgery, when I started a liquid diet for two days, so really I probably lost about the same as you...

kll724 - Thanks for your input!!! I've never gained before and I just seem to be yo-yo ing up and down around 4-5 lbs. So, for me, three weeks has seemed like FOREVER. I've read that a lot of people have been stalled and then suddenly drop 10 lbs. like that - without ever changing anything (as you mentioned). I'm hoping that I am in that same situation. It just kills me to get on the scale each morning and see that number going in the wrong direction!! As far as exercise goes, now that it's staying light out a little bit later I'm going to try to start doing more activities with my son when we get home each night. I also want to set up a workout routine on my Wii Fit. I love that thing, but I NEVER get to use it. Thanks again :0) Katie - You are correct, I don't eat many carbs because my doctor wants me on low carb high Protein. I used to eat more, but since this stall began I've cut back on them thinking that maybe I needed more protein and less carbs. It hasn't really affected the way that I feel - no headaches or anything from withdrawal. Do you think that maybe I'm being too restrictive and that I should try to add some back in to see what happens?? I've read that sometimes when you're too restrictive in your diet (with anything) sometimes your body holds onto as much of whatever you're restricting and that can affect your weight loss. I don't know if that is the case with carbs, but maybe. Does that make any sense? Maybe I will start adding some carbs back into my diet and see what happens. I just really don't want to go back to my doctor next month with no progress since my last visit. Plus, theres just something about seeing that number either staying the same or going down each day that makes the day start out better. Right now I'm starting my days off with an "UGH" and a sigh :0) Any thoughts?? Thanks again, Liz

Hey guys I started birth control two weeks ago....I gained three lbs and have been on a stall...has this happened to anyone? If so, does it go away?

Well, ups and downs again! Week 5, and I am having my second stall/gain! I'm back down to having lost 23lb, but still can't work out why this is happening, I had good weight loss for 2 weeks post op, gained 1lb week three, was ill and due to illness lost 7lb (although until I got a vomiting bug I was stalling at 18lb lost), after getting well again I stayed the same for a few days, but have now gained 2lb. I'm somewhere between mush and food, and have largely been eating chicken breast, omlette or Soups the weight of what I'm eating is less than 2lb, so I just don't get why my body is doing this! Please tell me this isn't just me, and I'm not shaping up to be the first person to fail on the sleeve! Thanks

I thought I had it down too but apparently not! I was burning too many calories in the gym and needed to increase my intake to lose. I have been stalled for three weeks but I layed off the workouts some and I have lost a pound since Sunday.

I stalled at 6 weeks out.. Well i hadn't had a bowel moment since, now they are so irregular. So i took a laxetive and drink lots of water and boost my protein and two days later the weight was melting off.10 pound in a week.. I was going all day once the laxtive kicked in so now what I do, if by day three, I havent had a bowel movement I clean my system out. Although you are not eating alot, it's not good for the food to just sit (you Know)..

My first stall, and I say it that way because I'm sure there will be others, came at three months after surgery. It lasted almost four weeks, which with my initial amazing weight loss, was frustrating. I came to terms with reality during the first week of the stall, and for me, the reality was, and continues to be, that there is no way this plateau can have a long lasting affect because I'm still obese and I am eating 600-1000 calories per day. Knowing that it couldn't be sustainable, I kept doing what I was doing, diet and exercise, and maintained discipline. Lo and behold, the stall broke and I dropped ten pounds in a week. Keep the faith and don't worry, everyone's body adjusts differently, just know that it can last a short or long time, that doesn't matter. What is most important is building new habits that are sustainable for the rest of your lifetime. Congratulations on your weight loss to date!

I am just shy of my six month mark and am just coming out of a six week stall. I ate some fat, about 1/4 of a steak and a bite of a cupcake, and I think that is what did it for me. Down three pounds since Sunday, which is really good for me. I tend to stall more than lose these days, but hey, I am still losing right?

Wanted to offer some encouragement. After six weeks, the scale finally MOVED!!! Down three pounds since Sunday. Hang in there everyone, it is true, stalls will be broken:)

I've just overcame a three week stall that irked me so bad! Yes I was happy for the weight I'd lost to date, but I really don't think my body type is one that should have long stalls. So, when I go a third week and no loss, I investigate everything I'm eating/drinking and how much, when and how its all prepared and I re-evaluate my workout routine. I tweak it to fine tune to what I know works for me and it seems to get things moving back in the right direction. Losing weight comes with a lot of patience and getting to know your body. You have to find what works the best for you and continue to do that through to the end. Logging your food and writing down a certain routine for workouts (if you workout - not everyone does) so you keep track of what you are doing. If you are still stalled, try changing some things or trying new ways. Good luck!

I had my first stall at three weeks and was quite discouraged. However, I could tell that my body was changing, so we took some measurments. I'd lost a total of 12 inches from my waist, hips, chest and arms. I highly recommend taking your measurements and tracking them along with your weight loss. It was a huge motivation for me to see that even though the scale was not moving as quickly as I wanted I was still losing. I still have periodic stalls, but if I up my Protein and Water, I start to lose again.

Hi! I'm 8 weeks out and had a three week stall during weeks 4,5,6. Stick with the rules. I upped my food intake and watched carbs and finally the scale moved and I've lost 6 more pounds in last 2 weeks for a total of 36. Sometimes your body just stops to take a breath.

I don't know about you, but I was on liquids for a full three weeks. I thought I would die. At first, liquids were enough. I could barely get them down. sip watch clock, sip, watch clock... all day long. Then I got hungry. I wanted to chew. The liquids just weren't cutting it, not enough energy, not enough of anything. I feel your pain. At almost 8 weeks, life is much better. I thought I would lose faster - only 1-2 pounds most weeks from week 4 on, and a 10 day stall at week three when I finally was allowed to eat. But overall, I am great. I have lost more weight in the last 8 weeks than I lost in 5 months prior to surgery. Hang in there.

I lost 18 lbs. in the first three weeks after surgery, then nothing. It has been 17 days now since I have lost anything. I am starting to get discouraged as you might imagine. I was wondering how long other people have gone in their stalls.

I had a month stall and I started working out about 20 minutes three times a week and the weight started coming off again. I have gone from my high of 210 lbs size 20 and now I'm 132 lbs size 4/6.. I promise my super sleeve was worth it!!! So hang in there.. PS Drink as much Water as you can

You know...I'm only 9 weeks out, but I'm already learning that you just have to trust the process. Stalls will happen, but if you just work the program you've been given...the weight comes off! I have weeks where I lose a pound, sometimes two or three weeks where I lose a pound. Then all of the sudden I have a seven pound loss in a week. I've never had crazy huge numbers, but I only started out at 212 so I'm not surprised by that. The bottom line is...I'm almost half way to my goal weight and it has only been a little over two months. It works! It works! IT WORKS!!! It's a journey...no matter whether you're going over a hill or through a valley this week...you'll get there just the same!

Sounds like the notorious week three stall. I suggest you stop weighing your self for a week so you don't go crazy. I know it's hard to do….put your scale somewhere inconvenient to avoid the temptation. This will pass and the pounds will fall off. Just keep following the instructions and it will happen.

Around week three I spent 10 days jumping up and down between 259-261. Finally started losing again, about a pound a week, then in the last 5 days suddenly lost 3 pounds. I didn't even chart it at first because I thought it was a fluke, but woke io this morning and still gone. Keeping my fingers crossed now. I think this uneven weight loss and stalls is the most frustrating part of the whole experience, but the big picture is I am the lowest weight I have been in 10 years!

So, I was banded on December 8th and as of last week was down 24 pounds (from the day I started my pre-op diet the day after Thanksgiving). Since I saw my surgeon on the 23rd, I have gained back three pounds from my lowest (on my home scale) weight. I am very confused - I am on solid food now, and my first fill is scheduled for the 17th of this month. I am tracking calories and average around 1200 calories per day. I have also been cleared to exercise and am going to the gym 3 times a week. Why has my weight loss stalled already and what can I do to fix this? Help!!

Hi All. I was banded December 6, and recovered from surgery pretty easily. Had a few sidetracks along the way, (like learning I am lactose intolerant), but overall, it's gone well. I was on Protein shakes and Water for three weeks, and lost a fair amount of weight. Now that I'm cleared for soft foods, I'm eating smart (I think) high protein meals, supplementing with Protein Shakes, and sipping the ever present water. I haven't eaten anything I'd consider "wrong" (no sweets, fried foods, no alcohol), and feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. So why has my weight loss stalled? Where I was losing about a pound a day, in the last week I've only lost two pounds, and today I'm actually up a pound. I'm confused. Anyone have ideas about this? Why is it happening, and what can/should I do about it? Thanks, Dave

I, too, developed lactose intolerance. Certain foods (yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, ice cream and yes, Protein shakes) cannot be tolerated. I get incredibly sick if I consume any of the foods that bother my system. There are several lactose free protein shakes on the market. I had to try three or four before I found that I can usually tolerate Muscle Milk RTD shakes. Keep working on it with samples or individual RTD shakes. There is most likely something out there that you can tolerate. I also went through the lack of appetite. It does come back. You have to push yourself to eat enough calories in the meantime, even when you don't want to. You cannot avoid eating for fear of gaining; you're only going to confuse your body and cause yourself problems. I gain when my calories stay low for too long, too. Right about the time my lactose intolerance got very bad I was also eating about 300 calories a day. I gained a few pounds and then stalled out for weeks. With your dramatic results so far, you should expect a stall at some point. Your body needs to adjust. Don't worry - it will eventually get the idea that everything is okay, provided you continue to nourish your body and stay healthy. I, too, had major issues with the chewables, and later with my Biotin pills. I now take gummi Vitamins. They don't make me sick and they go down just fine. Find an adult gummi Vitamin, and take enough of them to get what you'd get from your chewables. YOU CAN DO THIS. Just take a deep breath and relax. It's going to take your mind a long while to catch up to your new body. You've lost a tremendous amount of weight in the last seven months, both with and without your sleeve. You definitely should pursue some therapy to help you adjust. Please update once you speak to your doctor. Any advice/suggestions you receive could help others in your position. I strugged with the same physcial issues you're struggling with now. I'm in a far better place now, just two months later. Best of luck, ~Cheri