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Mick...This too will pass. I'm not sure you can prevent stalls, you're body is adjusting. My three week stall came and went rather quickly, and truly was a non event. Enjoy the ride!! Fit.

Starting with a BMI of 49.6, I lost 34.4 lbs. the first month, 8.4 lbs. the second month, and 9.6 in the first three weeks of the third month. The second month was the worst in terms of stalls, but it's picked up here this third month, thankfully.

I am with Blackberry juice...we are on track with each other we have around the same weight loss and I think our surgery dates were a week apart and we had similar BMI to start. I also eat around 1000 calories a day. I am exercising and I am toning and slimming at same time. I think you need to feed your body, people who are advised to get between 500-600 calories a day just seem baffling to me as to why they are told to do that. Not that I am the poster child for weight loss by any means lol. I just know mine has been steady and consistent and for someone who didn't start off with a bunch to lose I think I must be doing something correct. I try to limit the simple carbs, keep my Protein way above the amount of carbs I do get and eat lots of different veggies. I can say I don't crave the sweets like I used to. I don't crave Snacks. I just eat three good meals and sometimes a little something after dinner. Everyones weight loss will vary and stalls happen though I am crossing my fingers that I can at least get a pound or two a week until my goal. I just don't see the logic in these really low low cal post op diets. I see more people struggling who are trying to stay really low too. I wonder if docs think that we are going to cheat so they give us the low number and hope that by doing so if we do eat a couple hundred more that it will still be within the correct range? Who knows. Blackberry what is Goal weight: 145 and jacked ? hehe . btw that is my first goal weight also, I dont see myself wanting to go any lower then 135...but i think 145 would be perfect for my body shape.

I lost 7 pounds last month, so in no way has my weight loss stalled. However, as you all have come to know, I'm a very impatient person. I want to see a little come off on the scale EVERYDAY! Obviously, that is unrealistic and I need to learn to appreciate life without one eye focused on the scale. One way I'm doing that is through pictures. As horribly hard as it was for me to have pictures taken of myself at my biggest, I'm now very glad I did. The physical transformation I have gone through is instant inspiration to me when I have any low feelings at all. Another way I focus OFF the scale is focusing on how my clothes fit. I'm wearing a size 16 NY&Co pair of pants today that I bought when my mom was in town. Less than three weeks ago, I could get them on, but they were too snug to wear. Today, they look perfect! I remember the way I felt when I weighed 285 pounds. I still went places with my friends, but I felt withdrawn. I wanted to fade into the woodwork. I wanted to hide myself and my body. I was so hard on myself for every little thing because I felt insecure because of my fatness. Now, I'm much more confident with my body. I practically flirted with a guy in the elevator this morning. Ha! I will catch a glace of myself in a mirror or window reflection and I can hardly believe it is me. I worked out twice yesterday and didn't feel like I was overworked. It's absolutely incredible. As you also have been able to tell, I love having my picture taken now. I still have a long way to go, but I just feel so darn good! No need to put off living while I finish the job. :confused: Tonight I'm going with one of by LAP-BAND® Support Group buddies to see Shrek. I have made friends with two girls from the group. I'm so grateful to have folks face to face that are going through what I am going through. Plus, they are super fun!! Happy Wednesday!

And now, I'd like to vent and complain! I know I tell other people to take it easy, stalls happen, loss is different for everyone, blah blah blah. But right now, I'm pretty frustrated, so I could use some support of my own. I am down forty pounds since surgery. That's great. I know it is. It's an average of 3.33 pounds a week, which is better than a typical diet. But I'm frustrated. VERY frustrated! I've been stalled for twelve days now. I keep gaining and losing the same two pounds over and over again. I put the scale away last week hoping to see the numbers change but nope - after a week I was up four tenths of a pound. I'm between monthly cycles - this is usually the only time of the month that I do lose, and instead I'm stalled. If my cycle affects me like usual, I can expect to be up 1-3 pounds next week and then stalled again. The first month out I lost 18 pounds. The second month I lost 8 pounds. Now I'm two days from twelve weeks out and I've lost 14 pounds this month. I suppose the good news is that I lost more in month three than month two. I'm still pretty aggravated with the slow loss. Slow loss would be A-OK (or at least less gripe-worthy) if it was accompanied by skin that wasn't sagging, but unfortunately, my skin is sagging horribly. I expected bad things from the stomach, since I've had twins. The stomach was bad to begin with. But my breasts? Already? And my thighs? And my butt even droops! I can lift up part of my butt and jiggle it like a saggy breast. Yes, that's probably TMI. I don't care, I'm complaining! Maybe I wouldn't be as frustrated if I wasn't so incredibly close to 199 pounds. For whatever reason, that's this huge success to me - to be out of the 200s again. Anyway, I just wanted to complain. I know nobody has advice because there's no good answer. Since I still hate eating (I never thought I'd be so unhappy to never be hungry, but eating is still a total chore for me) I'm backtracking to full liquids for three days. I hope that will kick start the weight loss again. Anything to change it up, right? So, thanks for giving me a place to gripe. Once I lose a few pounds I'll be cheery again, I promise. And yes, plastic surgery is in my future, but I'll battle that saggy skin with weight lifting and squats in the meantime to do my part to help it along. I expected some sag, but really - these 70 year old breasts are not improving my grumpy disposition. Hope everyone else is having a better time of it than me! ~Cheri

I also gained. It took me a good week to get below my starting weight. The IV fluids and my long flights really helped me retain Water weight. Also, it takes a short while for the ghrelin to work it's way out of your system. It could be actual hunger, head hunger or acid. If I miss my Nexium for one day that night I'll feel like I'm starving and my stomach is rumbling - but it's only acid. Head hunger can be anything from a simple craving for a particular food, grieving large portions, or just being frustrated by the post op liquid diet and wanting to eat. I've never felt hunger post op, but I have had cravings around my monthly cycle, and about 8 days into the post op liquid diet I just had an overwhelming desire to CHEW food. Everyone loses at their own pace. If you expect to lose everything quickly with no bumps in the road you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Very few people on here never experienced a real stall - lots of us have at least mini-stalls once a month. You just had a surgery that makes it next to impossible not to lose weight. So long as you stick to the program, the weight is going to come off, but don't expect things to be a pound a day for the next six months. I felt like I was a slow loser until I realized that I'm less than three months out and more than one third of the way to my goal. That's pretty awesome. I'm not trying to be negative or anything. I just experienced a LOT of disappointment early on because I really expected the weight to keep falling off at the pound a day rate I had early on. When I stalled out for two weeks around week three, I was horribly disappointed and depressed. But it's a normal part of the process for most people. Now I realize that I gain and stall during my cycle and likely will every month. It sounds like you're doing a great job. Just focus on those liquids and stick to your plan - you'll be losing weight in no time. ~Cheri

This too shall pass. My doc told me it would happen in week three and it would last 1-2 weeks. It lasted 12 Looooonnnnngggg days, but then the stall broke. My doc says it's just the body's way of adjusting. AniO

Hello, February 10 Bandsters!!! I am just getting back on track after a stall for almost three months!!!! I switched doctors and finally got a good fill! I am at 6.8 cc's and I am loving it so far. I know it may be too soon to tell because I just got the fill on Thursday and it's Sunday. I have lost 6 pounds so far this month and I am hoping by the end of the month I can get another 6 off! That's 3 pounds a week which is possible with exercise. I will be hitting the gym first thing in the morning. I have been working out M-F for 45 min to 1hr in the gym and it's really helping me stay on track. I hope everybody have a great week.

I am 5'4 and started at 215, BMI 36.9. I am 4 1/2wks out and down 26lbs. to 189. The first three wks I would take little naps, but now I'm starting to have more energy. I didn't have any pain that required pain meds once I left the hospital. I was sleeping on my side by wk 1. Now I sleep on my tummy. I had a little acid reflux and heart burn the first couple of weeks. But it seems to be gone. I started at the gym walking on the treadmill for an 1hr, 3 miles without any problems last week (4wk). I plan on starting light weights for my arms this week 5. I've read that us light weights dont seem to lose much hair and that makes me so happy! I eat almost anything. just a few bites. When I hit a stall I'll up my work out and calorie in take to see if that helps. I don't think there is any magic solution when it comes to stalls because we are all different. Its all trial and error. Best of luck to all.:thumbup1:

Remember, your body is going through a lot of changes right now. Don't get upset about the scale not moving, it will catch up and even out. Try taking your measurements on a regular basis, you will probably be happy to see that even if the scale isn't moving, you are losing inches. Most everyone goes through a stall somewhere between weeks three and six. It is not at all unusual, though it is frustrating. Just remember, it won't last forever!

I lost 90lbs during the year before my VSG by being on a 1500 Cal diet and lots of walking. Since my VSG on August 20th I have lost an additional 25 lbs but I hit the dreaded "three week stall" for the past week. I hope I start losing again soon. I am averaging only 500 Cals a day and run out of energy by mid afternoon. Unfortunately, I have to go back to work next week. I hope my energy holds out.

My name is Desiree and I set my surgery date for October 4th yesterday. I've been on a journey of working to lose weight for a couple of years now. It all began a few years ago when I destroyed the cartridge in my knee and had to have surgery that put me on crutches for 6 weeks and I couldn't put any kind of weight on my leg. I decided to seriously work to lose weight then and was at my heaviest which was 342. I recovered from surgery and starting working with a personal trainer and following a strict diet. I lost several inches in 3 months, but only about 20 lbs. While working with my trainer I once again tore up the same knee, only a different injury. This time it the cartilage on my femur and had a hold 2 inches in diameter torn into it. This equaled another surgery and this time 8 weeks on crutches with no weight allowed. I had considered the bypass and band off and on for several years but was always uncomfortable with rerouting nature's plumbing and having something plastic that required upkeep in my body. That all changed after learning about my stupid knee injury. While waiting for my knee surgery I went to a seminar for surgery. I found out all the requirements for my insurance company and started working on them. I found success with a non surgical doctor in the same office and put off the surgery part. Due to recovery time I had a stall in my dr visits and had to start over three months later. I had gained back most of my weight while recovering but over the next several months of starting back up I had dropped 30 lbs. I was happy and all was going well until the pain in my knee came back and I couldn't work out. I was told I have stress fractures in my knee caused by my weight and the thinner cartridge in my knee. The doctor said I need to lose weight more quickly so he recommended surgery. I consulted with my weight loss doctor and next thing I know I'm waiting on insurance approval. It was fairly easy because I'd already had the dietician visits and the psych evaluation. My surgery date is less than three weeks away and on Monday I start a two week diet of no fat, low fat, no meat. I'm starting to freak out and trying to find answers to all of these questions that are suddenly popping in my head and I do not like what I have found online so far. Then I found this site. I'm looking forward to sharing my journey with everyone and putting to rest some of my fears. :svengo:

385.6 H 6/14/10 366.5 Surgery 6/29/10 Current: 322 Had three week stall weeks 5-7 but also added more calories and protein and lost 16lbs in past three weeks.

Everyone reacts differently, but here's what I've experienced. Prior to surgery, I would eat until absolutely bursting. I loved that feeling of being full and I almost always ate dinner until the point of discomfort. About thirty minutes after that massive meal, I'd have my head in the fridge again, looking for more. I felt hungry all the time - all day, every day. If I thought I was hungry, I couldn't sit still, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't function or stop thinking about food until I ate something. Post op, I'm one of the lucky people that isn't hungry at all - ever. I have to remember to eat, or I'll eventually feel a very empty feeling in my tummy that reminds me I need to eat. Some people do feel hunger. I do not. The only time I ever experience the urge to eat is when I'm suffering PMS - an issue you won't have to worry about. Not only am I not hungry, but most food is unappetizing. I might cook all day because I want a specific dish, and then I'll eat two bites and be done. Most foods only taste good to me for one or two bites. They're wonderful for those two bites, don't get me wrong. But after that, I have to force myself to finish my food or I won't get enough calories or Protein for the day. I think I'm also in the minority on this one. Mason is absolutely right and seems to completely have his head ready for surgery. The more of this type of "head work" you do pre-op, the easier your post op experience is going to be. I started out weighing EVERYTHING. I made my day's menu first thing in the morning and recorded it in a calorie tracker. I then made sure I ate all of my food for the day. I couldn't eat it all in three meals, so I did four. I did not snack or graze between meals. Now that I'm more confident about my ability to guess my food, I track my calories maybe two days a week. I have a tendency to not eat enough, so if I stall out on the scale the first thing I do is go back to weighing and tracking food. That seems to fix the problem every time. Sometimes I graze a little, but it's amazing how little I can actually eat. I try not to make a habit of it though, because it really isn't healthy. There is no way on this earth I can eat six ounces of anything at once. NO WAY. I'd find myself running to the bathroom, because it would come right back up. I can eat about 2-3 ounces of dense protein and maybe a bite or two of potatoes or vegetables after that's done. I can drink a 12 ounce Protein Drink over the course of an hour. I have trouble getting in my protein because my stomach is very small and I'm never in the mood to eat. It's easiest for me to make a protein coffee or chai latte every morning for extra calories and a big shot of protein. You will not be able to overeat, and if you're a stubborn learner and eat too much you'll learn not to quickly. It's not really vomiting. The term "productive burp" or "PB" like a lapband patient would use is really more accurate. But I promise, you'll be uncomfortable and you'll only do it a few times. Have you ever swallowed a huge gulp of Water and felt your esophagus expand painfully? It's just like that, only it lasts until the food goes down or comes back up. Your new full signal could be anything from hiccups to a runny nose to sneezes. But you'll learn what it is quickly, because unlike your old tummy, your sleeved tummy doesn't have any real "give" and it will be painful to eat just one bite too many. A lot of my eating issues were mental. Once the ability to eat endless amounts of food was taken care of, my mental desire to do so went away. Because overeating is uncomfortable, the joy in it is gone and I no longer overindulge. But you have to understand that everyone is different. There are some people who aren't as happy with their sleeve because their hunger DIDN'T disappear, so they're still hungry without the ability to eat those massive portions. Good luck whatever you decide. I think the sleeve is an awesome tool, but you have to really understand that your life is going to change and you have to be willing to learn how to eat properly. ~Cheri

Hi all, I just had the six month follow-up, with Kaiser in So. San Francisco. I was a little non-plussed. There was lab work for everything imaginable under the sun, but they didn't really cover it very well, IMHO. This was a group meeting with the dietician, and an MD. There is supposedly a three month meeting, but many of us did not get the invite. Although I did have a 3 month followup with my surgeon Dr. Le. I was surprised that almost half the group had the bypass. I am so happy I did not take that route. I had a stall for almost two months, but I finally started losing again. 5 lbs, this last week. So for any of you who get stalls, don't worry, you will get through them. This was my second stall in six months. I am glad I did not worry and had faith in the process. It was this forum that helped me not to worry. Our bodies change alot after this procedure. Alot of us at six months out have been feeling fatigued. It's normal. Our bodies, like I said, have been going through alot. We were giving the warnings about snacking. Snackings fine if you make sure your not adding back those calories, and grazing. My snack is popcorn, and I was given hell for it being a waste. But, screw them. I have given up everything. I am going to eat my popcorn Snacks. They are low in calories and they count as my bad carbs for that day. I only have them a couple times a week. Anyway, the best luck to you all on your journey. Hugs, Les

I defo agree with this... last week I lost a pound... ok not great, but not a stall or a gain, so that is good... but... I measured and lost 3 inches!!! That felt good! I also take a photo every two weeks... there is definately a difference there too! I have upped the excercise this week, so I am hoping for my 'offical' weigh day to be better... Sat is the day!! However, I do weigh most days, but the difference is that I don't let it effect me now. I concentrate on all the positives such as the inch loss, the loose clothes, loose rings on my fingers, having one neck instead of three, the being able to do an hour of exercise in one go and not it small 10-15 mins sessions... it is all a part of the process and I am starting to get that now! xx

I have been stuck several time since my last fill...I believe it is my own fault... I wolf down and don't cut and chew properly. I tried toast the other morning... it came back up, I think when I eat too fast this happen... BUT I have tried (after reading this in the forum) is when I am stuck I slip the hotest Water I can... IT does relax the Esophicus (sp) and things will move. Sometimes not right away... but it does work...when I had this problem three dinners in arow I drank a cup of tea the 15 minutes before...that helped. BIBI I was stalled for a couple of weeks also but now I am moving again...KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GIRLS, it is worth it!!!:blushing:

My stall is also officially broken. I've lost four pounds in the last week, which does wonders for my moods! I'm still not weighing every day, and it really helps me not focus so much on weight. So far I'm down 30 pounds and I'll be eight weeks out tomorrow. That's not as much as I wanted to be down by now, but 30 pounds is the most I ever lost on any "diet" in the past. I did Nutrisystem in 2006 and lost 30 pounds in almost four months. So, to drop that amount in half the time is a definite success, and I can't be too displeased. I hope to lose another 13 pounds over the next month - that will bring me to 199 pounds. We'll see if it's possible. La: I am SO happy to read your stall is broken. I know how relieved I was when the scale moved again! I hope you're doing well. WildIris: It sounds like you're doing awesome! And you seem very happy with your success so far. I'm sure you'll be hitting that goal in no time. Coops: I've only had one cycle but I expect one in the next week. I can tell you that it DID affect my weight. I gained three pounds! It didn't drop off again until a few days after the cycle ended. I also experienced the first (and only) food cravings and "hunger" I've felt since surgery. I wanted to eat everything in sight, especially bread, chips, candy, etc. It was awful. Now that I'm due in a few days, I have the same huge desire to eat, eat, eat. It's GOT to be hormone related. I'm munching on cheese sticks and very ripe fresh fruit when the urge to much hits me. It's not great, but it's not a Snickers, either! Dickson and Kathy: You guys are doing awesome. Why is it the men lose so much more quickly? Unfair! Ellisa: I just did the same thing with my clothes! I have two huge totes of clothing to send to my mom and sister because they're winter clothes and they will never fit me again. Isn't it wonderful? I have a GoWear Fit (like a Body Bugg) and it does the same thing for me as your new shoes - it makes me want to move around and get active. Whatever it takes, right? Lou: You are kickin' butt, buddy! I still get envious when I see how quickly the men lose, though. I'd be happy to have a way to fit a bit more food in - sometimes I still can't meet my calorie goals for the day, so being able to make some extra room with a good belch would help me finish those eggs or fit in a few extra bites of chicken. Keep up the good work, you're doing a great job! Possumtrot: Great job! Huge, HUGE congrats for making it halfway to goal (and in such a short time!) and for losing 50 pounds. Before you know it you won't be shopping in the plus section any longer. That's got to be a great feeling. I bet everyone is noticing, huh? I can't wait until I hit that point. Well, everyone, I'm off. I don't have a tremendous amount of time to post since we're gearing up for a month of visitors and then we're moving in November. I'm busy, busy, busy! ~Cheri

I have been in a three week stall and wondering about it myself. I do, however, think that I am losing waist line, so I'm keeping a tape measure in the bedroom to check. I feel much stronger now that I'm walking and working more. I am over the post-op weakness that plagued me earlier. I am comfortable with my diet - 12 to 16 oz. of high protein foods and a protein shake a day. I feel that I should drink more water to kick the weight loss elves into production. We will see.

Ha, make that the three of us! I stalled from week 3 to 6 and then lost almost 3 pounds in less than 2 days, so I have no idea what's going on.

Well, it's been a whole month since I've weighed myself. After my three week stall, which broke with a measly one pound loss, I was getting very frustrated. I took one member's challenge (I think it was Lisalu) and decided to stay off the scale for a month. For someone who doesn't own a scale and was fine with a weekly weigh-in, I thought it would be a breeze. Well, it wasn't as easy as I thought. But, my clothes fit was changing so much along the way that it kept me going and I was able to resist. I went in for my 6 week followup a couple of days ago - it had actually stretched into a 8 or 9 week followup - and was excited to find that I had lost 11 pounds since my last weight check a month ago. What a confidence boost! My goal was to weigh 230 at the docs office but I weighed in at 228. Yeah!!! I've gone from a size 22 pants and 2X top to a very baggy 20 pants and 1X and some XL tops. My pants were so baggy this last week I went and bought some 18s. I'm going to have to wear them close fitting for a while because the saggy look ain't working for me. :lol0: I'm making my way out of the Women's section and back into the Misses section. I'm looking forward to the clothing options that will open up for me then. I'm happy to say that I'm finally settling into a good routine and feeling good about having had surgery. It's still difficult sometimes having to think so much about what and how I eat, but it gets better every day. I actually feel normal most of the time. Of course, the minute I sit down to eat I get a dose of reality from my stomach. But, it doesn't seem like such a big deal now. I know the scale strike won't work for everyone, but it helped make this past month so much less stressful for me. I just stopped worrying about my weight and focused on getting my Proteins and my clothes fit. I don't know if I'll stick with the monthly weigh-ins. Once every two weeks will probably be more realistic for awhile, but I don't feel like I have to decide now. I do plan to get a scale as I get closer to goal because it will be more important to monitor those last few pounds that come and go. Until then, I guess I'll keep sneaking onto the display scales at Wal-Mart. :thumbup: Best wishes to anyone starting this journey and empathy to anyone struggling with their scale. I feel ya!

Hey... I my op was 3rd July (anyone with the same date?) and although I am really happy with my 26lb weight loss, I have 'only' lost 2lb in the last for weeks and I am getting a little OCD about it all...! I'm following the three meals a day style programme with 100g of protein, vits and plenty of water... I also exercise 3-4 times a week at this stage. I know stalls are really common and I don't expect the weight to melt off but I do expect a little loss each week, I resigned to being a slow loser and that is fine as long as I lose... Was wondering if anyone else who is also at my stage is in the same boat and if anyone has any handy hints or tips for me... Cheers in advance,

Hey all.... I am feeling the stall thing ... like you I stalled from three weeks to the beginning of 6 weeks and this week I lost two, but that is all! Following the same pattern too: proetein first, three meals a day, Vitamins, lots of Water and I've started regular exercise! I know that this will work, I just wish it was working faster as I am being impatient!! I think I am going to be a 'slow loser'. I am working on the 'head' thing now... ie being positive about the weight that I have already lost and enjoying wearing clothes that didn't fit me 7 weeks ago! This site is brilliant for support and kind words that have kept me more that sane for the last 4 weeks!!!

I was doing the same thing, low number of calories (800 to 900 per day) plus exercising every day, and stalled out for three weeks. I decided to up my calories and voila, it started coming off again. I've only had one fill but will keep it that way for awhile because it's difficult to get even 1200 calories in without always feeling stuffed.

You will continue. I stalled out at three-four weeks. I agree introducing solids was what did it for me. I have learned from this wonderful site that we are all stall, we all lose at different rates. But, we all lose. Hang in there. This too shall pass. Just remember..Protein first, veggies second, other carbs last. If I follow the first two, there is never room for the third and there is no way that combo can fail.