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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.

So I feel like I have stalled out-spent the last three weeks around the same weight. I have tried mixing it up with more exercise, etc but no luck. It has been 6 months since my surgery and I am worried that going so long eating too few calories has wrecked my metabolism. I have lost of lot of weight but I am afraid in the long run doing it on so few cals has slowed down my weight loss as my body thinks it is in the dreaded starvation mode. Is it possible to have a psychological block to further weight loss? It seems far more complicated than "calories in vs. calories out" when I review my history. I have tried increasing cals for a few days and that didn't work. Nor did being more restrictive and increasing the protein shakes. TIA for your insight and advice.

I'm now one month and one day out from surgery. I lost 24 pounds - my goal for the month, and one I thought I wouldn't be able to meet. I've lost just over 22% of my excess weight. The most I've ever lost on a diet was 30 pounds (Nutrisystem, 2006) and I'm confident that I'll exceed the current record next month. Otherwise, all is well. I feel wonderful, though I had my first (and hopefully only) issue due to not chewing something well enough. I was too busy talking to my kids and not paying attention to my food. I won't make that mistake again! I hope everyone is doing great, and I'm excited to see what the second month brings me. La: I'm glad you upped your fat intake. Fat is not our enemy, in moderation. We need it to properly absorb Vitamins and minerals. Keeping your fat so low was probably really limiting your food choices, too. How are you doing on that front? Don't fret too much about a stall. Mix it up, girlie! If anything else, wait it out. You know, deep down (no matter how frustrated you are right now) that you cannot fail at this surgery. That's why you chose it. Keep doing the right thing and the weight is going to come off. I haven't been watching the weight as closely, but when I do check it's either the same as the last time or a little less. The weight isn't flying off, but then again...it is. At least, compared to any diet I've ever done. Some newly sleeved people are losing faster, sure. But how can I complain about what I've accomplished so far? I just figured out that you've lost more than 26% of your excess weight - based upon your goal - so you are doing great! Does your ticker include your pre-op? I really didn't lose much pre-op - somewhere between 3-5 pounds. Qured: Welcome! Losing so much the first week might catch up to you by week three, so your goal of 30 in the first month is a pretty good one. Keep up the good work, and congrats on your loss so far. ~Cheri

First off, I had to slowly build to get in my Protein and liquids. It wasn't until about 2 weeks out that I could get in both almost every day. It gets a lot easier with mushies. Follow your own doc's guidelines if you have them. If not, there are several generic VSG guidelines posted on this board. My doc wants me between 600-800 calories a day, 60+ grams of protein (I shoot for 90-100), less than 30 grams of carbs and keeping an eye on my fat intake. I found that while it might not be the best habit in the long run, I have to eat four times a day in order to get all of my calories and protein in for the day. Those meals sometimes take more than an hour, too. Some days I supplement with a protein shake to make it easier to hit my goals, but those Protein shakes have a lot of carbs if you make them with milk, so I try to only do that every few days. I'm transitioning onto soft foods - I've been doing a mix of mushies and softs for a few days now. I'm allowed pureed meats as of today. It's very easy to get your protein in with just food once you can have tuna or chicken salad, eggbeaters with some cheese, etc. My recommendation is to sign up with a calorie tracker. I use myfitnesspal, some folks use thedailyplate, and there are other sites out there. Plan your menu for the day in the morning and see how it fits into your nutritional needs and your ability to actually eat all of that food. Once you get into the habit of doing this, you'll always know what you're eating and you won't have to guess. I didn't realize it until I stalled out but I was hardly hitting 600 calories a day. Once I started tracking and upped that number, I lost three pounds in four days. Good luck. Always ask questions if you have them, the folks here are very helpful and there are vets here that know way more about this than me, that's for sure. ~Cheri

Hiya, I too am at a stall... it is nearly three weeks now and really frustrating as I am only 5weeks post op... any advice??? Cheers, Coops x

Geeze Anna.... you look fabulous. You must feel great!!!! You've really made this work for you. And Swiftflow... your over half way... Good job guys. I am finding more and more that I can eat quite a bit. I had 4oz of salmon for lunch no problem. That would have made me very ill only one month ago. I'm getting a little scared too. The main reason I got the surgery was to help cure my head from the obsessive dieting and subsequent binges after a period of restriction. Its been great... I have been kiet free for three months.... eating healthy lean meets.. fruits and veggies with a little dairy thrown in. Its been so good for me psychologically.... to really let go of that cycle has been amazing for my frame of mind. Now I'm scared I have to go on a "diet" to loose the last of it (I've been stalled for 2 weeks). I have seriously been on a diet since I was 14... It always leads to feelings of deprevation and binging. I know with the sleeve a "diet" would be super easy to follow... Its just so easy to slip back into old thinking patterns. Yikes. I'm certainly not willing to pay all this money only to achieve 1/2 my goal. Any advice guys? thanks stacey

My scale stalled out right about the time I started on full liquids, sadly. I'm going to put the blasted thing away until a week from today, and see what it says then. I need to incorporate exercise, but that's not as simple as it sounds when you chase two toddlers around all day. I've been taking them on a walk then playing at the park to get more movement in, but the scale isn't budging more than two tenths of a pound. However, my pants are all getting so big I can pull them down without unbuttoning them, so something is happening. I need to take measurements again to see just what's going on, but my waist and thighs are definitely smaller. I recommend everyone do this, because if I were relying solely on the scale I'd be pretty discouraged right now. La: I'm glad I'm not alone. My biggest issue is that no Protein supplement tastes good to me anymore. To make them taste better, I'd make them with milk which would push my carbs up too high. I did find two flavors of IsoFlex that work for me, so I'm sticking to them. They're low enough in carbs that I can make them with skim milk and it won't hurt my daily totals. And while I might gripe about eating all day long (which has gotten better now that I'm incorporating some soft foods that are higher in protein) I certainly don't want to drink all day long instead! I'm also putting the scale away - it's hardly moving and it's very frustrating. I need to start incorporating exercise, I guess. Donna: I can easily eat about 1/2 cup of something soft or mushy, but it takes me about an hour to an hour and a half to do so. I can only take three or four small bites, then I have to pause for a few minutes. Maybe the foods you're eating are so soft that they aren't giving you a full feeling? What's your typical meal plan for a day? I also have the same issues with the scale, so don't worry too much. Everyone is different. My hope was to lose 24 pounds the first month which would have been just over 20% of my excess weight. However, I've been stuck around 19 pounds lost for almost a week. I'm losing on average about a pound a week right now. I will most likely lose 20 pounds this month, and that's from my starting weight since I have no idea how much I lost on my preop diet. I hope everyone is doing well. My husband is gone on a trip all next week so I have the evenings to do my exercise videos without feeling silly. I hope that it'll kick start the scale again and help make exercise a part of my regular routine. I do so hate exercise. At least starting out...once I'm used to the habit I look forward to it and enjoy it, but I'm a long way from that place right now! ~Cheri

1. According to my program, you would be eating normal foods, with 1 to 1 and 1/2 cup portions. 2. I had a stall week three. I increased exercise, protein, and took a laxative and the stall ended. 3. If you don't get protein, your body will not burn fat, it will burn muscle for energy. You will be in poor health and you won't be losing weight the way you should.

I would recommend Miralax (or the generic equal) I had more constipation early on as most of my food was Protein and not the typical fatty/carb diet I had pre-op. At three months out now, I don't have the same issues, but I am taking in more normal meals now as well. Every now and then I will still take Miralax if I feel like stools are too solid or if it has been too long since the last one. All of this to say what you are seeing is normal. I just came off of a stall that lasted over 2 weeks--stalls are normal too as our body adjusts during the drastic eating changes. Just stick to the program your doc gave you and you will be ok. Try the miralax to help clear you out now and then as needed.

Well, I just made it through the dreaded three week stall. I knew it was happening when I was going through it (even before I weighed) because I could tell that my body hadn't changed and that my clothes were fitting the same. Against my better judgement, I weighed myself at Walmart, since I don't plan to buy a scale until close to goal, and sure enough it hadn't budged since my last weigh in a week earlier. Man was I pissed off! :tongue_smilie: Despite the fact that I had read countless stories about the 3 week stall, I was still mad for a couple of days. But, I got over it and didn't weigh again until I felt some changes in my body and saw changes with my clothes. By the end of my 4th week, I had lost an additional 2 pounds. Geesh! Couldn't it have been more than 2 lousy pounds?:closedeyes: Oh well, at least we're back on track now. Another member on VST suggested weighing once a month. I've always advocated no more than once a week, so even for me that's a little radical. But, I think I'm going to give it a try. I'm much more interested in feeling better and seeing changes in my clothing and sizes than I am with how much I weigh. So, why stress myself out with scale numbers that don't move as fast as I want them to? I'm going to shoot for the beginning of the month for my weigh-ins and hopefully whatever loss I see then will be motivating enough. We'll see how it goes...:thumbup1:

I think I might join you Lisa. I don't own a scale either and don't plan to buy one until I hit goal so I can monitor any unwanted weight gain. I've been weighing myself here and there every week or so. I just went through the dreaded three week stall. I knew from the way my body was acting the minute it hit. Against my better judgement I got on a scale (at Walmart :001_tt2:) during that time and hadn't lost a thing from my previous weigh in the week before. Needless to say, I was pissed. But, I had read enough here to know that it was common and that it would pass. I didn't weigh again until I felt my body shifting and started to see a change in my clothes. I just broke my stall and lost 2 pounds. I wasn't thrilled that it was only two pounds, but I'll take it. After being mad for two or three days about the scale not changing I started thinking that I need to cut back to weighing even less frequently than every week. I just don't need the extra drama. I'm actually much more emotionally tied to how my clothes fit and getting smaller sizes than I am with how much I weigh, so why should I be stressing about the scale. I think I'm going to go for once a month weigh-ins too - at least until I get closer to goal! Count me in!

I was banded in Nov but would like to join you guys. Nobody has posted on nov site forever. I feel like I'm failing at this band. I haven't lost in forever. My band was to tight three months ago had to have it emptyed from vomiting. The dr said itt was swelling from the vomiting. so of course I gained some and was at a stall. still at 6cc which is better but just had fill last week and could be a tad tighter. I have lost one pound since my fill. Better than nothing I guess. I expected to have lost 10 pounds a months which has not happened. I am not able to eat much at breakfast. Lunch maybe cup to 1/2 cup soup with vegtables in it. supper bout 1 cup. I do use the treadmill for an hour so I should be losing more. i did work out for three hours a day but it wasn't helping so i took a break from all that and went to an hour day. any advice would be good.

Well written post...as a bandster who's six months out of surgery, I can tell you some of the things I've learned: 1. Overall, my weight is down. Do I lose every day/week? No. But, as long as the trend is generally down, life is good! 2. Do I exercise? Nope. Every once in a while I'll go jump on a treadmill or in a pool, but my body hasn't needed the infusion of regular exercise yet to lose weight. When I plateau, I'll get into it. For now? I only exercise when I feel like it. I do not live a sedentary lifestyle, so I'm sure that helps. 3. Restriction is a double edged sword. I was filled to 8cc in my 14cc band about mid-March...I lived for a month and a half on that fill, still being able to eat most foods but in lesser quantities. After a month and a half of that fill, realizing that I was still hungry most of the time, I pushed my doctor to fill me up to 9cc at the end of May...and then I went on a three and a half week vacation. I couldn't eat ANYTHING without PBing it back up (yes, I took small bites, chewed, etc.) and was miserable with chest pains all day from even trying to eat. That malnutrition cost me a month of weight stalling - my body was starving and refused to let me lose weight. I got back a few days ago, got unfilled back to 8cc and have lost almost 4 pounds in just a couple of days because I'm eating again. Be careful what you wish for in your restriction... 4. The LapBand is not a "miracle pill" or an "easy way out." For those of you thinking you were going to lose a million pounds in a few months...you should have opted for liposuction or gastric bypass. I chose LapBand because it is the HEALTHIEST TOOL on the market...I don't eat nearly as much as I used to, I don't get as hungry as I used to...but the food choices are still ON ME. I could have started the day with eggs, sausage, bacon, waffles, hash browns, etc...but here I sit working on a serving of Weight Control Quaker oatmeal. The girl I was 7 months ago would not have made that same choice. Rewire your brain...this band is supposed to help you do that. 5. Too many people whine on this website. Seriously? You've been overweight for a long time, no doubt, and have tried and failed with numerous diets...otherwise you wouldn't have a LapBand. WHY do you think this is another easy way out? WHY are you frustrated with your progress when you can't even pull your head out of your butt long enough to do some serious reflection on what YOU are doing or not doing to help yourself succeed? Seems like many of the users on this site didn't have their head in the game when they started this...your ignorance is only due to the fact that YOU chose not to ask questions of your doctor, do the research, etc. Don't be "shocked" that your previous dietary habits aren't working...don't blame lack of restriction on the reason you're failing. It was a good 3 months before I felt restriction...I still made the choices to eat healthy, eliminate carbonated drinks, etc. This is on YOU. Stop putting it off on other people/excuses - more than likely? Your blaming/creating excuses mentality is what got you fat in the first place.

Yes, I feel like that frequently. Especially right now because I think I've entered the three week stall. I try to give myself pep talks, but it is hard! I too deep down feel like I'm going to fail at this too and it will be "just another one of the diets" that didn't work type of a thing. Logically, I tell myself that it won't happen this time, but after so many attempts and so many failures it is hard to get out of that thinking. So, I totally understand how your feeling.:thumbup:

My surgery was May 11th, and I hit a stall at about three and a half weeks. I lost a great deal of weight in my first month, 21 pounds (I'm a "lightweight"), but for the last three and a half weeks I've lost 3 pounds total. Since I am eating 600 calories a day, 70 grams of protein and 40 or fewer grams of carb, I don't understand how that is physiologically possible. I think my body hates me. Just saying. Should a pound a week be all I can expect eating 600 calories a day? It doesn't seem right to me.

I am three weeks post op and I am at a stall. I haven't even lost ounces. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I am starting to get extremely frustrated and I'm feeling like a failure. What's going on?!:confused1::cursing:

Working out (as in spinning, treadmills, weight lifting, repetitive exercise) bores the holy hell out of me. I like to walk, I ride my horse (and anyone who thinks the horse gets the exercise hasn't posted a trot for any distance), I clean stalls and haul hay and water, I garden, and I teach a three hour dance class each week along with whatever practice I do in prep for the class.

I was sleeved on May 6/2010. Everything was fine until I star the third week when I stall, now this is my 5th week that means three weeks stall (and counting). I went to the nutritionist last week and we review what I'm eating but the only adjust was to replace the snacks for the protein shakes, I'm eating right, I'm drinking most of the time my liquids and I'm exercising. this is what I think I'm suppose to do but it is not working. Any suggestions? Somebody with a problem like this? Thanks.