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Frustrating but normal, the three week stall or atleast signifigant slow down happens to most. If you can put away that scale it really is good advice, not something I've been able to do but good advice. It really helps to not watch the fluctuations that happen in a day based on what your wearing, how much water you've had, etc. You will keep losing! Be patient, keep following the rules and you will get there.

I know, I love her so much! She is so sweet! It can be frustrating to weigh everyday, but is is also kinda fun to see the scale go down EVERY DAY! There were a few occasions that I stalled, like for 4 days, but I knew that was to be expected. Sometimes I even would go up a few ounces but I always knew when the scale went up, that I would be losing the next day. My body will always gain a few before I drop a bunch - its always been that way. weird I know. I sometimes feel the same way. I can do so great for so long then all of a sudden I lose all my mojo and just don't care. Not sure why that is. I thought the same thing, it took me over a year to go ahead and try it after I learned about it. But first let me explain a few things, you really are not living off 500 calories, your body is tapping into your abnormal fat and it is actually supplying you with an additional 2000 to 4000 calories. The study or the discovery that was done on HCG in the 50's was that when a pregnant woman starves herself, your body goes into a protection mode for the fetus. This is what happened to the pregnant women in Africa, they were malnurished, they were hungry, they were pregnant, however when the babies were born, they were at a healthy weight and no malnurished was discovered in them. Thus, this began the study of why that is? So, what the Dr. S found out is our body produces HCG when we are pregnant, if you do not eat properly, the HCG taps into the stored fat/abnormal fat which carries nutrients in it and feeds the fetus so it is healthy. Makes sense to me since God created us that way. Anyhow, if your not pregnant but taking HCG, your body "thinks" you are and when you are eating low cal, it taps into the stored fat. Now, the about 500 calories, you are right, anyone will lose on a 500 calorie diet. The difference is they could not do it long term, you would be weak, you would lose muscle not fat. With HCG this has not happend and I've done it for over 100 days! There is no way in hell I could do just a 500 calorie diet for that long. I would be starving, with HCG, no hunger! I had a little in the beginning but it was a manageble hunger. The biggest problem I had was at about the 15th day, I noticed I just could not stomach another piece of grilled chicken or fish, then I discovered a cookbook for HCG and that made a world of difference, I started making food that tasted really good and discovering a whole different way to eat my chicken and fish, lol. I was not sold on HCG before I started it, I really wasn't, very skeptical. But after tyring it and realizing that there really isn't hunger with it, and for the first time my thighs are shrinking where all other diets, they never would. I'm sold! When your not losing weight, the scale isn't budging, I was still shrinking. Thats why the manuscript is called "Pounds and Inches", you don't just lose pounds but you lose tons of inches. Its crazy. The con to HCG is it is very strict, if you go over the calories, then your body is thinking your getting enough, so the HCG will not tap into the stored fat, and actually will store the extra calories for future starvation, so you will gain. There is no cheating on it, so a little cheat can cost you. Thats the con. I have cheated a few times, but for the most part I stayed pretty true to the plan and this morning I weighed in at 147.4. Maintance is when you end the HCG, you do 3 weeks of basically Atkins style. The rule is you can eat anything you want except no sugar, and no starches. So no breads, no pies, no pasta etc. You do this for three weeks while your body stabalizes - this is when you are reseting the hypothalamus (it controls your thyroid, your body set point). After the three weeks - you move into the next phase for 3 week, this is when you SLOWLY introduce carbs/sugars back into your diet. You see how much your body can tolerate before it gains. You will know how many fruits you can have a day, how many breads ect. Then after you do this for three weeks, you can either 1) do another round of HCG if you have more to lose, or 2) continue maintaining for the rest of your life. The rulse of the maintenance phase is you have to weigh everyday - first thing in the morning after going to restroom and naked, if ever you go over 2 lbs of your last dosage weight you must do a correction day that same day. For example, my last dosage weight was 147, if I ever get to 149.1, I must do a correction day. Dr. S. describes one where you go all day, no food just water or tea, then that evening you have a huge steak and either a small tomatoe or apple. This will correct the gain and you should drop back down within the 2 lb range. I bought a book that gives numerous correction days, like eating eggs all day long, or alternation between eggs and nuts. Anyhow, I've had to do one correction day and it worked. I've been holding steady at my last dosage weight and I am eating more than I ever have. Its weird that my body is letting me stay this way, in the past I've gained weight so easily, but now i'm having a hard time gaining. I love it. That is one thing that appealed to me was being able to reset my body set point, the scale always goes crazy on me and I have never been steady at my weight. But anyhow, sorry to ramble on and on and on, I just think so many people have a misconception of the 500 cal diet. But again, it is not for everyone, some people just are not in a position to eat the strict list of foods you can have. When your traveling etc it makes it hard. Eating out is difficult because you don't know how they are preparing your food. I order my RX HCG from alldaychemist.com. They are out of India and all the reviews I have read is they are the most honest and reliable and cheapest, I've been very impressed with them and I can say that the HCG I've received from them has worked. Some people chose not to do the perscription HCG and chose to use a homeopthic brand. I've also tried that and it works. Its really no HCG in it, but its been mimmicked like the real hcg and somehow works off the vibration of your body, not sure how the whole homeopathic stuff works, but I can say It worked for me. The best place for that is healingpowerwithin.net. Its the cheapest, they are honest and not there to rip you off. A lot of the internet places are charging $160 for a 40 day supply. I buy RX HCG for about $30 plus shipping, the homeopathic cost me about $55 plus shipping - the pro to the homeopathic is you get it within 3 or 4 days. I started with homeopathic until my RX came in, then I switched to the RX. You can do that right in the middle of a round, its not a problem. Well, I hope I explained it better for you, if not, feel free to ask more questions. I'm by no means an expert, and I've learned most of my information from a yahoo group called HCGDiet, also from youtube videos, tons of them out there with hundreds of success stories. Momaclock is one of the youtube people I watch and she has taught me a lot!

Rsilversea, I know what you mean a good suporrt group makes the differance. I have done ww a zillion times each time with differrant results depending on my mind set. After my first child I lost 91 pounds on ww I went to the meetings then and kept it off for years. Not till my last prgnancy did I ballon out of control. I think you are doing good with your weightloss espesiaclly to not have a band yet. June 15 will be here soon. I can remember before i got my band I actually gained weight. I thought I might not get this food agian so I wanna it eat while I can. So I feel you are already on your way and I am proud of you. we will count down the days with ya girl! Lory, 50 pounds in 4 month is great you are on a roll. Your blowing me away!! Yep we will all succed your right. I hate that when the scale stalls, thats whats happening to me at the moment. But the past weeks I feel I have done pretty good. China, tell ya the truth I have no idea what I wrote the first time. 3.25 miles that is great. I have my kids with me in the summer so I only get to walk 2 miles. I can only keep them occupied feeding squrrials as we go for that long then we get to play on the playground for 30 minutes. Two years ago I babysitted two kids so I would take three 2 year olds one 4 year old two the park. I bought a stroller that held four kids. It was very heavy and talk about burnning calories. I go at 7:30 so the same people have went at that time for years. THey thought it was so funny that i pushed that amount of weight not to mention I could barley get the heavy stroller out of the van. I had a big group I walked with then and we walked five miles. The kids loved it and so did I. Congrats on the pound loss. It sure does take alot of hard work to get a pound off. Not sure about the shot being in the book I will look later. A little booze never hurt anyone!!! Yep, you can hide in my bags and go with us. SUre hope the oil spill don't affect panama city. We booked our stay awhile ago it will be our first vacation without all my family members. We got a place on the beach three bedrooms baths so the kids have rooms to them selves. I am counting down the days. I get a fill tomorrow and I can't wait to wegh in with my doc. It kinda feels offical. I think I'm going to stop posting what i eat all day since I keep my journal. I alawys have so much to say that would save me some time. I will post it when I over do it or have something I'm not suppost to so you guys can yell at me though. Welp talk to ya later have good day. I have to take the kids to TBall game ok guys the holiday weekend is over lets get our butts in gear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is funny. Where are you from? I'm six weeks out today. I had two stalls in weight loss - maybe at week two (was stuck at 20lbs for a week) and just recently I GAINED three pounds. I've been seeing my PCP regularly and for me, I think it has to do with unmanaged sugar levels. I was hoping to not have to continue taking my meds, but if it means it's going to stall my weight loss...it's not an option. So, I'm back on it. I think the biggest surprise for me was that the restriction is real. haha. I don't know what I was thinking, maybe because I've really struggled these last seven years to get the weight off and nothing was working, but maybe I thought it wasn't going to work for me or something. But, the restriction is as real as it gets. In the beginning, it was a little tough the first week. My stomach was swollen from the ssurgery and was about the size of a pencil because of it. Hardly could swollow even Water, the tiniest tiniest bit. I literally had to suck it in through my teeth and let it drop down bit by bit. You'll feel it. At six weeks out, I'm still not eating 'regularly'. I have very little food that will go down and stay down right now. I'm sort of still on mushies - yogurt, cottage cheese, Soups, Protein drinks - lots of sugar free popsicles. Stock up those popsicles. I heard from enough people and it see those are soothing for everyone, not just me. I can eat a bunch of them at one sitting and it helps with my thirst. They're 10 calories a pop so it's hardly a diet breaker. Have fun at the Brewers game and let me know how your surgery goes. You said you're having it in Dallas. I had mine in Mexicali, Mexico.

Kicking up the carbs may be helpful. Boy.... my body just did a complete freeze at about three weeks. No matter what I did..... I think I have broken the stall but I don't know. I am not weighing because it was making me a little nuts. Its certainly a lot easier to make good choices now that I can have solid food. When I was stalled I was so tired.... I could barely exercise without wanting to faint or puke. It was like my body was just not willing to let go of any of its reserves for energy (and I have plenty to spare). Now when I exercise I can feel when my body kicks in and starts burning... so I think that means my furnace is going again. Not sure though... I just know I have to stay away from that scale if I want to stay sane. :scared0:

Hello again, So, here it is day 13 of the PPI withdrawal saga. So far, so good. Had a couple of pretty rough days - around days 8 and 9 where I had two Zantacs - only two cuz I didn't want to take more than that - and 6 or 8 Gaviscon cherry chewables (thank God they are carb free!) I made it ok and things were just very uncomfortable as opposed to painful. food helped but not much and not for long. I CANNOT drink coffee at any other time than the morning or I pay dearly, at least for now, and I am grateful that my stomach allows me my half-caff in the morning! I think one of those two brutal days was attributed to Starbucks... The last few days I have taken one Zantac and only a couple of the Gaviscon tabs. So far, really and truly so good, I think I'm almost past the worst of it. I do believe that the PPI's aren't totally out of our systems for a couple of weeks or so, so I may not be totally out of the woods just yet. FWIW, cheese sticks, or any hunk of mild cheese, is the one food item that soothes my stomach like nothing else when it starts acting up. So, next will go the Zantac; I plan to start cutting back the dosage but not for another couple of weeks. I want to get off all of it sooner than later. Tiff, you can do it; compared to what you've been through, this really will be nothing. A couple of weeks of not-so-bad discomfort should be a breeze for you, tough lady! By the way, I'll be four months out on Tuesday! Where did the time go?? I've been fluttering around 70 pounds lost for the last few days but not stressing really at all. My body thinks it's cute to go into baby stall mode at every 10 pounds! Hahahahaha, very funny body!!!! :thumbup: Happened at 50, 60 and now 70. Might have happened earlier but I hadn't really noticed till these last three "decades". So, that's where I'm at. You guys all rock, I love reading your posts and wish I had more time to write! C

I lift weights and take spinning classes (indoor cycling) three times per week. I haven't been wearing a heartrate monitor but when I used to spin years ago, I remember burning around 3 or 400 calories (or more) per hour. I think spinning has the most bang for your buck. Up there with running. I haven't been to the gym since Tuesday and my weight loss has totally stalled. On my scale, going to the gym = weight loss and not going to the gym = big, fat plateaus. Do what you can obviously, but the more the better!

My stalls come and go. After three weeks, I didn't lose for over a week. I am not quite 2 months out, but i seem to lose 1lb, then another lb the next day. and then a stall for 4 or 5 days. But I am fine with that. It's going the right direction !!

I am seriously considering the lapband surgery because of my struggles with my weight my entire life. I am trying to get my ducks in a row now so that when I decide to move forward with the surgery and pursue it, I know what will be expected. I have been reading on the BCBS of AL website about the bariatric surgery requirements. One says that you have to be at their required BMI for a 3 year period. Well...I have been overweight since I was married in 2001 and even throughout my teenage years (except when I went on WW at 15 yrs old only to gain it all back and more) but in Sept. 07 I began a strict diet of 1300 calories and exercise that just about killed me but I lost 20lbs and got to the 200lb mark. After that I stalled and couldn't lose a thing so I began a doctor supervised weight loss program that included the low cal/low carb/low fat diet and adipex (phentermine) and lost another 25 lbs putting me at 175lbs in Sept. 08. In November 08, I wound up in the ER due to atrial fibrillation and it was suspected that the adipex was the issue. So, I stopped it and of course the weight began to creep back up to around 190lb when in August 09 I found out I was pregnant. Unfortunately, the baby passed away and I miscarried at 15 weeks. At that time I was up to 210lbs. Now, I am at 215 and cannot seem to get my weight to budge. I am tired of the yo-yo dieting and really want to change the whole situation. I am afraid that having done all the dieting a few years ago may mess up my chances of moving forward in the next 6-12 months w/ bariatric surgery b/c of the "three years of obesity" required by my insurance company. None of the diets that I lost the weight on was covered by my insurance and I paid out of pocket for this the entire time. Does this period in my life have to be reported to the insurance company? How do they "document" that I have been obese for 3 years? I rarely go to the doctor other than my OBGYN for my yearly check b/c I am never sick. What records will they pull??? I am hoping (probably to no avail) that maybe these months of being a lower weight might not have to be included in documentation. I should also tell you that I have documented severe sleep apnea if that helps! Any advice??? Thanks in advance! Leigh:smile:

I am also in a stall. Lost 20 lbs in the first 8 days after surgery and then it just stopped. I'm now nearly three weeks out from surgery and still haven't lost any more. I'm not eating candy or sweets or anything else bad. Just broth and jello and water and protein shakes. Hang in there, everyone says. And so I shall. But this really is unexpected, and I can't help but feel disappointed and discouraged. My mind tells me to just be patient, but my heart feels differently.

I am STILL not losing. It is almost three weeks out, and honestly I am PISSED. I SWORE to myself, that I wouldnt do this, that I wouldnt be upset if I hit a stall or whatever. That was a lie. I feel like I did this surgery for no reason right now, and I HATE to say that, but I just dont understand what is going on. I eat atleast HALF if not a quarter of what I used to. I spend more time thinking about food NOW, then I ever did before surgery, which is the complete opposite of what I wanted. I am just frustrated and the longer I dont lose the more stressed I am getting. I hate this.

You're like me; I'm also a lightweight. I was sleeved on March 17, and I lost 14 pounds in the first month and then stalled for almost three weeks. As of today (7 weeks out) I'm down just over 17 pounds. If I make it to 20 pounds lost in 2 months, I'll be surprised and ecstatic! But I'm more than 1/4 of the way to goal, so I'll take it! :thumbup:

First let me say to all the fellow georgians who have been reaching out, I'M VERY SORRY TO HAVE KEPT YOU WAITING THIS LONG, And to all others who have reached out.A quick recap, i had surgery on Feb 19th,2010, and i have stayed away from the boards because i had a three week stall post op.I started getting extreme anxiety with shortness of breath everytime i got on the scale and it hadn't moved.I did however lose alot of inches around my waist (at least 6-7 inches) at that time which was keeping me sane.I started working out and i saw results but the only people commenting where my mom and dad saying i look like i lost weight.My hairdresser almost three weeks after surgery asked me again if i had had the surgery yet.Bummer!Flash forward,i have definetly lost weight and can see some real results.Although i've only lost 33 pounds or so, i have estimated my weight loss to be around 10lbs per month + INCHES,which is slow compared to most, but i eat what i want and workouT.People are commenting and saying i have lost alot of weight now.Prior to surgery,i started looking into Plastics, but at this rate, i wont need it.So my advice is that even if you are a slow loser, the fact that you had surgery is a motivation and it has really helped me to stay focused on the long term.There is no way i would have been this successful for this long without setbacks had it not been for the surgery.Even on my bad days or when i'm invited to an all u can eat buffet, the sleeve is still working for me.My hopes are that i will continue losing 10lbs per month till i reach goal.By the way,i dont do any meal replacements with shakes for all wondering which may also be causing slower weight loss.:cursing:

key is totally right i had a three week stall. guess what i'm eating 2000 calories a daY!!!!!!! and i'm losing weight so that is soooooooooooooooo true. (oh course i lift weights and i exercise seven days a week. what? you thought i lost 130 pounds just from the sleeve it self??)

Hi Gang! First, I want to say that this board has been a GODSEND to me. I have learned so much from you guys and received so much support from here - wow - I can't even thank you all enough. But Thank You All!! :sad0: I cannot BELIEVE I'm finally here writing about my journey three months out; time went so fast but at times, it's like, it's about time!! The journey has been nothing short of incredible, mind boggling and, like Tiff said at one time, a mind twist for sure! It's all good and I wouldn't change a thing! I am so happy I did this!! I have posted some pictures in my album, I'm .5 pound short of 60 pounds today - I figure I'll hit 60 later today after I ride my bike - that's always good for a pound or so. The pics are 50 pounds down and also include the other two that had surgery the same day as me - you all are familiar with Gary_B - that's him before. I'm in the pink shirt. Samantha had rny with Aceves. My goal was 50 pounds by tax day - I beat it by three days. A few observations thus far; people didn't really start to notice my weight loss until I was well into the 40+ pounds lost. Very aggravating. Now, less than 60 lost, some are saying don't lose more. Moral to the story, keep the public tuned out!! They mean well but they really don't know what they are talking about most of the time! Eating has been wonderful; I have always had an Iron gut and that remains. Nothing has bothered me and I'm happy about that. I've only "hurt" myself twice; once when I first went onto solids and ate a hard boiled egg too fast... so that's what sliming is all about... that was horrible, and a second time when I was trying to eat on the fly and ate some wings way too fast again... Not as bad of an episode as the egg but gross nevertheless. I've never thrown anything up but came close these two times. I still have a terrible time slowing down eating - it really is hard for me, especially being around my family that inhales their food. I am trying to get better with that and hope I don't damage my sleeve in the meantime. I do know when to stop, however, and don't do anything to make pain, obviously pain is bad. I also have very bad head hunger sometimes and am thankful (mostly) that my sleeve is there to keep it in check. I was in New Orleans by myself last week on business where every other business is a fantastic restaurant - I thought I was going to go nuts. Double whammy on going out to eat alone, I won't do it because of the tiny portion business... I do find myself obsessing about food more than I like; the old fat girl is still there, no doubt. I'm hoping this gets better, I really hope it does. I am staying under 1000 cals per day, under 25 carbs per day and as much Protein as I can get in - I try for 90-100 g's. I log religiously on myfitnesspal.com. Hunger; I have had plenty but I know it's just gastric juices and not real hunger. My stomach likes to toy with me, however. I've really tried to listen to what my body is telling me and I've found that when I get these so-called hunger pangs, I've noticed that the feeling only lasts for a couple of minutes, usually. If it doesn't, it's rare and it's usually late in the day; I've had to take an extra half nexium on occasion because of this. If I don't, or if I forget to take my dose in the morning, I pay dearly. I'm hoping this gets better but at least I know it's all acid related, controllable, and I'm not truly hungry. Weight Loss; I have been thrilled with the ride so far, haven't had any real stalls but a couple of slow downs of barely 2 pounds in a week. I average about 4 pounds a week, give or take. I am following a very low carb diet while I'm in the losing phase. I know I could just take the restiction and lose slowly but that's not how I work. I am looking forward to a few more carbs once I meet goal for sure, but, I have to say, this has been the easiest "diet" ever. Even starvation didn't take 60 pounds off of me in three months. Not that I ever did starvation for three months... Anyway. I?m hoping to meet goal by my birthday; July 30. I think it?s very possible but I'm not going to obsess any more than I already am! :wink0: Drinking; I was surprised to find that I was/am more disturbed about not being able to chug liquids more than I ever thought I would be. I still can't chug like before but what I can drink is MUCH more than at the beginning. I still wish I could take more, especially when exercising but it's all good. This bothers me more than food issues. I am, however, getting in plenty of fluids; easily 100 oz per day. I keep a sport top Water bottle with me, mix single packs of Lipton or Arizona tea in them, and refill the same bottle for about a week from the tap before I toss it. Trying to do my best to be green. Tried alcohol once, two bloody marys, didn't get intoxicated, really a non-event. Avoiding alcohol now because of the calories. A glass of wine would be sooooo nice, however... coffee has been the best thing ever, I started back probably 2 or 3 weeks out; heaven. Just my one power cup in the morning. I make it extra strong with splenda and powdered creamer. Yummy!! My periods have been a little whacked since surgery... will save the details but I'm hoping they get back to normal... Any regrets? NONE! Would I recommend this for someone thinking about it? Absolutely!!! I know that I had an easier time than many and anyone thinking about this should absolutely do their research including plenty of soul searching. Thanks again to everyone for listening, you guys are the best! Carol

Hi! I had VSG on March 12th. Lost ten lbs before surgery and was 331 on surgery day. I had trouble getting anywhere close to 600 calories until recently (although I shoot for around 800-but have never been above 650). I watch carbs and eat exactly as I'm supposed to. However, I too stalled out. In fact, I lost lots of weight in the first two weeks, then slowed down and now have been going up and down for like three weeks! I'm only at 306 six full weeks out for a total of only 25 pounds lost since surgery. Please help! I did have to be hospitalized twice for dehydration..but am now getting sufficient liquids in. I also exercise for twenty minutes, twice a day every day.:thumbup:

My surgeon wants me to lose 50% of my EBW in the first year. So my goal (according to the surgeon) is to lose 40 pounds before January 2011. I've lost 26 and it's only April! I think I can lose 14 pounds before January! I have something important to tell you. I'm 13 weeks post-op today, and have lost an average of exactly two pounds a week. This is fantastic pace, and I'm thrilled. However, it hasn't always felt thrilling up to this point. I have had several stalls. I think I stall every two weeks and the stall lasts for two weeks! In this beginning period, before true band restriction, we're really lucky if we lose anything at all. I am working my butt off at the gym and running on the road. I am trying my hardest to make good food choices every step of the way. Until this morning, I hadn't lost anything since March 26th. So, go easy on yourself -- I KNOW you want to lose, I KNOW! But before you get several fills, it won't much be the band at all that's doing the work. It's all you, baby! You can do this! And I really do like to look at the percentage of my EBW. I started at 197, my doctor wants me at 122 but I have this 117 down as a preliminary goal just so I can look at my EBW as a round 80. I've lost 32.5% of my EBW (and 34.6% of my surgeon's listing of my EBW) and I'm only three months out from surgery! WOW. When you look at it like that, it's astounding. I go for my third fill tomorrow, and I CANNOT WAIT! Plateaus on the scale are no fun. I'm going on record with that!

I had never heard of the three-week stall, but I was so relieved to read about it....that is exactly what I am going through now....I love this board!

When I hit the three week stall, concentrating on getting in all or more of my water really seemed to help. I was feeling funky and once I started getting in all the water, I felt much better and the scale started moving again. Congrats on your loss so far!

Before my first fill? 16 pounds, if I recall correctly. I didn't stall--my loss has been pretty steady all along. (I really don't count staying the same weight for a few days as a "stall.") But I also only was on liquids for a couple of days; my doctor moves us to purees on Day Three. I kind of chuckled when I read your subject line. "Postop diet" describes what many of us do for months after surgery. I know I've been doing it since January! I just started feeling restriction with my third fill (2 weeks ago). And it's already relaxed enough that whatever weight I'm losing, at this point, is by sheer willpower. Please don't pin tons of hopes on your first fill. It does get the ball rolling toward restriction, but it usually does not give you a great sense of dramatic change.

I think a little doubt is healthy and normal. I'm a very motivated and positive person, and I don't think there was anything wrong that I was unsure of my surgery success for a bit there. I'm the type of person that always wants to know "why?" and "how?," so when I hit little two-week stalls (this seems to be my pattern so far! Lose three pounds, stay the same for two weeks, lose three pounds, stay the same for two weeks, heh), I'm examining and analyzing. I'm going on record to say I believe it's okay to doubt, but don't let it own you. Get motivated, and learn from the doubt. Why do you doubt? That can answer a lot of deep lingering questions. I know for me it did. I doubted because I was in a no-good relationship the last 7 years. I knew it was time to cut that loose, and do it for ME! Don't allow the doubt to stick around. Don't let yourself down. You're MORE than worth it.

Linda, definitely bump up the Protein and fluids. My saving grace with Protein shakes was the Syntrax nectar line. Light, fruity, only 8 ounces, no carbs and 30+ grams of protein. Most of the flavors are pretty darn tasty. Carry a bottle with you everywhere. I carry a "sport bottle" version of a Water bottle - 24 ounces and has a flip or screw top. I should invest in Crystal Light and/or Lipton as the little packets that mix into these bottles (I refill about 3/4 of the way with tap rather than clogging land fills) are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Plain water just doesn't do it for me. I'm able to get at least four of these in a day easy - about 100 oz! And finally, eat more!!! I know how very counter intuitive this is to us but really, you are definitely NOT going to overeat at this stage and probably not for a very, very long time, if ever! That said, I've also read here that some docs say not to worry too much about calorie intake so early in the game - it will come - as long as the protein and hydration is up to snuff. A huge help to me to a. make sure I'm eating enough (am!) and b. make sure I'm getting enough protein, keeping the carbs low, etc. is www.myfitnesspal.com. I think Tiffany recommended that site and it is a huge help to me, more than I thought it would be. I didn't start using it until I got to mushies, however. And finally, another common thread seems to be that a stall after two to three weeks post op is also very common. I was there, it lasted for a week and it sucked. There wasn't much I could do but wait. I added a bit more bike riding, however but I don't know if that is what broke the stall or if it was just par for the course. Haven't stalled since but have had some slow downs (pms?) Good luck, cut yourself some slack, you're going to be just fine!! Carol

I was hungry for the first few weeks too!! I was so upset and discouraged about it. Then all of a sudden my hunger has disappeared!! I started taking Nexium for my heartburn, and that might of had something to do with it (not sure). I also take B12, and that helps with metabolism among other things. I know how frustrating it can be, I stalled for over three weeks, but have now upped my workouts and started losing again. I know it's hard, but try not to get too discouraged, try upping your water intake, and workout regimen...that should help speed things along? Are you on any type of acid reducer? What vitamins are you taking? I hope things speed up for you soon. We all are so different, so you'll have to try different things in order to find out what really works for you!! I hope things start looking up for you soon...Stay positive!!!

I finally feel comfortable posting here!! Down 38 pounds; surgery six weeks ago today. I lost 6 pounds pre-op. The list of NSV's in my life already is huge!! But that's another thread. I can't wait to be below 200 again - it's been so long - and I'm hoping to make my tax day a little better -that's my goal date for 200. Or should I say 199!! My loss has been a little odd lately; I only had one stall to speak of and that was at three weeks out and lasted for a week. Sucked. Then, things started moving along pretty well averaging about a minimum of 1/2 pound per day - 4.5 pounds per week. Perfectly satisfied with that and I could DEFINITELY tell when I went even one gram over 30g's of carbo's - no weight loss that day or a few ounces, maybe. Yes, I weigh every day. Just the way I am and it works for me. Some days - and I can usually feel it that morning when I wake up - I'll have dropped 2 pounds overnight. It makes no sense to me but I love it. Has been happening about once a week for the last three weeks and seems to be when my calories are between 800 and 900 but still with very low carbs. I cringe when my calories end up that high and am figuring out why (cheddar, very fatty, Bubba Burgers - even just the patty, lo carb and yummy but forget it) but my weight seems to keep dropping. Exercise... well, um yeah... need to work on that! I've never been constipated ever before in my life but am experiencing some of that. Gonna have to figure out a good way to get lo-carb fiber in. Any suggestions? I also want to thank everyone that replies to my posts. My internet connection here stinks so I can't always reply in the moment, so to speak. But know that I am sending good vibes and thanks your way. I also wish I could be more of a cheerleader for those of you hitting rough spots. Do know that my heart is with you and I am happy to share experiences via PM or e-mail. Just holler. xoxoxo Carol