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It is quite common and physiologically normal - it would be abnormal for one to lose more in the second or later months than in the first month. What is happening is that when we go on to a serious caloric deficit, we that deficit is made up mostly from our short term energy reserves of glycogen (basically stored carbohydrates), which burns quite rapidly (around 2000 calories per pound lost.) Once the glycogen is depleted, the body needs to replenish that supply to a functional level and we frequently stall or pause for a short time - the "three week stall" that we often read about here. Once the glycogen stores are back up some and our body gets the idea that this caloric deficit thing that you are doing to it is a serious thing, it starts drawing from our longer term energy stores of fat - which is what we are really here for. However (there's always a "however"!) fat burns more slowly than glycogen (around 3500 calories per pound lost) so the weight comes off more slowly now, but we are doing what we came here to do - burn fat. Note that this has nothing at all to do with "ketogenic" diets or miracle "fat burning" potions - it's strictly the result of being in a prolonged caloric deficit. As a side note, I lost 32 lb the first month and 15 each of the next two months. with roughly the same caloric intake, so right on profile.

happens to about 90% of us. If you do a search on this site for the "three week stall" (yes, it's so common it even has a name), you will find over 17,000 posts on it. And no, I am NOT kidding. just stick to your plan and stay off the scale for a few days - and know that it will eventually break and you'll be on your way again. It usually lasts 1-3 weeks.

It's happened to almost everyone else. Sometime between week 2 and week 3 weightloss stops for anywhere from several days to a few weeks. Stay off the scale for a while if it is going to stress you out. You aren't doing anything wrong, and weight loss will start up again, but you can't force it. Just use the search box here and search the forums for "three week stall" or "week three stall" and you will see what I mean.

I totally agree with this. Don't stress too much about how much you have lost and if you look different or not. Focus your energy on healing and following the post-op diet. People lose weight differently. For me, I lost most of the weight on my thighs and lower body at first and for the first few months my face almost looked the same. 3 weeks is too early to see any noticeable changes to be honest and your body is still healing. That is also when most of us got the infamous three-weeks stall. At least that was the case for me. Good luck

I had a three week stall around three months out that was brutal to my morale. Just nothing happening no matter how hard I tried to adjust everything. I finally gave up and stopped looking at the scale for a while. Continued to eat 1200 calories, figured whatever happens, happens......eventually the scale started moving again. Has been a nice slow consistent loss since. But yeah...when you're doing every single thing they tell you to do...and lose nothing for a while....that's tough! And it happens to nearly everyone.

you wouldn't have gained five pounds of true weight unless you ate 17,500 calories above and beyond what your body needs. It's probably water retention from sodium - or you may be constipated - or it may be hormone-related. At any rate, give it a couple of days and it may be gone. another thought - it could be the infamous "three week stall" (most of us experience that - although it's USUALLY the third week post-op, it's not always - it can happen any time within the first 4-6 weeks post surgery). If that's the case, just stick to your plan and stay off the scale for a few days. It'll eventually break. It always does.

This is a common stall called the "three week stall" Don't freak, your weight will come down after a while. At 2 1/2 weeks I had a 4 week stall. You are not eating enough to gain weight, so deep breath, things will be fine. Get your protein in, and sip sip sip. You need your water. Do not let yourself get dehydrated or you will have to go to the emergency room! It also makes you feel horrible. Logically you have to know you will not stay the same and stop losing forever. Come on girl! You will be fine!

When you say weight is creeping back on, how much weight are you talking about? If it is just a pound or two, you're likely experiencing the "three week stall" that almost everyone experiences. If this is the case, you should stay concentrate on meeting your protein and water goals, and the weight will start to come off again. If you have gained a significant amount of weight, I would talk it over with your team.

I had a three week stall. It was super frustrating. I cried. I was super b*&$thy and then it suddenly I started losing steadily. Be patient.

Hi Splat, No worries. I totally get it. I was just there last week (three week stall). I saw my surgeon yesterday for my one month postop and to advance to soft foods and finally saw the scale moving again. I was starting to freak out that I hadn't lost anything in two weeks. Saw my specialist doctor for the bariatrics and nutrition info today and learned that since my water intake was still below 60 oz, my body was holding onto water to preserve it. Another interesting thing I learned was that even though I was getting in all my protein usually through shakes and a bit of my pureed stage at the time, it did not amount to enough calories. With two 30 grams of protein each in the premier shakes I was using, calorie count was only at 160 calories each! She told me I actually at three weeks to one month post op need to be around 800-1000 calories and protein should be increased from 60 g to 80 g or more. I am now diligently watching my meal preps and making sure I eat even when I am not "hungry". She told me it is not about tastes or when I want to, it's about supplementing my body so it can function. I left with the promise of trying harder on both water and protein intake. Suffice it to say I stepped on scale today as I had stopped 3 days ago from discouragement and was pleasantly surprised stall had broken and I am down 3 lbs in 3 days! Hang in there and I hope this helps you. Aloha[emoji4] Sent from my SM-N920P using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you, PdxMan. Not only have I long enjoyed your posts, your perspective and the fact that I feel that like me, you try to balance genuinely helping people with convincing them to help themselves, but I guess I needed validation from an actual vet that's been here a long time, too. As for Nicolanz's response that seems to infer (oh so politely) that I should leave VST since I don't want to play by the exact same set of nicey nice rules she feels should run the site, I find that incredibly offensive, regardless of how you delicately worded the notion. I get on VST mostly to help other people. I've only posted a handful of posts in over three years asking for help...and sadly? I got very few responses each time. But it's draining to log on and see I have seven messages and six of them are questions that are currently being addressed or people asking me to do their research for them. Why? Because I DO care, and I DO want to help people and I feel an obligation to respond to everyone that takes the time to message me, even when I have more important things to do or I've already tackled the topic a dozen times. As people that do converse with me via PM know, I do my best to give the same (wordy) thoughtful and helpful responses when the question is something I have actual experience with or feel I can help with, and to date, I've ignored only ONE PM I've gotten...and it was a bizarre one asking me to do things that have nothing to do with VST. If I scare people off or make them insecure about PMing me, odds are good those are exactly the people with exactly the questions I didn't want to answer. And as this is a community that numbers in the THOUSANDS, I have every confidence that they'll be able to ask the question of someone more approachable that can answer the same questions with a smile on their face after several years. When you've spent more than three years here repeating yourself over and over again, come back and revisit this conversation and I'm sure your perspective will have changed. I love VST. I got very little feedback the few times I reached out while I was working towards goal, but I try to give back because of how that felt. But I am sick to death of the constant nicey-nice police patrolling every post out there dictating how exactly people are required to respond or ask questions here. I am not deliberately rude or offensive and I give really thoughtful responses that clearly take a lot of time. If my personal pet peeve is that people can afford the time to send a PM or make a post about a question, but not the time to actually see if it's already been answered seven million times before - sometimes the very same day they post! - well, that's understandable to those of us that have actually been here a while. Frankly, this is the very same lack of ownership and responsibility that bothers me about the entire process - people that don't want to do the work to make the most of their sleeve are here in abundance, too. They want the easy way. And that often translates into what I call (and try to avoid answering) "lazy posts" that address things discussed and beaten to death here. I promise - a thread about the three week stall is just as relevant if it's ten days old or a year old. I avoid a huge majority of posts nowadays just to avoid the frustration this brings. But then those posts wind up in my PM box, and that's why I very nicely and politely asked for advice, from EXPERIENCED VETS, on how they deal with the same thing. If I have to weed through and avoid posts, people can do the same thing if my posts offend them. There's a block button for a reason. I don't think there's a good reason to use it and never have, but if it makes people have the kumbaya experience they long for on the VST site, it will certainly help them out. To the vets that took the time to respond with thoughtful responses that actually address what I asked, I appreciate that. And Amytug - great idea, and one I'm definitely considering. ~Cheri

Use the search engine here or even just Google "three week stall" -- you'll see, what you are going through is almost universal. Virtually everyone pauses in their weight loss somewhere around the third week out. You are right on track. Keep following your program and put the scale away for at least the next few weeks or it will make you crazy. Relax, you are normal!

my surgeon said going back to the pre-op diet (Protein shakes plus clear liquids) for a couple of days will sometimes get things going again. Haven't tried it since my only stall thus far has been the "three week stall". Since I'm over seven months out, he probably figured I was long overdue for one...

Search the forums for "three week stall". It happens to almost everyone.

I can see myself getting hung up on the numbers. I will weigh myself anyway but I will also take my measurements as well and try not to become obsessed as to it becoming counter productive. I don't wanna be the person freaking out over the three week stall or three month stall. This is about health for me and not just vanity. I'll need to remind myself of that no doubt.

The three week stall is NOTORIOUS!!!! Hits almost all of us between 2 & 4 weeks out. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Do you feel tired all the time? No, I have more energy now than I have ever had in my life. Being obese is what makes people tired, not getting healthy! Do you get sick a lot? No, I got a cold last month and had one around last Christmas, but that's it. That would have been normal for me before the surgery too. I don't ever get sick in terms of stomach sickness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or anything like that. Any surgery complications? Nope. Do you regret the surgery at all? Never. If I had to have this surgery again every year for the rest of my life in order to stay the way I am now, I would do it gladly. Thankfully I don't have to though! Any tips for those who haven't had the surgery yet?? Trust your surgeon and his/her team. Follow their directions and if their directions conflict with what strangers on the internet tell you -- follow YOUR surgeon, not someone else's! Get up and moving, and keep moving, as soon after the surgery as you can. Buy lots of Protein powder samples and an immersion blender before surgery (unless you are committed to RTD shakes) but don't stock up on tubs of protein flavors - your tastes will very likely change. And look into savory protein options such as unjury chicken Soup, HealthSmart Soups, stuff like that. Get a myfitnesspal.com account and learn how to use it to log your food, customize your goals, etc. Ask your team and the folks here lots of questions! And do a lot of reading on all the sleeve forums here -- not just the ones that apply to you right now. That way you'll know things like "what is the three week stall?" and "why don't I feel any restriction on full liquids?" and "why does my stomach keep making those weird noises?" -- information is power! Are you able to drink soda post surgery? I haven't tried soda, no reason to. But I did try champagne and I have to say the carbonation felt a little weird and uncomfortable.

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!

I'm 3 weeks out and haven't lost any weight since after the first week. I knew of the three week stall, but wasn't expecting it after one week. Trying to stay upbeat and positive. Doc wasn't concerned at two week checkup. I have this fear of losing no more because my metabolism sucked prior to surgery. Common fear, I'm sure. We will all get through these stalls. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Its the Dreaded Three Week Stall (See? So common it even has a name!) Miss Mac says it best. Stalls are like lovers. Your first won't be your last.

it's the infamous three-week stall. Almost all of us experience that. It's called the three-week stall because it USUALLY happens the third week, but not always. Yours is a little early. Just stick to your plan and stay off the scale if you need to. And know it'll eventually break and you'll be on your way again. Stalls typically last 1-3 weeks. if you want to see how common this is, search "three week stall" on this site. You will find over 17,000 posts on this. And no, I am NOT kidding...

you're probably going through the infamous "three week stall" early. I did as well - mine was weeks 2 and 3. Just stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you stick to the program, the stall will eventually break and you'll be on your way again. They usually last 1-3 weeks. constipation is a common issue for WLS patients. It's due to the high protein diet and some of the supplements some of us take (i.e., calcium and iron - both known to back people up). I've been taking a capful of Miralax every morning for years, and so do a lot of others. Other people take things like stool softeners or magnesium tablets - whatever works!

The three week stall I think is normal. Even if you aren't losing on the scale I bet you are still losing inches. I am almost 4 weeks out and have been extremely dizzy as well. Possibly maybe related to low blood pressure or low blood sugar? I wish this phase would pass. You're not alone!

your stall is actually late - most people have their first major stall around the three week mark (in fact, if you search this site for info on the "three week stall", you will find over 17,000 posts on it. And no, I am NOT kidding...) actually, I just decided to do the search for you. Here you go - 17,501 posts now! https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=three week stall

I can tell a difference for sure. Keep up the good work! I am on a three week stall. I just keep telling myself that it will pass but it's getting frustrating. I never eat above 750 calories. I am almost two months out and have only lost 26 pounds. Maybe I expect too much too soon but I feel like during this stall that my clothes are getting loser. You're pictures are encouraging because I can definitely tell a difference. Are these ictures taken during your stall period?