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yep. It's the infamous "three week stall". Most of us experience it. Just stick to your food plan and stay off the scale for a few days. It'll eventually break and you'll be on your way again. Stalls usually last 1-3 weeks.

Congrats!! 100 lbs is amazing!! You should have no trouble at all in the seats if you are wearing a size 16. Hope its a fun trip! At least the travel itself will be fine. Glad you are feeling better and can eat better and are doing so well with exercise too! Sounds like you are doing beautifully Thank you for the update. Its great to hear how people are doing. I asked my dr today about the hair loss and he said to start taking biotin and that it usually lasts until the 9th month. I'm so sad to hear that I might have 3 more months of this because I'll have none left! Oh well, it'll grow back I guess.

My 3-week stall happened at 2 weeks and lasted for almost a month. Hang in there. And I agree, eating less than 500 calories PLUS exercising sounds like a great way to make your body hang onto every calorie it can get.

That’s me too, even tho it’s been 3 yrs I am still losing weight but it’s very very slowly. The biggest chunk is gone, Thank goodness 😀 My doctor is happy with my progress and tells me I look healthy and I feel so much better. I figured surgery is probably it for when it comes to Turkey waddle neck but was hoping someone had a secret trick. Lol I have noticed with time and more activity I’m getting toned and my other areas are looking better and I may not need anything done. My neck and my arms tho, Eeeeek

Make sure you stick to your plan religiously, stay away from the scale for a while, and exercise as normal. Make sure you're getting enough water and protein. The stall will eventually break. It's all part of the process.

Hi LeighlonLove, I am less than 2 weeks away from getting a sleeve to bypass revision due to severe GERD. However, I had a paraesophageal hernia repair done in 2018 and my new surgeon just saw the surgical notes. Apparently, my first surgeon who did the hernia repair used lots of mesh and also did a Nissan fundoplication which is not usually done with a sleeve. I now have a hiatal hernia very close to that same location and she is concerned that she won't be able to fix it because it's in a tight location (GI junction) and there is very little tissue to work with. She said a mesh repair is like using super glue so she doesn't want to to try and remove it. Her fear is leaks which would be a big problem. She has agreed to do the revision to bypass with the hope that it will take care of some of this awful GERD but not all, unfortunately. Did you and your surgeon come up with a plan B? If so, I'd love to know what was decided. Best of luck with your next step! Penny

There is a three week stall that everyone talks about. I’ve thought about this and another fact that the body “initially” heals in 3-4 weeks. It makes sense to me that the 3-4 week time is when the body is slowing the heal and trying to shift back to maintaining the rest of the body. Then, coming from a calorie deficit, it tries to add weight back on. I’d also say 500cals is too low, your body may be sensing starvation. Did you team recommend this low of a calorie count?

I'm similar to you (surgery scheduled for 3/13) and around the same weight, though my BMI is higher because I'm 5'3". As a person who has worked in tech and traveled for many years, I do wonder if you're pushing it a little bit. When I had a hysterectomy (after two c-sections), I took 4 days off and went back to work the following week from home. I was so committed to my job that I didn't even consider the fact that I could have taken 6 weeks off through short term disability. I truly thought it would be easy. I mean, after each c-section, I was up taking care of the baby and my kids immediately. This laparoscopic hysterectomy seemed like a drop in the bucket, but I was wrong. My body and mind tired really fast. I felt like I constantly needed to take a nap. The work I produced was subpar and I wasn't able to contribute to meetings or brainstorming sessions properly. With this VSG surgery, I know I'll need to drink only liquids for the first 10 days... that's going to seriously zap my mental energy, all while trying to heal internally. Apart from the physical aspect, there's the emotional one to consider. This is a whole new way of life that I am committed to giving myself time to adjust to. If I just get right back up and go to work, I will be distracting myself from what I need to deal with today vs. tomorrow. These are just my thoughts of course. Only you can know yourself best. Plus, your work situation might be very different from mine. Just hope these thoughts can help give you a different perspective. Good luck with your upcoming surgery!! Wishing you a very fast, easy recovery!

First, I bet what your Dad said really hurt. I'm sorry he said that to you. I'm not sure what people are thinking when they hear the words "weight loss surgery." Sometimes I get the feeling they assume someone snapped their fingers over your body and now the excess weight is just going to melt off of you. If that were true, maybe..MAYBE you could see a difference in 3 weeks. But this isn't a magic bullet and you're not going to melt away. Your body has figured out how to store and hold that fat for many years. It's not going to let go so easily. I know this going into surgery (mine is scheduled for 3/13), but I'm sure someone will need to remind me when I'm a few weeks - and many months - in. I'm so happy you can feel the difference yourself, because you're the only one who matters when it comes to this. Take care and good luck on your journey!

He Hey guys !my insurance said they cover all the bariatic services my PA asked me to ask them. The requirements I believe they said there was no required supervised diet however I do have some history with phertamine. My bmi is right at 40.4. I’m gonna ass a screen shot of the blue home plan for bariatic ! I think it should be an easy process as far as what they’re asking for. I hope to have my surgery by June fingers crossed. Anyone have experience with novant ? In Nc Pasted what the picture has in case visibility is hard.  A thorough preoperative evaluation for bariatric surgery must include all of the following: 1. Evaluation of the patient's understanding of the procedure to be performed, including the procedure's risks and benefits, length of stay in the hospital, behavioral changes required prior to Page 8 of 21 An Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Bariatric Surgery and after the surgical procedure (including dietary and exercise requirements), follow up requirements with the performing surgeon, and anticipated psychological changes. 2. 3. Evaluation of the patient's family/caregivers support and understanding of the information in #1. Within 12 months prior to surgery, a thorough nutritional evaluation by a physician, registered dietician, or other licensed professional experienced in the issues of bariatric surgery, who has had a meaningful conversation with the individual regarding the dietary and lifestyle changes required to ensure a successful outcome over time. Nutritional assessment must follow American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) guidelines. Pre-operative assessment must document that the patient has a good understanding of the diet and nutritional changes that are associated with bariatric surgery and has the capacity to comply with these changes. Per the ASMBS guidelines, " *..it is essential to determine any preexisting nutritional deficiencies, develop appropriate dietary interventions for correction, and create a plan for postoperative dietary intake that will enhance the likelihood of success. Not only should the practitioner review the standard assessment components (i.e., medical co-morbidities, weight history, laboratory values, and nutritional intake), it is also important to evaluate other issues that could affect nutrient status, including readiness for change, realistic goal setting, general nutrition knowledge, as well as behavioral, cultural, psychosocial, and economic issues." 2019 guidelines for perioperative nutrition, metabolic and nonsurgical support are available at: 4. https://journals.aace.com/doi/pdf/10.4158/GL-2019-0406 Within 12 months prior to surgery, a formal psychosocial-behavioral evaluation performed by a qualified behavioral health professional (i.e., licensed in a recognized behavioral health discipline, such as psychology, social work, psychiatry, psychiatric nursing, etc., with specialized knowledge and training relevant to obesity, eating disorders, and/or bariatric procedures), which assesses environmental, familial, and behavioral factors, as well as risk for suicide. Any patient considered for a bariatric procedure with a known or suspected psychiatric illness, or substance abuse or dependence, should undergo a formal mental health evaluation before the procedure. 2019 guidelines for perioperative nutrition, metabolic and nonsurgical support are available at https://journals.aace.com/doi/pdf/10.4158/GL-2019-0406 5. Appropriate medical work up may include a chest x-ray, upper gastrointestinal series, endoscopy, appropriate pre-op labs and ECG. A complete physical examination by the attending surgeon and an assessment of thyroid levels is required. If the patient has comorbid conditions (e.g. diabetes or 6. cardiovascular disease) the patient must be capable of undergoing the procedure. Anesthesia clearance for surgery. The first five criteria must be met before seeking prior plan approval for adults and adolescents; the sixth must be met prior to surgery. Surgical procedures must be performed at a facility capable of providing gastrointestinal and biliary surgery (preferably JCAHO accredited), AND that has equipment and staff capable of managing a morbidly obese patient (appropriate instruments, beds, lifts, monitoring equipment) AND that can manage short and long term complications of bariatric surgery.

My first two weeks I dropped a lot of weight about 21 lbs but I am on the fourth week and have been stuck at about 203. I was at 201 at the end of the first two weeks then I went up two lbs. I am getting frustrated because I am exercising, hitting my protein goals/liquid goals and I am not getting above 500 calories a day. I just feel like crying (I have been crying) and feel like maybe having PCOS that this weight is still not gonna come off even with this surgery. It sucks to not be able eat most things and go through this to just be stuck like this. Even if I could just get to 199 within a week I would be happy but I see the scale is going up little by little. Everyone keeps saying trust the process but I just can't right now. Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

I am doing way better now. My headache has gone away and I've started drinking them more without too much issue. I've noticed I need one every 3 hrs cause I get reflux and stuff from not eating. I think the suck was because of adjusting and my chronic migraines also didn't like I wasn't eating. My energy is low today. I wish I could stay home and sleep but I gotta keep going. 6 more days. I didn't think about the powder ones though. That sounds like an amazing idea. Thank you so much.

Hello!! I finally got to starting my exercise routine and boy does everything hurt 😂 I'm back on track with my fluids and protein. I'm sort of meal prepping since I'm an accountant and have tax deadlines this week and want to make sure I do not skip meals. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday with my primary, my BP is down a lot, she still doesn't want to remove the pills but agreed that I can take half if my BP is above a certain number in the afternoon, and in 3 months we can see about taking it a couple times a week until I reach goal to remove, she will feel comfortable if I was in the 150s, a little less than goal but maybe it is possible who knows. Hope everyone is doing well and everyday closer to your goal!

Everyone loses weight differently, for me it is first in my face/neck and waist, so it is easier for people to tell. I was told I was losing weight 1 week post op, and I had lost about 15lbs at that point, but I also retain a lot of water. I also believe that those that see you more often will take longer to tell you about your weight loss. I'm 3.5 months post op and last week my husband asked me if I'm losing weight lol. Just hang in there, keep doing what you're doing, and things will move in the right direction.

I'm a little over 3 months out and I've lost 47lbs from my heaviest (32lbs from surgery date). People just started noticing just in the past few days. My husband of course noticed within weeks after the surgery even though my clothes still hid most of my weight loss. I tried to pay attention to all the non scale victories, like my ankles weren't swollen anymore, my shoes and slippers fit better, and my rings could fit my fingers in the first few weeks. I also was happier that my blood pressure was down and that my sleep apnea has gotten better and that happened almost immediately after surgery.

With an ESG, which is a non surgical weight loss procedure, there is less recovery time needed. I would have been fine flying at 14 days, the issue is ensuring you have appropriate food handy...may still be on fluids or pureed at this point. For surgical weight loss procedures, I was fine to fly within a few days (as I did to come home), not sure I would have been up to flying for recreational or work on a longish flight by day 14. I had two weeks off work for a desk job, it was fine for me. I've seen people posting about going back to work within days, (not something I would have been able to manage).

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'm going to have an ESG on Wednesday, 3/15. I'm taking off three days but hope to be able to work from home the following week and then go on a business trip, two weeks after the surgery. Am I being unrealistic about my expectations to return to work and travel?

They were a no for me too while I was losing. (I’m another whole food person.) So many protein bars are really just candy bars. Does your team recommend a specific brand? Maybe the require only half a bar as a portion size consideration & therefore calories, carbs, etc. When I reached maintenance I used to use them as an emergency snack - popped one in my bag on a busy or active day or would have one if I was having a day I was a bit low on protein & calories. And yes I’d eat a whole one if I was able. When my protein absorption issue was picked up almost two years ago, I started to have a whole bar every night after dinner to ensure I reached my higher protein goal. I’ve found lately, I’m eating only half or 3/4 of a bar. I just twist the packet & finish it the next night. I keep them in the fridge. I find them less gummy & gluey & more tolerable that way.

Give yourself space and time to heal. It's 3 weeks. At the size most of us are/were at surgery, weight loss ISN'T visible until months after. I know it's hard, but try to block out the voices of others, it's not helpful. Concentrate on healing, be patient, focus on the plan and distract yourself where possible. You'll be experiencing non-scale-victories frequently, so enjoy those as they come. I honestly didn't get any "you're looking smaller" comments until a good 3/4 months after surgery. I was 130kg and wore my weight from head to toe, so even a ten kilogram loss wasn't a big visual change at that stage.

I am three weeks post Sleeve surgery. Today my father said to me, “when will I be able to tell a difference when I look at you?“ This comment stung because I have lost 40 pounds since beginning the process in November. However, I still have more than 100 to go. Despite losing the weight, none of my clothes, fit any differently, I have not gone down in size, and nobody has noticed the weight loss except for me. My question is, how far along after your surgery were you before people noticed you were losing weight?

I have 2 non-scale victories this week. One weird and one not-so weird. Weird: When laying on my side, I can feel bumps in my thigh (the side facing the ceiling). I assume it's cellulite. Weird. LOL! Not-so weird: I can now wrap a regular bath towel around me and the ends overlap. This one made me so happy to discover, I nearly cried.

I drink a ton of tea nowadays. Pre op it was a cup here and there, but now I have 3-4 cups a day. One caffeinated during the afternoon and herbal or decaf while I’m cooking dinner and after dinner in the wind down part of my night. It has replaced a void that I didn’t realize may have been snacking before.

Thank you Arabesque, I'm actually back on track, I was taking care of my mother-in-law who was visiting and was hospitalized while here, and another family member who was visiting, but they are both gone this week. I went back to meal prepping for myself and cooking 3x a week enough for it to last the others a couple of days and put myself in the front line, not going down that rabbit hole again.

For me the weeks and days before surgery were harder than after surgery. It takes time to undo our behaviors and habits. Since your surgery date is so close, you undoubtably have taken many positive steps in the right direction, one little tiny half-step back is forgivable. So forgive yourself and know others are with you on this journey!