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okay so im a little over 3 weeks and i have stalled now for well over a week..ive actually gained 3 lbs. i dont understand what the heck is going on!!! is it normal to stall this long? and after the first stall does the weight start to come off as fast as the begining or is it normally slower? I know i could be not eating enough but man this is very discouraging!!! i am having a hard time with this..i just keep feeling like im going to be overweight all my life and still never eat normal...not that i want to pig out but just saying if im not loosing weight i might as well eat like an overweight person...I know that im being silly and emotional but i go to the gym everyday and im going to start back to Zumba tomorrow night...surely this is just the normal 3 week stall but im just afraid it should have been over already!!! any advice or maybe if anyone else has been through this could shed some light would be great..thanks yall!!!

Everyone, there is a link in my sig explaining the 3 week stall. You're not doing anything wrong and there is really nothing you can or should do to "fix" this. Just give it time and it will correct itself. Check out the link and don't stress too much about it. And yes, the "3 week" stall is just a ball park time frame, not an exact term.

I lost nothing for a week post op. As a matter of fact, Im pretty sure I gained a lb. i went to my one week appt and cried my eyes out when they weighed me. The doctor explained that it will come off... the following week I was down 10 lbs and have lost 25 lbs post op so far...now Im at the dreaded 3 weeks stall... Believe me, I know its hard. I told my husband that I wish I could fast forward to a year from now lol.

Just like everyone above has said....it is the 3 week stall and most of us experienced it. I'm 4 months out and about every 2-3 weeks I have a stall but then it kicks back in again. YES, it is very discouraging but you will see that the weight will continue to come off. You might even experience some depression as I am working my way through right now. It's not only a physical change but a HUGE emotional change as well. So, hang in there!!! YOU WILL SUCCEED!

Agreed with the 3 week stall...found out about that here and yes everyone has it to some extent. The one thing I missed somehow was that in my paperwork the NUT said she wanted us getting 48 ounces of Fluid in the first week after surgery. My panic moment came when I couldn't even get 8 ounces the first day. I really thought something was wrong. Then she said work your way UP TO 48 ounces. I had researched like crazy also but forgot about the temperature of what you drink. I couldn't drink cold for the first week then it was fine. OMG yeah your underwear is so quick to sag. Your clothes will follow. Goodwill, Old Navy and Walmart will be your best friend until you get to goal weight. Reward yourself with things NOT food for hitting benchmarks. Take your weight loss in bite size pieces and Celebrate not just when you get to goal. Absolutely follow your plan, it works. It keeps you on the straight and narrow. It helps you keep yourself accountable and keeps you from sliding back into old habits. Good luck!!!

I was sleeved on 3/6/14 and am on soft food stage .I am back to work and I am following "diet plan" strictly .I am feeling a bit discouraged because I haven't seen the scale move in a week now. I am dumbfounded at how I couldn't be losing, eating only 600-700 calories a day???This is my second bariatric surgery .I had the lap band first and didn't have success. My life story has been lose 20 lbs and then, I get a major stall-I don't know what happens???I thought for sure-the sleeve would be different? Could this possibly be the 3 week stall, I have been reading about? (2 weeks pre surgery diet+1 week post surgery) I need HOPE....

You're beautiful! Remember, there's a very well-documented 3 week stall that can happen anywhere between 2-4 weeks. Hang in there. It will come off! Congrats on the surgery and losses!

I have been wanting to create a topic on my weight loss journey after having reached BMI of under 30 and not being obese anymore but thought to wait it out so I can cross off other aspects from the checklist. This morning I weighted - 133.2 Lbs. Height is 4' 10.2" (148cm). BMI 27.6. Heightest weight was 234 lbs, of which I lost 15lbs pre-Op and another 10 lbs during the pre-Op diet. I was at 210 lbs on the day of the surgery. So officially I have lost 100+ lbs of my highest weight ever 🥳 This is the lowest I have ever been ever since I remember. Last lowest I remember was 137lbs, more than a decade ago, post Dr. Bernstein's weight loss program. But that weight loss program kick started the vicious cycle of yo yo dieting and wrecked metabolism, which I hopefully isn't the case anymore with much more controlled healthy eating habits. I just wanted to thank so many of the folks out here who have been extremely supportive not only on the open forum but also in DMs. During the ever so confusing beginning months, this forum came to help time and again. If not for this one, I wouldn't have known about the 3 weeks stalls. Clinic never covered this aspect of the weight loss and I definitely would have freaked if not for the knowledge I consumed out here. So thank you everyone for making this community friendly, supportive and helpful. I still have a bit more to go to achieve my goal and get under 25 and hopefully maintain around 22 or 23ish of BMI, but I'll cross the bridge when and if happens. For now, just enjoying the joy of my current physical and mental state of mind. This surgery truly has blown a new life within after wanting to give up on it time and again in the past. Truly grateful for taking in the dive. 🥰

I believe I thought I would lose a pound a day after surgery. I have lost 17 pounds in 23 days post op. On a 2nd stall right now which is wierd to have so fast it seems. This must be the 3 week stall I have read about, how long did this last for you? I guess this is just part of the process.

Only 6 weeks out and have been on a 3 week stall. It may have broken yesterday. (That or I haven't had enough fluids!) Here goes: 1. Walking through the store instead of immediately going for a scooter. 2. Having students say, "Did you do something different with your hair? You look good!". 3. Fewer meds and less pain and discomfort!!!

Ditto what zoomzoom said - started out daily but with a LONG 3 week stall I switched to weekly and that's what I do now.

Completely normal. It's a normal, necessary part of the process. Every one of us has gone through it around that time. It even has a name: "The Dreaded 3 Week Stall". Hang in there, work your program, and it will pass! It won't be you're last, either Here comes the science: A "stall" a few weeks after surgery is not uncommon, and here's why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs. of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when a patient is not getting in enough food, the body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. Then when 2 lbs. of glycogen is used a patient will also lose 8 lbs. of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs. that most people lose in the first week of a diet. However, when the body stays in a caloric deficit state the body starts to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then the body starts mobilizing fat from adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But the body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. As it puts back the 2 lbs. of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs. of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though the patient might still be losing energy content to their body, the weight will not go down or it might even gain for a while as the retention of water dissolves the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

(Bump bc I don't wanna make a new thread) I mentally prepared myself for my 3 week stall, but bc I had to stop taking birth control to avoid blood clots, my period also came at the exact same time week 3 started. Not only did i stall, but I have a ton of water weight, so I 'gained' a bit. Luckily I know what's going on& i know that's gonna go away & so I don't feel too bad about it, but MAN your first stall is really a bummer. I just gotta keep going

I can't seem to get past the 3 week stall. [emoji20] I'm a month out from Lapband revision with Gastric bypass. At 3 weeks, when I went to the pureed stage, hit the stall. I've increased my walking, a bit frustrated and concerned. Any suggestions or insight welcomed! Thanks for the support!

Hi Butterfly! Don't despair! I had a 3 week stall that started around week 3 & lasted 3 wks. A week ago I saw my surgeon who had no suggestions since I was already doing what I was supposed to be doing. I felt so discouraged.....but the very next day I was down 2 lbs. Today 9 days later, I've lost 13 lbs!!! Making up for lost time I guess! I did up my caloric intake from 5-600 to now 7-800. It seems to have helped. Moral of the story: it will happen! You're doing a fantastic job so don't lose the faith....keep doing what you're doing & the weight WILL come off

My 3 week stall lasted a full month! It was horrible and very emotional. But, this too shall pass. I'm 5 months out and 87lbs down! Just keep following your plan and you'll lose the weight

Your experience is actually pretty typical. Right after surgery, you can have a lot of water retention and internal swelling, which can skew your weight. And just when that resolves, it's common to hit a stall at 3-4 weeks and it may last anywhere from 1-2 weeks. It's not a sign that anything is wrong, it's just your body first recovering from surgery and then adjusting to the radical change in your food intake. After the 3 week stall breaks, most people start seeing a steady drop in weight for the next several months. I wish weight loss surgeons would warn patients that the number on the scale may not drop a lot in those first post-op weeks, it would save so much unnecessary stress. You're probably doing fine, just stick with the plan.

I'm 4 months post op today from my SIPS procedure. I have lost 83lbs in total since the start in early June, and 68 lbs since surgery, however I was hoping to be further along and even at my last Dr appointment they indicated I could have lost more and were surprised I hadn't. I seem to be averaging 11 lbs a month over the last 3 months, but what keeps happening is that I lose 11lbs in one week, then NOTHING for 3 weeks!! Is this normal? At first I thought it was just a stall, but the last 3 months in a row have had exactly the same pattern. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy to have lost the weight I have, but I was kind of hoping for it to go a bit quicker, because I have a total of 200lbs to lose and everyone tells me (including my Doctor!) that after the first 6 months it will slow right down. I took on board what they said and have been sticking to the food plan and going to the gym, because I was terrified if I didn't lose 100-150lbs in the first 6 months, I wouldn't get to my goal. But seems like my body had different plans. I also don't understand how I can have a daily calorie deficit of approx 1000 cals, but for 3 weeks out of each month, not lose anything? How is my body actually powering itself during that time? My hair is falling out in clumps and my skin isn't great, so I'm guessing thats what's happening instead, but seriously....how can I be running on negative?? My average daily food intake looks like this: Breakfast: either 1 boiled egg with a little mayo, or 1 protein shake (premier protein). Once a week I will have 1/2 a cup of rice cereal. Lunch: I batch cook chilli or soup with added protein at home to take to work. Usually have it with 1oz of pecans or macadamias (trying to follow keto) Mid-afternoon snack: cheese stick or protein shake (depending on whether I had one for breakfast or not) Dinner: Varies, but generally I go for pressure cooker chicken (between 3 and 5 oz) and green veg, or tuna salad, or 3-5oz of pork chop. 2-3 times a week I will have 3oz of sweet potato, but thats not every day and depends on how hungry I am. My average calorie intake is 99% of the time between 800 and 1150 and I hit at least 80g of protein every day. I try to keep carbs under 30g, but often average about 50g (gross) I count my water and get at least 64oz every day. I go to the gym 2-3 times a week, and on average I do 45 mins of cardio (cross trainer/eliptical and bike) and then 10-15 mins of weight training. Outside of this i try to be as active as I can, and I average round 6000-7500 steps daily (I have an office job so can be tricky) Does anyone have any advice or thoughts on what else I can do to try and speed this up? Should I do different things at the gym, or just try to go more often? Or should I mix up my food a bit more? I'd really appreciate any ideas.

I'm so glad I had read through your post from the beginning before.. I'm in my 3 week stall.. I've been stalled almost three weeks. Actually gaining 2.6 pounds last Friday, and still have .2 of that to go.. hope it starts moving again!

Everyone has a story, some good and some bad. I had my surgery on June 25th. I don't know if I am lucky or what but I've had NO complications or problems. I did have a 3 week stall where I lost NO weight. Stayed the same. It broke the other day and now the weight is falling off. Only you can decide what is right for you. I am so much happier now and I'm only down 30 lbs. I feel great! Good luck on your journey!

I think it is. Search for 3 week stall and there are a few discussions on it. And yes, it really sucks! :-(

Has anyone else hit the "3 week stall"? I have! I lost 12lbs the first week, 3lbs the second week and the third week and I gained and lost the same 1lb all week! Irritating, but I'm doing exactly what I should be doing (700-ish calories, 60-70 protein, lots of water). Hopefully next week I start losing again!

When was the last time you lost 27lbs in 3 weeks! That's fantastic. .. That's 9 lbs a week! It will slow down and your probably heading into the 3 week stall. Remember you just had major surgery and your body is in shock from severe calorie restriction. It didn't go on over night. . It won't come off over night. Try tracking with mfp that way you can see the patterns. For most people the weight isn't a steady loss. When graphed it looks more like a flight of stairs or a mountain range. While it's sloped downward there are heaps and valleys. Hang in there, you're only 3 weeks out as am I and it will happen.

My surgery was the day after yours. I too had trouble taking my Vitamins. I tried taking them before meals, after meals, in between meals, and every time I got extremely nauseated and even vomited once. Thankfully, I think I figured it out a few days ago. I eat about 1/3 of my meal, take vitamin, eat another 1/3, take rest of vitamins, finish meal. This has been working wonders! By the way, my vitamins are chewable, so I'm not drinking during meals. I left my house for vacation 4 days ago. This is the first time I haven't been weighing myself daily. I'm nervous about weighing in when I get home. I don't want to hit the dreaded 3 week stall! I hope these tips are helping and your stall ends soon!

You're in the dreaded 3 week stall. Search for it under forums and there is a plethora of information to suggest how to buck it. I was in the 3 week stall for nearly 4 weeks. I'm 4 months out and have just got out of another 3 week stall. Its your body calibrating. Up your calorie levels a wee bit, no carbs, lots of water.. voila. It'll move again when your body is ready.