Search the Community

it's a stall. Almost all of us experience them - and the first one is usually within the first 4-6 weeks after surgery (it's usually the third week, but not always - sometimes it's the second week and sometimes it's the sixth week. But if you want more info about, search this site for the "three week stall" (it's so common to have it the third week that we call it the three week stall). There are over 17,000 posts on it here on BP (and no, I am NOT kidding..). best way to deal with it is to stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days. Stalls typically last 1-3 weeks before you're on your way again. And just so you know, this is likely the first of several stalls. It's a normal part of weight loss.

UPDATE: So, on Friday I contacted my nutritionist. I sent her a lengthy message through my health portal online and attached a copy of my most recent food logs for her to go over. She quickly responded and told me the following info. First she thanked me for the included food logs with macros as they were very helpful. She was happy to see that I still log my food as it helps when trying to figure out what you could be doing "wrong". She said that, although she could see that I was trying to keep my protein up, I was still being VERY inconsistent. Once she looked over it all and averaged it out, she said my protein was drastically ranging from 49-98 grams a day!! Yikes! Didn't pay attention enough to that to see that myself. She said my carb intake was also inconsistent. She told me I was using the net carb amounts, but also getting the calories from the total carb amount. She wants me to keep the carbs between 50 and 75 grams a day but NOT over 100. At least not now. She said she understand the use of net carbs from a diabetic standpoint, but in my case my blood sugars are improving and my medication has decreased. Of course she said carbs should be from fruit/veg/whole grains. Which I was doing but in wrong amounts, I guess. I also had been lacking in the veggie department cause I somehow inadvertently was replacing veggies with these new carbs (i.e., rice, quinoa, etc) that months ago she suggested I add in. So yeah, was doing things sorta right, but not really. LOL She said it looked like most of my calories were coming from carbs and lacking in protein that your body needs to preserve muscle and continue to lose fat. She said there was no need to cut them out completely, and that that's not likely to be productive. She also told me to keep my calories down to about 800 a day for now too. Which I was usually between 800 and 1000. Most days, 900. And finally, when it comes to my fitness she said that walking (which is what I've been doing) is great cardio, but that's all. She suggested I start including some light weight or body weight strength training that's metabolic active, meaning I'll burn calories/fat and preserve muscle and strength. Often times including that helps get through stalls, she said. She told me to make sure there's variety to my activity. She told me to correct these things for the next few weeks and see if that helps. If not I will make an appointment with her and we can go from there. So, FINGERS CROSSED this works!!! I have made the corrections starting this past Saturday so we'll see. I have yet to figure out an exercise/weight plan. I'm having issues figuring out what exercises I should do with what I have here at home (weight bands and free weights).

I’m having my 3rd session with the surgery psych soon and I just want to be done. Not a fan of this guy and he seems to be fulfilling a role that the dietitian is supposed to fill. He’s drawing this out as long as possible. Hoping to see my own psychologist about issues I’m having but I’ve been controlling my food intake, counting calories and have been losing weight on my own. He’s just unhappy that I told him I don’t know what I’d do if I was on vacation and needed to eat or that I wasn’t substituting my breakfast for protein shakes. I just really need to get past him as they won’t even let me meet my assigned surgeon to see if I like her or not and then face the next hump - either switching surgeons or going forward.

I’m new to the group and haven’t had my procedure yet but I will get sleeved on 1-12-22 I’m in other weight loss groups and I have never heard of not losing weight at all I hear people say they hit a stall usually around 6 months post op

For me, it was important to keep tracking everything even through the frustrating stalls: weighing myself regularly, tracking all my food and water, etc. It is easy to get discouraged when you don't see the scale move for a while (or, move slower than you want) but the key is continuing what you are doing, with potentially some tweaks depending on what your practice advises. In my case, tracking helped me ensure I was pushing toward the calorie level my practice wanted to see (at least 1000 cals/day, which was hard for me for a while) and helped ensure the choices I was making to add calories continued to be smart (prioritizing protein). It was also helpful to take measurements and pictures to see progress. In fact, I was just in a really slow period of weight loss for 6-8 weeks (after awesome weight loss the initial few months), and seeing new pics compared against the old ones from right around surgery was so, so helpful at giving me positive reinforcement. I also have been looking for other non-scale victories to carry me through, so realizing that clothes are fitting looser, or that I just have more energy than I did before. On the happy side, my slow weight loss has ramped up again after slogging through that slower period. I am exercising a bit more but also have been diligent about hitting that 1000 cals/day threshold - I'm convinced that has been the key for me, at least until my body decided to go slow again! So, talk to your nutritionist, see what they say, and also just stay hopeful (I'm not a naturally positive person so this part is really a challenge for me!) Slow is better than zero and zero loss is better than gains. Good luck and hang in there!

100% agree. Therapy is so essential to long term success. I am SO grateful for the work I did before surgery that got me to a place where I could use the tool properly. So, so much of this is mental & emotional. ETA - I'm only 3 months out, so still very solidly in the protein and veggies phase. But I absolutely know that a balanced diet, including carbs of various sorts, will be in my future. Adherence is so vital during the active weight loss phase (1 year or so). But as you reach maintenance, you will learn how to incorporate other foods that help you maintain vs. continuing to lose weight.

I feel like I’ve hit a wall. It’s like I started losing a good amount of weight for the first few weeks. Now I’m at week 6 and I feel like I haven’t lost anymore. My husband says I have. But idk. I don’t feel like I have. Anyone else have this issue ? Or have any insight ?

Hi! I am scheduled for ESG procedure in 3 weeks. I have generalized anxiety and take meds for it now. I have been reading horror stories of people who had a weight loss procedure that developed worse anxiety or a panic disorder after. Dose anyone have any experience with anxiety worsening after an ESG procedure? I have felt very ready for this procedure until last night when I think my anxiety was getting the best of me. Of course I made the mistake of googling anxiety after weight loss surgery before bed and ready lots of bad things. I pry should not have have done that, lol. I started seeing a therapist about a month ago so I can get ready mentally and emotionally for this, and she seems to think I will be just fine after. I have now started wondering if I should try the balloon or something that is reversible, in case I panic. I would love to hear others experiences. Thanks!

Hi, thanks we’re all doing well if we don’t gain… how do I share on the November buddies thread? Still figuring out this app.

I gained 40 lbs!! I maintain at or below goal (150) for 8 years!! I've already lost just under 20 lbs, but I'm on full liquids. No Gerd, no chest pain from the hiatal hernia. Right now, other than struggling with protein, this was a win/win!!

Yes, now that I'm in maintenance, I do allow myself a treat now and then (special occasions). And my day to day diet is not as strict as it was when I was in weight loss phase. You don't have to commit to NEVER having any of your favorite foods ever again. A total abstinence approach works for some people, but it's not realistic for me. But you will need to be mindful of how and what you eat, if you want to maintain the loss. I weigh myself regularly and I adjust based on what I see on the scale. Like a lot of us, I have a redline weight limit that tells me it's time to buckle down and follow my plan more strictly until I lose the pounds I have picked up. Hopefully, I will never again eat recklessly and mindlessly on a day to day basis. But I still enjoy old favorites (just less often and in smaller portions). I hope that helps!

Before surgery, I had been obese since the age of 8. I was 54 when I had the sleeve done. In all those intervening years (decades), I was never able to lose significant weight and keep it off for more than a year (usually 6 months). After surgery, I lost 130 pounds and reached a normal BMI for the first time since I was a little girl. I'm coming up on 3 years since my sleeve and my weight is within 4 pounds of my lowest weight. I had 45 years of trying to lose weight and maintain the loss. If I could have done it on my own, I would have. To a certain extent, you're right. No surgery will allow you to eat unhealthy food on a regular basis and maintain the weight loss. The part you are missing is that for some of us, the surgery alters our appetite and reduces cravings. That makes it much easier to stick to a desired eating plan. Prior to surgery, my appetite beat me up like it was Mike Tyson. Now, it's more like a toddler. It can make a lot of noise, but it doesn't overpower me anymore. I'm not consistently relying on raw will-power, where I'm constantly struggling not to eat. That wouldn't be at all sustainable (as my 45 years of diets demonstrated). Sure, sometimes I want something bad and I have to tell myself "Not right now". But it's a heck of a lot easier to do that now than it was before surgery. It's really unfortunate that you were told you would be able to eat as you did pre-surgery. I honestly don't know ANYONE who completely went back to their old diet and maintained their weight loss. Now that I am in maintenance, I'm not as strict as I was during the weight loss phase. I eat more carbs (in the form of fruit mostly) and I allow myself a treat now and then (Thanksgiving, Christmas, my birthday, Passover, etc.) But day to day, I eat a maintenance diet that is very different from how I ate pre-surgery. Your surgeon is simply wrong. 2 years and 9 months after surgery, I still have significant restriction and my appetite is still about two-thirds of what it was before. The restriction is not as intense as it was in the early days/weeks/months after surgery, but it's there. I am satisfied with a fraction of the food I used to eat at one meal. It will always be possible to "eat around your sleeve" by eating unhealthy food in small portions, but all day long. No surgery can stop you if you are really determined to over-eat. That's why it's important to get to the root of the psychological reasons you depend on food to help you cope. Because surgery doesn't eliminate those issues. It's very unfortunate that your bariatric team didn't prepare you for that aspect of things. Different people have different experiences of what post-surgical life is like. Not everyone gets the long-term appetite reduction that I enjoy. I'm aware that it may not last forever. But almost 3 years later, the sleeve is still helping me maintain my weight loss, WITHOUT a constant will-power battle. It takes commitment sure - I can't eat everything that comes to mind, whenever I want. But for the first time ever, I feel like on any given day, I can CHOOSE how and what I eat, rather than being a prisoner of my appetite.

How you decide to maintain your weight is ultimately your choice. What I do or what someone else does may not work for you. My advice is, whatever you choose to do, make sure it is sustainable. That is, it’s a way of eating that doesn’t mean you have to make sacrifices & are able to enjoy living your life. A way of eating that is overly restrictive is destined to fail. There are always alternatives that are healthier & more nutritious. For example if you want to eat carbs, look for multi or whole grain versions & not highly processed white flours. Want pizza, try cauliflower or chicken bases or pita bread as has been suggested. There are lots of high protein low carbs pastas available too. There are snack foods that are lower in calories & higher in protein then traditional snacks. Try different cooking styles like an air fryer or oven baking versus deep frying. Some people do eat pizza, burgers, fries, etc. but they do so in small portions, occasionally. You know you best & how well you can manage eating fast foods & foods considered unhealthy. Use the time you’re losing & on a restrictive diet, to research different eating styles & reflect on your trigger foods. You may develop your own eating routine by picking & choosing from various ‘diets’. You may become vegetarian. You may switch in some vegan options or meals. You may choose to reduce certain food types from your diet like sugar or fats. You just need to develop a way of eating that works for you. Good luck.

I agree with @catwoman7: speak with your doctor. My thoughts turned to low BP & drops in sugar (hypoglycaemia). Many have temporary issues with these. I wonder if it’s too do with our body getting used to the changes in our diet & reduced calories. Prior to surgery I had a tendency to low blood pressure (occasional drops) & random hypoglycaemic episodes. After surgery & as my weight dropped I had more instances of low BP & a more hypoglycaemic episodes. Now I live with a low BP every day. If I feel a hypoglycaemic episode coming on I’ll grab some berries but, touch wood, I haven’t had one for about 4 or 5 months. I took a bottle of hydralyte with me everywhere I went for months for a boost of energy but any electrolyte drink will work. It helped a lot & I hope it helps you too. Give yourself time. Once your weight stabilises & you’re eating more you may find you feel a lot better. But do speak with your doctor.

My surgery was on November 26, 2021. I just hoped it worked because I only lost 13 pounds and it's been 16 days. The past few days I haven't lost any weight.

Hi, Hope you are all well, I had surgery just over 4 years ago (October 17?) I was a low BMI (34ish) patient years ago, and have regained about 15lbs and have been losing and regaining the same 5lbs for the last month at least. I decided to get on here, maybe for accountability, maybe for some dear diary and maybe just to vent, i think ill use this as a mini accountability system, Anyway its 11:20pm here, so lol diet restarts in 40mins. Ill be doing 60g of protein, and running at least 3 miles 4 times a week, i run regularly. when i lost the weight i ran a marathon, ill be here tomo. see yaa

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. For me, the first 9 months or so (after the initial recovery) were great. I was never hungry, and I had a lot of energy even though I was eating very little. But then things started to change. I felt weak and fatigued all the time. My resting heart rate was less than 40 beats per minute, which my surgeon said was probably because my heart was used to having to work much harder when I was carrying 200 extra pounds, and now that I'm so much smaller, my heart has slowed way down to compensate. My surgeon and the cardiologist to whom he referred me said the bradycardia was probably the cause of the weakness and fatigue, so you might want to get that checked out if your resting heart rate has decreased a lot. Like you, I look much better, but I feel worse than I did before surgery, when I was super morbidly obese. To make matters worse, people keep congratulating me on my weight loss and condescendingly say, "I bet you FEEL better, too!" No, actually, I feel worse than I've ever felt in my life, but hey, at least my body looks socially acceptable now! On the other hand, I was in bad shape before surgery, with hypertension and diabetes that probably would have just kept getting worse if I hadn't lost the weight, and now I no longer have either. It's hard to say whether I'm better or worse off overall than I was before the surgery, but I think it's useless to think about it that way because I made the best decision I could based on what I knew at the time, and there's no going back now.

If you have difficulty exercising due to Ehlers Danios, here is a mobility device that can get you back running again. I got one because bad knees and my weight prevented me from doing any serious walking. Another woman in my area has one too. Neither of us are actually disabled, just limited by pain. I can walk and run easily with no stress on my joints or back. We always draw a lot of curious attention wherever we ride.This past week my friend rode hers on the track at the local YMCA, and will use it to attend a dog show out of state. She is flying and will gate-check it. I won't kid you, it is expensive ($2500 US) and there is a learning curve but it's worth both the expense and the effort. There are users who run races with it. There are also crowdfunding and rent-to-own programs. It's called an Alinker, a three-wheeled walking bike. See alinker.com for videos and more information.

My surgery was Dec 4. I only stayed one night in the hospital. Was able to get up and walk, no problems. The first couple of days were a blur. Once I got home I almost panicked not knowing what to do, even though I had prepared. I was sore for several days. Still sore, not as bad. Dr did have to repair a hernia that we didn't know about. Now I have occasional cramping, struggle with some nausea, but my zofran takes care of that quickly. Finding myself being a little weak. I think most of this is normal. Follow up with doc Tuesday. Stats: Sw: 256 Surgery date 229 Cw: 219 By the way, I gained about 6 or 7 lbs while in the hospital, so don't let that freak you out!

That’s awesome! Great job! I’m almost 4 months post op and have lost 23 kg (50 lbs). My BMI is now 27.4. Only 8 more kgs (~17lbs) till I’m in the healthy range. I can’t believe it. I can’t remember the last time I was this weight. 😃

Yea..... this has been a 3 year process. He did a endoscopy and colonoscopy beforehand; and determined because i didn't have damage or Barrett's he would do the sleeve.. I also think it's because he doesn't fully believe in me? One would think a starting weight of 429 would warrant bypass( along with many chronic illnesses including PCOS) But here we are.. i see a revision in my future to reach a goal weight of 200 or below. I will make sure to bring that up and post op on tuesday; although I am not even seeing him, just his NP [emoji19][emoji849] Sent from my SM-N986U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Never say never. I’m 3 years out, and i can (and do) eat anything. Well, except excess sugar in one sitting (i dump)…when i do eat sugar (i.e., dessert) its always just a little at a time. I eat bread, cookies, chocolate, fried foods, sauces, the occasional pizza slice (albeit only when Mr. makes it, as its delicious), rice (in my sushi), pasta (again only when Mr. makes it), and drink alcohol. I go out to eat at restaurants regularly. I’d go even more if it wasn’t so Covid-y out there. So long as my average calories stays at or below my maintenance calories (i track EVERYTHING), then its all good. If my weight goes north of my self-imposed high weight limit (i weigh myself everyday) for 3-4 consecutive days, i cut cals for a while, until I’m in my happy weight range again. I had to do this 3 times in year 2…haven’t had to do it again so far *crosses fingers*. All my labs come back uneventfully. I have maintained below goal weight (127lbs) for 2.5 years…i was 116.6lbs this morning. So i figure I’m doing something right. Some people can have a similar lifestyle, others not due to a host of things (food tolerances, medical issues, temperament, activity levels, etc…). Where you will end up on the spectrum of “foodie-ability” can and will be determined only by you. Yes, you may be one of those that will not be able to “enjoy” food and keep weight off. BUT, you also may be one of the ones who do. Alot of it is up to you. My take is that you have to decide which is more important to you: the *possible* loss of your current food enjoyment OR the possibility of weight loss. There is no wrong answer. P.S. Of course, these aren’t the only two outcomes: there is also “possible weight loss with a NEW way of enjoying food”.

In terms of weight loss on average, the mini gastric bypass is more aggressive (the name comes from it involving less re-routing of the intestine; it's not a great name to be honest ). Weight loss from primarily malabsorptive procedures seem more durable in the studies, too, which is why I wonder why they don't look into it more when it comes to revisions, specifically.

the mortality rate on RNY is 0.3%. It's even lower for sleeve (can't remember the percentage for that one since I was an RNY patient, so that's the one that mattered to me). So you have at least a 99.7% chance of not dying. That's an excellent stat as far as surgeries go. Better than the stats for hip replacement surgery, and they do those all the time. people have died from things like tonsillectomies and wisdom tooth extractions. But how often does that happen? Almost never. Same with this one. your mom may be remembering weight loss surgeries 30-40-50 years ago, when they WERE dangerous and some people died from them. That just isn't true anymore. Today's surgeries are very safe. You'll be fine. Edited to add that I agree 100% with the above poster. You're more likely to die from an obesity-related complication than you are from the surgery.

I've lost 35 lbs since surgery and almost 85 lbs overall. I can walk faster and fit in an airplane seat better, but I don't feel "good." I don't have more energy and I'm hungry all the time and I'm uncomfortable every time I eat. I'm always afraid I'm going to throw up because I'm nauseous a lot. I always had plenty of energy, but now I'm weak and dizzy all the time. I can't even lift a suitcase into the overhead. I'm sort of wishing I hadn't had this surgery. Maybe because I had such high expectations?