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I had some serious energy issues and after my PCP tested, I found I was slighty anaemic. I started taking an iron supplement in addition to the iron within my bari multi, and within a week I felt better. I still get exhausted by 9 p.m. though, and of course iron causes constipation, so there's that whole thing too.

A true stall is generally 3+ weeks. Anything less than that is nearly always water weight, poop, or other completely normal weight fluctuations. Those first weeks your body is still healing from surgery so there is bound to still be swelling, and it will take time for your body to adjust. Just follow your plan and give it time.

My stalls have lasted up to three weeks but I am close to goal. Early on they were 1-2 weeks. I think it varies quite a bit person to person.

So as expected I lost about 12 pounds in my clear liquid phase which was for a week post-Op. But ever since I started full liquids (Day 6 of full liquids), I haven't lost anything instead put on a pound 😂 So question is how long do these stalls last? Is it different for different folks? Or there's an average most expect to move beyond the stalls? How long did you stall for?

Oops…1/19 is the date. I’m anticipating 2 weeks out from work with possibly working remotely the second week. Dreading the drains but nobody near by does the drainless TT.

I too had a GSV with a hiatal hernia repair AND I also take Synthroid and Omeprazole. I began taking Omeprazole 20mg 5 years before my GSV because I did have acid reflux - and it was further suggested that I have GERD. At almost a month out... I still have Acid Reflux. Nothing has changed - Same amt of acid pours into the smaller pouch. I forgot to take my Omeprazole pill one morning and OMG did I suffer. Now that our stomachs are smaller, it is by far easier for developing gas to be pressure released upward and along with it, some stomach acid. So, I am still taking Omeprazole (as directed) and I'm "back to normal." I strongly believe those who have had GSV and a subsequent RNY procedure AND/OR RNY or MGB out the gate do not have the same problems with acid reflux post surgery and beyond. After two weeks, I also experienced insufficient intake and moved to soft foods. Bare in mind, you can use your food processor or your given process (your teeth) to chew chew chew chew. I moved to FF refried beans, a little bit of cheese), avocado, and Sweet Baby Jesus... if you enjoyed pudding as a kid... get some FF SF Jello Chocolate Pudding. 2, cups of FF milk (if you can tolerate milk products) and stir yourself up some yummy goodness. I have small containers and I split the batch into 4 and have two per day. I just could not do some protracted all liquid diet without suffering dizziness, light headedness. One thing I need to look into is if I am insulin resistant. Those who have normal levels - eat food and their system processes food and their body is able to utilize that energy more efficiently. So, that has been on my mind. As a side note, there is a LINX device which can be implanted around the lower esophageal muscle that surrounds and closes the opening to the stomach which helps to prevent the contents of the stomach from back up into the esophagus (which is what reflux is). I know I'm a candidate for that but I don't think the surgical group that performed my procedure does the LINX procedure. Drink, Drink, Drink... gatorade zero has helped me immensely. Take deep breaths and you are still healing and will continue to do so for another 1.5 months. Talk to your NUT if you need encouragement to replace what you are eating with something that has a little more kick. Avocado - that does the trick for me. Best wishes.

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).

Yes, it does get better with daily improvement. It’s not the majority but some of us have a rough start, prolonged pain and delayed healing but turn out just fine! I felt a lot of pain the first 2.5 weeks after VSG and then one day I felt significantly better. If you feel like things are not getting better in a reasonable time or getting worse let your team know. Congratulations and speedy recovery

Hey October '21 friends! Checking in. How is everyone doing? Things "feel" good over here and I'm healing well. Started hitting Orangetheory two weeks ago and it feels good to be working out again (I was an avid fitness person for years pre-op, so it's part of my identity). I feel like I've been slow to lose- which honestly, I'm OK with. I'm following my surgeon's office orders, but I feel like they'll tell me at my next appointment I'm not losing quickly enough (they mentioned it a little at my previous 1 month appointment)- anybody else struggle with that? I know I'm getting smaller, but my office doesn't measure me each time I come in.. only weighs. Been meeting my hydration, protein, and calorie goals. Starting on the 29th, I'll be asked to up my calories again and pay attention to carbs & fat as well (I'm already paying attention to these as I've set the recommendations in my Baritastic app already). Anyway, that's how it's going here in my 9th week. I am about 1lb away from a 50lb total loss since starting my journey in May, so that's something to celebrate.

First, apologies for asking so many questions. I look forward to the day when I am farther into this journey and will be answering more questions than asking. Tomorrow will be two weeks since I had gastric sleeve and hiatal hernia repair surgery. I think I might be expecting too much too soon and I am wondering if the following things will improve: * Reflux. It's gotten worse the past couple of days. * Eating is difficult. It feels like food gets stuck, it's also difficult to gauge when full. * Gas/burping. * Constipation. * Fatigue and hunger. I can say that I am feeling slightly less hungry in between my 1/4 cup meals. I do feel like my body is not accustomed to eating so little, so I often get lightheaded and feel tired. Will this improve with time? * I take thyroid hormone replacement in the morning and wow, does that first sip of water hit my stomach like a ton of bricks. I think I need to remember that I am still healing. I'm just looking forward to when eating is a bit less painful and when I'm not on such a restricted diet. Don't get me wrong, even though I can't a variety of textures, food does taste wonderful and it's amazing to feel so full on so little, it's just that everything seems a chore right now and I certainly haven't quite got the hang of it.

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!

Most of us have stalls. It’s not at all uncommon. Just keep sticking to your plan and the stall will break.

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!

Hello Everyone!

I had my vsg on November 29. I will be 2 weeks on tomorrow. At my first first appointment post opp a week and 2 days I lost 22 pounds. I’m here to help motivate other’s as well on this journey!

Don't worry, it'll have worked. Lots of people can be slow to lose immediately after surgery. I am almost 4 weeks out and I have lost 15lbs in total from the day of my surgery and only 7 of those were since I got back home over 3 weeks ago! 13lbs in 16 days on ANY diet is amazing and that's only the start for you. 👍

Hi TJ! I'm three and a half weeks out and pretty much back to normal other than a little residual pain behind my big scar. Come share on the November buddies thread - we're all pretty much at the same stage as you. Your loss is brilliant - I know we shouldn't compare ourselves but it's way better than mine! 💪

I remember the incision where they took my stomach out of hurt really bad for a little over a week. I had to have help showering. But, that was only getting up, sitting down, or laying down. Once I was down, I was pretty much okay and I didn't take any pain killers other then Tylenol after the first five or six days so the pain does get bearable before it disappears completely. I'm sorry you're struggling! I'd ask the doctors for some more pain killers if you feel like you need them. The gas also caused quite a bit of discomfort and pain, but walking helped get rid of it. It did stick around for a few days though...

Immediately! I haven't taken a PPI or antacid since the day of surgery, plus I've lost 20 lbs. Surerty was the day after Thanksgiving. Barely two weeks ago.

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.

Hello Everyone! I had my vsg on November 29. I will be 2 weeks on tomorrow. At my first first appointment post opp a week and 2 days I lost 22 pounds. I’m here to help motivate other’s as well on this journey!

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

Your doctor may suspect that you are a sugar addict. If so, that's why he's barring sugar and carbohydrates. Of course, there are carbs in starchy vegetables (like sweet potatoes) and fruit, but your body processes them differently than bread and sweets. I've been on a high protein/low carb diet pre-surgery, and have eliminated sugar, flour, potatoes, rice, and processed foods. It's been very successful. I've learned a lot reading about sugar/food addiction and have come to the conclusion that I have this addiction. Once I've broken through the withdrawal period I don't crave these things. I have gone off the rails a few times and paid the price. It takes me about two weeks to get through withdrawal all over again. I've been working on this food plan, A Pound of Cure by Matthew Weiner, a bariatric surgeon. I intend to follow it post-surgery, possibly for life. To find out more about sugar/food addiction, all of these books are helpful.