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Stalls or plateaus are very normal with weight loss so you’re not failing. Frustrating, yes but not a sign of failure. Almost everyone experiences them. Literally thousands of posts about them here. The first one (yes first because you can experience a few along the way) usually occurs around the 3 week mark though sometimes they occur before then or after. A stall can last around 1-3 weeks. Stalls are a stress response. Your body thinks what the hell is going on here and shuts down. It uses the time to reassess your new needs (like what changes need to occur with your digestive hormones) as a result of the weight loss, changed caloric intake, surgery, etc. compare it with when you experience psychological or emotional stress and just want to shut the world out until you feel able to deal with the stress. Same for your body’s response to physical stress. Stick to your plan. Don’t stress your body more. The stall will break when your body is ready. Take some body measurements as sometimes, while the numbers on the scale don’t change, your measurements may. Though every plan and advice given is different, two plus hours a day of workouts is actually a lot this soon after surgery. Your body is still recovering and healing (lots of sutures and staples holding your digestive system together). Is your team aware of how much & what activities you’re doing? If not I’d check with them. Dr Matt Weiner (pound of Cure) is a great resource as is Dr John Pilcher. Check out their videos on You Tube (they have a lot so prepare to scroll). I‘ve included Dr Weiner’s on stalls as a start and to help alleviate your worries. He does podcasts too. Glad the vomiting has eased.

Do share with us your skin removal journey!!! Best wishes! It is a game changer for any massive weight loss who retains a lot of excess skin to keep one positive, on track and motivated forward at any age. Just had my arms done in October 2024. Initial sleeve December 2018. I turned 65 May 2024.

Pardon my ignorance! I had gastric Bypass on January 15th. I had mine done due to gastroparesis not for weight loss. I weighed on average 250lbs before surgery. As of now I'm at 220lbs. Yes I have lost nearly 30lbs. Most of my weight loss was right at first and have hit two major plateaus after surgery. I consume little amount of calories. I mainly have protein shakes which consist of Premier Protein or Redcon1 MRE. I eat ground proteins like lean beef or turkey. I am very strict on my diet. I work out daily and put in at least two hours. I would thought my progress would have been greater. I'm trying to lose weight before I return to work and build up my strength. I feel like I'm failing and I don't know what to do. Is this normal? I've been stuck at 220lbs for almost two weeks now. Please don't beat me up too badly in the comments.

I totally get the dilemma of needing presentable clothes for work events while knowing your size will change dramatically soon. Before my own weight loss journey, I stuck to versatile, forgiving pieces like stretchy trousers and flowy tops to accommodate size changes. For events, I’d often invest in just one or two classic items from affordable stores or clearance racks. It helped me feel polished without breaking the bank. If you’re into bags and accessories, though, they’re a great way to elevate any outfit, regardless of size changes. I’ve always loved browsing product roundups for timeless options like Coach bags and accessories. They make even simple outfits feel more put-together.

I did have a follow up with the surgeon, however it was a phone follow up as he is some distance away, so no scales! He said not to worry, your body just thinks you're dying, so is holding on to everything! 😳😬 I know that's most likely what's happening! But it's just a bit frustrating.. this month, 19 days, I have just lost 1.4kg or 3lbs or so. I will try to trust the process more not get caught up on the numbers! My colleague who started way higher, but same surgeon, same surgery, just hit 40kg loss in 5 months. It's hard not to make comparisons, we talk about this a lot at work. She did have a larger starting weight though, but I know there is a window for the sleeve to do the work, it terrifies me thinking this might not work 🥺 I even had a client today tell me he has lost 20kg since Nov, by cutting out sugar!! Argh! 😧

Likely the battery. When mine went flat it read I weighed 136kg so like 87 odd kgs more than I was LOL! Freaked me out for a moment. Could also be just a fluctuation (poop, fluid, your body playing silly buggers, …). Either way I wouldn’t worry too much about it (though I know it can be frustrating). Your general trend will still be in a downward direction over time. And little hiccup steps are all very usual. Sounds like you’re doing great with hitting your goals and your weight loss so far is pretty much on point with most of us - not slow at all. (I’d lost 7.6kg at my one month mark and everyone was happy with that.)

Well everyone’s loss is different. I looked back at my logs and I only lost 20 pounds I that first months and I had a more aggressive surgery and I was exercising (not sure if you are). Also, some people do have a stall early out so try to trust the process and stick with it. I mean when before have you lost four pounds a week pre surgery? The surgery is obviously working just maybe not as quick as you would like. Your a relatively low BMI so your not likely to lose as fast as someone who started with a higher one. About the scale, Do you have a followup appt at one month with your surgeon. I bet the scale recalibrated or it could just be that you sat it back In a little Different spot. I know I have wood laminate floors and they must be just the tiniest bit off level because when I move my scale around it weighs a bit different. When you go to your surgeon and he or she tells you what your weight is and your kiss by their scale you can figure how many pounds your scale is off from theirs and go from there. Honestly it Doesn’t usually really matter if it was accurate before or now so long as you are measuring with the same scale because accurate or not it will still reflect your lost. But if it is that far off from what it was before I can see how it would be confusing. Maybe even if you don’t have an appt you can ask to go in and just weigh yourself using the dr scale. I cant imagine why that would be a big deal. That way you can sorta estimate how many pounds your scale is off from theirs.

Well loss still excruciatingly slow here! 😩 I had a weird thing with the scales this week. I was 97.4 kg, then the battery died in my scale, so changed it, to find I was up to 98.8 WTF!! Hubster weighed he was also 1.5kg above where he had been. We now don't know if pre or post battery change is correct! And I don't feel like I have lost any, still feeling very fat. Eating an average of 800 cals, but makes little difference if I eat much more or less. It's a bit over a month since surgery, and I have lost 8 kg or 16lbs, most of that in the first week. I am trying to meet water and protein goals, not always hitting it, but do often (avg 67gm from 70 goal) Despairing a bit here tbh.

For me it has been a life changer. I had the sleeve and lost weight but not as much as I had hoped and then I gained it right back plus some. Never did have the metabolic changes or the changes that made it a little easier to eat healthy so when I got done with my SADI revision I know right away that it was going to be different this time. I mean I still want pizza and burgers but I don’t hate chicken and fish now either so it makes it a little easier to make the healthy choice most of the time. I also exercise a lot and I think that has made all the difference in my commitment to my new lifestyle as well as My mood and overall health. Obviously I can’t say I know if it would have been better or worse with the Bypass but statistically as a revision the SADi does provide more loss and a more durable loss. Of course it is never so not as much long term research has been done and bypass is the tried and true gold standard but as a revision the loss is statistically less than as a virgin surgery. I think for me it was a perfect fit but you will want to keep in mind that you need to understand your surgery well enough to explain it or call your surgeon and ask them to when it is appropriate. Most of my doctors have never heard of it and when I was about to get an endoscopy/ colonoscopy done and the dr hadn’t heard of it I called my surgeon to see if that was okay and he called to explain my anatomy to them. Another thing to consider is whether you surgeon is resleeving your stomach. Mine did not. He said the difference in weight loss was not significant amount to take the risks that come with reducing the pouch. Something to do a bit of research on to decide if it’s worth it to you. If you have any specific questions about my experience let me know.

At some point we all plateau in our weight loss. The thing to do is hit the protein shakes more than you used to. Pretend it’s the earlier stage, where you were limited to protein shakes and almost no carbs. I’ve had to do that myself when I gain weight or plateau. It’s not what we want, it’s what we need to do.

i goaled myself for 120, smack dab in the middle of the bmi healthy goal range for my height, only because i needed a goal to head towards (i wasnt much of a lets just see kinda person back then…though i am now…but i digress) anyway got to 127 and i called goal cuz i wasnt interested in going lower based in what i saw in the mirror. plus i felt pretty great already. that was 6 years ago. since then i seem to have continued to slooooowly lose weight. i sometimes gain a little but my graph definately trends down over the years. especially the last 2-ish years. and im not TRYING to lose, just am due to my lifestyle choices and other circumstances (more active, got braces, tried out vegetarianism - spoiler alert, it didn’t stick lol). as of this morning i am 101 lbs. yes i realize its too thin. i was 98 lbs a few days ago, so im on it! so really, setting a goal can help lead you in a direction, bit the buck doesnt stop there so to speak. feeling good, liking/accepting what u see in the mirror, all the nsv’s should be considered. further, weight loss (or gain, by the same token) is not restricted to to the immediate months after surgery. if u stop losing, doesnt mean u cant lose more in the future. same as gaining…doent mean i wont gain weight back. nothing is static, things are always changing…you decide if you will change as well.

Hi all - I think it was perhaps about a year ago that I stopped losing weight and even gained a few pounds. My doctor suggested weight loss medication. That has been helping. I am concerned about when I transition off the meds.

Thank you for your truths! It just proves that despite what non weight loss surgery people think its not the "easy way" out. It IS work and will continue to be so with constant diligence for our lifetimes! You've got this, I love reading your posts and get inspiration from them. Keep up the good work.

I've been at a complete standstill weight loss wise too..for about a month. The same 3 lbs up and down and I haven't reached my goal either at 18 months PO. So I feel your regret even though I had the bypass. They say you can possibly continue to lose for a few years... But I get the feeling my body likes this weight despite what I want! 😆

I suspect that, given your loss to date, you still have a good way to go @Bypass2Freedom My original (totally guesstimated) 'goal' weight was based on the average loss after a gastric sleeve for someone with my starting weight. I would have been thrilled to get there and no further - I honestly mean that. But it was way out. I sailed through that and beyond. Kept sticking to the plan and finally landed well below. I know other people who stick to their plan land well above. The moral of the story is - stick to your plan and (within reason) you will land where you will land. Unless you actually end up underweight or unwell you don't need to add calories on purpose (that's my experience anyway) - your expanding capacity for food and your increasing hunger will eventually meet you in the middle. Whilst you are in the honeymoon post op period I say milk it for all it's worth. Meet your goals, take your supplements and enjoy the ride. Then begins the lifelong journey of maintenance. That's another story, LOL.

Congratulations on your spectacular weight loss! You look great, and must feel healthier too

Yes! Yes! 100% yes I would have the surgery again. I personally know 4 people who’ve had surgery and know of several others who’ve had surgery (friends of friends, siblings of friends and relatives of in-laws). None of them have complications or have died. There have been a couple of people here who have had complications but they are few. The majority of people I’ve got to know through this forum are fine. And from what I can recall over the almost six years I’ve been here, their complications have been resolved through some sort of medical intervention. Of course there would be some who’ve had surgery who have passed away or have serious complications. There have been a couple on My 600lb Life who passed away. But what pre existing complications did they have? Was their death or the complication a direct result of the surgery or because of the pre existing condition? Carrying excess weight alone would have shortened their lifespan and led to many complications regardless of the surgery. The risks of the surgery alone are very low. I recall reading they are less than a tonsillectomy or appendectomy yet no one questions those surgeries. I wonder about those who share horror stories and what is the motivation behind spreading those stories. Are they jealous a friend or family had the surgery? Are they against a family member or friend having the surgery? Believe me people do react like this. There have been a number of people here sharing the negativity they they receive from people who supposedly love them & who at the best for them when they say they want to have the surgery or have had the surgery. I deliberately was selective in who I told for these very reasons. If you want to know the true stories from people who’ve actually had surgery you’re in the right place here. Also, I don’t believe insomnia is common. For many of us our sleeping improves. Before surgery I would average about 4 hours a night. I would often have nights where I didn’t sleep at all. Now I probably average 7.5 hours. I had 9 the other night and had a nap during the day. LOL! Many also throw away their CPAP machines because the quality of their sleep improves to such an extent they don’t need it with their weight loss. Hey @niecy. I wonder if your poop isn’t soft enough. Are you meeting your fluid goals? Have you tried a stool softener to see if that eases the discomfort? Have you spoken to your surgeon or doctor? Maybe a colonoscopy to rule out any blockages, tears, etc. would be beneficial? It is possible to be constipated & yet still poop regularly which I discovered 18 months ago. https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-be-constipated-and-still-poop

I don't know that I've seen insomnia as a common thing. For me, I think it was basically because I wasn't taking part in my regular routines at that point. As for the other question, exit point lol -- not fun. Yes, I would 100% still have the surgery knowing everything that I do now. 2 months post op and I feel amazing, both physically and mentally. I've never had so much energy before. My weight loss since day of surgery is only 21 lbs, but my inches lost is a much better measurement imo. 4 inches off my waist in 2 months. My smart watch used to be on the 2nd hole and is now on the 5th. I'm in 3 different weekly exercise classes and actually ENJOY going, even when the sweat is dripping into my eyeballs. I can see a future for myself again, when there were several years that I was convinced I'd be dead by 40. This whole process has turned my life around 180 degrees and it is the best thing that I have ever done for myself. 10/10 would recommend.

You really do a have a great attitude towards weight loss and maintenance! That’s half the battle for me. The surgery still makes the body shrink back to manageable size when our tracking and weighing attention comes back. I gain weight every Christmas because the foods only happen at that time and OMG pie… But by New Years my WLS still works great. I find I have to ease back into tracking and water etc. I usually start with drinking water. I had a roommate in college that had ED and would punish herself with being severe suddenly with food restrictions and over exercising. I hope you continue to be kind to yourself. Your honesty has been an absolute inspiration to me!

I discourage people from getting hung up on the number on the scale, because the non-scale victories are so much more important. The number on the scale is meaningless compared to things like your health metrics (blood pressure, glucose, lipids, etc.), fitness, and mobility. I am also curious how you can say you are 0.2 pounds from your goal weight because my weight can fluctuate by 5 pounds in a single day, so 0.2 pounds is far more precise than you can realistically measure your weight. Drink half a cup of water and your weight goes up by more than that. Somebody posted a video on this site a while back (maybe someone can repost it if you remember) with a doctor explaining why your "best weight" is not necessarily going to be in the "ideal weight" range based on BMI, especially for bariatric surgery patients -- and in fact, for many bariatric surgery patients, a "normal" BMI may be too low. BMI has limited use in determining a healthy weight for any specific individual. It is kind of a primitive measure of body composition; a much better measure of that would be getting a Dexa scan, which can determine your actual body fat percentage and visceral fat (which is what has the highest impact on health). I never really had a goal weight. I was required to state a goal weight for my psych evaluation, and I think I put 180 pounds based on the average weight loss from my starting weight. I never thought I would get to a "normal" BMI, but I am actually hovering right around a BMI of 25 (I'm maintaining between 135 and 140) with a body fat percentage of 21%. My goal now is to stay within that range because I think that's about the lowest I can realistically go without plastic surgery (nothing against that if it's what you want, but I have no plans to do so) or extreme measures.

So I am about 0.2lbs away from my goal weight, which I have always had in mind as my "1st goal weight". Kind of like, if I get there then that is amazing...I didn't 100% believe I could ever get here if that makes sense 🤣 My question to others is: did you have a "secret/second goal weight" in mind? And if so, did it vary much from your 1st one? I want (for some inexplicable reason) my BMI to be in a 'healthy' range, which requires another loss of about 2 stone, which I think part of me wants to go for. Overall though, I am feeling happy - not just because of a number on the scale!

When peopel talked about this. I was like okay I've had this issue before but then when I saw what they meant!! I was freaking out n but it didn't last too much but I'm still shedding but it's not thaaaaaat bad. I just cut my hair a few times to not feel it and I started this multivitamin for the hair n nails and my doc told me to stop because it was effecting my results! So I never went back. Apparently u just need to eat well and protien and and it will get better

^ This. Post bariatric surgery eating is really hard! Never let anyone tell you that bariatric surgery is "the easy way out"! Regarding your protein intake, let's start with an understanding of why a protein-first diet is recommended post-surgery: Primarily, we are hoping to stave off something called muscle catabolism. This is when your body basically breaks down your own muscles. This happens mostly but not entirely to meet your daily essential amino acid needs. If we eat enough protein, this significantly reduces the amount of muscle mass your body will burn. That's important because the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, meaning you'll burn more calories even at rest. Most scientific literature suggests that 60 grams per day of protein is sufficient to meet your essential amino acid needs and thus hold off the bulk of the muscle catabolism that happens while on a weight loss diet. Note that some muscle catabolism is inevitable and no amount of protein intake is going to prevent that. The second reason protein is important is because protein is filling and relatively slow to digest. Studies have shown that eating more protein than the 60 grams per day minimum can help you feel more full. That basically will result in reduced overall calorie consumption. For this, amounts between 1.6 grams to 2.2 grams per day per kilogram of ideal body weight have been shown to be effective. For example, if 60 kg was your ideal body weight. protein intake between 96 and 132 grams would be suggested. I'm not sure what your surgical team told you, but since you're already getting over the 60 grams per day minimum, I'd say you're doing fantastic! As you get further out from surgery, you'll probably want to consume more, but keep in mind that all it's really doing is keeping you full longer. It's not going to sabotage your weight loss due to excess muscle loss. TL;DR: You're going fine on protein, don't sweat it.

I had my RNY in September 2023. The day before my surgery, I took a tailor's tape and measured my neck, chest, belly, waist, hips, thigh and calf. I've reached a loss of 165 lbs and took those same measurements again on the weekend (in inches); Neck 17 -> 14.5 = -2.5 Chest 52 -> 44 = -8 Belly 57.5 -> 44 = -13.5 Waist 47 -> 39 = -8 Hips. 51.5. -> 41 = -10.5 Thigh 32 -> 24 = -8 Calf 18.5 -> 16.5 = -2 Total inches lost: 52.5 That's almost 4 1/2 FEET. I am currently about 20 lbs short of my goal.