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Frustrating & upsetting I know but like everything about this experience (including the amount of weight you lose, your rate of loss, your time line for losing, etc.) the three week stall is just an average. Some will stall earlier & some will stall later. They usually last 1-3 weeks but could be more or less. Don’t worry, you will start to lose again. Just give your body time to reset it itself and work out your new needs. You’ll notice the scales dropping again when your body is ready. Can’t force it. You’ll only stress your body & yourself more.

Wins -- Well, I let myself have a few more carbs yesterday, bringing my net carbs up closer to 30 when they have been running in the teens or single digits the past eight weeks (one other time in the 30s on a day I had chili) and seems to be so far so good. I started spacing out my three meals to having more like 4-5 meals per day every three hours and find that works SO much better for me. It also helped me get past my 3.5 week stall that lasted about a week. I went out walking a couple of times this past week and also started using my exercise bike. Noticed that walking around is not leaving me as sore and my stamina is increasing. I also had a couple of NSV - I had to scoot up my car seat a bit, was able to wear a pair of jeans that were WAY too tight before my surgery, and I tried on a shirt yesterday that used to be tight in the arms and across the shoulders and found it fit comfortably! I'm starting to get comments on the weight loss being visible, so that's nice. Portion sizes remain very small - I don't dare eat more than 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup of combined foods per meal. I did add in a few bites of things that aren't just protein based, and that has been a nice switch.

It could be the three week stall. Remember the first one can occur anywhere around the third week. Also you won’t feel your restriction until your nerves are healed (this can take 6 or so weeks) when the messages (like your restriction, feeling full, etc.) start to get through again. Even though this was a tightening of your tummy, you’ll still have the same basic experiences as you did with your initial sleeve.

So glad to hear your checkup went well and everyone’s plans a little different depending on their surgery their age, their activity levels, their medical conditions so you’re probably gonna get a lot of answers. My team doesn’t give a calorie goal either but once I showed her my Fitness app which logs my level of activity as well as my food blog she told me I needed to increase my carbohydrates and protein, which has been really scary and hard to do especially because I went three days without losing and then actually gained a pound after I increased it but I’m trusting the nurse practitioner that she knows what she’s doing and hoping it will work out. I haven’t had my three week stall yet so maybe that’s what’s going on. I mean, I’m eating probably a third of what I did before surgery and I’m exercising 10 times more so there’s just no way that I would be gaining. Oh, I should add that. I weighed myself this morning and. I lost that pound plus another one so I really lost 1 pound in the three days well in four days I guess. I do remember from my sleeve, but it does slow down quite a bit at a certain point. I just don’t remember when and how much. I am also trying to focus on the fact that I feel healthier and have more energy and I’m in a better mood than I have been in years.

There is a thing called the three weeks stall, but if you do a search on here, you will see everybody basically has it and it can be like the second we grow the fourth week it’s not exactly 3 weeks like clockwork, but it is just your body kind of recalibrating I’m 99% sure that’s what’s happening

I was one of those "model patient" presenters at my clinic for the three years before COVID! I loved doing that! I had a partner - a VSG patient (I was RNY). I'd had a stricture at four weeks out - she never had any complications. I'm hoping we didn't sound too "vanilla" - but neither one of us had any issues (other than my stricture - which is a mild issue and very easily fixed). We were both super happy with our surgeries and both lost a ton of weight (she lost 100 lbs, I lost over 200). Although I think people found us entertaining (we were quite a pair!) and most groups asked us lots of questions. We always told the groups about the three-week stall (since it happens to almost everyone, and very few clinics mention it to their patients, so people freak out when it happens to them). Also told them about how we ate a month out, a few months out, a year out (our clinic's plan wasn't low-carb, like many of them are - it was balanced - although even given that, the typical eating YOUR presenter does sounds carb-heavy even to me). We mentioned how we typically eat when we're at a restaurant. Talked about the extra skin (my partner even lifted her shirt to show them her extra skin). Also talked about our experience with hair loss (since extra skin and hair loss are huge concerns among pre-ops). Also talked about constipation (we both have chronic constipation) and how we deal with it. And how we dress to "hide" all the extra skin (although I've since had mine removed). We always mentioned how most people lose their interest in food and hunger for several months after surgery, and how they should milk that for everything it's worth since it's way easier to lose weight when you don't give a flip about food. Basically stuff they likely would not have picked up during the classes they had with dietitian and the health psychologist. when I went through the classes in 2015, the presenter was kind of underwhelming, like yours. I'm sure he would have answered some of the questions we addressed when we were presenters, but he didn't, and the "students" wouldn't necessarily know enough at that point to even know what to ask. Shelli and I decide early on to talk about the issues they SHOULD ask about, but wouldn't know to. P.S. now I'm sitting her wishing I was still doing that - it was great fun! But COVID hit, so everything went online, and they didn't have the "model patient" class. Since everything is in person again, they may have some people doing it, but the two of us are pretty far out now (nine years), so they may have gotten people who had their surgeries just a year or two ago.

My bariatric team and GP both suggested it when I hit a three month stall and was becoming discouraged and angry. I was prescribed Ozempic and it broke my stall the first week! I've lost 10lbs in one month so my stall is over. I stuck to my "diet" plan the entire time so some might just say it was nothing more than my stall finally ending, who knows? I receive the compounded version with B12 and its $120.00 a month without using my insurance (I didn't want to go through the hassle of pre authorization). So, its a possible option for you. I've had no side effects as of yet, I'm starting on my second month with a higher dose so I can't speak on the head cadence beat of the drum to EAT yet, perhaps its diminished a bit and my hunger has quieted. Your best bet is talk to your doctor they'll know what's best for you and it can't hurt to ask. I hope this helps. Good luck!

sounds like the infamous "three-week stall" (it's not ALWAYS the third week, but it usually happens sometime within the first 4-6 weeks after surgery). Almost all of us have our first major stall then. If you do a search on the three week stall on this site, you will find over 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding!). It'll likely be the first of several stalls during your journey. The best thing to do when you hit a stall is make sure you're following your eating plan to a "T", and stay off the scale. Instead of every day, weigh yourself once a week. As long as you stick to your eating plan, the stall WILL break. Usually takes 1-3 weeks. But it'll break. Mine lasted two weeks, and once it broke, I dropped like 6-8 lbs practically overnight. it's just a way for your body to come to terms with what's going on and re-calibrate before heading down again. It's a natural part of losing weight and happens to almost all of us.

10.5 months post op and I'm down 100 lbs! This after a three month stall which finally broke last week where I lost 8lbs. Whew! I needed to share this with people who understand the struggle! I dragged my husband up from his chair and had him do the happy dance with me! Bless the goofy man he asked if I was officially done now with losing. Now, 50 more to go!

So I had my 3 month post-op follow up yesterday (at 14 weeks out). It went... about as well as my cynical little heart expected? Maybe better? LOL My follow up was virtual, so I didn't have to go in to the hospital which is a plus. The dietician I saw today is mmmm... fifth I've spoken to in my program. I honestly would feel a little better if I could have the same dietician every time but I understand that can be hard to schedule. Plus it's still not the worst -- to be honest, I've only actively liked one of the dieticians and yesterday's I passively was ok with -- so at least it's better than the weirder three I've seen in between. Review of my meds, of my health conditions as per usual. Somehow there's always something being left off from last time -- or several last times. Like, yeah, still have diabetes. My numbers are obviously a lot better now in my latest bloodwork, but considering it was one of the comorbidities that got me approved for this program/surgery it would be swell if I didn't have to surprise my care team 4/5 times by informing them of my past diagnosis. Review of my eating habits. Fingers-rapped (gently) over a few things -- not getting enough fruits / veg with skin, not getting enough fibre in each my meals and snacks because it's mostly just in one or two meals. I mean, if my fibre intake is within the 25-35 per day range that they suggested, does it really frickin' matter if it's split up between 3 meals and two snacks? (Also, the fibre range wasn't brought up until yesterday -- it hasn't been mentioned to me at all by any of my care team, or in the pre-op and post-op guidelines and manuals they've distributed to date. The only actual numbers I've gotten from my care team has been about protein, everything else has just been "keep it low fat" and "keep it low carb" and "stay away from sugars" etc in mildly vague terms. I figured out my own daily goals and limits for everything else by taking the average of what I could find online / in books / through the forum) I asked specifically if my bloodwork reqs could be combined with the bloodwork my PCP wants since both of them want it every 3 months for mostly the same things, and I'd rather not take time off work for multiple blood tests -- or sacrifice my blood twice in a one-month period due to timing -- particularly because of the low iron. And considering they both get copies of each other's test results anyway (thanks Ontario Health Care!). But no, no, we can't do that. They can't put his name down in the 'send a copy to this physician' area right in the form. Because apparently even though my PCP is the one to referred me to my endocrinologist, she's the one who referred me to the program. So they send the results to her, and she's on a network with my PCP which is how he gets my results as well. But they can't directly ADD him. ((Can my PCP just ask for the tests that he wants to check but they don't? Nope, cause in order for it to be approved by insurance they look to make sure there are corresponding requisites. Can I have my PCP just add them to his requisition? No, because as the surgery providers they need the requisition under their name for Ontario insurance purposes, and there are certain tests that my PCP can't request 'without reason' and that reason seems to be that everyone wants to bill the government insurance plan for every test they can, and my iron will 'replenish' so it's fine. Nevermind that I've had anemia on and off for most of my life and know from personal experience that the more often I'm tested, the more slowly my iron is replenished.)) ((He was just a dietician. I shouldn't have bothered asking him. But the fact that he had an answer ready makes me feel like they get asked this a lot)) Other than that, it was ok. I've lost half the weight towards my goal weight. He reminded me to expect things to start slowing down. I nodded along even though I started a stall literally the day I hit my halfway score and even though my logic knew to expect and accept all this, my gut reaction was of course 'what have I done to eff this up???'. He was kind of crossing all his t's and dotting all his i's in terms of chiding me on dietary choices -- ie, every meal and snack being 50% protein, 25% non starchy veg, 25% complex carb. Suggested that I eat all these things that their own program handouts say not to start until between month 4 and 6, like nuts and seeds. I was ever so grateful for the internal consistencies. ((This happened with the last dietician at my 1 month -- which happened at my week 3. She was asking me why I hadn't been choosing to eat this or that, and I had to remind her that their handout and biweekly seminars both said not to until week 5-9)) All in all... I feel 'meh' about my follow up, but good about myself and good about my loss so far. And great about the salt & vinegar roasted edamame beans I just had as a snack even though it was lacking a vegetable and isn't 'high enough in fibre per serving'. In other news, I'm only day 7 into my second stall and have been fluctuation between calm acceptance and riotous panic that I'm messing up somehow even after nitpicking my diet and exercise with a fine tooth comb. My ADHD is saying I'm only working in one extreme or the other today/this week.

I did. You may also be hitting the famous three week stall. It’s a well known topic thread on here. I had/have PICOS (does menopause get rid of it?) and it made me a slow looser. Just stick to your nutrition plan. 10lbs will just suddenly fall of when your body adjusts. I suggest not getting on the scale until you notice your underwear feels a little looser. Also, you might want to check in with your endocrinologist about any adjustments if you still feel overwhelming hunger and/ or wonky fatigue. Number one thing I’ve learned is be patient with yourself. You’ve got this!

I was wondering how much weight you are all losing daily/weekly. I was losing .5-1lb daily for the first two weeks and now I’m just consistently losing .2lbs per day. I just hit week three so not sure if this is a kind of stall?

first of all, most people who aren't the size of the folks on "My 600 lb Life" tend to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the entire first MONTH. So at only two weeks out, you are way, way ahead of the game. secondly, you are starting out at a MUCH lower BMI than most WLS patients, and starting BMI is one of the factors that determines your rate of weight loss those first few weeks and months. So your rate of weight loss would be expected to be at the lower end. So again, esp given your low starting weight, you are way ahead of the game. third, you have likely hit the infamous "three-week stall". The vast majority of us have our first major stall within the first month or so after surgery. It's usually the third week, hence the name, but it can happen any time during that first month or so post-op. It usually lasts 1-3 weeks. I had mine during weeks 2 & 3. After it broke, I dropped like six or eight lbs practically overnight. so first, you need to manage your expectations. You are not going to lose like someone who starts out at over 600 lbs. But again, you are currently WAY ahead of most of us even "normal" WLS patients at this point. Secondly, the stall: you just have to ride it out. The only thing you can do is make sure you are following your plan to a "T", and stay off the scale. Stop weighing every day. Just weigh every few days or once a week until it breaks. And it WILL break as long as you're compliant with your plan. if you want more info on the three-week stall, do a search on this site for it. You will find over 17,000 posts on it. And no, I am NOT kidding.

For all my currently stalled folks, I want to offer some hope. I hopped on the scale this morning (like I do every morning) and I was down another 2 lbs. Since yesterday! That makes 6.4 lbs in a week, which is more weight than I've lost in one week since my very first week on my pre-op diet. I am in shock because I was so convinced deep down that the stall was going to be the beginning of even slower weight loss for me, especially now that the magical "first three months" was over. So don't lose hope! In other news, I finally bought that air fryer I've been thinking about for a year, so hit me with your simple, go-to air fryer meals!

Hello! I had the sleeve gastrectomy 9.5 months ago. I've been working on exercising and eating right, but I've been in a bit of a stall these past 5 weeks. I went down from 290 to 170 pounds, but I've been stuck at 170 for 5 weeks. I've been eating 1200-1500 calories a day and still not losing weight. I've done some research, and apparently, your body adjusts to low calories after a while of eating at that rate. At the beginning of my post-op phase, there were some complications on my end. I didn't eat ANYTHING for two months straight, not even protein shakes, and I was only hitting about 20oz of water daily (which landed me in the ER, but I'm fine now lol). I've looked online, and it says for my height, age, and weight, a good maintenance level would be 2100 calories. I'm eating well under that in a deficit and heavy weight lifting, so I don't know why my body won't drop anything. I'm worried that my body adjusted to the 0-calorie few months I had, then the 500-1000 calories three months after that. I've only started hitting my 1200-1500 calories in March when I joined the gym. I know the stall is not due to "muscle gain" because I'm not eating in a surplus, and I'm only eating 65-80 grams of protein in hopes of simply maintaining while I drop fat. I also read online that apparently people who go through rapid weight loss have even lower calorie maintenance than the average person, and that makes sense, but surely it cannot be under 1200, right? The majority of bodies need 1500 to operate. I'm so confused! When I ask my surgeon about calories, he says not to worry about them and eat healthy, which I'm doing. It's just frustrating because I want to work on building muscle, but I want to lose some more fat before that. I guess my question is, does anyone know anything about calories after surgery, and/or how many calories are you eating after surgery to help lose weight?

Even if those white ones are particulary high it's the advantage of my Cerebral Palsy ... my feet and legs are so twisted that heals are actually easier than flats, they straigten out my legs and make me more stable, I fall over my own feet in most trainers and flats (except birkenstocks that I find magical!) ... at school I got a special pass to be allowed to wear heels from about 7 years old ... all the other girls were so jealous! And there are worse disadvantages to be had. Well done on the 4 pound loss... thats massive! Enjoy it to the fullest. And how wonderful to slip into a old dress again and for cherry on the top it to be loose! I hope your daughters special event went well and that you felt amazing in your dress. I shocked a friend who saw me in jeans the other day... I pulled them out of my cellar, she hadn't seen me in jeans since pre pandemic (because I no longer had any jeans that fit ... and had resorted to wearing baggy dresses) and the jeans were tight and i had to wiggle wiggle jump into them and button them up lying flat on my back.. but I managed it. Hopefully they too will be loose one day. If I take the last 30 calendar days I've lost 7.5lbs - but since my three month "surgiversary" to now seven days short of 4 month surgiversary I've not even lost 2 lbs .... and most of that was in the last 24 hours! I really hope my stall has broken. I've arrived in Hungary and after a pretty chill Paris week have a very busy week planned so I just hope I'm able to make good choices food wise and that I get back to Paris to a loss on my scales! I wish I was that brave! I think if I tried that my team would have a field day and an intern would take a video and make it into a meme or a gif in minutes and I'd never live it down! I think it may be out but it is worth seeing a sports physio to ask and to "learn" how to run without putting too much strain on your knees, they may have tips and adaptations for you. Instead of regretting yesterday be proud of today and tomorrow if you can. Keep moving!

I'm still stalled but feeling better. I spoke to my clinic who said it is normal because I've lost more than goal at this point and had a lower BMI to start off with. The clinic has said the stall may last up to a month which means I'm half way through the stall trying to be rational about it. I managed a decent walk ( 15.4k steps) yesterday in my raincoat that helped. I'm still in London for work and it is grey and raining but I bailed on my hotel and came to stay with my little brother (who lives here for his work) and it's a bit like being home. I hadn't seen him in a few years because we're not that close but he made me airfryer spicy tofu and asparagus for supper, offered to look over some work excels with me and to top it off he washed, dried, folded my laundry from my suitcase whilst I was asleep and woke me up with coffee in bed this morning. (I suspect he's been talking to my partner). He's made me feel very cared for and also said that even without weightloss in the mix he gets very very down when he has a bad stretch of travel for work and the weather is ****. He helped me find friends of friends to stay with when I have a week in Budapest in 10 days time so that I'm not all alone at a hotel again. And we realised we'll both be in Boston for work next month and can meet up there and we also sync'd our work travel agendas and found out we'll be in Singapore in October at the same time as our brother in law ( sisters husband) and so all three of us can stay together! For my job the travel is going to be wild until the end of this year (wrap up of a 5 year worldwide project) and so I'm just going to have to "hack" it as much as I can. I get back to Paris very late tonight and might see if I can move enough meetings around to take Friday off work and just spend 3 days for myself in Paris. Hows everyone getting on ?

Ahhh @NickelChip Sorry to hear you are still stalled! This too will pass. I hope your blood tests show good results. And I also have resistance bands collecting dust so let me know how you get along with them! Thanks @Noelle74 you are so right, the weight dosent just drop off. And you're right, progress not perfection is the way to go. Would you consider adding a ticker to your profile? It's a really easy way for me to understand how people are getting along! I walked part of the way of Saint James last summer through the northern route (camino del norte) with my parnter and a group of friends and although I tried to keep a smile on my face it was truly three miserable weeks for me, I was in pain, sweating, out of breath and honetsly wanted to cry each time I saw another hill... but last weekend although it wasn't as steep I walked 26km all on my own and had a lovely day! So yes, progress!!

Don't think of a 39lb loss as 'only', that is really good going in under three months. If you do a search in the forum you will see just about everyone has experienced a stall after a few months (some a few weeks) post surgery as our bodies cope with the changes. It is a question/concern that is raised almost weekly, if not more frequently, so you are not alone by any means. My stall lasted approx. 4 weeks and since then the loss as continued as a slow but steady pace, some weeks I lose nothing but I know I have done nothing wrong with my meals and it is all about the body trying to cope with and working out what is going on. I am sure this stall won't last much longer for you so don't worry and also don't worry if you have another stall in a few months time again.

you're in the infamous three-week stall. Happens to most of us. It's not ALWAYS the third week, but that's the most common (hence, the name), but most of us experience our first major stall within the first month or so after surgery. Best way to deal with it is to make sure you're following your clinic's plan to a "T", and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you're following your program, the stall WILL break, and you'll be on your way again. It usually takes 1-3 weeks. It's basically your system recalibrating - and this will likely be the first of many stalls. re: bowel movements - constipation is a common issue after WLS. It's because of the high protein diet and supplements some of us take (iron and calcium are particularly notorious for this). It should improve once you start eating fiber again, but many of us have to take things like Miralax, magnesium tablets, or stool softeners daily to keep on top of it.

I'm on a three week stall in weight. I'll weigh twice a week. I'll be down a pound or two. The next time I weigh. I'll be up a pound or two. Just hovers. I think im stalling because of my daily workout, the victory on the scale isn't happening to my liking. But overall I do feel better. Next week is my 3 month post-op appointment. Hopefully the blood tests reveal why I've been so exhausted. Just keep plugging away, it's a marathon. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

1). I lost 16 lbs the entire first MONTH, and I went on to lose over 200 lbs. Most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month (yes - MONTH). So unless you're an outlier or the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life", you are doing very well! 2). sounds like you are experiencing the infamous "Three-week stall" right now - right on time, too! The vast majority of us hit our first major stall within the first month or so after surgery - and it's usually the third week;, hence, the name. If you google the site for the three-week stall, you will find something like 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding). A slight bump-up in weight is not unusual, either. It's almost certainly just water weight. The best thing to do is to continue to stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you remain compliant with your program, the stall will break and you'll be on your way again. It usually takes 1-3 weeks. 3). you won't feel much (if any) restriction or "full" until you move to solid foods. Liquids go right through you, and purees pass through pretty quickly, too. Plus you had nerves cut during surgery, and it takes awhile for them to start to regenerate. You'll feel it fairly soon. However, "full" doesn't always feel the same way for many of us that it did before surgery. I don't feel "full" the same way at all - it's more a discomfort - sort of like pressure - in my chest. Once I start feeling that, I know I'd better stop eating or I'm going to be sorry. Others have even weirder full signals - like a runny nose or sneezing.

@RonHall908 Isn't the slow weight loss the worst? I had my second mini stall this past week. At least it was 4 days instead of 7 like I had at the three-week mark. I truly did think, based on how quickly I lost weight in the pre-op diet phase, that it would be super quick after surgery. I lost 15.4 lbs in 2 weeks compared to 16.8 pounds in 8 weeks post-op. What the heck?! It's demoralizing at times. I still have 3 weeks until my next appointment with the dietician and 5 weeks until I see the doctor again. I'm really hoping I'm on track. They say the first 3 months is the fastest weight loss, and if that's true for me...it really sucks. The one thing I can handle large quantities of is water, or even something very liquid like a smoothie. 16oz in under 30 minutes is no problem. And I can eat a full 1 cup serving of bean and veg soup. Any kind of meat fills me up fast, though, although tuna salad is probably the one I can eat the most of.

Finally broken through my week 3 stall and it feels so good. I had zero weight lost for three weeks, from March 26 (2 weeks post VSG) until today. I didn't make any changes, just stuck to the program and waited it out.