Weight Loss Has Stalled

[Burgandy 0]

I am almost 2 weeks Post - Op and I have not lost an ounce since my first appointment on Monday the 21st. Is this normal to have this happen so soon? I lost a total of 21 pounds to date to include pre-surgery weight loss! Just starting to wonder if my body just needs to play some catch up or am I doing something wrong?

[Lissa 2,631]

Burgandy, Most of us have some weight gain right after surgery from the fluids given via IV. Then, the dreaded 3 week stall hits almost as soon as we start seeing some improvement. It sounds like you might have both over-lapping.

You lost 21 pounds pre-op? That might also contribute to the stall you are currently experiencing. TMI, but consider whether you are having BM's yet. I noticed that I lost some every time I had a BM, especially in the first couple of weeks.

Are you feeling okay in general? Able to walk and move around without significant pain? As long as you are, then just keep following your surgeon's plan as much as possible. Walk, sip Water, try to get your Protein in, and repeat. Your tummy is so small after being sleeved that it's virtually impossible to not lose weight. It might take a little bit for that weight loss to kick into gear, though.

For me, when I stall I find that patience is the key. I have to just keep drinking my Water, getting in my Protein, and doing my exercise. I have noticed that my clothes get bigger quickly when I'm not losing pounds. I am doing the stair-step plan, apparently. Lose a few pounds, then get stuck at a weight for a week or so, then lose a few more pounds. During that "stuck" period, I usually end up having to consign more clothing to the give-away box.

If you are following your plan correctly, then you should start seeing weight loss within a couple of days...and it will probably be pretty dramatic. If you don't see some weight loss by early next week, check in with the doctor's office. I doubt there's anything wrong, but it will make you feel better.

[Burgandy 0]

Thanks Lissa for your response! I should claify that I lost 14.8 pounds pre-op. I gained some after surgery and have lost that weight already. My total to date is now 21 pounds. I keep reading about stalls and I guess I was just surprised that it hit so quickly. I see my doctor again on Monday the 28th and so I am sure they will have advice for me if I am still stuck by then. I am eating Protein and working on getting an hour of walking in a day and also making sure I sip enough during the day. I am trying to learn patience early on now!! LOL

[Lissa 2,631]

It sounds like you're right on track, then. I know it's tough to be patient when you see others have dramatic drops very quickly, but we all lose at different rates.

One thing I've found really helpful for the patience part is to be actively looking for the non-scale victories (NSV) that happen. There's a few NSV threads in the VSG Success Stories area and I hit those whenever i start feeling frustrated. It really helps me to recognize things other than just drops on the scale.

[Burgandy 0]

Thank you! I will seek out those NSV's to get me through the week! :-)

[Lisa821 29]

Burgandy,

I'm in the same boat. I feel your frustration! We can get through this! I am trying hard to keep faith by using this site, the NSV's and the wonderful people on here. There are many people with great experience posting on this site. I am so thankful that they are willing to share their experience, strength and hope with us. Hang in there. I'm right along side you.

Big hugs, Lisa

[neecy'sleeve 0]

I am 3 weeks out and the exact same thing has happened to me. I lost 10 lbs the 1st week, then I have only lost 2.5 in the last almost 2 weeks. It is very discouraging when you know you are not eating enough for a bird! I estimated I was eating about 500-600 calories a day, which I was told wasn't enough and my body was probably "hibernating", I also added more Protein and Water in the last several days and am hoping the advice given to me from the Dr's office will pay off. I know protein is really important and if you don't get enough your weight loss may stall. So anyway, don't feel alone, I am right there with you thinking, how could the weight stop coming off this soon, when I eat next to nothing??!! We just have to hang in there and it'll start coming off again! Get out there and exercise too-your body will eventually give it up and the pounds will start to come off again!

[Yukon Kara 34]

I experience a similar stall! I lost 10lbs in the first 5 days after surgery and then nothing for 10 days. I was really starting to get concerned. Then I lost 8lbs in a week. I also had a stall in weight loss during my period. These fluctuations seems pretty normal. Don't worry, it will happen! I have now lost 22.5 since my surgery five weeks ago.

[Indymom 132]

Don't worry too much, your body has been through a major stressor and is just figuring out what you're doing to it. Those pounds will start to drop soon!

[BettyBoop 28]

I hate to say this, but I get a little happy when I read that others are going through the same as I am! I was sleeved on Oct 24. I lost 53 pounds on my own before surgery. Then after surgery, after I lost the waterweight, that they pumped into me, I've lost a total of 7 pounds! That is all. And Tuesday, it will have been 5 weeks since my surgery.

I am doing everything they've told me to do. I exercise like crazy on the exercise bike 6 days a week. I also do some resistant weights.

So, I e mail my surgeon's office and they tell me this is all normal. I'll start losing again. But then they tell me that I'm not getting enough calories, and they tell me to up my calories to 1000-1200 a day! They say some people won't lose on 400-600 calories a day. Well, I CANNOT eat 1000 calories a day! That is just to much for me so soon after surgery.

Anyway, I gotta believe that we're in a stall. Soon we'll start losing again. And when we're not losing...we're losing inches. I do believe that is happening!!

So hang in there.....we're in the same boat!! And others before us have been in that boat too!

[Burgandy 0]

It certainly does help to hear about everyone else being in my position! I knew that this would be happening from all the research I had done prior to my surgery, just did not expect it to happen to me so soon! Part of me is a bit paranoid due to I have struggled to lose weight all my life and then to already have it stop just frustrates me! I am vowing to stay off the scale the rest of the week! I will give it a couple of days and see if I have moved past this point! Thanks for all the support and the wonderful information everyone has shared. I am in love with this list already!! :coolgleamA:

[BettyBoop 28]

It certainly does help to hear about everyone else being in my position! I knew that this would be happening from all the research I had done prior to my surgery, just did not expect it to happen to me so soon! Part of me is a bit paranoid due to I have struggled to lose weight all my life and then to already have it stop just frustrates me! I am vowing to stay off the scale the rest of the week! I will give it a couple of days and see if I have moved past this point! Thanks for all the support and the wonderful information everyone has shared. I am in love with this list already!! :coolgleamA:

I know exactly how you feel. I think sometimes, what if I am the only one that eats 500-700 calories a day and I don't drop a pound? Ever? But it's not possible, is it on those kinds of calories!? We have to lose weight sooner or later. And while the scale doesn't move, they say we are losing inches. I do believe that. I know some blouses that I have, used to be to small. Now they're to big and they hang on me! YAY! And that is the whole point of weight loss....losing those inches and we get stuck on that damn scale!