Bonofide Stall How Do You Break It?!

[612belly 32]

I am 2 weeks post op and have hit a stall! scale the same for four days. I've heard increase calories, decrease calories, exercise, what has worked for you?! Looking forward to your responses!

[BenisaMartim4 369]

The majority of us have a stall between 2-4 weeks post op. Most people call it the 3 week stall. It is pretty much your body going into shock from what you have done to it...lol. Just hold on, it will pass. You are WAY to early out to be worrying about weight loss. Just make sure you are getting plenty of fluids and as much Protein as you can and you will see progress very soon. You are probably getting smaller right now, even without the scale moving

[MoreganK 164]

Totally agree with what BenisaMartim4 said! Also, walking will help and making sure you're actually eating enough. My doc said that during the liquid to puree stages sometimes we're not taking in enough calories and protien and as soon as you increase your calories the weight starts to fall off again. I had a stall for 3 weeks, O_O!! Mine finally broke when I started exercising more. I think we're all different. Good luck, stay strong!!

[Izuri 428]

You're only 4 days into being stalled, so it's possible that it won't even last a week - you will have many more 4+ day stall probably throughout your journey. Stalls happen, they're annoying, but we get through them. I am (KNOCK ON WOOD) just starting to come out of a stall that lasted 3 weeks. It started at the middle of week 2/beginning of week 3 post-op. It drove me up a wall. BUT I continued to eat right and get my walking in and there are a bunch of pants a size down that I can now wear. Have you measured? Sometimes that can be encouraging - you may be losing inches even if you're not losing pounds. For a few days I had to put away my scale (On and off I was unable to resist the temptation) because it was driving me crazy. So if it's bugging you - try to put it away! Have a family member hide it for a few days.

I tried almost everything to switch it up for my stall, but nothing really helped except getting back to work. Even though I was walking, my body was not responding. I increased my water/protein/walking and decreased my carbs. Nothing helped. Now I just aim for my Protein and Water goal and hope for the best. It will get better!

[Wheetsin 714]

"3 week stall" (which really isn't a stall) is almost something we need to expect... but no one tells us about.

Honestly, don't try to break it. It's not really a stall, it's your body trying to adjust. You're seeing what goes in to your body, but you aren't seeing what's happening on the inside. Your body's kind of freaking out right now, trying to survive this famine. Your body doesn't know it's supposed to be eating less, your body just knows how to survive. To it, there's not much food, so it must be starving. Reserve energy "troops" are being mobilized out of bunkers like your liver and into your bloodstream. Your metabolism may have been given the order to lay low and avoid enemy fire. Your body is pulling resources like Fluid away from more well-fed troops and giving it to the ones who aren't doing so hot. All of this fluctuation is behind most things we call "stalls" (it's also behind most unexplainable or quick weight losses/gains).

Your body is doing exactly what it should do. Don't have a knee jerk reaction and try to "fix" something, because there's nothing wrong and nothing to fix. If you try to fix, you're just going to throw things off even more.

After about 5 or 6 weeks of this, then you can start looking at what you're doing and what you night be able to change, but even then you can do everything right and see no results. It's just a fact of being alive.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Read the link in my sig. It will explain why you are stalling now. There isn't anything you need to do other than don't get frustrated. Continue working hard and the scale will start to move again when it's ready.

[Skyjack1 105]

Butterthebean explain how I can read this please Thanks

[612belly 32]

Thanks everyone!!!

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Butterthebean explain how I can read this please Thanks

Right down below everyone of my posts there is a statement that says something like "If you just had surgery and your weightloss has already stalled..." Below that is a link. Just click it to open the article.

Better yet, I'll just cut and paste it here to make it easy.

Weight Loss Stall or Plateau

A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf.

Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below.

The Inevitable Stall

By Diana C.

A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why.

Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of Water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.

As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days.

What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau

If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements.

Too Many Carbs?

Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section on Carbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating.

Fit Day

Spark People - If you join Spark People also join the DS group.

The Daily Plate

Calorie King

For more tips on keeping a food journal see the Personal Nutrition Guide.

Eating Enough?

If you are under-eating or go more than 4-5 hours without eating, your body will shift into fasting mode, slow your metabolism and conserve your stored energy (fat). This can contribute to a weight loss stall or plateau. Make sure you are eating small meals or small Snacks throughout the day and also ensure you meet your daily Protein requirements. Try eating some Protein with every meal or snack. For more information on protein requirements see our section on Protein.

Drinking Enough?

An adequate level of water in your body aids in the effective breakdown of fat. The daily minimum recommendation is 64 Fluid oz of water a day. If you are in ketosis you will need to drink even more water to ensure the ketones are flushed out of your system. You may also need more than the minimum amount of water if you are exercising or live in a warmer or dry environment.

Exercising?

Exercise can increase your metabolism and burn fat. Strength training will build muscles and will boost fat burning. In a stall you can try increasing your volume of exercise or changing up your routine to overcome a weight loss stall or plateau. If you have been doing mainly aerobic activity, try doing a bit of strength training, and if you have been doing mainly strength training, try an aerobic work-out.

The High Fat - High Calorie Stall Buster

Many DSers swear by the fat/calorie shock as an effective weight loss stall or plateau buster. Having a day of higher fat and calorie eating followed by a returning to consistent low carb eating can sometimes "shock" your body back into weight loss mode.