How Do I Know if I Need to Drop Calories or if This is a Stall?

[ToInfinityAndBeyond 25]

Hi Team!

I realize that stalls are inevitable, but I am having some trouble determining if I am in a stall that I need to just wait out, or if I need to change something up. Background: I just hit 8 months post-op. Stats are in my info box. I have been sitting at 174 pounds for three weeks. I had been losing a pound or more per week at around 900 calories per day, Protein at 100G and carbs under 100 g. That is around the time I hired a personal trainer, upped my weight training (free weights now and four days a week), my steps, and my calories (1200 or so per day). The increase in calories was at the recommendation of the trainer, who also recommended increasing carbs to 138 (most days I don't get above 110). I know the level weight is not due to increase in muscle mass---too soon. So....what are your thoughts? Stick with calories or go back down to 900-1000?

Thank you in advance for any reassurance or guidance. (And I emailed my surgery team three days ago...waiting to hear back).

[catwoman7 11,212]

if you increased your weight training, it could be Water retention. Muscles hold on to water. Calories sound OK at this point in your journey with the added weight training, so I wouldn't drop those until you rule everything else out. AND three-week (or longer) stalls aren't uncommon when you get that far out. I remember times around the year mark (and after) thinking "OK - so this must be it.", and then I'd end up dropping 2 or 3 lbs. So it's not over 'til it's over..

EDITED to add that I just checked your stats. You're very close to goal. The closer you get, the slower the weight comes off. Those last 20 lbs were a BEAR for me to lose - but I just stuck with it and finally managed to make it

Edited April 2 by catwoman7

[ToInfinityAndBeyond 25]

Thank you! This is reassuring!

[FifiLux 435]

I am similar timeframe and similar stall so to read the two above posts is reassuring.

I am still only eating about 900 calories a day which is about 90g carbs and 70-100g Protein. I do aqua aerobics once a week and light training three days a week plus try to get a 20 minute walk in most days and I have been stuck at the 78/77kg (171/169 lb) for a few weeks now.

I am going to give it a bit more time as I think I have another follow up appointment with my surgery team in a month and can discuss then, especially as the surgeon told me in January that he would be happy with me getting to 75kg this year - I just didn't think it would take this long to get there.

Edited April 5 by FifiLux

[SleeveToBypass2023 2,598]

Sounds like a stall (it's only been 3 weeks...my stalls have been known to last 2 months before). And also, the closer we get to our goal weight, the slower we lose. I've been fighting the last 20 pounds to my goal weight for every bit of 5 months now lol Now that I'm 11 pounds away, it's like I'm at war with my body to get it to be where I want. Eventually, we hit our new "set point" where our bodies are happy and comfortable at a certain size/weight, and it doesn't want to go any lower. Personally, I don't care if it's happy here, I'm not where I want to be yet, so I just have to keep at it, change things up periodically, and above all have patience. I'll get there in the end.