Janet53

I have lots of thoughts on this. I am in a similar boat. I was 219 on surgery day and am one month out. Lost 6 pounds the first week, then none for 2 weeks and then 2. I saw my surgeon yesterday and shared my concerns since I had been reading about all these people losing 20 plus pounds the first month. He reminded me that a lot of people are a lot heavier to start out with and that the first month of surgery should be about healing and to not even focus on the weight loss because he doesn't. I felt alot better. And as starting weights go, yours is one of the smallest I have seen. I feel quite sure this has something to do with it. Also, your body is still recovering from the shock of the surgery and this takes time. Sometimes more time for some people than others. Try not to feel too discouraged because you will start losing!! You can't not lose with the small amount of calories you are taking in. Hang in there!! Good luck!

"Hi Janet. Congratz in your surgery and your progress. Sounds like you're moving right along. : )"
Thanks! Now if other things could just move along. This Constipation is killing me! I never had this problem before but I can sure understand now what all the fuss was about when I would hear people complain! :0

Cheri,
Firstly, wow... you look so beautiful! I love your recent picture ,,, makes me want to give you a big baby cwtch (welsh fir hug)!
You always speak so much sense... and over the last 2 1/2 years you have been beside me every step of the way, Between you and a few other old timers on here, you really have made a difference to me... encouraged me, cheered me on and cheered me up!
You know my story... but I will share it again for the newbies.
My sleeve is now 2 1/2 years old... it has great restriction and does a lot of good work. My head is now in line with my sleeve, but this has taken longer. Not with respect to the food side of it... that is a physical thing that I was quickly acquainted with, but emotionally it took me longer to realise that I was doing well. I am, and have always been a slow loser... on any given 'diet' I would never lose more that 7lbs and that would take me 2 -3 months to do.
I have lost a total of 74 lbs and this happened in the first 16 mths. For over a year, I have not lost a single pound... regardless of what I do or don't eat and the way I move or don't move. It would appear that my body is happy here at this weight and doesn't want to lose any more - even though my mind wants to see smaller numbers and my doc would like to see me out of the obese range on the BMI chart. However, in that time I have gone down a whole dress size. I started off in a UK 22-24 and I am now a UK 14 and have been for a year - this was my original size goal.
I have had a few health worries over the last year that might have impacted my weight loss... but I can't use those as an excuse. (On set of early menopause and trying out HRT - didn't suit me; I don't take any thing now and I had a nasty back problem that made me stop my training/gym. I am finding it hard to get back to hard exercise now - something I need to work on.)
Not reaching goal does have an upside too... I have never gained! I have read some sleevers, who dipped to goal super quick and then had a dramatic regain... I have been sat at this weight comfortably for over a year and I am happy with my 2-4lb bounce range. If I go over that... I get focused and it goes away.
I am currently upping the anti again, in another effort to get to my surgeon's goal... I am just 10-12lbs away. My hubby is on board now too... he wants to lose about 24lbs ... it is easier to do it with someone else at this stage. There is a part of me that just doesn't want to give up... I would love to post a goal thread but I am also realistic that this might never be the case.
If it happens I will be happy... if it doesn't I will remain healthy.
So with that in mind I am looking into getting the skin from my middle removed - I am looking at a TT and possible uplift. Once this is done, I guess I will be done! I don't want to be perfect but I do want my body to look like my face...lol
I have started to realise that just because I am not at my weight goal that I am still successful. I think that the over emphasis on the numbers at the beginning of this process for me, took away each successful pound lost. That was not a good move! Looking back I should have also focused on how I FELT and how I looked.
Just today, someone asked me if I had lost more weight... the body is a wonderful thing!!
For all slower losers and newbies... remember, this is about YOU... not about someone else who farted and lost 14 lbs! Ok, that is a little over the top, but you know what I mean. The whole reason for the sleeve is to get fit and healthy... if that is how you feel, regardless of your weight... then, in my eyes, you are a winner.
The sleeve has no expiry date - it is with us for life.

Hello from NH! Week 5 for me and I lost 4 pounds this week! Amazing since I have only lost 8 pounds the prior weeks. Just noticed there was a Gay support group on here. Hello to all! Congrats to Beach who just made it through surgery. And greetings to the rest of my "family". Anyone from NH or Atlanta? I used to live there and miss it a lot. Have a good week all!

Sansmom, I am feeling a little better about my 6 week stall since reading your post. Did you do anything to get your weight loss moving? Or did the stall just end? I am feeling so depressed right now. Mainly because I have been exercising and eating 1200 calories or less and not seeing any results. My partner who weighs 112 cuts out some carbs and doesn't change anything else and loses weight! And she isn't even trying to lose weight! I used to think people who complained about these kinds of stalls were doing something wrong, eating too much and not knowing it, etc. but now that this has happened I realize this is real. My metabolism really has slowed down to nothing. I would survive really good if I were stranded somewhere without any food. Thanks a lot ancestors. And while we are at it, thanks a lot menopause! I should have listened to my older sister who told me when I was in my twenties to lose the weight then because it becomes impossible later.

HEY!!! I doubt anyone here is going to tell you to do more exercise! Or at least more of that intensity I think at 4 months or so you've done AMAZING!!!!!!!
Now it is very likely an adjustment period! It just happens, my doctors call it "starvation mode". You're body freaks and clings onto any fat... There are two ways to break it- eat more or eat less... I have learned the very hard way that eating more is the key!!! I swear! You need to add very fibrous carbs in, some apples, dried fruits, whole seed grains (you can find a recipe for a dense grainy bread somewhere and have a slice in the morning) and some nuts like macadamias or almonds... I have a trail mix made up that is my go-to food, a small handful is my goal!
Exercise also works better in increments so if you can switch one of those classes for a 30 min treadmill or elliptical with 5 min walk 2 min jog/run then back to walk again then you will jump start your cardio in a different way
Finally! Apart from being so proud of you for taking your life into your hands (my mum is 52 and has given up/ ready to die) I do know how you feel. I bet you look at your body and can't even see the differences you used to get so excited over! I challenge you to put that 25 pounds in a backpack and carry it around! Not only will it remotivate you, but it might help burn some cals too!
DO NOT GIVE UP! Simply start again with small steps! Thanks to this you have the rest of your life to continue working at it!!!

You know, I'm NOT telling you to exercise. You should, you know that. I don't. I should. I know that. Enough said. LOL
Now... I plateaued for about 2 months. NO LOSS. I lost alittle bit in inches... like maybe an inch on my hips. I was sad, rage filled, in dispair... and then, for some reason, my body let it go. I'm talking 14 lbs in one week. I don't get it. I didn't change anything. It just happened. It's done this before in smaller increments, so it's par for the course I guess. It's common to lose in stair steps. My doctor said that it's because we have undergone such a huge change so fast that the body kind of stops and adjusts from time to time. Some lucky people go down steadily, but not most.
So don't lose hope. Keep eating sensibly, jornal your food, drink enough Water, and try to exercise if you can. Try not to stress, and be patient. I also agree with Cookeeeeez. Eat alittle more. Heck, I even will add a small bowl of ice cream here and tehre to break a stall. Just use caution. LOL

Great post! Thanks! I am in the slow loser category also. A combo of age, not as much to lose and menopause I think. I have lost 12 pounds in 6 weeks. I just figure like you that maybe I will get lucky with the Hair loss if I lose slower. That way it will be worth it. Hang in there fellow slow losers!

Great post! Thanks! I am in the slow loser category also. A combo of age, not as much to lose and menopause I think. I have lost 12 pounds in 6 weeks. I just figure like you that maybe I will get lucky with the Hair loss if I lose slower. That way it will be worth it. Hang in there fellow slow losers!

Hello from NH! Week 5 for me and I lost 4 pounds this week! Amazing since I have only lost 8 pounds the prior weeks. Just noticed there was a Gay support group on here. Hello to all! Congrats to Beach who just made it through surgery. And greetings to the rest of my "family". Anyone from NH or Atlanta? I used to live there and miss it a lot. Have a good week all!

I have lots of thoughts on this. I am in a similar boat. I was 219 on surgery day and am one month out. Lost 6 pounds the first week, then none for 2 weeks and then 2. I saw my surgeon yesterday and shared my concerns since I had been reading about all these people losing 20 plus pounds the first month. He reminded me that a lot of people are a lot heavier to start out with and that the first month of surgery should be about healing and to not even focus on the weight loss because he doesn't. I felt alot better. And as starting weights go, yours is one of the smallest I have seen. I feel quite sure this has something to do with it. Also, your body is still recovering from the shock of the surgery and this takes time. Sometimes more time for some people than others. Try not to feel too discouraged because you will start losing!! You can't not lose with the small amount of calories you are taking in. Hang in there!! Good luck!

Thanks Ivy. I found more evidence that is is normal for some people to have this 4 to 6 week stall while the body is healing. I guess that's all any of us wants really. Just to know we are normal. Phew...

I am a month out on Monday and I have lost 6 pounds so I am sooo with you. But if you do a search on Google (and here too) about vertical sleeve weight loss stalls you will see that lots of people have had this stall experience in the first month to 6 weeks. Which I thought was really strange also because you figure a plateau will come later right? But I lost pounds the first week and nothing since. The other people I have read bout though.. EVERY one had a good outcome. One woman lost NO weight after surgery for 6 weeks (I would jump out a window LOL) and then all of a sudden it started coming off and she was very successful. We just have to be patient and realize that it will get better.
About the reflux, are you taking something? I had reflux before my surgery and the surgeon gave me a liquid medication called Ranitidine (spelling might be off) and I have been ok with it.
Good luck Pink!! Keep us posted.

Ok so maybe that was a bit dramatic BUT at this point, I feel like the devil has a Magic Bullet and 102 canisters of Unjury with my name on it. It seems so many people on the forums have a favorite shake that they love & promote but to others it tastes like barf in a glass. (sorry for the visual) haha Here's the thing...Now that I'm off of the liquid phase of the postop diet and onto pureed foods...I can't do Protein Shakes. Every single flavor, additive, texture, blender, and sneaky attempt to hide the flavor has backfired and I've dry heaved. I'm all about sucking it up and doing what needs to be done to get the job done, but I 100% can't tolerate them. I don't want to spend my days sipping and dry heaving for the rest of my life. With all of that said, any vets or people that are a few months along who don't drink Protein supplements/shakes and are able to get in a decent amount of protein through food?

Sleeved on 4/30 and down 6 pounds since surgery. I've been the same for almost 3 weeks but I found a great thread on another site that talks about the "dreaded 4-6 week post op stall" and it made me feel 100% better. I think I am going to post something about this in a separate place for people experiencing this. I was in another forum and 2 or 3 people suggested something was wrong with me or rather that I might not be doing something right because they thought my weight loss was so low. But now I know it is normal for some people to experience this. Good luck fellow April sleevers! :)
PS. I tried to place a link to the site and got an error message saying the administrator does not allow it. Ridiculous. Anyway, if anyone is interested you can do a Google search for "vertical sleeve weight loss stall" and the first thing that comes up has something underneath that says "stall after 2 weeks"? If you click on that you can see several things and it directs you to another place also. Worth the visit. Or it was for me.

Hello all,
I found a great thread on another forum that addresses a weight loss stall that happens right after surgery. One of the people described it as the "dreaded 4 to 6 week post op stall". Just seeing that someone referred to it that way made me feel better before I had even begun reading. Several folks on this site have also had this problem (myself included, It will be a month on Monday and no weight loss since my 6 pounds the first week) and I have received alot of encouragement. But I didn't find as many people who experienced the stall right away and/or that had a very small weight loss so I went searching on my friend Google. As a matter of fact (sorry for the aside), a few people suggested that they had never heard of a weight loss as low as mine in the first month. I assured them it was possible and said other people on this site have experienced it and worse. Anyway, I digress. I am unable to place a link to the thread because an error message comes up telling me the administrator won't allow it. But if anyone is interested you can do a Google search for "vertical sleeve weight loss stall" and the first thing that comes up has something underneath that says "stall after 2 weeks?" If you click on that you can see several things and it directs you to another place also. Worth the visit. Or it was for me. It had even had a follow up from the original poster several months (or maybe years) later where she verified that what she was told was true and it did finally end. Because I think that is the real fear. That somehow it will not end or we will end up losing 2 or 3 pounds a months for the whole time. Ok, done now. I am going to try not to visit this issue again as even I am getting sick of it. LOL Good luck everyone! I hope this helps someone!

No regrets so far. 4 weeks this coming Monday and I have only lost 6 pounds but am patiently (sort of:) waiting it out. I had (and still do ) a lot of gurgling and growling sounds in my stomach and it still is slightly uncomfortable to drink Water and sometimes to eat. The first week I had a meltdown when something I tolerated the day before was causing me to feel awful. I did regret it for a few hours that day. But your hormones are also all over the place after surgery so I think it is normal to feel negative. Hang in there. It's done now and 9 out of 10 people seem to have no regrets at all. I bet you will feel that way too. Maybe sooner than you think! Good luck!

LadyIvy,
Thanks for the post! This is very encouraging. I am going on week 4 with no loss. Well, technically week 3 since I did lose 6 pounds my first week. In another forum a couple people were telling me that something must be wrong with me but I am only eating about 500-600 calories a day. I am getting in the Protein and the liquids. I keep thinking that it is physiologically impossible to not lose! But somehow I am not. We will see what Monday brings. Good luck to everyone!

Kysia, I am SOO with you. 4 weeks out on Monday and only 6 pounds so far. I Find it hard to relate to the "why haven't I lost more than 20 pounds in a month" crowd. Good luck to you! Hopefully we will be updating soon with good news!

LadyIvy,
Thanks for the post! This is very encouraging. I am going on week 4 with no loss. Well, technically week 3 since I did lose 6 pounds my first week. In another forum a couple people were telling me that something must be wrong with me but I am only eating about 500-600 calories a day. I am getting in the Protein and the liquids. I keep thinking that it is physiologically impossible to not lose! But somehow I am not. We will see what Monday brings. Good luck to everyone!

Ok, I've been trying to figure this out for 2 weeks but I just can't can't. What the hell is an NSV?? LOL

BigKim, I think 28 pounds in a little over a month is awesome! It's 3 weeks for me and I have lost 6 pounds. I was warned that there will be plateaus just like your average dieter. But it is still going to come off faster in the long run.
Camarillo CA, I heard that you actually will lose more if you take in more calories not less (I mean within reason:) since too few calories causes the body to gointo starvation mode. Maybe you should actually be eating a bit more and moving more. I have a hard time with the moving part myself. I knew I would. But I am working on it.. Good luck all! I have to go back to work tomorrow so time to go to bed. I am nervous after being out for 3 weeks...

Glad to hear you are doing well Nancy. I am doing better food wise. No more of that funny feeling I was getting. Of course I am not getting nearly enough Protein but it just can't be helped at this point. My only complaint is my vertigo which came on after the surgery and is hanging in there. Nothing to do but wait it out. I really thought I would have more stomach problems and not head problems. Oh well.. Hopefully it will be gone before I have to go back to work. Keep up your good work! I weighed on Monday (1 week post op) and I had only lost 2 1/2 pounds but I am not really worried about that. I couldn't possibly eat fewer calories and I am sure it will get better. Good for you on your progress. I am looking forward to that back to normal (ish) feeling in the future.

Hello everyone, After writing a few days ago that I am tolerating liquids well, now I am experiencing feelings of flushing (for lack of a better word) and slight nasuea. It figures. I actually wrote a separate post to see if others experienced this. My surgeons office said this happens and is normal. Thanks to MGM for the advice about the Protein packets. I am definitely going to check that out. I can't imagine ever taking in anough protein at this point in my journey. Hopefully it keeps getting better. But I must only be taking in about 100 to 200 calories a day. Surprised I am still walking around. I guess you can live off your fat. LOL

Hi Kelly,
I had my sleeve done on Monday (30th) and I am still having a good deal of pain. Water is actually the hardest thing for me to sip. My throat is ok but when it hits my stomach it hurts. It's like this small cramping pain every time. It's there with everything but mostly Water or Crystal Light. Nothing I can't handle but it sure is annoying. I am stressing a little about getting the Protein in. I can drink the shakes but to actually get in 60 grams of Protein? It's not happening. I am sure it will get better though. My most annoying symptom is dizziness. I had bouts of vertigo before the surgery anyway and the surgery just brought it on. Not sure why, maybe being in a prone position for too long. Very annoying though because I keep feeling like I am going to fall over and I can't bend down which is not good. Again though, I am sure it will get better. I am on the full liquid diet now so I am doing the shakes and last night I had pudding and I added unflavored protein to it. It was ok but today I just don't think I can stomach it. I had some yogurt too which is very good and chicken broth. I was worried too about overdoing it because I can't really tell when I am full since it hurts to drink anyway. I've just been winging it. So far so good I guess. I was really hoping I would do so well getting the protein in that maybe I would not lose any hair but I guess that isn't going to happen. Oh! I can also eat popsicles which are great. Good luck to you!!