Rogofulm

Congratulations! You have reached The Dreaded Week-3 Stall. It's perfectly normal, and just about all of us have suffered through it. You're not crazy, and your doctor didn't screw up. In fact, you might not lose any weight for two weeks or even longer. But don't worry – after that, the weight will start falling off if you stick to your program. And, the inches continue to come off even while the scale isn't budging. If you're interested, here's a good article that explains why it happens and why we all have to go through it. Hang in there. Pretty soon it'll be in the rear-view mirror and you'll be dropping weight again like crazy! (Apologies to BP regulars who have seen this repeatedly, but it's a big deal to those who are going through it!)

I hope to be at goal weight by my next birthday and plan to to jump out of an airplane! (Strapped to a trained professional, of course!)

Did you get a prescription for Protonix (Pantoprazole) from your doctor? That worked for me.

Yup, Protonix (Pantoprazole) did, and still does, the trick for me.

Your doctor should provide you with enough info to make an educated decision. It will probably depends on your general health, how much you need to lose, and your existing co-morbidities You can also search "which bariatric surgery should I chose?" on the web. You will get tons of hits, ranging from webmd to the hundreds of medical practices that perform the surgeries. All can provide input into your decision. I chose the sleeve over the lapband for the reasons described by others. And I chose it over the bypass because I felt bypass surgery was too "major" for the 110 pounds I needed to lose. But do your research. And this forum is a good place to start. Good luck!

And you can go to your old bank and ask for copies of back statements that would show your auto-pay. They may charge for them, but hopefully not very much.

It's normal! Most of our last thoughts before the anesthesia kicked in were, "I can still back out of th.....zzzzzz."

I just searched on "how much can a gastric sleeve stretch?" and found this site. It speaks directly to your questions about big meals and stretching your sleeve. Apparently one or two meals won't do it, but continuous abuse will. Here, check it out.... http://obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeve-will-my-stomach-stretch

Or in the car, or practically anywhere!

In the first few weeks you're still getting over the surgery and there can still be a lot of swelling. Things will feel weird and uncomfortable, and gurgly noises will happen. But if it continues, or if you're really concerned -- call your doctor! Post-op care is part of what you paid for!

When you can go to four major eating events in a weekend, make good choices, and weigh less on Monday morning than you did on Friday! (I've just done that two weekends in a row – whew!)

Yeah – no grunting!

You've lost nearly 50 pounds! That's amazing!!! Embrace it and be proud of it! Just keep working your program and you won't fail. Look at pictures instead of obsessing on the reflection in the mirror. And post some pictures, girl. We'll tell you how great you look. And when we do... believe it!!!

@Rogofulm One more thing.... Someone just posted this, and I thought it would be appropriate to share on this thread. Sometimes the truth hurts. The old days are gone. This is a whole new ball game. Do your best each day. Celebrate each day. Celebrate your accomplishments. All of us are courageous for having this surgery. I celebrate each and every day that I am alive and healthy. Think about where you were before surgery. Obese, miserable, etc., Move it forward, not back.

@ Post some pictures and let us comment on them! That'll reinforce how great you look and what a great job you've done! And when we do...... believe it!!!!!

@@NavyMom2006 I think once you stop retaining the stall Fluid, you'll start dropping if you follow your program, which is probably 60-90g of Protein and 64+ oz of fluid every...single...day! As for the Protein shakes, I completely agree with rumpol6 – I have a Premier shake (30g protein) every morning, and if for any reason I'm short of my protein goal for the day, I'll have another at night (infrequent). Again, if you're still in the Week-3 Stall, if you stick to your program it will break and the weight will come off regardless of what else you do. At least that's been my experience. Good luck!!!

You look awesome!!! Congratulations!!!!!

You might still be stalling. As you say, go back to the basics to make sure you're not making any poor choices. You might try logging your food with www.myfitnesspal.com. Are you getting your 64+ ounces of Fluid in every day? If not, you should focus on that too. And remember, stalls happen -- don't let them derail your program. Good luck!!!

Please don't punish your body for your mind's stress. If you can't face "real food" for a few days, have 3-4 Protein shakes instead until you can get it back together. Good luck!

As long as you've done your research and know what you're getting into, it makes sense to feel apprehensive, but no panicky. All of us were nervous right before surgery. I think most of our last thoughts as they started the anesthesia was, "I can still back out of thi.......zzzzzzz." See you on the other side!!!

Hang in there, Barry! The stall lasts 2-3 weeks, but then goes away. I couldn't understand your last sentence, but if you're getting 70-90 grams of Protein (and 64+ ounces of water) in every day, at this point you're doing great. And 700-900 calories should be good for quite some time. If that's what you're already doing, then keep it up! If it's not, well you're still early in the process. Keep working towards that goal. Good luck!

Hey Jennifer.... I haven't read every post in this thread, so forgive me if this has already been mentioned. You said that everything you eat hits your gag reflex. Any chance you're already full up on fluids before you eat? If I've been drinking fluids and then try to eat, my already-full stomach can't hold it. Then it starts backing up my esophagus until it hits my gag reflex and makes me hiccup until it has to be purged. Just a thought....