ZZinBC

I stalled exactly at week 3 for 2 weeks. Just put some extra focus on getting as close to your liquids and Protein goals and to maybe add in some more walking to try to get out of it. IT WILL start back up again so don't let it stress you.

Ha! During my 5 week stall I lost nothing noticeable below the waist because my next size-down pants stayed pretty snug in the waist and thighs. I honestly believe that to some extent all the medical professionals literally have no idea what is actually happening to their patients' bodies. They ought to start enrolling patients in medical studies and check all kinds of labs, body fat comp, and other BMR and RMR type measurements to see exactly what is happening.

I stalled on week three post op and stayed stalled for 5 full weeks. I reviewed my diet with my nutritionist since I was keeping meticulous records in My Fitness Pal and she had some advice for me that may or may not have helped.
I am now more careful to watch my fat macros. Apparently eggs, cheese and nuts, while technically on the menu, added too much fat and not enough Protein. I also upped my calories from the 600s to the 800s and increased my protein intake to a minimum of 80g a day. Fortunately, I learned to like the Protein20 drink (available at costco in a 12 pack) and that extra 90 calories gives me 20g of protein and hydration which I was always struggling to meet.
Since my weight loss returned last Saturday I have only lost about 5 pounds in 9 days, so it seems slower than the first 3 weeks when I shed about 25 lbs pretty quickly.
I was also pretty bad about getting in exercise, but having surgery and then plummeting into sub-zero temperatures in the middle of a pandemic didn't exactly encourage daily walking. Now that it's nice I try to get in a long daily walk and/or 30 minutes on the elliptical.
I would encourage you to take some measurements, too, during the stall if you haven't already. I have a friend who had the bypass surgery 3 weeks after me and she claims to have only lost 11 lbs, but her weight loss is noticeable in her hips and thighs. Seeing a tape measure drop may indicate that fat is being burned, but that Water weight is being replenished.
I feel your pain. The stall is the worst thing to make you feel like you've failed and that your body has betrayed you.

I was March 9 also and I have only lost 26

The dietician at my office warned of a stall within the first few weeks post-op. She also said even though you are not losing pounds at that time, you should still be losing inches. So focus on the non-scale stuff

I’m in a similar situation, surgery day was 3/9. From preop diet to current I’ve lost 25lbs. I know that may seem substantial but I am following every rule precisely. No sugar, bread, potatoes, etc!

Woah, woah! Who said you had to eat those things “bland”?
Depending on your plan use spices, add a little cheese to your eggs.< br /> Blend your cottage cheese with 1tbsp sugar free preserves to make an almost dessert.
Add root beer flavored packets to vanilla Protein Shakes and freeze until it’s a slushy for a root beer float!
Make a ricotta bake, is practically lasagna without the noodles or meat!!! So good!
Make curried salmon salad using Greek yogurt as the base instead of mayo. Do the same with tuna.
Make some bisque soups! Creamy, filling and full of flavor.
It’s not about sacrifice, it’s about using your tool to get the best results possible. You WILL get to where you need to be in time but it won’t happen overnight. I completely get the frustration of not losing when you want to. I’ve also had feeling of anger that I wouldn’t lost the weight and I’d be obese forever. Then again, I’ve had to do the post-op progression stages 3 separate times just last year but GI surgeries follow the same post-op diet.

You will get there. Just have patience.

I know it’s hard to understand right? I do however get it, your body is trying to save itself.

I am glad I stumbled on this.
I had sleeve surgery on March 10th.
I have hypothyroidism as well as PCOS.
What I did not know is that pre surgery I was in a state of hyperthyroidism. The combination of the thyroid toxicity and anesthesia created what is known as a thyroid storm. I went into a hypertensive crisis, with tachycardia and AFib.
Ultimately, I should not have been operated on without due care however, like many have already said, in one way or another, the thyroid is not taken seriously when it should be. That little gland is responsible for so much of our overall wellbeing.
Learning what I learned through my post surgery experience, I am doing my due diligence to do as much educating as possible surrounding surgery and the thyroid. I had zero idea that being in the hyperthyroid state that I was (I had no symptoms) was as dangerous as it was when combined with anesthesia. I should have been a better advocate for myself.

On the note of weight loss, it has been frustratingly slow. The first 3 weeks post surgery I did not lose anything. In hindsight, this is most likely because all thyroid medication was stopped, but it just goes to show you how much affect it has. I was consuming 300-400 calories (tracked) and it did not move the scale.< br /> My heart was broken. I am averaging about 1/2 pound a week of loss right now and that is at 700 calories.
It is incredibly frustrating however I really think ultimately this is my chance to get my weight down albeit painfully slow.
I hang onto the words of the people on here that talk about how slow their loss was but that they lost it over a year / a year and a half. This is important because my surgeon talks about how the weight has to come off in the first 6 months or it won’t.
Those mentioned above are my hope! And thanks for posting about this topic too - I have found hope here!

I like blasphemy, I’m a rebel at heart. I made the decision last week to stay off the scale but then thought oh I will check...not good. I will heed your advice and stick to my plan of the scale once a month.
Many thanks for the feedback!

Totally get that especially because in my previous life I struggled with very disordered eating - months at a time with little to no food followed by bingeing. That’s years ago but still, perhaps our body doesn’t forget. Thanks for the feedback!

Oh wow! Thank you for the information! I genuinely did not know all of this. Is this typically the reason why allstalls and plateaus happen in weightloss?

I never understood this and don't understand what happens when I hear this. I always thought that if you burn more than you consume, your body has no choice but to lose weight. What is this stall?

My advice....up your calories and get off the scale for a couple weeks. Which, I realize sounds like blasphomy and utter madness...but it honestly might help.

I am experiencing the “three week stall” right now. Rest assured though, you can’t eat what we are eating and not lose weight. I think our bodies just fight it cause they literally Think we are trying to die.

if you're eating 600 calories/day and 60g of Protein, then you're in a stall. Mine was weeks 2 & 3.

I stalled week 2! It sucked but keep going you will get through it! Sending good vibes your way!

Rachel Goodman is an awesome dietician who offers online classes and support - she’s not specifically for bariatric patients though. But she does talk about the biology of dieting /starvation mode.

It is a biological defense against starvation...developed by humans over tens of thousands of years of adapting to poor hunting seasons and bad harvests. It's why you're cold all the time, why you get constipated, why you run out of go, why you can feel cloudy and not quite yourself....your body just shuts down everthing possible to keep you from losing anymore weight because it thinks you're dying of starvation. Lots of critters have the adaptation. Torpor. Brumation. Hibernation.
Uban legend has it that sometimes kicking up your calories a little bit and doing more physical activity, getting more sunshine...can help snap your body out of it.
In another ten thousand years, maybe our bodies will develop a resistance to the excess calories that are shortening our lifespans.......but for now, they're still more into defending against starvation. If only we could explain it to them. LOL.

By definition...the morbidly obese struggle with disordered eating.
This doesn't change because we have our anatomy altered. Takes a while to get our heads figured out. The same folks who bought the supersized shake, fries and triple decker sandwich for lunch.....profess to live on postage stamp sized meals and calories that wouldn't sustain a toddler. It's not a leap of logic to notice these two examples of extreme food thinking/eating are related.
Disordered eating is a thing. Surgery doesn't cure it. And it's a big part of the work.
My big hope for myself and everyone here....is to learn to eat normally. Normal meals with flexability. Normal calories counts. Good variety. Good nutrition.
And spend a normal amount of time thinking about it instead of obsessing hours a day.
Wouldn't that be cool? Effortless normal eating. Man, I want that!

I'm three years out and LOVE bread of all kinds. Naan is a favorite. Love sourdough and pumpernickle, health nut and multigrain too.
But I've gotta say, it's still tough to eat a lot of it, even now....and that's probably for the best in my case cause historically, bread was something I'd go to town on and overindulge.
I can eat bread almost like a normal person now...meaning...a reasonable single or half serving of it, instead of a double or triple serving like I used to. Balance is a good thing!
You're still in early days. And yep, you're gonna have moments of frustration and missing your old eating habits, missing the way certain things tasted/felt. Old favorites won't work anymore and it's a weird feeling....for me there was a little bit of food grief...as disturbing as that is to say, I did feel genuinely sad about my changing relationships with food.
But then, I found new healthy favorites, new ways of cooking, got used to new portion sizes, new expectations. New body, better health
It does get a lot better in time. Promise.

You got this! - I will be on cheering you and everyone else on till my turn comes on the 10th - then I will be back to cheer the rest of us Marchers on. As far as feeling like you have been on this journey forever - I feel the same way. I have been battling my weight my whole life! Had my lap band put in and then removed. I'm excitedly waiting for the day - my nerves are fried though lol
I'm in NJ as well! I wonder if we ever crossed paths!

I’ve stocked up on:
McCormick Bouillon cubes
Outcast foods Unflavoured Protein and other flavoured kinds
Vega Brand protein
Simply Delish Jel Desserts and pudding mixes
I’m vegan so if anyone is looking for plant based options there is a few 😊

You got this! My surgeon is the same, 3 weeks pre-op of shakes and Water only.
I am just finishing up week 2 and yes, it has been a challenge but it’s so true that it gets easier.

good luck fellow marcher!

12:30 tomorrow is fast approaching. I will update when able. Good luck to all March peeps. Here we go!