Search the Community

OHHHH dear one- the conversations we've had today on this forum about stalls!!! I am in one as well. Mine started at...guess when....three weeks!!! Yes, it's referred to around here as the "three week stall." I found a great explanation for it today from one of our seasoned sleevers. Check it out: (This was a post on another thread by "Tiffykins.") This is why you are in a stall. It's normal and expected. Your body will never go into a stall as long as you have body fat to burn: 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 onCarbohydrates. 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.

Ok, now this is ultra crazy. For the past three or so days I have been a bit depressed. I was stalled with no losses. I was doing what I should with the exception of I hadn't exercised so figured that was the cause of it. Then this morning I had a two lb loss. Then all of a sudden my stupid brain kicked in........ I have lost 22 lbs in less than a month. Actually in less than THREE WEEKS! DUH! What a freaking dough head!!! 22 LBS IN THREE WEEKS. I don't know where I was coming from because that is phenominal! Sheesh. Blond moment I spose. I just have to simmer down, do what is expected of me and go with it. Everything is just fine. I feel great, have gone from a size 18 in pants to a 14 and almost 12, my blouses have dropped a size and I feel great. So what the heck was I stressing over. LOLOL Has anyone else had these kinds of moments?

@jess9395. Haha. I don't remember what happened at the three-week mark. This is week nine for me. I've noticed no change for the last five days, but I hesitate to call even five days a stall. The way I see it, a true stall requires that after a bowel movement, you still weigh the same.

The three week stall is sorta infamous seems like that’s where you are.

You just had major surgery and are swollen and healing. I highly recommend staying off the scale for a while. None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. We all experience fluctuations, slow downs, and stalls. Just about everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. Just focus on getting in n all of your Protein and fluids, and follow your program, Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

So I need to ask those who have been in my position what you have done. I'm assuming there aren't too many of you who can relate(hopefully). Here is the background story: I had the crapband in Sept of 2010. I was 238 at the time. I was ok for a few months until the sliming and puking took over my life for the next nearly 2 years. I lost about 32 pound in 5 months and then it came to a grinding halt. Nothing I did lost me a pound. Then the weight just came back on until I was back around 222-225. I couldn't stand the f'ing sliming and throwing up game so I did what I thought was the be all and end all for me and had the sleeve done in July 2012. My sister had hers done in march of 2012 and is now a tiny little thing again. She rocked it like nobody's business. I lost weight the first 3 weeks after the sleeve and then it just tapered off pretty fast. 7 weeks later I had a horrible episode of starvation and I was so hungry one day that I ate a lot of food for someone with such a small stomach. I actually cried because I was so hungry and upset that I could eat 'so much' food. I was having reflux issues too so I had a barium study. Little did I know that in just 8 weeks, the top portion of my stomach, the fundus, had already started to stretch. I found out from my GI doctor that it was nothing I did or ate and it was just due to my anatomy. He said stomachs are creatures with their own minds and mine did it's own thing. The lower portion was unaffected. I eventually lost about 25 pounds in about 4-5 months and then once again, the weight just came back on. Two Endocrinolgists have told me that years of dieting and the two surgeries have permanently damaged my metablolism. My body can't switch to fat buring like a normal body. It goes straight into panic starvation mode. I have had extensive thyroid and blood sugar work ups and have resolved any issues there. In fact, my labs are pretty damn good. So in April I go back to my surgeon and tell him that I'm seriously fed up with the lack of missing pounds and that we need to figure this out now. He said that he can redo the sleeve to fix the top and make it really tight. I was game for almost anything so I scheduled my 3rd surgery in 4 years. Good thing my insurance covers everything! I had the sleeve redone July 15th, 1 year and 1 week since the first sleeve. I went in with zero exepectations so I wouldn't get my hoped crushed again. Well, good thing because I'm back at square one again. I lost about 13-14 pounds in the first 3 weeks and now 8 weeks out I haven't lost anymore. In fact, most of it was in the first two weeks. The third week was 2 pounds and for the past 5 weeks I haven't lost a freaking ounce. Now I have total proof that it's not what or how much I am eating. Three surgeries, all the BS about Protein, no carbs, ect just doesn't apply to someone like me. I can eat protein all day long and I still don't lose weight. I have been hiking, kayaking, etc and nothing happens. I wake up hungry, go to bed hungry. Nothing. What do you do in my situation? I'm not expecting crazy results like some people do. I am very realistic about what your body can and can't do. I know that 3500 calories is equal to one pound gained or lost. I know that my intake is significantly less that it was a few months ago and I know my body have this amazing ability to fully function on so much less food without buring fat and I wish I knew how or why! One of my doctors said that I truly could never, ever be Anorexic even if I tried, because my body is like some Neanderthal survivor! Have any of you had such a reaction like mine where your metablolism has legitimately been trashed to the point where you can't burn fat? What have to done to overcome this? I know there has to be a solution to boost my body into fat burning mode and move it out of starvation mode. I would really apprecaiate any input that you have in regards to my situation. I don't consider this a stall like everyone seems to have. This is yet another full stop just like the last two times. Even my surgeon said to me that he was just going to have to suck the fat out. I agree. That is in the very near future. Thanks!

Wow. I'm struggling today, even a bit frustrated re: food. Today makes 7 weeks since my VSG and I'm in my 2nd stall: 1st stall ~ 2 weeks ago (at 23 pounds down); now, stuck at 30 pounds down. My 'head' is missing food today. I want a sho'nuff BIG meal. I not only like food, I like a LOT of food. (I do...or did). If I didn't have the stall, maybe I'd be okay today, but the stall/plateau makes me want to say '[forget] it' and just eat...but I can't anyway! Two-three bites and I'm full. My head is missing a day of cooking and eating a full meal and even baking a pie. Hmmm. It's gonna be a long day, it seems. Just needed to vent. Thanks.

You have gotten some great advice. Sip, sip, sip, and sip some more. Staying hydrated and getting in all of your Protein should be your primary focus right now. Also, be sure to walk and move around. Follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your protein and fluids every day. Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Exercise when cleared. Walking is a great way to start. Also, as @@Babbs mentioned, none of us lose at a constant or predictable rate, but most of us experience our first stall about three weeks post-op. Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. Follow your program and weigh infrequently if the numbers on the scale mess with your head. And, Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Its called the week three stall -- or the three week stall. I've seen it both ways! Its normal/common. It generally happens between weeks 2 and 4. I'm on day #10 myself.

You won't lose weight every single day. And weight loss stalls happen. The three week stall is very common. I've had several stalls over my journey and the longest one lasted 23 days (that was in month 3), in fact I just got over a two week stall yesterday as I finally lost another pound. Also, since you're exercising you may put on muscle which weighs more than fat so it may not look like you're losing weight when you weigh yourself, but if you take measurements you'll be able to tell the difference with that. Try not to stress yourself out during stalls because the stress can prolong them (almost impossible to do, I know).

I don't drop pounds OR inches unless I eat at LEAST 1000 calories a day! I tried to do the 600-800 everyone talks about on here and I had a stall for three and a half weeks. Went to 1000-1200 a day and I have been dropping steadily. I think your T-day meal had a little more sodium than usual and it takes a few days to get rid of water weight. I also have a sneaking suspicion MSG doesn't do us any favors either and a Thanksgiving meal has plenty of that stuff!

My cycles have been all over the place since surgery 5 months ago. They'd gone wonky over the last two years so I knew I was in perimenopause, but they seem to be even wonkier. At one point I spotted for two weeks. I also seem to get very short and light periods every three weeks rather than four. Then suddenly I once had a brief burst of heavy flow. I figure that this is perimenopause mixed with post-surgical/ weight loss hormone fluctuations. I haven't done a good job of tracking correlations of stalls and cycles, though. I hope you get yours and drop some weight soon. It sounds like you're doing great!!!

yes. Do a search on this site for the three week stall. There are over 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding...). Happens to almost all of us... Just stick to your program, stay off the scale if you have to, and trust the process. Your weight loss WILL start up again...

You were lied to. The three weeks stall is infamous. What can you do? Be patient. That's it.

You may be working out too much & possibly eating too few calories. How many calories are you taking in? My stalls last about a month. ( I've had three). I discussed this w/my exercise physiologist and he told me to take one week Off with no workouts. I Lost 2lbs that week! He told me to work out 4-5days a week.

I am officially 3 weeks post op, and have not lost any weight for the past week, whereas I was losing a couple of pounds consistently each day for the first week. The first two or three days of this stall I experienced in complete denial. It's water weight, I would think to myself. Day six and seven of my stall brought me to google searches for answers. I've read countless reasons as to why I am possibly stalling, the following being more believable (at least to me) than others: It is a normal bodily response to drastic water loss and decreased caloric intake Your body is storing every bit of calorie you take in to burn for the healing process for your surgery, instead of burning actual fat itself My searches also brought me various methods, or "tricks" people used to break them from the vicious three week stall: Take in 200 more calories a day Increase physical activity Get one more hour of sleep each night Make sure you are drinking 2 liters of water every day, and 70-120 g of protein I have yet to be cleared safe by my surgeon to hit the gym just yet because at this point, I am taking in so little calories each day (300 to 500) that I would be so dangerously exhausted. As for increasing my caloric intake, I will have to do it in the form of protein shakes. I am still on a full liquid diet (thick liquids), so solids are out of the question for me. I also finally brought myself to sign up for a gym membership for the first time in three years. I work three days a week which leaves me 4 days of nothing but free time. Hopefully this will allow me to get back into a steady routine for the next year. At least I'd better get in there regularly! For one year of membership, it cost me $459 total but with no monthly payments. I'd be lying if I said I'm not excited about going to the gym. I vaguely remember the feeling of my body after a seriously intense workout. How I somehow just felt "light", and my limbs ached and felt like jell-o because I pushed myself harder than the last time. I also felt stronger. Anyways, I hope this week three stall breaks soon.

I too was sleeved 10/21 and I too have only lost 14lbs. I was stalled for several days. I am pretty sure I know some of the reasons. First, I have had trouble getting enough calories in. I believe between 600-800 is good, but I have been lucky to be hitting 500. I am trying to boost it a little, but I truly am not hungry or get full fast. But this weekend I did increase by a little and dropped a pound. Second, I think I just stalled early, didn't wait for the "three week stall". That's ok, hopefully I will get past it early too! Pre op I started changing my diet in August, at my own discretion. So I dropped almost 33lbs before surgery, so my body has already been in a "losing" mode for a while now. And finally is my activity level. I haven't been cleared to exercise yet, but I know I could be doing more. (walking) But working 8-5 and raising a 5 year old makes it hard. Plus I am in Ohio and it is dark by 5:30, when I get home. Not much for walking in the dark and cold. Could walk at a mall or the Y, but my daughter has to come with me and that is just a whole other set of issues... Ok, the last thing is truly an excuse. I need to get more exercise, period. Anyway, I am exactly at the same point as you and I am not worried or giving up. Just keep on keepin' on ( with the plan) and things will start happening again.

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. We all experience stalls, and just about everyone stalls about three weeks post-op. If you intend to lose a lot of weight, you will experience periodic stalls. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids. Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Exercise. And, Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

A real stall is three weeks or more at the same weight. I'd say that you're actually not a slow loser, even though you might feel that way if you compare your loss to some of the very swift losses that have been posted lately. Butterthebean has posted some really excellent articles and advice about stalls - you should search them out. They'll comfort you. It's a normal part of the journey and one that's hard to deal with because when we restrict ourselves we really expect instant gratification on the scale, showing us that our diligence is paying off. It's unfortunate that it just doesn't work that way! Hang in there. Don't fiddle overmuch with your diet or routine unless you're feeling like you want to be more active. It can't hurt your body but it might affect the scale. Just know that going in. The best way to break most stalls that carry on for more than a month is to up your calories and carbs, believe it or not. A lot of people restrict far more than they really need to. The idea is to track your food so you know the upper limit of your intake - that point where what you're consuming stops your loss - it's often more calories and carbs than you thought you'd be able to consume. Good luck. Hang in there, it's perfectly normal and you're lucky it took five months for your first one! ~Cheri

Hi. I'm new to this site but had my VSG 8/14/14. With the liquids, you are doing the right thing with trying different temperatures. You may want to take smaller sips. At one point my sips were just getting the tip of my tongue wet. What really helped me was walking while I drank my Water. I don't mean a stroll. I was moving my legs! The moving helped the water pass without feeling like someone kicked me in my chest. May I suggest that you put the scale away. You are three days out from surgery. Standing on the scale every day will do nothing but drive you batty. I still don't have a scale in my house because I am compulsive. I would weigh several times a day if it was right there in my home. In the beginning I just waited until my surgeon visits to find my weight. I was never disappointed. I didn't have that dreaded 3 week stall everyone gripes about. I weighed in the doctor's office during the week 1 visit and weighed again during the week 3 visit. Guess what....the weight was down. No stall. After a few weeks, I picked Monday as my official weigh in and just plot my weight once a week on a graph. Some people plot their weight once a month. This way I don't get caught up in the day to day fluctuations your body will make. Before surgery I wrote a list of NSVs I wanted to achieve. This way I could Celebrate something in the event the scale doesn't move from one week to another. Who cares that I didn't lose 1 pound this week because I was able to button a pair of pants that I haven't worn in yearssssss!!!! Just find other ways to celebrate.

I'm about exactly 6 months post op and I am starting to have my second serious stall, my first one being right after surgery (I did not immediately lose weight for an entire three weeks after surgery). Nothing much has changed in my diet, I'm not grazing or over eating but I haven't lost an ounce in three weeks. I honestly don't feel like I ever had the so called honeymoon phase, I've always had to be very careful and I have never lost tons of weight each week without even trying and all that jazz. I've been fighting the whole way, but I wonder if this is the start of some kind of change for me where its going to be much harder from here on out, or if I am just experiencing a stall. Input from the vets would be appreciated.

I'm 7 weeks out - the scale got "stuck" at exactly 3 weeks post-op (had lost 15 pounds to that point) - My stall lasted three weeks. It was tremendously frustrating, but I'd read so many posts here by people who'd experienced the same thing, so I didn't panic. During that time, though, my clothes kept getting looser & looser, just as though I WAS dropping weight..... and I've lost 8 pounds this past week.

you're in the infamous "three week stall". Almost everyone experiences that. In fact, you'll find literally thousands of posts on this site about the three-week stall. Just stick to your program and stay off the scale if you need to. It'll last 1-3 weeks, and as long as you stick to your program, your weight loss WILL start up again. It always does..

I am copying my respone in another thread which is almost the exact as yours and the reply is applicable to you too: It would be useful if you filled in your profile: weight and height, helps with context to some questions/posts. I wouldn't say it was slow either, 6kilos in three weeks is good, you are doing great. Your body has been through a surgery, there is swelling and inflammation, its healing. If you read through a lot of the posts here or use the search link for stalls you would see that stalls are a common factor in weight loss surgery even in the first few weeks. The infamous three week stall that can happen at two or four weeks too, for some people the first stall may last a short time for others it can be a few weeks. There will be other stalls along the way. If you lost a lost of weight pre surgery in the pre op diet, this typically lessens the weight loss in the immediate post op phase as you've already lost all the bloat and Fluid retention. https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/436058-hardly-any-weight-loss-after-week-2-post-op-is-this-normal/

Sounds like you are in the three week stall that lot of people experience for up to two to three weeks. As we go through the food stages and probably increase our calorie intake a little, our bodies take time to adjust. If you are concerned speak to your dietician, make sure you are keeping a food journal and are eating the food volumes and type of foods in your guidelines. Also make sure you are getting sufficient non calorie fluids. Keep calm, it will come.