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I practiced the behaviors I knew would be important after surgery. I got a myfitnesspal account and a digital kitchen scale and got in the habit of weighing or measuring my portions on myfitnesspal and logging everything. I stopped drinking with meals and for 30 minutes after. I gave up caloric and carbonated drinks. I started walking 20 minutes per day. And I read all the threads here and on other wls boards -- not just things that were of immediate concern to me, like what to take to the hospital or insurance approval, but I read all the post-op threads so I knew what to expect: things like the three week stall, gas pain from surgery that is only relieved by walking, stuff like that.

It's a common thread I see running around this forum.. people asking why they didn't do this years ago. I'm even young and I'm finding myself asking the same thing. Though I'm only 25.. I wish I would have done it at 18 or 20.. admittedly, maybe I wasn't ready then.. maybe I still needed time.. especially because part of my story is finding out at 24 that I had bipolar II without the usual "standard" symptoms of women docs normally see in their 20's so I was very hard to diagnose and went through a period of about three years where I alienated everyone but my very closest friends because I was so hard to be around -- with a low of winding up needing to be admitted to a psych ward to get it all figured out. I definitely learned who my friends were (and who, surprisingly, weren't...) I am also social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and depression.. so I spent the last year and a half in counseling trying to get my mental self to match the well-put together self I present to the world thanks to years of being on stage growing up. I learned to show myself as put together - graduating magna cum laude and being responsible even if I was falling apart inside. So I needed to deal with all of that first before I felt ready to confront my weight. But finally I was ready. It started about 1 year ago. I had been feeling bad about my weight for a while. I was overweight during my childhood. My grandmothers both grew up during the Great Depression.. so for them.. giving me food was the same as giving me love.. especially high calorie foods. For them eating wasn't about hunger.. it was about enjoyment and thankfulness to have food to eat. (One was thin, one was overweight). But from them I learned to love all the wrong types of food and to love them in gigantic portions.. My stomach was already way stretched by the time I was 7 or 8. I remember weighing 85 pounds in 2nd grade because we did a math thing where we all weighed in front of the class. There was only one student, a boy, who weighed more.. during school I dealt with a lot, I mean a LOT of bullying because I was mature and just different - I'd rather read a book or write a story than go out for recess and I was reading Romeo and Juliet while they were reading Junie B Jones (For the Record I like her too even though she's a huge spoiled brat). Basically I had a generation gap with my peers since my parents were born in the late forties and early fifties and their parents were much younger.. so I was already -extremely- bullied. I didn't make my first non-internet friends until college.. and those were some of the people I found out weren't true blue friends when I went through my emotional break down a couple of years ago... So yeah.. and it didn't help that I was overweight.. that was just something else to give them to make fun of me about. As it turned out.. even though I wasn't doing even as good as I am now in therapy one year ago.. I was doing better than I had been in years and that gave me time and energy to turn my thoughts to the weight I'd been unhappy to be carrying around for years. Before college it bothered me.. but I didn't think about it a lot.. it was in early college when I hit 200 and started having trouble finding clothes that would fit me in your typical stores both like Macy's but also stores that people my age like - Aeropostale, Am. Eagle etc.. that I started to have a personal crisis about my weight and be super unhappy with it. Shopping became my least favorite thing because it was an exercise in taking whatever would fit rather than whatever I liked. And by a year ago I had started to notice I couldn't do or keep up with the same types of activities most people my age do. I love showing my dog Riff in conformation and was learning that I couldn't keep up with her jogging on our down and back (jogging beside the dog so the judge can see his or her movement properly) and that getting on my knees to present her not only hurt but was nearly impossible. I started to be even more unhappy because I couldn't do the hobbies I loved that people my age are doing. And in the meantime for the past 5-10 years I'd been trying every diet known to man.. I didn't feel like any of them were sustainable for a life time because I was unhappy with them. And rather than yo-yoing I just didn't lose. Didn't matter how well I stuck to a diet, I'd find myself losing maybe 5 pounds in 7 or 8 months of hard work.. and finally I gave up.. I was near the point of accepting I was just going to be overweight forever and that was how it was going to be. I knew my issues - I don't eat for emotional reasons, I don't eat when I'm not hungry.. but my stomach was super stretched from years of eating too much and I like big portions and the wrong kinds of things. I could go and polish off a huge plate of food enough for three meals and feel "Just about right" and I didn't have the self control to starve while I waited on my stomach to shrink naturally.. I just couldn't do it. I had heard things about gastric bypass that made me say no way never.. things like "You'll never be able to have any sugar again." or "You'll never be able to have fried foods again." While I'm happy to make lifestyle changes, things like "Never again" aren't something I'm capable of. So I ruled out surgery for a long while. Finally, a year ago I looked into it again and read about gastric sleeve for the first time.. and it was a fit.. not as serious as gastric bypass.. less prone to things like dumping syndrome.. and all about moderation rather than "never agains" more healthy choices.. less bad ones.. but I didn't have to promise I was never eating Pasta or never having a fried chicken leg again - which was something I knew I couldn't agree to. There was less risk of serious complications and it was a plan I thought I could actually live with and be happy and it went right to the root of my issue - shrink my stomach so I can get used to a normal portion size again without having to starve. Something I haven't had since I was 6-7 years old. Within two days of researching I was ready to commit. But of course getting my medicaid to pay for the surgery wasn't as easy as deciding I wanted it - even though I looked over the qualifications and knew I met them - I still had a lot of hoops to jump through. In October I started my 6 month phys supervised diet which only convinced my doctor and I that I needed the surgery even more. I ate 1500 calories a day and walked my dog most days for 30+ minutes (which was a significant step down from what I had been eating and step up from my sedentary lifestyle) and lost only 11 pounds in all that time. And part of it came back! Getting cleared psychologically was a battle too. They wanted a psychiatrist who didn't know me to evaluate me even though my own had already sent a letter of approval.. and the psychiatrist who I did see didn't really want to clear someone who was bipolar.. it was a battle, but finally I got cleared. That by itself took over two months and delayed my surgery which should have been in March 2016. I also had to have blood work, a number of physician check ups by my program's docs and so on. But finally all the hard work paid off.. on the first submission to insurance, I was approved within a week! How excited was I! And my surgery was set for May 31st 2016. However, the roller coaster wasn't over.. I had little contact with my bariatric program from the get go... they share a department, nurses, etc with general surgery.. so calling to talk to someone there is always a nightmare.. it's a 30 minute wait to get a human on the phone, calling to talk to a nurse means a 5 hour or more wait for a call back.. and it also means a very unpersonalized approach.. they're so busy and have so many people through their program that they want everyone to be a cookie cutter mold and don't want to offer people any individualized advice because "others in the program might want the same advice." Well number one - others in the program shouldn't know what -I- discuss with my doctors so how could they want it and number two healthcare isn't supposed to be about squeezing people into a mold and making the exact same treatment work for everyone... so I began to be unhappy with my program from early on.. especially when their psychiatrist and my psychiatrist got into a fight over the phone about whether I was going to get cleared. Their psychiatrist had met me only once and knew nothing about my case history while my own psychiatrist has been working with me for about a year and half.. who do you think was more qualified to say if I was stable or not? But aparently their program couldn't understand that.. However.. I was stuck.. Medicaid wanted me in state and this program was the closest to me and already an hour and a half away.. the only other options were double or triple that commute time (Chicago). So I just kinda had to stick with it.. I've gone on to be further disappointed by them at numerous occasions - namely when my surgeon said that Water aerobics is a joke of an exercise program and only for people who can't do anything else and that I couldn't hit my weight loss goal of 130 pounds doing water exercise of any kind (there's a thread floating around about that). Clearly he's never taken a hard core water exercise class or he would know that is so not true. I took my first one Friday and I was sweating in the water! Finally I did get to have my surgery though! Before surgery I had an 800 calorie diet for two weeks focusing on Protein and lean meats and veggies and reasonable on carbs. It wasn't too hard of a diet to follow beyond getting hungry because my stomach was huge. Surgery day came but I was excited rather than nervous. especially because all of us May 31st sleevers from the forum (there was about 10 of us) made a facebook group so we could keep in touch and that really helps to have other people who are exactly where I'm at in the recovery stage. I didn't have much trouble recovering from surgery. I never had any gas pain and even though I was in pain in general the first three days they gave me lots of morphine and kept me very comfortable. While my program as a whole is somewhat disappointing - I do have to say that the nurses who took care of me in the hospital couldn't have been better. They helped me walk. They helped me get up to go to the bathroom and helped me adjust positions in bed since I needed help doing all that for the first 2-3 days. I brought my laptop to the hospital with me and spent time here on the forums and doing other stuff I like -- even played some Sims. My recovery was uncomplicated and three days later I was able to go home. My internal swelling went down fast and by a week out I was so sick of liquids that I couldn't help but try a little puree and it worked just fine to help supplement and keep me from going nuts. One thing that's been very helpful to me is Fairlife Milk. it's heightened protein milk with 13 grams of protein for a cup. I drink it straight and also add it to my Soups. It helps a lot in getting in my 64 oz of liquid and my 60 grams of protein. I've been using an app called Plant Nanny which lets you grow plants based on how much Fluid you consume then you can plant them in your garden and harvest their seeds to get more diverse plants.. it makes drinking at least slightly more fun. I also wear a fitbit flex and it's synced with My Fitness Pal. I log my calories on MFP and my exercise syncs there from my fitbit automatically and tells me if I've earned extra calories from exercise (though I rarely use those). I was never given a calorie goal to shoot for but I set a goal of 800 for myself based on the pre-opp diet and what I can eat and get in 60 grams of protein without feeling too stuffed/ too deprived. I'm on my own for a lot of it because I've only met with the NUT once for 30 minutes pre-opp about 2 months and I won't see her again until in July so... I just read and do the best I can. So yeah I'm 3 full weeks out from surgery on Tuesday and also down 20 pounds since May 18th (the start of my pre-opp liver diet). I faced the three week stall at about week 2 instead of three and I was down to a new low for the first time in a week today so I'm hoping that it's broken and I'll have a bit of smooth sailing for a while from here. So.. that's my story so far. I don't know if people post in these to update but.. every once in a while I'll post back and let you guys know how I'm doing.

I'm sorry no one told you to expect a stall for a couple of weeks starting about three weeks post op, but that's what happens to the vast, vast majority of people after weight loss surgery. You aren't doing anything wrong. Keep following your program, stay off the scale for a couple more weeks, and you'll find yourself dropping weight again. Seriously, use the search function here and look for "three week stall" "third week stall" or something like that. You can even Google "three week stall weight loss surgery" or "week three stall post-vsg" and you'll see tons of people posting about it all over the internet, not just here. Don't have a breakdown! Again, I am really sorry no one thought to tell you about this but it is perfectly normal and you will do great. Keep going.

I had my surgery in Feb and experienced about a three week stall where my weight loss was very slow and then it picked up again. Right now I've been at the same number on the scale for almost 2 weeks and it's very frustrating. Has anyone else experienced another stall 3-4 months after surgery? I'm still working out 5-6 days a week and getting all my Protein and everything it's just frustrating. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for the advice guys. I refuse to let a stall break me and ruin my progress... just scares me to know it'll come. But you all have excellent advice. I guess I have a while before that three week stall being that I'm 5 days out from surgery. And it helps to know it may be quite a while before I have a really horrible one that takes a long time to break.

My first one was at three weeks. Stalls are like lovers. Your first will probably not be your last.

You're in the very well known and discussed three week stall. It happens all the time, and there are literally hundreds of threads just on this forum alone about how a person is panicking since their weight loss has stopped. Stalls will happen ALL THE TIME over the next year for everyone that is losing weight. No way to tell how long they will last, or how often they will happen, but as long as you are sticking to your doctor's guidelines for food, Protein, and Water intake and doing some gentle activity (ramping up to real exercise as soon as you are cleared to do so), the stalls eventually break and you'll be just fine. Stalls are the body's way of taking a breather and ramping up for the next round of weight loss. No one loses weight steady; it's always going to be lose some... stall for a week. Lose some more; stall for three weeks... rinse and repeat. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/351046-embrace-the-stall/ And no, you can't stretch your pouch or sleeve out from eating and drinking foods you're supposed to be eating/drinking. Even if you overate, you'd likely just throw up. The stretchy part of your stomach is gone if you had the sleeve surgery. Your stomach will eventually relax once the swelling has gone down and by a year out, it might hold slightly more volume than at 3 months, but it won't grow back or otherwise stretch.

So im dealing with the dreaded three week stall. It is VERY annoying and although i know it will pass it is still a little frustrating. How long did your three week stall last????

I was sleeved May 2nd - this has been the hardest process but best decision of my life! Through the most strict "diet" I've ever followed I only lost 30 lbs...since the start of my 2 weeks pre-op, I've lost 27 lbs. I've hit my "three week stall" but the inches are melting off! My mother in law was actually my inspiration for the surgery - she had it about 3 years ago and has lost 200+ lbs. so my husband had no worry and nothing but support for me when I told him this was what I was doing. Also, he gets home before me so does the majority of the cooking...it has been a really tough journey and the stall is disheartening but so far, no regret Best of luck to you all!!

I know that everyone is different, however, I'm wondering if people experienced a large drop (more than 5 lbs) or a small drop immediately after their stall? I'm going through a three week stall right now, and want to temper my expectations for what will happen once the stall ends.... I'll be happy with any loss once this stall ends, but was just curious as to what other people have experienced. Thanks!

I was sleeved on 5/2 and my doctor put me into soft foods...I prefer Protein shakes too so I have one in the morning for Breakfast. For about a week and a half I've been in the dreaded three-week stall...it is awful! After seeing 27 lbs melt away and now the scale staying still...it's driving me crazy...I made my husband hide the scale!

I was prepared for the three week stall. I have read numerous threads about it and know it happens to everyone. I weigh myself once every few days, sometimes up to five days. I last weighed myself on Saturday. I was 270. This morning, I am 271.4. I am still on a liquid diet, getting about 75 to 80 grams of Protein. I drink about 50 ounces of Fluid, working to get to 64 ounces. My goal is to have a lymphatic massage to release toxins and detox. Is weight gain also normal during the stall? Sent from my SM-G360T using the BariatricPal App

I'm 3 weeks out and haven't lost any weight since after the first week. I knew of the three week stall, but wasn't expecting it after one week. Trying to stay upbeat and positive. Doc wasn't concerned at two week checkup. I have this fear of losing no more because my metabolism sucked prior to surgery. Common fear, I'm sure. We will all get through these stalls. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

There isn't much that is almost completely universally experienced after sleeve surgery but stalling at three weeks out is one of those things. Don't believe me? Use the search function on this site -- or just do a general Google -- for "three week stall" or "vsg third week stall" or anything like that. Stay away from the scale for a few weeks and keep following your program. You may want to take measurements instead of weighing yourself for a bit. Good luck!

My three week stall lasted forever (almost 3 weeks lol). Stay focused on the program and it'll break. During my stall the scale did not move but my body was chafing. I lost inches but no weight. Stay hydrated and meet all your goals. Increasing my protein intake is what broke mine. Best of luck!

Just stick to your plan - it *will* pass. And try to stay off the scale! My three-week stall lasted for two weeks, but it did end!!

@@MargieW Expect a stall at around 3 week out. Don't panic! It happens to 99% of us and is completely normal. Google the Dreaded Three Week Stall to see why it happens.

This is so normal, there should be and entire website on the "three week stall." Mine hit at 8 days. So frustrating, but completely normal.

Search this site for "three week stall" and you will find that this is very, very comon. Nothing to worry about. Just keep following directions. Remember what your body has been through in the last three weeks! Give it time to catch it's breath. 33 lbs in three weeks is really significant, you're doing fine.

Congratulations on great results! Search the forum for "three week stall". It's a common occurrence and completely normal. You've lost 40 pounds in a short period of time, and your body needs a period of adjustment. It generally occurs sometime in the 2-4 week period after surgery and can last a few days or even several weeks. You will have other periods of stall along the way, just embrace them as a necessary part of the journey.

Hello, I haven't been on the site for awhile and wanted to post my progress. As my last post said I still had my drain, well it was removed two days after that post. I feel great and I'm down 45 lbs so far. I'm on soft foods and I haven't had any trouble with any food so far. I hear a lot of people talking about the three week stall and I'm happy to say I didn't have one. I'm 5 weeks out and 2 weeks of a liquid diet pre-op and loosing every week. I'm off of 7 meds and no more shots for sugar......... This is the best thing I ever did for me!!!! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Google "three week stall." You're right on schedule.

so, I have heard of it, the three week stall, but I don't like it very much. I think part of my problem is that I am not taking in enough fluids or just throwing them up. I just took some mirilax because I havent had a bowel movement in a week. Yes, I said a week. I have RA and am on pain medication and that doesn't help at all. so when does this stage pass. I am so discouraged!

I was sleeved on 3/22 and reached 21 lbs down three days ago. But now, I have gained three lbs back! I am so discouraged and upset, I just don't know why I haved gained 3 lbs. Maybe I am not getting enouch Protein. Or maybe its because I haven't had a bowel movement in a week. Anyone know what I should do? I am so discouraged. Please someone, tell me what to do. I have heard of the three week stall because at first before I was three weeks out I thought that is what had happened. But now, I get on the scales after two days and I have gained! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I think probably we are losing inches but not on the scales that's super common I think I just expected the three week stall everyone talks about but didn't expect one this early.i can't remember when I go onto soft foods il have to look it up purée is quite yuck I can't eat the same thing twice except for when it's scrambled egg. And I love cheese I'm happy to leave everything else I can eat more than I expected an entire yogurt a whole egg etc. do you find the Water hard Kiwijet I do it makes me gag I add limes lemon low cal cordial very rarely but it's a lot I'm finding it real hard with being back at work. Sent from my iPhone