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I've been on a three week stall. It's weird because it started right when I started seriously working out and not just walking. I am going to track my food this week and keep working out. I am sure it will eventually break.

You're two weeks out from surgery? Stop worrying. Many of us put ON weight during our first week or surgery from the IV fluids as well as from general inflammation. Honestly, this is very, very normal. You will soon hit your three-week stall as well, so measure yourself, keep doing what you should do, and try to be as patient as possible. Easier said than done I know! I'm going through a slow period right now too and it's frustrating, but it's normal. If in a couple of months you haven't lost anything, you can get upset then maybe, not in a couple of weeks

The three week stall is so common. I am sure there are threads on this forum and others devoted to nothing else. I did not have it (and I was expecting to), but based on what I have seen, I might be in the minority. Folks say to simply stay on track with your program and it will break. You are so early post-op it is not anything anything you did or didn't do. It is your body adjusting.

I was beginning to think I was the only one here! Doing great on this end. I have really had no issues or complications. I went through the "three week stall" and came out unscathed. Steadily dropping, with no hunger and no food issues. I'm glad you are excited, you're like 9 days away! Anxious.....yup, been there too. I just wanted the surgery over so I could start this journey. This has been life changing for me, even at just shy of 2 months post-op. This site has been a Godsend, my life line to the sleeved world. I am so excied for you!

I haven't even been sleeved yet, but I am so prepared for the dreaded three week stall. I never want to see another post about that again. Thanks for the blog. It was super refreshing and very funny.

Get your fluids in. Then Protein. Search in here for three week stall. Happens to a lot of people. Also keep in mind your body just underwent a major shock. It may need time to adjust. Don't just track success on the scale. Measure and track inches. Do monthly photos to compare. And also track your non scale victories.

I'm 3 weeks and two days out and have lost 16 pounds thus far. I weighed 248 on the date of surgery. I too was concerned about my rate of loss in comparison to others, but I'm grateful that the scale is moving in the RIGHT direction, albeit slower than I'd like. You hear about the dreaded three week stall all over the place, and I figure that it'll all work itself out as long as I keep doing the right things. You got this!

I'm so glad I came across this thread. I'm nearing three weeks post op and have read so much about the dreaded "three week stall". Going to breathe and do the math. Thanks OP.

I'm on day 2 of the three-week stall, so I guess I'm in the club nobody wants to join now too. Tomorrow will be three weeks since my surgery and I went from 212 on Monday to 213 yesterday and today. UGH. Getting 60+ ounces of Fluid and 60+ grams of Protein daily, plus some walking. Have not gotten above 700 calories daily, including everything. I'm looking forward to being on the other side of this. It's comforting to read everyone's stories, so do keep them coming!

There is a point where many may: have more capacity to eat more food/stomach relaxes get their hunger back weight loss slows or stops start gaining weight reach goal and navigate maintenance are past the "honeymoon" usually past a year or more may be earlier find themselves in a new "stage" different from the beginning stages after WLS finding the old methods used to take off weight may or may not work are finding a way to stay the same weight after gaining or losing too much the issues are no usually longer about what Protein drink to buy, the three week stall, the funny taste of food, gas pain, eating in public, hair loss, insurance approval..... come to the conclusion that the process NEVER ends, it is a lifetime of learning and doing and sharing and counting and moving... and that is the new normal. Realizing what is meant by "the sleeve is a tool" and it is only part of the process, you can gain all your weight back if you don't start forming a new life and just resting from the work and eating "normally" after getting to goal will result in weight gain for many. These are some of the issues I see arising for "vets" and distinguishes them from "newbies"... which we all were once... You can't know how the sleeve and the rest of the body and mind will be until you experience it for yourself over time. 1-2-3-5 years later, things change. We don't know about 10 years because there just aren't many out there with current style sleeves to talk to. But some at 6 months are getting some of this experience, I think after a year or two you really see the Vet issues even clearer. Some don't come back here, so hopefully they are doing great, are living life and not gaining or losing too much.... the ones of us that are still here are experiencing the stuff listed above... some are having NO problems at all. I love my sleeve and my life, and at this time (2 1/2 years out) I am still not at goal, but very close and believe I will make it to goal pretty soon, and have some plans on how to maintain I think I can follow. Taking the long view has been very helpful for me....If I took the view that if I didn't lose all my weight by 6 months without pulling all my hair out or I was a failure if I didn't lose 30 pounds in the first month, then this experience would have been hell. I have some good support friends here that have been here for years... we chug along together, and check in often, share research, worries and challenges, and we will share the pleasure of accomplishment as well. I plan on staying in contact during maintenance when I get there. Maintenance may well be the most difficult part of this journey. Keeping the weight off is the trick. Someone here said it best... reaching goal at 3 years feels just as good at reaching goal at 6 months. Who cares as long as you get there!

I'm with you guys. I've been at a stall for about 3 weeks. Just when I think I broke my stall my weight goes back up a little bit so I've been playing with a few pounds going up and down. I've been good with my food choices. One time i had 2 bites of birthday cake, but that was a week ago. I'm sure this must be the three weeks stall but my stall is lasting 3 weeks or more and I'm trying not to freak out and just do what I'm told and hopefully everything will work out in time. I'm sure if we all keep up with our protein, liquids and healthy choices, we will succeed.

I was 304 day of surgery, 7/10/13. Today I am 270. I experienced the three week stall too. I hadn't lost any weight for nearly a week. I just started losing again yesterday.

I can tell a difference for sure. Keep up the good work! I am on a three week stall. I just keep telling myself that it will pass but it's getting frustrating. I never eat above 750 calories. I am almost two months out and have only lost 26 pounds. Maybe I expect too much too soon but I feel like during this stall that my clothes are getting loser. You're pictures are encouraging because I can definitely tell a difference. Are these ictures taken during your stall period?

I heard that there was a three week stall, does anyone know what's that about? When does it usually end? I got to my third week and I've only lost half a pound after four days. I hate to call it a stall because I can tell my stomach looks smaller and my clothes keep getting looser.... it's just frustrating that the scale numbers won't budge especially because I had a short term goal of 169 by the 7th and I'm still 5 pounds away.

I was told to up my calories as close as I could get to 1000 and more Protein after I did that my three week stall broke ! Sent from my iPad using VST

When I hit my three week stall I thought to myself that this wasn't going to work but I've lost like 20lbs since then. It works I you work it.

There's something called the "three week stall" which started for me at two weeks. Hang in there--your body is adjusting. Look at it this way--even if you don't lose until 4 weeks, that's an average 5 pound per week loss. Keeping rocking it.

I have definitely been in a three week stall before. In June I tried to increase the intensity of my workouts and redesign my diet. It's been helping.

I had the three week stall as well, it lasted for about a month for me. I would take a look at maybe upping your protein intake if you can. I had the same issue on getting protein in when I was first sleeved. My doctor said not to worry about it it would come in time, he said to concentrate on my water intake. I would also look at how much sodium you are taking in, because a lot of sodium makes you retain water and most soups are generally high in sodium. I would look at using my fitness pal to log your food most every kind of food is in the database and it will keep track of how much protein, carbs and sodium you are taking in and you configure it to keep track of other things as well. I would not look at the scale every day, because it can drive you crazy. Hang in there the weigh will come off.

How much mayo? I stuck with no-fat or very low fat protein. Even in maintenance, I eat very low fat except for treats. I ate only a couple of bites of veggies with meals because I haf a hard time getting the protein in. But unless you are eating a lot of mayo and peas, it's probably just the dreaded three week stall. Lynda

If you search for 3 (three) week stall, you should find plenty of information and help to get through this phase.

Yep. Three week stall. Happens to the majority as far as I've seen. I lost 15lbs in the first two weeks and then didn't budge for two, almost three, weeks after that. Since then I've lost 2-3lbs a week quite steadily! Don't worry, it WILL start moving again. Just keep your Water and Protein intake up and definitely start some moderate exercise like walking.

I had minr may 7 th as well. I to had the 3 week stall even gained. But I'm two months out and judt got out of a three week stall. I've done pretty good though. 49 lbs down. Only 8 to onderland. I was dehidrated maybe that's why I stalled.

Hello three week stall. We all have it. I lost 18 pounds in two weeks and then nothing for almost three weeks after that. The scale will move again. I am 5 months out and I have lost 59 pounds. I have had several stalls. Don't worry. It will happen.

First, thank you to everyone that posted not only where they are but their personal struggles as well. It's a big deal to know that I am not alone here...I knew that, of course, but it's nice to really see it's true. So many things that were written really resonated with me and it was good to see the approaches you guys take. I suppose that right now I'm realizing that I am a horrible hypocrite. Yes, indeed, I am. I must be. I have posted multiple times over the past year about being happy with accomplishments we've made and not worrying about a number on the scale. And here I am, making myself insane in my own head because of a number on the scale. A number that, quite frankly, does very little to even impact how I look. I might not like my snug pants, but they're still a 5/6 and I'm still in a small. I have reassured my friends like coops over and over again that they're successes and here I am beating myself up like I'm a failure. Quite frankly, I'm being ridiculous. Not about wanting to keep on top of things and certainly not about wanting to perfect a way to slide back into loss when I need to. Certainly those are valuable things to learn because maintenance is the long haul and who knows what will happen as I get older and naturally tend to hang on to weight? (Even more than I already do, blech!) I am definitely dealing with some hormonal/emotional wackiness postpartum and where we live does not help. I need abundant sunshine to feel good - days on end of overcast gloominess really affect my mood. I also have a great deal of stress, partly just because of life and this feeling that we're hemorrhaging money lately but also because I try so hard to shape my future and stay on top of things and we have a lot going on. Additionally, crazy as it sounds but a book of poetry I recently read just crawled in my brain and reawakened so many old emotional feelings and really made me reflect on who I am and why. I've been worrying it in my brain for weeks now and I keep trying to find these things I can just "fix" so I'll be back to how I was feeling a few months ago. And let us not forget what sleep deprivation does to a body and mind! I keep wanting to Google things like, "When will this baby ever sleep?!" but I know that it will be at least another month or so before I'm able to get more rest. With all this, weight seems like it should be an easy target, but it's just not. Am I in a better emotional place than I was three years ago? Most assuredly. But it's kind of sad and puts a control freak like me on edge to realize that it's not all gone - that I still have some issues that need attention or work, or that might never go away. A big hallelujah for the fact that I am still fortunate enough to not be battling non-stop hunger or food obsession. But let's just say that when you're not paying attention, a real desire to eat does not have to be there to overindulge or mindlessly snack. I've gone totally off the rails the last few days, eating the sloppiest I have eaten at all since my surgery and after going back and logging all my calories to the best of my memory, I was disheartened to see that I'm eating 1,800 calories a day or more, mostly in junk slider foods. Foods that do not taste good to me, do not satisfy me and even make me sick. I've been having digestive issues all week and no wonder! You know, it's sad...really sad, because I am NOT EVEN HUNGRY. I am not eating for stress. I am eating JUST BECAUSE. Just because it's there and I can. I realized last week that I was a bit peckish for a sweet in the evening and we had nothing to suit what I was looking for (okay, junk, I admit it) in the entire house. So the next time I shopped I bought a bunch of junk! And you know what that stuff does even when you're not triggering cravings? It makes you feel like crap, I swear. Not just physically but mentally. I'm up one pound on the scale, too, and I'm lucky it's just one. Today, I am fasting. I feel good. Well, the sun is shining and I'm sure that helps. But that junk got packed up in a bag and sent to the office with my husband. Let his poor coworkers divide the stuff up, I don't want it in the house. I don't have to avoid those things forever, but right now is not the time to surround myself with it, either. I've gotten more than one email about doing the 5:2 thing and I might try it. I don't know. At first I was convinced that no way would I even consider another diet. But after reading about it, it's actually pretty close to how I ate in maintenance, when I easily maintained. I'd weigh daily and restrict when I needed, but mostly I ate what I wanted, within reason. I'm not sure if it would help me lose again, and honestly, I'm not sure if I just need to take a step back and stop thinking about my weight entirely. I'm sure some counseling would help because I feel like I've been on a roller coaster since a few months before I had the baby. It's unfortunate that it's just not a real option for me - having a counselor write in paperwork that I need regular counseling can red flag my husband's career, and never mind that it's not supposed to happen that way. It does, trust me. So what am I learning? Wherever I go, there I am. I do not get to escape myself and who I am, or my particular issues, just by changing my location or my body shape or my weight. I am still the same person, happier, yes, less weighed with baggage, yes, but still susceptible to depression or anxiety like I was before. It does no good to beat myself up over this, either, it just adds another stress I don't need. Maintenance is hard, and it is forever. I don't care how fast people get to goal. I don't care how they do it. The fact is that it is hard to stay there, forever, if you do not pay attention and keep yourself accountable. If I had avoided VST, gone off to my hermit hole and kept binging on junk for a few more weeks or months, I could easily find myself up twenty pounds and even more frustrated. We say this to newbies all the time, but it's true. I don't care how long you've tried to build good, new habits. The old ones are ingrained, comfortable and immediately gratifying. I can eat wonderfully for ten months straight, but give me a few days with the old foods and tack on some emotional struggles or some boredom and I'll slide right back into the habit of grabbing a snack here and a dessert there. Maintenance is the real battle and it makes things like the three week stall pale in comparison. It is ridiculous to pursue perfection. There is nothing wrong with pursuing a goal. And there is everything right about wanting to be a better person today than I was yesterday, to continually improve myself. But I have a problem with telling myself that I'll be happier, or feel more accomplished, or whatever, once I achieve "X" goal. That's B.S. Because I always have another goal or another reason to beat myself up waiting. I beat myself up for being fat. I was going to be totally happy when I got to 160 pounds and could wear a size 12 again. Then I exceeded that goal. Then it was the skin. I'll be happy once the skin is gone. No, I won't. Because then I'm going to beat myself up over my scars. Or over my lack of physical fitness. Or over the fact that I'm still not 100% over all of my emotional traumas. I'll always find a reason to defeat myself in my pursuit of perfection. The fact is, I need to learn how to love the skin I'm in and the person I am and I still struggle with this. If I tell myself, even whispering it in the most hidden part of my mind, that I'll love myself more when I reach a certain place, I am defeating myself. I am ensuring that I will never be totally happy and totally at peace. Anyway, I'm sorry for the long post. But if you haven't realized now that the way I work things out for myself is by writing them out, you haven't been paying attention! I appreciate all of the advice here. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. The first thing is to try and deal with some of what's bothering me, and I think that weight loss is secondary to that right now. I do want to get back on track, though, so I'm going to focus this week on eating properly again. Beyond that, the scale is going away. I can weigh once a week right now, and so long as I don't see an upward trend I will need to be happy with that. This is not a food issue or an exercise issue for me. This is entirely emotional, and everything I'm dealing with stems from that point. New methods to attack the weight loss are only going to help part of my issue, and it's the smallest part, I think. ~Cheri