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Stalls sucks. I am 10 weeks out of my surgery and I am just coming out of a 20 day stall. It was terrible, mentally. 20 days is a long time and you really begin to question things at that stage. Like everyone says out here, you just have to be patient.

I'm 4 weeks post RNY today. As above if unsure ask your dietitian or doctor, but some ideas: I'd say log your food and fluid intake to make sure you're taking in enough fluid and so that you know what your calorie intake is. My dietitian told me about a patient who had complained he wasn't losing weight during the liquid part of the diet and when she delved into it, he was liquidising mars bars. I doubt you're doing this but always worth recording your intake I'd say? I've always been told by doctors that building muscle can add weight (or mean that you don't lose weight), so maybe your exercise regime is building muscle at the expense of a weight loss? I haven't experienced a stall (yet!) but many people say they do have this at about 3 weeks? Only other things I can think of would be constipation or fluid retention? Good luck!

it's not all programs - they actually served me Jello in the hospital! In addition, she's three months out....not just out of surgery. At three months out, people are eating solid food.

I still order out on Fridays at work (In my bank Fridays are ten hour days with one break for lunch). And I do throw out most of it. But all those quick stops throughout the day to buy junk? Like doughnuts, pastry, chocolate, kfc, Coolattas, and chips? No more. Now when I go out I take my little lunch box with small-portioned healthy snacks and/or meals. I'm probably saving $10-15 a day. Now I can put all that money to good use. I bought a Makowsky purse Sunday. It was on clearance for a fraction of it's original price (but still higher than I've ever paid for a purse!) and I figured I saved enough money just in the last two weeks to justify the splurge! :-)

I understand your fear. I'm almot 4 weeks post op and I have only lost 8 pounds. Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks for the reply. 5 weeks to go. I'm following my post op diet to the T.

it's weird--my restriction seems to vary by day. Today I feel like I'm getting restriction just from drinking and don't seem to want food at all. Other days, I feel like I can eat 3/4 to a cup of food--mostly lettuce with a little protein on top (more fibrous veggies fill me up more and I can eat about half a cup). I'm about 10.5 weeks out.

I think each one of hears about stretching the sleeve and thinks we could be the one. Follow your guidelines, I don't think our bodies will let us overdo it as we are given warnings, hiccups, burps, and an uncomfortable feeling to remind us. As I experienced 3 weeks out not chewing mushy chicken well enough (and probably a bigger bite than I should have), I got a severe choking reminder. Lesson learned!!!!!

I am 7 weeks out and every meal is different for me. Sometimes I can't eat hardly much at all then other times I feel like I can eat quite a bit. Sent from my iPhone using VST

I was banded 2/18/13. I am down 43lbs. I have had two fills. One fill was 3cc the other one was this past Monday and it was 2cc. I have a total of 5cc in a 10 cc band. Here's the thing with the first fill nothing and hungry in between meals. The second fill which was three weeks later Im not hungry in between meals. I'm very satisfied on 4oz of food per meal. I am scheduled for another fill in two more weeks. Is this considered the green zone? Is it possible to be there so quickly? Would u all things considered have another fill? Anxious to here your opinions. Thank you.

I am 8 weeks post op as of Wednesday and I have noticed over the past week or so a few minutes after I eat I get pretty dizzy... Has anyone else experienced this??

I'm 10 weeks out and seem to be doing really good with my hair. I did have the band for 6 years and had the revision to the sleeve so maybe that helps since it's not a total shock to my body. I took Biotin 500mcg before the surgery (1 month) and have continued that. I'm not big on protein shakes but try to get them in. Some regrets b.c I can't enjoy food the way I use too which is probably a good thing, and going out to dinner, yea forget that, it is so hard to eat or I can't eat it all. I know I am new and it will get easier to eat, but right now it is still hard to do. I wouldn't change it though. I use to be 300 the band took me to 185, I gained back some and ballooned to 235 b.c my band had to be un-filled and I'm not back on track at 196

I'm new to the site and I need help, help, help! I go to my first seminar at Mercy Hospital in Chicago in a week and I am not sure what's going to happen. My BMI is low (about 37.5) and I am afraid I wont qualify for insurance approval (medicaid). I wont bore you all with my struggles with weight loss, but I will say, this is insane to me to not be fat enough. I know HOW to lose the weight. Ive done it a million times before. What I need the WLS for is help keeping it off once Ive lost it. Please, please help me with the quailifying process over at Mercy. Is the seminar weigh in, the number they use for approval? Will the nurse put my weight up a bit since I'm close? Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kimber

How long is this going to last??? UGH! 7 months out. 89 down. Maybe I'm done. I've got 25-30 to go. Just really started exercising 2 weeks ago so maybe body has to recalabrate itself? Doing everything right. Same 2 friggin numbers back & forth. Sorry guys - just venting....anyone else experience this at about the 7 month mark?

I just had my first fill Friday and I have the 4cc band. She put in 2.75cc's first, had me wait about 5 minutes and then drink some Water and it came right back up. She went back in and took out .5cc's and left me with 1.75. She would not let me leave until she made sure that the water stayed down this time. I know that every doc is different, but in my opinion I think that every doc should at least make sure you can tolerate water before they let you leave their office!! It's been 4 days since my fill and I basically have no restriction at this point, so I'm thinking that maybe she took too much out the second time around. I'm going to wait a couple of weeks before I have more put in. I think we really just have to take it one day at a time! Good luck!!

It's because of bacteria mostly. Even with chlorine, there is still a chance of having bacteria in a pool. I was so impatient after my breast reduction because I love to swim. I had to wait at least 6 weeks before I was able to get in. But, my incisions were bigger than laparoscopic ones. So you should be fine to get in in about a week or 2. Just make sure your wounds are completely healed of holes.

Same here at 4 weeks I was allowed in once doc made sure my incisions were closed Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I eat 5-6 meals a day. I eat every 2-3 hours because when I skip meals I tend to stall also. I don't really feel hungry but I can definitely tell when I need to eat because I start feeling a little dizzy or sleepy. I also try to drink about 12 oz of water before my meal so that I'm not thirsty soon after I complete my meal. My last meal is right before bed (I can't sleep when my body is hungry) and I put a glass of water next to me and I drink that throughout the night.

Hello. Still feeling nervous to drink or eat soup ands such I still get pains. I sip slow but as I get more in it gets painful. What is the average time people don't feel like this any more? TIA

My hubby has his first consult in a couple of weeks. Insurance has already been verified. Thoughts on how long it might be till the Big Day?!

Mu surgeon said somewhere like 2 or 3 weeks post op.

I just hit the 100-pound weight loss mark and I am 5 months and 1-week post op and feeling great! Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

I'd say it's probably head hunger. I am three months post op and still don't experience true hunger. What I feel is more of an empty feeling. Even though I don't get hungry, I do get cravings like I always did. Sometimes I think "man, a diet coke would be so good right now" but I just drink Water instead and the cravings go away. I know it's all in my head. PS the way I distinguish between hunger and "empty" feeling is by asking myself "will anything satisfy the feeling or will only something very specific satisfy the feeling?" For example, prior to surgery, when I felt hungry I would always want something very specific like a cheeseburger or nachos or whatever. Only that specific food I was craving would make me feel better. The "empty" feeling I have now is satisfied by whatever I put in my stomach, regardless of whatever I might be craving.

You're not alone. I'm 6 days post-op and woke up this morning feeling hungry. I was hungry again this afternoon, and tonight about an hour after my pureed dinner I'm hungry again. I don't see my surgeon for another 3 weeks, but I'm checking with my dietician via email tonight.

I’m a runner. I’ve been a runner since I was a teenager. I’ve run five or more miles three times a week for the past four years and rarely take a day off. Many of my runs have been over ten miles. I’m the crazy guy you’ve seen running in the rain and the snow on the side of the road at 7 AM. I’ve learned a lot from running and many of those lessons I have applied to life in general. I’ve shared much of what I’ve learned about running with many of my patients because I believe that there are a number of parallels between long-distance running and the journey through weight loss. Many of my patients agree. I’d like to share some of these parallels with you to provide you with a helpful way to think about all that you’ve gone through and may still experience going forward. I should make an admission to you first. I’ve never actually run a marathon. It’s something I very much want to do someday but have yet to attempt because of some nagging injuries and such. However, I know enough about long-distance running and have spoken to enough marathon runners to understand the psyche of the marathon runner. Therefore, I feel comfortable speaking of it here. Consider the entire journey of weight loss surgery from before surgery to years afterwards as a marathon. For those of you who are unfamiliar, a marathon is a race of 26.2 miles. The modern Marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, 26.2 miles to Athens in 490 B.C. It is seen by many as the ultimate test of endurance (although there are now ultra-marathons that can go for 100 miles or more!). There are many things one must do to prepare for the running of a marathon. A marathoner has to complete several practice runs and work up his stamina and endurance to get into peak physical condition for the race. A marathoner is encouraged to make dietary changes, especially in the few days before the race. A marathoner has to mentally prepare for the grueling 26.2 run and plot out the course and a strategy of how he is going to make it from start to finish. The process of weight loss surgery is quite similar. There are many steps to take before your big day. There is research to do. Perhaps you will talk to doctors or to those who have had surgery to better understand what you will be experiencing. When you decide that surgery is for you, there are pre-surgical assessments, medical tests and other things that must be done to ensure that you are prepared for what lies ahead. You are instructed to make dietary changes in anticipation of your surgery…perhaps a liquid diet for a week or more. And certainly you must mentally prepare for all of the physical, behavioral and emotional changes that lie ahead. For the most part, your surgery date is the starting line. You’re nervous. You’re excited. You’re hopeful. Similarly, the marathoner heart is pounding long before the starting gun is fired. The gun is fired and suddenly…they’re off! The first few days after surgery, you’re just trying to do as told. Listen to what the surgeon, the nurses and other professionals’ tell you and get home from the hospital as soon as you can. The marathoner is just putting one foot in front of the other and trying to find a good pace…a comfortable groove. Nothing fancy, just moving ahead. The first few weeks after surgery are like the marathoners first few miles…nice and easy. Learning to chew, learning what to eat and what not to eat…adjusting to the new pace of eating and making other changes in your life to improve your chances of success. Much of the journey lies ahead and thinking too far ahead can be daunting. Keep your head in the present. At some point, there will be bumps in the road. The runner may have a side-stitch, a cramp, pain, fatigue, a pebble in his shoes; some complications to be addressed. The marathoner understands that some of these discomforts will come and go. Sometimes, if you just let it be and shift your focus to other aspects of the running experience and away from the discomfort…the discomfort goes away. It is important that the marathoner not panic about the situation. The journey through weight loss surgery will also have its discomforts. Like the marathon, many will simply come and go. Some days may be more difficult than others. On some days eating may be more difficult than other days. On some days, cravings will seem stronger than others. In most instances, the discomfort will be temporary. Avoiding “catastrophic” thinking is the key. I am speaking of the mental demons that we all must deal with. Often while running, it seems as if a little devil appears on my shoulder whispering negative comments in my ear. “You’re never going to make it.” “You can’t do it.” “What were you thinking trying to run so far!?” “You’re not into it today…just go home and try again tomorrow.” Weight loss surgery patients also hear the voice of a little devil who attempts to derail you. “How am I going to avoid eating some of those foods that I love?” “What am I going to do at the holiday barbeque…I’m going to go nuts!” “I can buy a pint of ice cream and just have a little…what’s the big deal.” “A few cookies couldn’t hurt.” Part of your preparation for the marathon of weight loss surgery needs to include maintaining a positive attitude that can help you last the equivalent of 26.2 miles and to develop strategies for coping with these mental “cramps” and “side-stitches.” What am I going to tell myself when and if things get a bit complicated? What you tell yourself is immensely important in determining how and whether you will reach the finish line. Believing that you can cope with some of the temporary and unpleasant bumps in the road is essential for your success. Many of my patients initially get quite deflated by setbacks or slips. Most times, they are engaging in what I call “black and white thinking.” In this way of thinking, eating one serving of ice cream immediately becomes “I’m sabotaging my surgery!!” One day of feeling deprived or hungry becomes “My band isn’t working!” or “I’m never going to be able to live this way!” It is dramatic, exaggerated and self-defeating thinking. The marathoner’s mindset needs to be focused on “how I can” not “why I can’t.” There is nothing propelling the marathoner forward other than his or her own desire to persevere. He can stop with one step, but CHOOSES not to. He tolerates the discomfort. You also can stop. You can “cheat.” You can avoid getting your band adjusted. You can eat around the bypass. You can drink your calories. You can eat sweets. But you won’t finish the race and you’ll feel terrible for it. Several miles further down the road, the marathon becomes a strange combination of harder and easier. The marathoner has plenty of discomfort. Discomfort is probably an understatement. His body aches, his feet burn and his mind is often numb…but at the same time, he is beginning to almost taste the finish line. There are fewer miles ahead than behind. There is a mild euphoria as he considers that he might actually make it!! The surgery patient has lost a lot of weight several “miles” into her race. Perhaps most of the weight has already been lost…or maybe it’s already all off and now she’s focused on keeping it that way. But perhaps there are still some discomforts. Maybe some people continue to make annoying comments, or you have some body image concerns, or are experiencing other sources of anxiety and insecurity. It will be ok. Keep the focus on the here and now, avoid catastrophic thinking, and address what needs to be addressed. Try to taste the finish line. It’s not much farther now. This is where the analogy ends. The marathoner raises his arms as he crosses the finishing line and gasps in a combination of exhaustion and euphoria….I did it!! It is an incredible accomplishment. He is finished. But as a person who has had weight loss surgery, you will always be running your race. Through time, your pace will hopefully become more predictable and steady, but the journey of weight loss surgery never truly ends. There are always “side-stitches” and “cramps” and little “pebbles in your shoes.” Rub out the cramps. Take a few breaths to relieve the side-stitches. Step off the track for a moment and shake out the pebbles in your shoe. Focus away from whatever the source of discomfort. There’s no timer anymore so there’s no rush to the finish line. Take each day as it comes, some better than others. Just keep a steady pace, a clear focus, and a positive attitude and you will successfully cross a thousand finish lines. Important lessons to remember: · Stay focused in the present. Avoid thinking of how far you still have to go. Instead, focus on how far you’ve come. You cannot effect change in any moment other than the present one, so thinking about and certainly worrying about the future is in many ways both pointless and counterproductive. It only creates anxiety and ruins the present moment. By focusing in the present, you will get to the future faster than you think. When I run, if I focus on the fact that 90% of the distance lies ahead, I immediately feel tired and overwhelmed. When I simply take it one step at a time and enjoy the run, by the time I next think about my distance I’m that much further along and confident that I’ll get through it. · Keep your “qi” (pronounced “chee”) about you. Qi is the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent and flowing in all things (it’s like “the force” in Star Wars). I think of qi as being a peacefulness, and being at one with the world around me. When I run, I feel more alive than at any other time. I am at one with the world around me. I am moving through the world and feel the world moving through me. Live in the current moment and allow yourself to experience all that you are experiencing. Be present in the present. Avoid thinking of what is wrong or what could go wrong. Instead focus on what is wonderful right now. · Most of the physical and emotional discomforts that you will experience on your journey will come and go. Maybe not right away or even today. But most discomforts do not last forever. Just as many of the runner’s side-stitches and cramps work themselves through, so will yours. · Avoid focusing on small and meaningless detail. Don’t weigh yourself incessantly and get down on yourself for every calorie. Do not become overly disappointed if you do not achieve these silly and arbitrary goals. The marathoner can choose to obsess about his slightly slow pace and tragically turn a remarkable event into an unbearable trek. · Believe that you can “stand” some discomfort. Telling yourself “I can’t stand it” will lead you to not stand it. The marathoner perseveres through extraordinary physical and psychological challenges to reach the finish line. It is not an easy path. Your path too will be littered with obstacles. Trust in yourself and believe that you “can stand it” as well. · Focus on the journey and the big picture. The transformation. The accomplishment of weight loss surgery is not in losing a certain amount of weight. It is about being able to make positive, meaningful change in your life that is now possible at this lower weight. Success isn’t achieved through a number on a scale; it’s by being able to live the life you’ve always dreamed of. · Enjoy the run, not just crossing the finish line. In every moment of the race and in every moment of your journey…take a look around. Breathe in what is beautiful and enjoy each moment. Don’t live your life only in anticipation of crossing the finish line. When you have reached the finish line, I promise you that you will look back and think very fondly of the race you’ve run. :thumbup: