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I was down about 32lb the first month, starting at 292 & BMI around 42. I'm now down about 100 at seven months and just about at goal (we'll see how the body comp settles out - that's the actual goal.) Whether you stall or not at the typical three week mark, your loss will slow markedly at that point. Initially you are burning mostly glycogen (some stored carb and protein) which burns at a rate of around 2000cal per pound. Once those stores are consumed, you actually start burning the fat that we are trying to lose, but it comes off slower, at around 3600cal per pound. I never had the dreaded three week stall, but the loss curve sure flattened out some right at that time.

Before my first fill? 16 pounds, if I recall correctly. I didn't stall--my loss has been pretty steady all along. (I really don't count staying the same weight for a few days as a "stall.") But I also only was on liquids for a couple of days; my doctor moves us to purees on Day Three. I kind of chuckled when I read your subject line. "Postop diet" describes what many of us do for months after surgery. I know I've been doing it since January! I just started feeling restriction with my third fill (2 weeks ago). And it's already relaxed enough that whatever weight I'm losing, at this point, is by sheer willpower. Please don't pin tons of hopes on your first fill. It does get the ball rolling toward restriction, but it usually does not give you a great sense of dramatic change.

Yes I am three and a half weeks out and stalled too. Am doing everything I should. Feeling great and exercising every day but no movement on those scales. I do am hoping it will move again soon

Did you stall after three weeks of losing or at the start of your third week?

I am three weeks out and 30lbs down. I expect a stall at any point in time now. How long will a stall last for? What do I do when it does happen? Megan

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. Everyone stalls, and just about everyone stalls about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your protein and at least 64 oz of Fluid. Take your Vitamins and supplements as instructed. Exercise when cleared. Stay off the scale. And, Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall.

I do the same thing. I'm ten weeks out and just hit 40 pounds. But I have been pretty steady so that's a blessing. You are doing well so far. The stall at two to three weeks out is pretty normal. You body has been so shocked it rebells for a while. It's hard for us to not compare ourselves to others but we each have our own journey. Just follow drs orders and you will be fine. And we are here for you. Good luck!!

I am happy for Tom, too!! You are doing great, too!! Looking forward to my surgery very soon!! Take care. RSR53 So happy about the jeans. Thats just wonderful. I agree that there is bad with the good. But for me the good out numbers the bad. My weight at pre op was 234 my weight today is 198 and 5 1'. I am what is considered by my surgeon a "lite weight" But my BMI was 44. So to me I wasn't a lite weight by no means. I did hit a stall at three weeks that lasted three weeks. I just cleared that hurddle. So the frustration that goes along with it is there. I do struggle with decisions that I make everyday when preparing my lunch for work. Just because I can doesn't mean I should. So I stick with Protein first. Generally I barely have room for carbs. I do try to squeeze in a brussle sprout. My husband has not had WLS either. He does his best to encourage me with my decision to have had WLS. He has been there the whole time. It does help to have a cheerleader on your side. He works out with me. We take turns on the treadmill, spot each other when lifting weights. I haven't eaten out yet. I guess that will be when I'm ready. I do get strange looks at work when I am eating. A big girl eating small pieces of chicken cut into tiny squares. Then the giant bottle of Water I carry around all day. They were so use to seeing me eat junk food, sodas, chips. All day everyday at my desk. So yeah I have done a complete 360 on my lifestyle. For the better, So yes it can be frustrating. There is no going back for me. I will never allow myself to fall back into unhealthy habits again. The sleeve has made see why I eat. I do wish you the very best on your journey. Deb

. Hello fellow sleevers! It's Day 76,almost eleven weeks since my surgery and I have lost about 45 pounds. I went on vacation, had a few white wine spritzers, went out to eat sort of, well, all the time, and it was great. I came home two pounds lighter, so even with *extreme* inattention to any sort of caloric or nutritional rule ( except, of course, Protein first) the scale went down, not up. But for the most part, I've been in a serious stall for about two weeks. It makes sense. My calories are up. I am healing and getting used to real food, logical portions, and nourishing myself in general. Two weeks of happy time made me come home absolutely exhausted. I haven't really upped the exercise but I've still stuck to a schedule of swimming for an hour three times a week. My size eighteens are getting looser and my waist and hips are down an inch. Also, right after the vacation came a dental surgery which necessitated a short course of steroids. I was really pissed to find out about this because you know there is no way your body will part with an ounce of anything when you're on steroids. Then I got an allergic reaction to another medication and had to take Benedryl -- another weight gainer. So for about three weeks it's been pretty darn slow. But not at a standstill, and in the meantime my body is changing and growing a waist. I can't believe the jeans I'm wearing fit. Actually I can't believe the jeans I'm wearing *didn't* fit at one point. These things would not even go halfway up my thighs only a few short weeks ago. These were the *fattest* jeans I owned at one point and I'm just...amazed, then, at how fat I was. If I am fat *now*...good god, what did I look like? I took some reference pictures right before the surgery and then right after. I took another set last night but I'm not ready to put them up. I'm still fat, as I said...but holy mackerel, what a difference 45 pounds makes. My calories are up to about 1200. I keep thinking I should cut back a little bit but I feel good and I'm still losing. My goal when I decided to get surgery was to refuse to obsess, to eat normally to the best of my ability, eat what I want. and to enjoy my life instead of letting food and weight issues hold me back. . So. Almost eleven weeks, 45 pounds gone and still? Not dead.

Monthly update! I've gone from 293 to now 210. I can feel ONEderland right on the horizon! Long term goal of 185, 25 lbs til goal. I had to do some better food logging management after almost a month long stall, and then I started dropping again like crazy. 5 months out and on 800 calories/day as my plan allows. I have three weeks to make my first goal of 199 lbs (it's when I meet the boyfriend's parents..eek!). Again.. so close! And I feel GREAT! I love being able to shop anywhere now. I just slipped into size 16 jeans comfortably and I can shop in the XL/L section at stores. It's so liberating and overwhelming all at once. I can shop for style now instead of necessity!

Here is a letter I wrote to my health insurance to explain my situation. They told me that even though I was a perfect candidate for the lapband, they would not cover it. Nor would they cover ANY proceedure, medication, therapy, doctor's visit to discuss weightloss, gym membership. I borrowed the money and I had the band in July. At this time last year, I weighed 380. I now weigh 315! Maybe this can help someone.... Obesity is affecting my life in the following ways: Physically Hypertension My blood pressure continues to get higher and higher despite the use of medications. When I must walk any distance I can feel my pulse in my face. sleep Apnea I must now sleep with an ugly cumbersome breathing machine at night. I am afraid I will die in my sleep if I don’t use my CPAP. Caught Variant Asthma When I have an asthma attack, I cough because I can’t breathe. I cough so hard I turn purple, pee my pants and throw up…not nice anywhere, especially in front of a classroom full of elementary kids. Foot and ankle pain The pain in my feet and ankles is so severe, that at night I must elevate and ice them just to be able to walk around the house. I have spurs on many of my foot bones because I have carried around so much weight for so long. Chaffing My thighs rub together. My arms rub my sides. My fat folds rub each other and the tops of my legs. It is miserable! Even though I wash, medicate, powder, use antiperspirant under my belly fat and in the creases and wear absorbing cotton clothing, I STILL rub, sweat, chafe, hurt, and break out in nasty folliculitis. Walking My thighs are so fat; my legs are forced to spread, causing my gait to be too wide. This makes my hips and lower back hurt. I walk like an old fat cowboy duck. Just watch me next time I come into the room. I can’t walk more than a block without pain in my back, hips, feet and ankles. I am out of breath after the first 100 yards. My ankles and feet hurt so badly all day. Stairs? Ha. Going up is actually better than going down. I may be slow ascending stairs and need breaks within a single flight, but descending, well I can’t see my feet to see the next step below me. Each step down jars my huge frame. It is easier if I turn to the side, hold on to the rail and use a side step, using the same foot to lead on each step. I prefer elevators or escalators even if I am going down one flight. Sweating Have you ever been so winded and worn out after taking a trip through Wal-Mart that the sweat rolls down your back and into your butt crack? No? Try being me for a day. Getting Up I have a hard time getting in and up out of cars, chairs, the floor and bed. Fitting I need chairs without arms. Do you know how many chairs have arms? All movie theatres, all theatrical venues, all stadiums, all beauty shops, dentist chairs, office chairs, lawn chairs, waiting rooms, airplanes, trains, and most restaurants (I’m sorry ma’am we only have chairs with arms, do you think you could fit in a booth? HA!) I don’t fit in many cars, non handicapped bathroom stalls, dressing rooms, bathtubs, the spaces between clothing racks at stores, and turnstiles. Bathrooming First I must see if I have enough room to spread my leg wide enough to wipe, then I check the sturdiness of the toilet. I have been on a toilet in the midst of a very delicate maneuver when the toilet has come loose from the floor and made a horrible mess. It is a very embarrassing thing to have to tell your hostess that you broke her toilet and ruined the bathroom rugs. Once all seems to be fit, I do my business and then attempt to lean forward with one arm tucked under my belly. I must balance all of me onto my tip toes and reach through the front. This acrobatic feat is difficult. I do not fit in regular sized bathtubs. If I must bathe, I force my hips into the tub. I had to install a shower wand to clean my self properly while showering. I use hibiclense and other antimicrobial soaps and solutions to reduce the risk of folliculitis, and faruncles. I shower every morning and every evening to keep my fat folds clean and my body smelling nice. Clothing This is a big issue with me. I must be very careful in clothing I select as not to bring attention to my self. One day I bought a very expensive, very cute chartreuse short set. I wore it to the store and I had a very rude person look directly at me and mimic my walk and say, “Look, at me…I am a big, fat lime!” Super sized clothing is hard to find. Once you do find it, it is very expensive. I spend a lot of time, effort and money covering my body in a tasteful way. I must be very careful in selecting clothing. I cannot fit in any clothes from regular plus sized shops. I surpassed the sizes at Lane Bryant 5 years ago. I am now wearing the largest size at the only two mail order clothiers available. I will have to resort to having “tents” made for me if I don’t loose weight. Sex Sex is very difficult because of my large stomach and large backside. This is a very difficult topic to discuss, and an even more difficult topic to endure. My sex life is not what I want it to be because my fat makes sex very difficult. I also feel very self conscious about my body. Mentally Embarrassment I do not like the way I look. I feel embarrassed about how I look to other people. I feel that my fat makes me ugly and undesirable. It is embarrassing to not fit in a $120.00 Chicago theatre seat and have to ask the manager if there is any where else he could seat me. I am embarrassed when am winded from taking my students out to recess. I am embarrassed when I must lift my fat belly up over a turnstile to fit through it. Compensating I feel I must be better, smarter, funnier, cleverer, and more charming because I am fat. I have developed quite a sense of humor to mask my hurt at being left out of many things over the course of growing up. Sarcasm is one of my compensating tools. Sadness- I cry often because I am overwhelmed about my weight. It make s me feel so sad to think about all of the things I miss out on because I am fat. I hate myself for getting so fat and out of control. I am angry at myself for not being able to stick to an eating plan and exercise regime. Fear I do not want to develop heart problems because of my obesity. I fear going to the doctor each time, because I am expecting to hear the words “heart disease.” My blood pressure scares me. Anxiety then takes over and I feel overwhelmed with guilt and fear. Self Consciousness I cover my body with big baggy clothes. I cover my belly with a pillow to “hide” my fat when I am sitting on a couch. I am always very aware of how other people are looking at me, and the remarks they make. This horrible habit puts a strain on my marriage. Self Worth My self worth is in the toilet. I feel disgusting. I hate being fat and I hate not being able to control my food intake. I feel bad about not being able to lose weight. I feel like a failure because I am not able to stick to a successful diet or long range exercise program. These and many more mental obstacles must be overcome daily, even hourly. It is emotionally draining to have to prepare my self mentally for a day, not to mention the actually endurance of the emotions through the day. I am tired and disgusted with being so emotionally tied to this weight. Socially As a child I was ridiculed and left out of peer activities. In middle school I had a handful of friends, but the fat jokes and ridicule over shadowed me and made me feel worthless, ugly and unwanted. There was a rumor that followed me through all of 6th, 7th and 8th grades about me looking pregnant and every week it the big joke was to ask me whose baby it was. Ha! So funny! A three year “gestation period” was more than I could endure. I sought help from the school counselors. They told me if I lost weight they would stop bothering me. High school was miserable. I was never asked on a date, never held a boy’s hand. I was always overlooked. College was no different. Either were my 20s. No boyfriends, no dates, nothing…and I DID try. I tried 2 dating services; I spent 3 years in a huge singles group at my church. While my girlfriends were on dates and getting engaged, I was alone and depressed. I finally put a personal ad on yahoo. I did find a loving man who I fell in love with and married. I love my husband, but I wish I didn’t have the lonely rejection filled past. There are many social opportunities that I must turn down because of my morbid obesity. Camping, swimming, hiking and traveling are too difficult at my size. When a friend asks me to go out, I must consider all of the possibilities (Will there be room for me, is the restroom big enough, is her car big enough, will the chair support me even if I do fit?) There worries are enough to make me want to stay at home, and often times, I do because of worry and shame. Financially It is expensive to be fat and even more expensive to yo-yo diet. I have done both since I was 16. Specialty clothing costs twice as much as other clothes. My medical needs are very costly, even with health insurance. I spend lots of money on my favorite hobbies, eating and cooking. I need help. I want to be successful in losing weight. I am ready. I want to be able to walk with our pain. I want to be alive for another 35 years, at least! Please help me by considering me for weight loss surgery.

I hit my first stall between week 2 and three. It lasted about a week, and was annoying. I wasn't able to do much exercise other than walking, and I was only taking in 400-600 calories daily. Once I made the transition to soft foods, and therefore a few more daily calories, the weight started marching off again. Now, at eight weeks, I've been stalled for the past week. I'm between 700-800 calories a day (no possible way to take in more, because I physically can not eat more.) I get about 10k steps daily (that's a mix of cycling and walking, but since Fitbit measures everything in steps, that's what I measure with. I cycle for 30-60 minutes four or five days a week, the rest of it's straight walking). My off days, I still hit around 6k steps. And I lift light weights three days a week. So I'm hitting the calories, hitting the exercise. I know stalls happen, and I know how frustrating it is. Especially when I do measurements too, but they also don't seem to be moving =P But I fit into size 18 clothes yesterday, so I know something is shifting somewhere. I haven't worn size 18 in nearly 20 years. I've been in all 22-24s. So that's a big plus. Bigger plus: the 18s I bought aren't tight. I could probably have dropped down to a 16, but I was a little wary of going too far down. I'm not really meaning to complain. I've lost enough that I'm feeling better than I have in years, I'm more active than I've been in years, I'm sleeping better, off most of my meds, so I have nothing to actually complain about. Other than those stubborn, stubborn scales.

I was in a stall after three weeks and I was in a one month stall right after Christmas. I was only three months post op then. Thank goodness for my monthly support group. Everyone there told me it was normal and they were right. You will lose the weight.

I'm coming up on my sixth week post OP and have been stalled since week three. Scale did move 3 lbs this weekend. Is everyone else experiencing this? Literally feel as if i have failed:(

Between a week and six months. In fact, most people say it isn't a stall until three weeks.

My surgeon had me walking the day after surgery (It helps in the healing process) I continued to walk after I was home from surgery. Each surgeons’ instructions are a bit different. Your Dr. will release you for lifting and exercise. After you are healed, you will absolutely be able to get into activity/exercise of your choice. Start slow and work your way up. What did my post op work outs look like? My goal after surgery was to run race for the cure 5K in memory of my mother. I started walking 30 mins and worked it to an hour a day for the first three weeks. Third month I had a major stall. I sold my treadmill and bought a gym member ship. Third month: I did weight lifting with an hour of cardio 5 days a week. I mixed icardio up on elliptical, treadmill, stairmaster and treadmill. I took a women’s lifting class. What I learned is too much cardio will slow down building muscle. I altered my workout program. My workouts have changed and evolve over the years. I am 50. I love being a bad ass grandmother. You never know where your weight loss can take you. We are all stronger than we give ourselves credit for. I have completed 5K to a full marathon. Last year, I ran two mountain elevation/ trail half marathons. This year my bucket list run is Revel Mt. Charleston in Las Vegas. Find exercise/activity’s you enjoy and be consistent!

So glad others are having this issue too. I just started real food . I put it off because I was so afraid of over eating. Was I surprised to find I couldn't over eat. I finally am starting to trust my surgery and listen to what my stomach is telling me. I am one month today and tried a chewing food for the first time. I thought well I will mix tuna, mayo and cottage cheese. I got three bites down and had to stop. So glad I did this because I really can't trust myself to limit what I eat, I needed this surgery. I haven't had a weight loss stall yet and have lost 2 lbs a week for the last two weeks. I was feeling sad about it but realize I am still going down. So happy I finally did it.

The infamous three week stall. Mine lasted three weeks. Just keep doing exactly what your doing, it will pass.

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. We all stall periodically, and most of us stall about three weeks or so after surgery. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids. Take your Vitamins and supplements as instructed. Exercise when cleared (even just walking a little bit every day to start will help). Stay off the scale. And, Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

The stalls SUCK! Just got out of a three week stall myself, and nothing anyone said really made me feel better

the three-week stall usually lasts a week or two, but I've known of a couple of people who had it last for 3.5 weeks. Mine lasted for two weeks and after it broke, I settled into a pattern like you described - a half pound to a pound a day. I lost at that rate for the first six or seven months, then it slowed down even more (actually, after the first month or two, it was more like a half pound a day, if that...). It adds up over time, though. I've lost a total of 236 lbs. Just stick to your program and be patient and the weight will come off..

It took a good week for all the extra fluids to wash out. Then I lost 16lbs the next week. Now I am at the dreaded three week stall.

Yes, you are at the three week mark so a stall is pretty inevitable at this point. Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process. If you are going to lose a significant amount of weight, you will experience stalls. Just focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids, taking your Vitamins and supplements as directed, and exercising. If the numbers on the scale are going to dictate how you feel, then STAY OFF THE SCALE. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

My 'three week stall' hit at 2.5 weeks and didn't lose an ounce- the scale actually went up twice- for 2 weeks. Then I dropped 5lbs over night. Just try and keep your protein high and keep your fluid intake up and the scale will go. BTW- I had lost 26lbs when mine hit and I'm currently in another stall and have been since Christmas. It sucks- but it's all part of the process

Sigh. As usual, everyone here is correct. The stall ended after three weeks. Just posting the update for other people who search stories about stalls.