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It's so common it even has a name! "The Dreaded Three Week Stall" Most everyone goes through it, and everyone gets through it! There is a sub forum called "Don't Sweat the Stall Stuff" you might want to check out. No fear! Keep doing what your doing and you'll get through it in a week or two...

I too purchased way too many Protein drinks, packs of pudding, Soup broth and Jello. Tossed a lot of it. What I didn't realize was I could only consume 1 oz at a time the day after surgery. We buy for our tumors before surgery, but we can't eat that much after. I'm about 5 wks post op and STILL forget and dish up an old serving size. Then I giggle like I'd actually be able to eat even half of that amount! The three week stall was awful! Throw your scale away. Just wait for your post op visits to weigh. It's a mind game and it sucked for me. Getting up and moving as quickly as I could was hands down the best decision I made. No surgery gas pains (I'd had them from a previous laparoscopic surgery and they were awful! Dr said walking right away probably helped.) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I too am experiencing the three-week stall but I noticed while reading the entries from others, that most of their information on the right column shows they are now at or near their goal weight!

Our bodies are complex systems, not simple machines. @@Babbs has a great explanation of the technical/biological reason for the three week stall.

1) unless you're the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life", your weight loss so far is very normal. Most of us lose 15-25 lbs in the first month after surgery. Yes - you will find people who lose more or less than that, but they're the exception. You're in that range, so you're perfectly normal! 2) you're in the infamous "three-week stall". Almost all of us go through that. It's not ALWAYS the third week, but it is for most (hence the name) - but it can really happen any time within the first 4-6 weeks after surgery. Just stick to your program and stay off the scale if you need to. It'll last 1-3 weeks, and then you'll be on your way again. If you want to read more about it, do a search on this site for the three week stall. You will find about 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding...). It literally does happen to almost everyone. No changes necessary - just stick to your program and wait it out. It WILL break. oh - just re-read your post. Thirty grams of protein is too low. Most surgeons recommend at least 60. So THAT is a change you should make. Otherwise, you're good. Just hang tight!

I had a three week stall at week three that I just finally have come out of. I tried changing around everything, increasing Protein, walking, Water, decreasing carbs. Nothing helped. I have no clue what eventually knocked me off the stall, but I do know one thing - it sucked! I can't imagine how you're feeling six weeks into one. My clothes don't feel a whole lot different, but I was slowly losing an inch here and there, so if you're not measuring, maybe that'd help you keep going? I know you already acknowledged the low water, but that would be one thing to add. When you work out it can be really important to replace water. Hmmmm...Have you tried switching up the type of workout you do? I know other times I've reached plateaus in diets I was able to get over the plateau by exercising at a different time of day, for example, moving it to early morning to get my metabolism up. Or changing which workout I was doing so that I wasn't stuck in the same thing every day. On that same token, are you eating the same types of foods every day? That's another thing that will throw me into a plateau. My brother is a creature of habit and has the exact same lunch every day. If I do that, I will stay put at the exact same weight. My body likes it when things are consistent and will try its very best to keep them there. Are you getting in enough fiber? That might help keep your digestive system moving. I'm not sure if it will help the scale, but it would be a healthy thing to have in your diet. I'm not sure what else, but you will get through this! If you are doing the right things your body will eventually have to give up and let the scale move. For the mean time, maybe put the scale away (I know this is so ridiculously hard to do, maybe you'll be better at it than I was!), set some fitness goals instead of scale goals, and measure. You can still be successful even when the scale isn't moving.

Every one loses at their own rate. There is no right or wrong amount of weight to lose each week. Yes, there may be average amounts of loss people who are similar height, weight, age, gender, etc. may have in common. As long as you see the trend of your weight loss going down you’re succeeding. The amount you lose each week will also slow as you progress. It is possible you are experiencing a stall as has been suggested. These are extremely common. We talk about the three week stall but that first one can happen at week 2, 3, 4, 5 …. It’s just your body taking a breath & trying to catch up with the changes (surgery, weight loss, reduced calories, dietary changes,…). You will likely have other stalls as you’re losing. We’ve all been on that gain, lose, gain roller coaster. Personally I know the reason I always regained after losing was because the diets I was on weren’t sustainable or I just went back to the same old way of eating. I’d start regaining a couple of weeks after the diet ended. The difference this time is that I work at sticking to the changes I made to how I eat, what I eat, why I eat every day. I have many years ahead of me but I’m going to work my butt off to try to stay my course cause that desire to go down my old path is always there. I just understand it & manage it better now. Your success starts & ends in your head. It’s not just what you put in your mouth. You have to do the head work. Many do this with the help of a therapist, others do it themselves. There are lots of people here who are happy to share experiences & offer support. Follow your plan, meet your protein goals, get your fluids in, be more active and your weight loss will continue. You’ll get there.

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

I feel the three week Stall pain....been there the last couple of weeks. Stall broke and I lost four and a half pounds in the last two days. Just suddenly. It happens...the legends are true:) I'm 5 weeks post op and eating 1000-1200 calories a day, tolerating more foods, and have a lot of energy. Feeling really good:) Wishing you all a quick end to the stall:) It'll happen. (someone asked for my stats on another thread...don't know if this is helpful to anyone, but figured it was on topic.) Started at 270 in June. Lost 30 pounds in 6 months of pre-surg diet visits using the Mayo Clinic Diet mostly. (240) Lost 10 pounds in 2 week pre-surg liquid diet. (230) Lost 14 pounds first month after surgery. (216 today) So, I lost 23% of my excess body weight the first month (60 pounds excess weight on day of surgery)....which beats the heck out of the 18% that is the average first month weight loss. Feeling positive!

I am wondering and I bet a few others might be too but.... I have seen it common for a rather large group of us to experience the "three week stall" (right after surgery) - but are there any other common stall times that commonly occur during the post sleeve journey?

1) you're experiencing the extremely common "three-week stall". Happens to most of us within the first month or so of surgery, usually (but not always) the 3rd week, hence, the name. It typically lasts 1-3 weeks before breaking 2) the gain is almost certainly water or very full intestines. Give it a couple of days and it should be gone.

Google "three week stall." That is probably what you are going through. Stick to your plan, make meeting your protein and water goals your full-time job, and the scale will move in its own time. Everything about this journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Remember that! Good luck.

I'm 8 mths post op. I never had the three week stall. I'm having an 8 th month stall, almost 2 weeks. Frustrating!!!

I have only weighed myself once since my surgery because of the swelling and three week stall so many people talk about. I'm going to weigh myself on my one month surgerversary. I made myself a picture board where I'm going to post my picture each month so I can see the change.

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.

Crystal light won't affect the stall. The stall is your body's way of adjusting. Mine lasted two and a half weeks and some have lasted up to several months for others. You want to up protein and be patient. I drank Crystal Light and still do but alternate between that and plain water, with plain water being my main source of liquid. You shouldn't have any restriction on liquid at all. I did cut out the protein shake, which helped me, not sure how much meat you eat so feel unsure you want to cut that out. Walking more now helps, and I'm losing a pound a day. I have no issues, even eating one small scoop of ice cream with a cookie last night, and waking up a pound and a half lighter. (First and last time eating ice cream for a long time, I had no dumping syndrome.) The stalls are hard but normal. There is no dreaded "three week stall", it's just one of several plateaus you will hit. I will say you may wish to not drink crystal light due to fake sweetener that's in it, still having said that I drink it once in a while when water is too redundant. I personally don't think you ought to return to all fluids - you need to eat every three or so hours to keep your metabolism working. It's the yo-yo dieting that ruined the ability to lose to begin with. Just stick with 1-2 oz of food. Measure out 4oz, put half away and eat when you feel hungry. My doctor told me to expect a severe stall after I started solid food and that's exactly what I got. I'm down 53 pounds since May 1st. Good luck.

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.

I was sleeved on May 26th and weighed 300 lbs. I am 5 weeks out and weigh 271 lbs. Fotunately I did not hit the dreaded three week stall or maybe I did and just didn't realize it. My relationship with the scale has definitely changed. I still weigh myself almost daily but I have found that the number no longer sends me into a frenzy. I think reading so much here I finally realized that the scale does not make or break success. I am on soft foods and dabbling with some regular foods. Had chicken and some pulled pork. No beef. I really want a salad and some fresh fruit. Waiting to here back from NUT. I truly have found that this forum prepared me for surgery and post-op.

Hi Stars in my eyes - there a few threads that discuss a three week stall - maybe some of the responses there might be useful? I'm just over 1 week out so I have not experienced this yet. But from what I can recall reading there were quite a few who did have a stall at 3 weeks post Op Cheers

I too am a slow loser, but so far I have lost consistently each week with the exception of the famous three week stall that lasted 3.5 weeks. My surgery was 12-28-11, I have lost 29 lbs since my surgery and that includes the pre- liquid diet. Most people think I've lost much more. So far the skin is pretty good considering I'm and old lady. I have always been a slow loser, have less than some to lose and have age against. It came on slow, so I will be patient. I see huge life changes already. At to months I was afraid my Dr would be upset, she was elated, also counted the weight I lost prior to surgery and thought percentage wise I was ahead of schedule. I had feared her reaction and she actually made me feel so successful. Keep up the good work!

Quite possibly more than calories, is what those calories are (what is your average calorie count these days?) Since you are already taking B12, that's not likely it (B12 is more of an RNY thing than a VSG thing, but some can be intrinsically low it irrespective, or just diet is low in it for now, though most multivitamins have enough to do the job.) Overly low carbohydrates are frequently a cause of low energy in the absence of other anemia indicators, as that is where our quick energy comes from. It is what helps us chase down that antelope for dinner, or quickly climb a tree to avoid being a lion's dinner (hoping it's not a leopard chasing us!) We typically burn off our glycogen reserves (basically stored carb, held mostly in the muscle tissues) and the water that keeps it in solution first,, usually in the first couple of weeks or so, and then pause while we start to access our fat reserves to rebuild the glycogen back to a functional level - hence the typical rapid weight loss followed by the "three week stall". You may well still be trying to rebuild your glycogen stores to get you that everyday energy that you are expecting. I have seen some programs that specifically want their patients to do a bit of lightweight "carb loading" after surgery to counter this problem - things like oatmeal, cream of wheat, sloppy mashed potatoes, unsweetened apple sauce, watered down fruit juice, etc. I never had consistent energy problems as you describe, though I did run out of gas more quickly for a while - afternoon naps in the first 2-3 weeks were common and my bedtime shifted an hour or so earlier (my circadian rhythm has stayed shifted by an hour or so ever since - about an hour earlier to bed and hour earlier to get up,) but even within the first week I was outpacing my wife on our walks (granted, not a real high bar, but still....) I was back at the gym within the first 2-3 weeks, mostly to keep my wife in the habit, I basically just walked on the treadmill or did some gentle bike or elliptical work to explore range of motion, but moderate energy was there. I was up into the 900-1000 calorie range within the first couple of weeks, and the doc was adding more veg to the diet as my protein was satisfactory at 90+. I wasn't specifically carb loading, but neither was I avoiding them - just eating as healthy as possible within the limitations. Later, however, after about four months I was running into an energy wall after about an hour in the pool, and after consulting with the RD on it and added some complex carb ahead of my gym time, I found that a simple piece of toast made all the difference in breaking through that wall. So simple things can make a difference.

There's been a lot of posts on the three week stall. You might just got yours early. Remember you just had MAJOR surgery. Your stomach was cut out. Your body needs time to heal. Weight is just how much force gravity is pulling. (Can't remember the actually definition right now) Your weight might be "stalling" due to numerous factors, bm, bloating, etc. I can almost guaranty you, you are still losing fat. Put the scale away for awhile.

I am experiencing the “three week stall” right now. Rest assured though, you can’t eat what we are eating and not lose weight. I think our bodies just fight it cause they literally Think we are trying to die.

could be water retention from your period or it could also be the infamous "three-week stall" that most of us experience (it's not always the third week - it could be week 2 or 4 or 5 - but most of us have our first stall pretty early after surgery. It usually lasts 1-3 weeks. Best thing to do is stick to your program and stay off the scale for awhile...it'll break and you'll be on your way again...)

1) I see a lot of people talk about not having an appetite for foods they previously enjoyed or not being able to swallow certain foods. Why is this? My naive thought process is that your stomach had a procedure but your taste buds didn't and why would something that happened to the stomach impact your ability to swallow certain foods? I don't think anyone really knows why our tastes change. My best guess would be it has to do with elimination of a source of hunger hormone, plus gut bacteria get re-set through surgery. It is real though! As for swallowing, I actually haven't heard about people not being able to swallow something. If the taste or texture feels off, many people will choose not to swallow food after surgery. If it isn't soft enough, well-chewed, etc., it may come right back up after you swallow it. That's about all I know that would shed any light on that. 2) I see people talk about not losing much weight or immediately having hunger again. Why is this? Is there a percentage of people that a smaller stomach doesn't work for? How can you not lose weight with a significantly smaller stomach {aside from poor food or liquid choices}. I know we all have different metabolism and our bodies process foods differently - I don't necessarily believe in the whole "calories in, calories out" thing but ... seriously, how can your body not lose if your stomach is like 80% smaller and you follow the food/liquid rules? There are different phenomena that are possible here, and I am not sure which you are talking about. Some people experience stalls in weight loss, even early on (the three week stall for example), even though they are doing everything right. I'm not sure anyone knows for sure why that stall or any other stall happens -- glycogen depletion and replacement, hormonal changes, lots of things could be at work. Then there are people who lose a lot of weight and then either stop losing, or start re-gaining. Typically that's because of poor food choices: grazing all day, eating high-calorie, low-density slider foods, refusing to weigh/measure their portions and track calories and Protein, things like that. What is the percentage of people this just doesn't work for? Depends on your definition of "work for," as well as on your own surgeon. You would want to discuss rates of maintained excess weight loss for your specific surgeon with him or her. That whole "inverted gastric sleeve" sounds like a fancy name for over-sewing the staple line, which I think a lot of surgeons do.