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I was sleeved July 1 and doing well. I lost 10 lbs pre-op and 15 more in the first two weeks. I have been stalled for almost three weeks. I lost 2.5 in the last few days but it is frustrating. I see my Nut and Dr next week and am hoping my stall will be over soon. I think what is frustrating is that I believe I am doing everything right. I haven't even eaten out once. I cook all my food. I must say I was a nervous wreck prior to surgery and feel great this last week and a half just tired due to working long days. I am excited for everyone on their journey! Best of luck.

I am having the same problem. Surgery 11/7, SW 240 and I've been hovering at 215 for about two weeks. I think this is the "three week stall that has been written about a lot. There is even a sub-forum called "Don't sweat the stall stuff". Take a look at the threads there, it will help. Basically stick with your program--we're too early on to have had drinks, bread, or sugar. You're body will "adjust" to your very fast weight loss and begin losing again when it's ready.

I was just like you last month.....I stayed the exact same for 10 days around the three week mark. I researched it and found out it has something to do with glycogen and your body adjusting to the new eating/metabolism and basically saying WTH itself. I'm happy to report that it's now a month later, and I have lost another 10 lbs since the stall. It was driving me crazy, and my nurse suggested I put the scale away and get it out just once a week. (I do it twice) That helped, too. Hang in there.

Is anyone at 5 weeks out not really loosing weight? I slowed to a stop at three weeks which I assumed was the "dreaded 3 week" stall. But I am still not loosing. I have lost 2 pounds in 2 weeks. I am eating around 700-750 calories, I burn at least 200 of those daily with excercise Anyone have any advice. I am seeing the nut tomorrow to go over my fitness pal. I track everything. I don't want 26 pounds to be it.

I'm with you ArtSong, I was sleeved 9/14/12 and am down 54 lbs and I was really happy with that, 3 weeks ago! Scale has not moved in three weeks and I'm worried that I'm doing something wrong! I still getting in all my protein and water and eating around 800 calories, and I know stalls happen and to be patient but to get on the scale and find it has not moved is upsetting! I could up my exercise, only getting to walk 3 days a week or so plus some strength training at home due to my work schedule and my kids activites schedule. This stall has me feeling really down!

How much weight were you expecting to lose each week/month? Was it a realistic amount? Were you being influenced by the weight being lost by people who had a lot more to lose than you? For example the people on My 600lb Life who lose 20-30lbs a month. Remember their starting weight was three or more times your starting place. It takes a lot of calories to maintain a 600lb body. Of course decreasing their caloric intake to 1000/day is going to result in a lot of weight loss. In general, the less you have to lose the less you will lose each week. If you are expecting to lose say 80lbs you can’t compare your weight loss progress with someone wanting to lose 160lbs. Think of it as a percentage. Going from 200 to 120lbs is losing 40% of your body weight. Going from 400 to 120lbs is losing 70%. If you lose 1lb a week that’s 1.25% of the weight you want to lose. A person wanting to lose 280lbs, would have to lose about 3.5lbs/wk to be at the same rate. I’m not saying this is a constant percentage rate of loss for everyone, but just a way to look at your loss rate differently. Some people with similar stats to you will lose at a faster rate simply because of their make-up: their metabolism, how much they exercise, their muscle mass, etc. Others will lose more slowly. You will have good weeks & slow loss weeks & stalls of no loss. Most importantly the surgery isn’t magic. You won’t lose all the weight you want to lose in a couple of months. It’s hard work. You have to re examine your life & your habits (eating, exercising, cravings...) to understand what lead you to being overweight. You’ll have successes & failures, slips back to old habits (understandable you had them for years) but if you don’t make changes you can’t expect to the lose weight.

Howdy! I've been so busy enjoying this new freedom called get up and MOVE! I have joined a fun dance group called Body Groove and it is a fantastic way of getting up and get moving with low impact. It's an app you can download on your TV and dance along. Overall I have been able to resume normal eating, but the raw food are still kinda iffy. I think I'll wait awhile before introducing salads. I need to stay focused on protein and hydration. With my morning protein drink (coffee replacement) and adding liquid protein to my water, I haven't had any issues with meeting my protein requirements. I find more than anything is that I'm tired. I was successfully able to give blood and my iron count was 13.5 so I know my nutrients and supplements are absorbing. I go for my 3 month checkup soon and they'll be analyzing my blood labs a bit closer. Constipation is a real issue. even though I take a Dulcolax chew about once a week, I think I'm gonna have to up it to every other day. Suppositories work real well, but I hate when it has had to get that far. I also started drinking a green smoothie most days to get in my trace minerals in wheat grass powder, veggies, and adaptogens from mushrooms. Anyone else try Ka'Chava? I really like it My weight stalled around 207/208 for about three weeks but I dropped a considerable amount of inches. So far I am staying within the healthy weight loss bracket. I'm anxious to post my Onederland scale picture soon!!

Nearly everyone has a stall at the 3-4 week mark. just search this forum for "three week stall" and you will see. It is totally normal. Just keep following your doctor's plan and you will start losing again.

Hi. Sleeved on 8/3. Down 23 lbs since surgery. Have definitely hit the three week stall! I'm getting better everyday with getting in enough water, but struggling a bit with liquid protein--just kind of over it, but trying to work on it because I have struggled with feeling weak and tired. It's not been easy for me to take it slow, so I have to remind myself I just had surgery three weeks ago, and need to take better care of myself. I am also battling constipation, even taking benefited everyday and hitting 60oz fluids. Good luck to you!

Yes, a cup of liquid (not necessarily puree or cream soups) anything goes down easily. I remember in the hospital when they brought my first meal: good size bowl of broth, small juice, popsicle, Jello cup and I was thinking what on earth am I supposed to do with all this? All I'd ever heard was sip, sip, sip and don't ever take in more than 1oz at a time. Boy was I in for a surprise when the nurses were really irritated with me for not eating it all and not drinking the huge pitcher of ice Water they kept refilling! At home on Clear Liquids I'd usually fix myself a 16oz bowl of broth and sip it down slowly but I didn't have any trouble taking it in. I had a stall in week three. It was also time for my period and every month, things seem to stop a week and a half before I get my period, then I start and drop 2-4 lbs over night and start inching down again from there.

Haven't been on here in awhile! I have had the craziest, most stressful and rewarding three months of my life. With this came a huge stall.... No gain, but no loss. Frustrating but I have no one to blame but myself. I finished up my Capstone in December, and had my pinning early December. Around that same time my grandmother, I was her full time caregiver, was admitted into Hospice. While waiting for my Authorization to Test from my state boards and studying for my boards I was watching my grandmother slowly dwindle away into a person I didn't know. I finally scheduled my boards for 2/13, the week before my test my grandma had the worst week ever, I found myself crying on the floor next to her bed one night begging her to stay in bed and go to sleep, the last week of her life was constant, constant yelling for help, constantly awake except for short naps, I was exhausted, I was snappy, I was not remotely trying to do what I needed to be doing. On 2/8 a Hospice nurse came out after she had been awake for 20 hours and yelled the whole time, while being given Morphine and Haldol and nothing would help her calm down, they decided to admit her for medication stabilization, we anticipated her coming home after a few days. At 6am on 2/9 a hospice nurse called us (8 hours after her admission) and told us we needed to come say our goodbyes. I lost my grandmother at 2/9 at 1400, my dad was at her side, we all had the opportunity to say our goodbyes. Her loss has left a complete void in my life, I rescheduled my test for 2/22 and after taking the week of my grandmothers death off from studying, I hit the books hard. The Thursday before my test I had an interview for a local Hospital in their medical unit, it was a great interview, they just wanted me to let them know if I passed my test. I took my test last Saturday and walked out over the moon, I knew I had passed, I had no doubt in my mind. I received my notification of passing on Monday, notified my interviewer Monday evening and was offered a position yesterday. Talk about a crazy whirlwind week! I am ready to be back on track, I start my position in 2 weeks and I want to be comfortable in scrubs! I dusted off my, My Fitness Pal app, and pulled out my blender, started the day with a fruity Protein drink.

It sounds trivial when someone say's "Hang in there, it will happen", The fact is, it DOES happen. As long as you are watching what you eat, losing weight is inevitable. I finally broke my stall a couple of weeks ago, which was almost a month. I stay away from fast food, fried foods and refined sugar like the plague. During a three week span, I lost a total of 2 lbs but my clothes continued to get smaller.

I am with you. I have stalled for five weeks between 161 to 157 and inbetween. Weighed in at my six month dr appt at 159. He wanted me at 150. Will see him in three months and am hoping my personal goal is met (135 lbs). I still...after six months, have only dropped two pants sizes (size 14). I remember years ago being a size 12 weighing 180 lbs. Frustrated.

I can see how frustrating that is, but then again you've already lost almost 80 pounds which is a LOT. So, your body is probably adjusting to that massive weight loss before you can start losing again. I spent the last week of October, all of November and the first week of December in a stall, pretty much. I only lost 6 kilos (13 pounds) in those three months, most of it in December. I'm thinking January is going to be your month. It will be great starting the new year with renewed weight loss!

DAY 49 29 days post op I survived the dreaded three week stall without stalling... But I certainly have slowed down. Went from losing a pound a day to about a little less than half a pound a day. Less than I was losing. More than I would be losing before surgery. What I am curious to know is if this is the new normal or if it will pick up again.... Or slow down more. UGH! My control freakishness needs to know! Looking forward to my one month appt tomorrow and hopefully clearance to eat fresh fruit, nuts, seeds etc. oh and salad! I'd love a salad. I am certainly not able to eat enough to get all my Protein and non protein foods in yet, but I'd love to have an option. A troubling item on the horizon- a few days ago I started feeling a twinge on my right side under my rib cage. At first I thought I pulled something, but now I am wondering if it might be my gall bladder. I am taking medication to prevent stones but I wonder if there is some inflammation or something. I will mention it at tomorrow's appt. if it I my gall bladder and they have to take it, then I want them to take it this year since I already met all my insurance maximums. Stay tuned for an update post appt. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It's not a race. None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. We all experience periodic stalls and slow downs. Almost everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids, take your Vitamins and supplements as directed, exercise when cleared, stay off the scale. And, Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I go through plateaus every three weeks, then lose for three weeks and plateau again. It will start coming off! I stalled on my workouts in March since I work in public accounting and my audits all issue in March, but starting this week I am back working out. Anyone still having shortness of breath during intense exercise? I'm fine swimming, spinning, jogging, etc but if I am at a pace greater than a jog I get wheezy with a tight throat. I am sure it is surgery related still as I am only 5 months out. Keep up the good work everyone! Down from 322 (310 pre surgery) to 252. My goal is 230-240.

Absolutely! My biggest loss was first 14 days, I was struggling to get in liquids & then I stopped seeing scale move. I could feel that I was smaller, like I was shedding inches. THe three week stall broke and I'm 3 pds away from onederland. 😂 I'm six weeks out now

The vast majority of people experience the "dreaded three week stall" after having WLS, though sometimes it comes a bit sooner or later. That is most likely what you're going through right now. If you do a keyword search about the stall you'll find heaps of threads here about it with tips. You haven't done anything wrong. Your body just needs some time to adjust. It's been through a major surgery, radical eating changes, and weight loss all in a rush. You will start losing again. Just persevere. My stall broke when I increased my calories. Basically I'd been consuming far too calories, so my body thought it was starving and was holding onto to everything I took in to help protect me. It relaxed when I started having more calories.

Well for three weeks I have been going up and down between 204-207. It's not a stall. It's called eating things I shouldn't be eating. Oh how I need to get back on the right path!!! Today's weight is 205.3

Pam - Can I come stay with you and can I sleep in your closet? :eek: Kat - I'm so glad you're ok! That would have freaked me out and it's a good thing you kept control of your truck! TracyK - How's the house search going? Have you found anything you like yet? Laura - I know exactly what you're talking about with the computer game. I sometimes sit for two little girls, one is 14 and one is 12 and they spend their allowance money on these virtual lives! I couldn't believe it when they were first explaining it to me! Obviously there is many many people out there doing the same. That sounds like a great hobby and it's great that you're able to make money off it! Jenn - glad you're feeling better! So, I've hit such a plateu. I'm completely stalled. It frustrates me because I work like a dog, fall into bed exhausted every night. but in the morning I weigh myself and I'm up and down the same two pounds every day. Been like that for about three weeks now. Granted i'm not doing cardio or nothing like that but still! Last night I had to touch up the entire house because when the guys that installed my tile floor, they would brace themselves on the newly painted walls to get up off of their knees. So last night I had to go around the whole house and repaint all the walls right around the hip level and down. My arms were killing me, I was sweating like crazy. Sunday we loaded up a huge moving truck with all the stuff that's left from our old house, brought it to the new house and unloaded everything. Then we had to load up about 500 sq feet of carpet that had been soaked by the rain because when we pulled it we left it out in the back yard and it rained so it got soaking wet. Along with the pad that goes underneath! And also about 500 sq ft of linoleum that we pulled from the kitchen and bathrooms. Anyways, we loaded that up onto the moving truck and we went and found a dumpster to unload it into. Seriously, almost every day is like this since we moved. We've been moving, cleaning, pulling, painting. trimming. This house was a wreck when we got it. It's got great bones but the interior was yuck. And i'm sorry for the rant but I'm getting so frustrated. I was crying about it this morning when I got on the scale. Oh and I guess it doesn't help that we've been eating fast food almost every night. I just can't stop whatever project I'm doing to fix dinner so Juan usually brings something home. Not overly bad stuff because he can't stand burgers and fries but it's not home cooking. Roasted chicken from the grocery deli, subway, salads from jack in the box, chinese food... AUGH. I can't wait until I get back to normal. Hopefully just one more week and I'll be done with the house that way I can get back to my routine, because not only is it affecting my dinner eating it also affects my lunch eating. I usually make lunch at home and bring it to the office. Well I haven't been doing that so I end up grabbing something quick here at the places around the office... Oh, and I don't eat breakfast. I don't get hungry until around 12:30. I have only myself to blame. I've promised myself 5 days a week of gym as soon as i get my house in order. Thanks for listening ya'll. I feel better now.

Here's a great article by Kaye Bailey re snacking: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 No Snacking. It is the rule that works. Rule #3 - No Snacking Excerpted with permission from Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test by Kaye Bailey Pages 43-45 - Copyright 2009 - Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved "Without a doubt, the "No Snacking" rule is the most divisive in the weight loss surgery community. In fact, I've received more angry letters on this topic than any other of the Four Rules. One school of thought is that snacking is absolutely forbidden. The other school swears that three meals plus two Snacks a day are essential for the nutritional survival of the weight loss surgery patient. "I am not a doctor and I am not a nutritionist. But I work on the front lines with weight loss surgery patients every day, patients who are many years out from surgery; patients who have lost touch with their bariatric centers. What I do know for certain is this: patients who snack and who are not engaged in extreme athletics gain weight. There is a fine line between snacking intelligently and grazing and few, if any, of us have the self-control to toe the line. In my experience and in my opinion there is no reason for the average person post-WLS to ever engage in snacking. If we follow the I {heart} DIET we will not be hungry in the 4-6 hours between planned meals; there will not be a blood glucose emergency and there will not be a physiological need to snack. "This may be a very unpopular stand for me to take. But I have spent the last six years working with my fellow weight loss surgery patients and in every case of weight regain snacking has been involved. And in most cases the initial instructions from the bariatric center were for the patient to eat every 3 to 4 hours and somewhere along the third year things went wrong. Snacking on Protein Bars or nuts became grazing on pretzels and crackers washed down with soda, coffee or tea. Slider foods overruled sensibility. "No Snacking. It is the rule that works. "Now, I'm obligated to tell you to follow the very specific instructions given you by your bariatric center. If they instructed you to have three meals a day and two snacks a day that's fine: please do not feel I'm beating you up here. But please, go get your original notes and instructions. Review the list of approved snacks. Copy that list and post it on your refrigerator to keep your memory refreshed. The snacks your center permitted during the phase of weight loss are the only snacks you are allowed for the rest of your life if you want to maintain your weight loss. "I personally feel the "NO Snacking" rule is a tremendous relief. For several years of my adult life, prior to surgery, I had a 40-minute commute to and from work each day. My morbidly obese irrational thinking had me convinced that I could not last that commute without a large soda and giant cookie: both morning and night. Looking back that was about 1,200 calories of snacking I was taking each day just to "survive" my commute. Twelve hundred calories is equal to our full day caloric allowance after surgery! How was it again, that I became morbidly obese? Hmmm. My car was always full of crumbs and the back seat littered with empty cups and cookie wrappers, not to mention the expense of my snacking habit. What a relief when "No Snacking" took that burden from me. "One reason we are prone to break the "No Snacking" rule is because traditional snack foods are ever present in our society and they tend to set more comfortably in our stomach pouch than protein dense food. Have you found yourself able to eat an endless bag of crackers or chips yet struggle to get a few bites of roast chicken down? The crackers are soft and when consumed with liquid create slurry that never compacts in the pouch the way protein does. The cracker slurry slides right through in a steady stream: slider food (more on this in Part II: I {heart} DIET Basics). Solid protein, on the other hand, settles in the pouch like an unwelcome second cousin on your sofa and lingers just a little too long. So naturally we prefer to eat something that gives us comfort, not discomfort. "But the fact is, the pouch when it is used correctly, is supposed to be a little bit uncomfortable. The discomfort is the signal to stop eating. When we are snacking on slider foods we do not get that signal and we do not stop eating." LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife.