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2BonederfulAgain, do not dispair! Many people experience a "stall" at week three and for some it's a bit earlier (week 2) or later (week 4-5). We're all different! You may have extra waste built up in your colon (when was the last time you had a decent poop?). It could be that your hormone levels are higher than normal at the moment (we have extra estrogen in our systems during rapid weight loss as it is released from our fat cells and floods our bodies), so you could be retaining Water as a result of that, which will up your weight. Are you weighing yourself at the same time of day, same clothing or lack of clothing (I weight myself naked, to reduce any variables!). I always weight myself first thing in the morning, right after I pee and before I eat or drink anything. The time of day is fairly consistent and all other variables are fairly consistent too. That way, I can't blame gains on "too much clothes, I just ate, I haven't pee'd , etc. The main culprit is a lack of a bowel movement and that's not as easily controlled! LOL If you're doing all those things and the weight is still the same, look to some other indicators that things are still progressing.....measurements can change, even when the scale doesn't. You might notice clothes are fitting more comfortably than before, or are getting too big (yeah!). Take a look at what you're eating. At 3 weeks out you're probably still in full liquids, possibly on mushies (each surgeon is different). So, are you getting enough Protein? Enough calories? Try to be as patient as possible (I know, I know.....that SUX). Our bodies have been throw a MAJOR curve ball. First we go on a pre-op diet (not every surgeon requires it, but most do and it varies from a few days to a few weeks!), then we have a major surgery, and then we suddenly STARVE ourselves (as our bodies see it). Your body's fighting back! It thinks your under life-threatening attack and trying to save your life! Give it time to figure out that "it's all good" and it will come 'round and get you back on the losing track. We're here if you have more questions, concerns, frustrations, anger....need to vent. That's what this place is for!

One year today. I went from 303 to 185... Ive been stalled the last three to four weeks. Only lost 2lbs this month - i wanted to make it to 175 :-/ any tips? Should i give it up?

hi madam 7 weeks ago the night before my sister and i were sleeved in Mexico i went online and you posted about severe reflux and how you took apple cider vinegar and you were on the floor in the bathroom dying.....that put such terror in my heart....i was totally freaking.....my sister went to sleep and i was literally shaking....i was contemplating not doing the surgery......i took several theanines (natural calmers) and some melatonin and finally fell asleep....i went through with the surgery and both my sister and i had pretty easy recoveries....the day we flew out of san diego we spent 5 hours walking around and sitting watching shows at sea world..... what i am getting at is...how are you? and how are you managing your reflux? now if we can only figure out how to lose our weight without stalling every other week it would be great....we lost 10 pounds the first week then stalled for two weeks....lost another three pounds and stalled for about 10-12 days....we lose about 1/2pound a week now..,,doesnt seem right........any suggestions from anyone..... i dont get in all of the Protein...ive never had so much protein...,same with the Water....i get in about 30 ounces on a good day......thats more than i have ever drunk especially in the winter....,do you think that would be the problem? any feedback from any of you would be highly appreciated....

My stall was about three weeks out and lasted for about a week. I was sleeved on 12/18. My weight lose is now steady and I really try only to weight myself a couple of time a week but that's not working to well. I'm still on phase two of my physician's diet. Don't move to fruits and veggies for another two weeks. :-(. Missing my veggies. My physician is conservative on diets. Hope that's a good thing. I go back to work on the 29th and I'm looking forward to getting back in a routine. I'm trying to get my daily meals on my work schedule to make it easier. I work some crazy hours and take call at least three days a week. My days can last from 10 to 16 hours especially this time of year when so many dialysis patients are hospitalize due to illness. Taking a big tub of my favorite protein powder to leave in my locker for those O My Goodness moments need some energy. Need some ideas on easy meals for breakfast and lunch.

MyssJones Yes the stalls suck. I have gone three weeks and lost nothing then lose 4 pounds. I wish it were more consistent. How have you been otherwise? Does your stomach tolerate foods well? Any constipation issues?lol, that's my biggest problem.

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.

Seriously, Bryan, big congrats on your big leap out of the gate. It must be terrifically motivating. BTW, you're now enjoying your "three week stall." Search for that at this forum or google it. It's a very common phenomenon. No biggie at all though. Just keep doing what you're doing. Best ....

Just wait until you are 5-6 months out and the stalls last and lasts for weeks! Not fun! I am 6 months out with a 78 lb loss and the scales haven't moved for over three weeks! I want to hit that 80 lb loss so badly! I think my body is just starting to say WHOA..slow that loss down. I have upped my exercise and hopefully will start losing again! just 20 more pounds to hit both goal weight and 100 lb loss! I get so many compliments and shocked looks....that it's all worth it. I can't believe how physically wonderful I feel also and feeling good about my self in pictures. Don't sweat those small stalls!

Finally broke a three week stall today! I've been feeling very, very frustrated. Celebrated Father's Day with the whole fam though, and definitely got comments HW 296 - SW 266.3 (4/1/13) - CW 229

I had surgery 6/28/16, lost 27 lbs in three weeks and have now stalled and only consuming between 500-800 calories/day. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Man ive been on a stall for almost three weeks. Losing inches but the numbers just haven't been coming down on the scale at all. Frustrating! What a relief when I decided to get on the scale this morning and discovered I was down 8-9lbs since i last checked. Thats a total of 40lbs since surgery April 5-2013. #HappyGirlDance

Hang in there, everyone talks a lot about the three week stall...don't get discouraged. I was sleeved on the 29th and I am trying to keep a positive outlook...I lost 15 lbs on the pre-op diet but since the surgery (3 weeks ago), I am down almost 10 lbs. Pre-surgery me never had luck losing 3 pounds a week and keeping it off - so I am trying to focus on that....but it is hard when you read about how weight is flying of people and wondering WTH is going on!!!!! Keep at it

Stalls are very normal. I stopped losing weight after my one week post op check... I was stalled for 2 weeks. Then It started moving again. I am 4 weeks out today. At one wee was down 14... nothing at two or three then from three to 4 I lost 6 so I am now at 20 down. It will come. Tour body is just adjusting and going into starvation mode. It will come around. Just stay on track

Oh! And for the generic answer. A true stall is when you haven't gained or lost weight in three weeks. Yes, they exist, but you aren't in one.

Wow Jeaniered - good job! Mom on my fourth week and feel much better. I didn't walk the first week. I was so tired and weak. I walked to the bathroom. Second week I waked more. Outside a bit but only about five minutes a few times a day. I had terrible shoulder pain from gas. It was awful!!! That was the worst part but itwent away end of second week- so hang in there I'm hungry often! I eat a bit about every three hours. Dr said that's ok so that made me feel better. I've only lost 18 pounds since surgery, the first two weeks. And nothing since - in fact I've gained two. Buttttt trying to believe it's the third week stall and will kick in again soon good luck everyone!!

I had some issues with the medications making my stomach hurt when I took them without food, so now I take just about everything after breakfast (except the calcium and D3, which I take later in the day). As far as etc.etc.etc.'s post, oh, boy, yeah. He exactly describes the new posts, with so many people asking the same questions over and over. I know it's a crazy thought, but maybe people should read around the forums a bit before the obligatory "I'm scared" or "I can't drink as much water as I should" or "which protein shake" or "I've stalled at three weeks, has this all been a waste of time" posts. Just saying'.

187.4 today. I suspected I was already in a late "three week stall" when I weighed a couple of days ago, and found my weight had not changed. Then, I landed in the ER last night after passing out at home a couple of times, and when all tests came back okay, doc suspected dehydration and pumped me full of fluids. I suspect this week's gain is from both stall + IV fluids, but I still hope it comes off quickly. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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!

I had a small gain this week. I went from 266 to 266.7. I'm in the middle of week three so I think I've hit the stall everyone talks about. Now I know not to panic!

So why do you have to stop exercising? I also have 100 pounds to lose. Surgery was June 7 and the weight is coming off really slowly now. I lost 11 pounds the week before surgery and then about 20 pounds the next two weeks and in the past 3 almost 4 weeks I have lost only 10 pounds. That seems so slow at this point after the surgery. I was led to believe that you lose the most the first two to three months and then it really slows down. So to say the least I am getting worried. If I have already slowed down so drastically how will I ever meet my goal of 145 to 150. I was 261 a week before surgery and 250 on the day of surgery. Today I weigh 221. I keep gaining and a pound or two then stalling for a week and then losing 3 to 4 then gaining and the cycle keeps going. I exercise daily (30 min) and am working on eating 600 calories with the goal of 800. But it is almost impossible to get in the 600 as impossible for the 800. I know other people eat way less and exercise the same yet the pounds fall off, why is my body so stinking screwy? I know slow is better in some ways but mentally it is the hardest. Oh well thanks for letting me vent.

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.