I have hit a major stall in weight loss this week. I am 18 days post op and have lost a total 17 since surgery. Until this week. I haven't lost anything since day 14 and I am getting so frustrated. Please tell me this is normal. I am freaking out. What helps get through the stalls?

Wow I am so sorry, here is what I have been doing maybe it might help,

I walk every other day (small walks) half a block, drink everything (Water, Vitamin water, juice (lemon, lime, orange, grape)

1 mushy meal in am and a shake for the other 2 meals

then late night when hunger hits I make a hot coco Protein rich.

70-90gm protein and at least 80-100oz of liquid.

I am only 17 days post op.

I am totally in a stall right now. I am hungry and have been frustrated with being stuck. I have lost inches though. My pants that are non stretch got bigger on me yesterday. Today I will begin getting some exercise and get some prilosec from the pharmacy. My hungry monster has awakened again. I know I have alot of head hunger going on and found myself eating a lot and really need to refocus myself. Yesterday was a horrible day........

clk posted this a few days ago and I think it is brilliant. I hope she doesn't mind me reposting it and it helps you!

I think too many of us focus on the fast losers when we're planning for surgery and then we assume that once we're sleeved the weight is going to just fly off.

Not everyone is so lucky.

My starting weight is close to your preop weight but you must be taller than my 5'1" and some change because my BMI was much higher at your current weight.

I was a slow loser. Slower, I guess. There are a handful of people here that are even slower than I was. It took me 17 months to hit goal, to lose 107 pounds.

You cannot compare yourself to everyone else. If you're doing the right things and still losing, the sleeve is working. You can try to adjust your food or exercise for a better result but I caution you against doing anything drastic that you won't be able to maintain. Part of why the sleeve is great is that it does away with the need for that diet mentality and helps you build positive habits you can maintain forever. Some folks cut the carbs down to 20 a day, something I consider extreme, but if they can live their lives that way and get great results then it works for them.

My biggest piece of advice isn't one you'll like, but it's something you're going to have to get used to at some point or another. RELAX.

That's it. Because this isn't a race. I promise you, 85% of your stomach just got removed from your body so you're going to lose weight. I see this over and over and over again on the boards - people just so frustrated and worked up because they expected to lose the weight faster, or people that get mad because they feel they didn't need the surgery if they were going to be slow losers.

It took me 17 months to reach goal. It took me 17 YEARS to go from where I am now to my high weight. Am I any less pleased with my success because it took me longer to get here? Nope. I'm happy as can be.

Track your food. Eat responsibly. Get your Protein in, drink your Water, start moving more. In six months you're going to be posting that you're nearly to goal. Give your body a chance to recover from the fact that it's lost 27 pounds and undergone a major surgery the last two months. And yes, even if you want to break the scale sometimes, and even if you don't lose for two weeks of the month (like me) you're going to lose this weight.

So, RELAX.

~Cheri

Thanks so much everyone! I expected to hit stalls every once in a while. I had a short one last week, I just really didn't expect a 5 day stall. I know I'm being hard on myself, like always. I am still having trouble getting all my fluids in and sometimes protein. I want things I can't have and I've got to overcome that.

just to share i was sleeved on 10-31 and had lost 34 lbs at thanksgiving. I hit a 2 week stall and now i am down 43lbs so i think that will happen to us all for diff about of time and at diff stages. I think one one my problems in my thyroid is and has always been a very big problem i take my meds and things still get out of control. good luck and try to not be so hard on your self.

It is normal to hit stalls. I think just about everyone hits some sort of stall around three weeks. I had a huge stall in November at 11 months post op. The scale didn't go down, but everyone kept asking me if I had lost more weight. I was losing inches. Just keep following the rules and the scale will drop again.

Yes, search these forums for 3 week stall, and you'll find a bazillion posts. This is a VERY common point at which to stall. Don't worry - the scale will start to move again. Just try to focus on getting in your liquids and protein, and developing new habits. You'll do great!

I'm in the stall right now. I feel your pain. I have decided that I will only weigh myself on Saturday mornings. I have been obsessing over the scale EVERYDAY since I came home from the hospital. It will drive you NUTS!! I do know that I feel pretty damn good as compared to pre-op. Hoping to see a drop on Saturday!

Stalls happen. No big deal. Just part of the journey.

Here's some info on plateau's though:

WLS Plateau Q & A