Hi all,

It's been a while since I have checked in. I have been dealing with a pretty bad stall. I am hoping that it is coming to an end. To be fair, I did fall of the wagon. I am finding that I am able to eat a lot more and it scares me! Luckily I did not gain any weight but I did not lose anything either. I have continued to exercise even during the stall. I definitely was emotionally eating. There has been some stress lately. The sleeve did stop me from eating too much but it could not stop what I put in my mouth. That's where my self control was seriously lacking these last couple of weeks.

I am happy to report that I did get back on track over the last few days and the scale is starting to budge ever so slowly. A big part of me is scared. I am questioning whether or not I can really reach the DRS goal weight of 140. I am really doubting myself. I have started to receive a lot more attention and I must admit I am getting a bit flustered by it. I am at the weight I was when I met my husband. It is a number I never thought I would see again and I certainly was always stuck at that number before. With all of the current changes I am starting to wonder if I have the courage to hit my goal weight. I piled on layer after layer of fat to hide myself from the world and now that those layers are disappearing I am having to learn new coping mechanisms. The fat I carried around kept people away from me. Now that it is going away people are nicer and more receptive to me. Kind of pisses me off that they were not as nice when I was heavier but such is life.

I am past the honeymoon stage where the weight is just melting off and now the really hard work is coming into play. I am really having to stay on the plan to see any loss. I know that this is all worth it. I just have to muster up the courage to not self sabotage my current success.

Has anyone else had this problem?

"2bfit"...... I've been there too as far as the stall and very slow weight loss. I know my weight really slowed once I started lifting weights more heavily and started to use creatine (helps muscle retain water and adds water weight). My strength is going back up, weight loss slowed a lot or stalled, but my pants kept getting looser. I knew my body fat% was dropping, so I know with all of the lifting I do and protein I take in (80-120 grams a day), that the little weight that I am losing is all fat. Are you doing a lot of resistance training? If you have the ability to add muscle, this could be part of it, but stay the course, that muscle will help you burn fat. If it's not a muscle thing, just try and pick yourself back up, eat right and exercise, you'll be fine. Like so many people say here, it's not a race. So you hit a stall, at least it's better than putting on 10 pounds over those few weeks. Look at as just a pause in your weight loss and get refocused. I think most, if not all of us have gone through that at some point since surgery. It looks like overall, you've done great! BMI of 41.5 down to 30.6..... that's great progress! Hang in there and don't give up. : ) But I can relate on the slow weight loss, so let me know if you need some feedback sometime. Keep us updated!

I know I am there I am dedicated to my training and I have built muscle its still sometimes disheartening I am stalled 163 almost 3 weeks now I started running and doing hiit 3 weeks I am wondering whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy lol ....Everyone says if I loose the 20 more I want I will fade away:HARDLY" but its funny how I dont see itmyself that old mentality..... I wish you the best I know exactly how you feel we have to continue we can do it

Another thing dont know if its true this is the lowest weight I have been and was 20 years ago can it be true that it remembers I dont know lol'

I totally understand what your going through!

I also gained weight to hide from the world.

I never understood and kinda still don't really understand why I know I hated all the attention from men but humm.... besides that idk?

anywho I just got my primary to send a referral so I should get a date to go to the option orientation

through kiaser so this is the beginning of my journey I am a bit terrified but so excited due to the fact I don't

even reconize my self anymore.

The emotional eating is a killer Happy eating,mad eating,sad lonely eating,busy bad choice eating it's all eating.

I could tell you stay motivated but when people tell me that I'm like yah ok ....so I don't know exzactly what you need to hear at this point in your journey but your honesty is very inspiring and is greatly appreciated I can't wait til the point I can say I have lost 70 plus lbs:) so good job your doing awesome!!!! stay focused on your goal if you mess up remember your human it happends to all of us and also remember the journey it took to get you from where you where to where your at that might help good luck doll 170 lbs i wish lol...

Thanks aroundhky & everybody else for the encouraging words! I was not so put off by the stall as much as my "mental" state if that makes sense. I suddenly froze. Like the old saying be careful what you wish for. I was suddenly receiving attention that I never had before. People did not recognize me, guys walking up to me, family asking me what happened etc. I thought I was prepared for all of that but I guess until it really happens to you, you really do not know how you are going to react. Those who know about my surgery are saying that I should not lose any more because I will be too thin. I still have 32 lbs to go! So how the heck can I be too thin. Those are words I never thought I would hear. So I am not focusing on their input but am focusing on the plan the doctor has laid out for me.

On the plus side I am like the energizer bunny. I have so much energy and exercising is an amazing experience because it doesn't hurt anymore.

I know a stall is expected and during the stall I did lose inches. I am doing strength training so I know I am building muscle which is a good thing. I think I just had to get my head straight again you know? That's why I love this forum. Only the people on here can understand exactly what I am going through. So thank you!

PS.

I can totally relate to your post:

First 2012 weigh in ---- 253 (01/05/2012)

12 weeks post-op------ 253 (01/24/2012) WTH???

WTH!?! is exactly what I have been thinking too!

Hang in there Cheri! All stalls are from hell! I know for me personally the honeymoon was over by the 4th month. Ever since then it really has been very slow going. But the key is to never give up. I'm almost 18 months post-op and it has taken me this long to lose -101 lbs, AND -8 of that was pre-op. SO I hear ya for sure. There is one big difference for me when I stall (which is a LOT, I'm more the same weight all the time with the rare movement downwards) now post-sleeve as opposed to just dieting. I DON'T GIVE UP and throw in the towel and call it a day and dive headfirst into the ice cream. So having the sleeve gives me confidence that I can keep going, even if it is at a snails pace!

M2G thanks for sharing I felt sefeated the past few days like its not going to move thanks for your story knowing I am not alone and that I will get there...I felt like is this it?

I have had a very long stall too. I seem to be stuck at 204 lbs. At first I panicked because I felt the old "here I go again" and the inevitable gain. But a week passed and another and then a second week and a third I lost 2 lbs. and agian I stall. It seems different to me now, somewhere along the line I realized it isn't the same. I won't regain it and if I have hit the weight I will be so be it. It isn't where I wanted but it sure isn't where I was.

I am no longer hungry, I am no longer worried about wiping out a hip on a downward slope on my bike. I eat well and carefully and I have not lost much hair at all. I enjoyed an NSV the other day when I was finally prodded into shopping and I went into Old Navy and bought two "L" tops...They fit. The size 16 pants will be very loose soon.

I am somehow, at least for right now, content with the loss I am experiencing. If I loose 2-3 lbs a month that is fine by me. I want more and I am working on it. Onderland is where I plan to reside. For now I am content to coast along after some very hard fought for victories. Keep my new good habits and stay active. Hope this helps!

I was afraid to get on the scale 2 days but it finally happened !!! 160 today 3 pds after 3 weeks almost 150's thank goodness