Stall Solution?

[madintx 12]

Out of surgery for 3 months and been on this stall for one month!! Is this normal? What should I do? I know it is only

3 months , but I see some people here loosing so much but I only lost 30 before surgery and 25 post surg. A lot of stalls in between .

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

Yup, I'm right there with you. I lost 85lbs in 15 weeks and have been stuck between 205-210 for the last 6 weeks. If you look at the "Super Saturday Weigh In" thread you can see my weekly posts verifying this.

Most people stall twice by the 3 month mark. I guess since we went so long without a stall we get longer ones.

[madintx 12]

Yeah but I've had 3 stalls and have not lost so much weight... ;( I went from 24 to now less than 16 size ( transitioning ) but numbers r not changing much! I was 278 now 223 and that is it!!!! I am getting discouraged .

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

By my calculations you have lost 55 pounds? Is this right? How can you say, "AND THAT IS IT". That is an amazing amount of weight to lose. Don't down play your success. You must be very happy to be in a 16 and shopping in any store you like. Be happy where you are at and don't stress about it, you will lose the weight!

[Chelle68 27]

I am 2 months out and have lost a total of 40 lbs. 15 of which were pre op. I have been stalled for 3 weeks. How many calories are ya'll averaging a day? I have been averaging about 700 a day.

[4ALongerLife 329]

Ok here is a couple of the "general" things I can suggest... just suggestions!

1. LOG your intake ---- Do you log what you eat? If not, start doing it now. I love myfitnesspal.com - feel free to add me as a friend. This item brings up how many calories are you eating a day, how many are you expending a day, what's the Protein content of your diet, etc etc. One site can tell you all of this and help you manage it.

2. Water ----- How much Water do you drink? If you aren't getting any, that's part of the problem. If you aren't getting 64 ozs minimum a day, I would encourage you to do your best to change that and get it in. I struggle with water but I swear it flushes you out and encourages the body to flush out fat.

3. EXERCISE ------ Do you work out? I always have worked out but... in my support group, the dr. has said that DID YOU KNOW... it takes 60 to 90 mins of CARDIO a day to lose/maintain? I was stuck at 30-45 minutes of elliptical/stairmaser/treadmill most days of the week & heard that and got quiet. How in hades am I going to do that much of cardio in one freak'n busy day? The weight was slowly coming off but once I "kicked it up a notch" it really came off quicker. So you read that and you too say, holy crap how am I supposed to get to 60 minutes a day of CARDIO? Ok it doesn't have to be at one time. You can do it all at once or partialize it out into increments... for example, take the stairs on a break at work, that's 7-10 minutes. Go for a walk in your neighborhood for 10 minutes. Do these sort of things 6 times a day (in various ways/activities) and bam, you are done, mission accomplished! (lather, rinse and repeat)

4. PLAN YOUR MEALS ----- yep, you have to spend time on it to reap benefits. You can't just keep doing McD's and Sonic, although yes you CAN have it, you still have to spend time planning your diet/meals out. It gets harder to lose as you get closer to goal so this is a skill that I highly suggest you start asap. I hate it but I do it. I'm a recipe collector so if you need ideas, feel free and inbox me.

Not sure what else right now, but that's the general couple of things I can start to suggest. Take it or leave it, only suggestions!

Remember the surgery is only part of the equation. It is a tool that helps but isn't intended to solve the problem, there is still work to be done on your journey. Remain positive and keep working at it y'all! You can do it! And if you work it, it will happen. But give yourself credit and don't say "I've only lost x" or "I've only done y"... every step forward IS in the right direction! (and don't compare yourself to others! please...it'll drive you nuttttts)

Best of luck! xx

[Chelle68 27]

Thank you for your response. I have been using my fitness pal and I think I sent you a friend request. I am having a lot of trouble with my Water intake. I think this is why I have gout again. I have been fighting this ever since my surgery 8/23. That has put a big damper on my walking. It is very painful. That has been the worst part of this whole procedure for me. I am really going to start pushing the water intake beginning today. I have not tracked that in my fitness pal but will begin today. I think seeing how much or little I am getting will help. Thank you again.

[4ALongerLife 329]

Hey Chelle, for what seemed like a long time, I kept my caloric intake between 700-900 calories. Then I noticed, I increased my exercise and was HUNGRY all of the time. I took the PPI's thinking that might help but after a while it didn't. So I now keep calories around 1200. For me, I have varied my caloric total during my WLS journey. Right now I'm nursing the leak so I kinda eat differently than most. I know my dr. does metabolic breathing tests (have you guys done this too?) and my last one said that I should eat between 1670 to 2170 calories a day to maintain! Holy crud ... I move alot! lol... But my metabolic test also shows a weight loss zone of 1336-1670 calories. So I keep it up to 1300 in my mind and I should be fine ..... until I get to my "final" goal. Dr. said once I am finally done with losing, 1600 on average should be copasethic.

As for Water, I have to plan my Water intake in every day (around some medication that I'm taking for my leak, which now we've found I have an ulcerated tummy as well, so I'm taking pepto bismol like stuff every few hours). However, even before all of this, I still had my favorite water receptical and knew ok by x time I have to have one done. Then by later that afternoon, I had to be done by x time. I sound so rigid, but honestly I'm not. I just knew in my head/timewise when I needed to get done or I would never get it all in if I don't eat 30 mins around drinking. Once I lose sight of my time, I just can't ever catch up (and you shouldn't push to do so but try to get in as much water as you can). I swear the water does help, so if I seem rigid, c'est la vie... I do whatever works. When I stalled, I listened to inputs and tried them. I've been on a liquid diet because of the leak I've STILL got (grr) so yes, I believe that's helped some too... although even on liquids/soft I can get in 1200 calories a day. (which I previously thought was impossible... )

Best of luck in figuring out what all works for you!

[Chelle68 27]

I have only seen my dr. when i signed consent and the day of surgery. I have an appt the 22nd. I am just going by what I read on here for calorie intake. I do get hungry on 700 cal a day. My work has me on my feet all day 8-12 hrs a day. I was starting to walk. I have had gout since 1 wk out. It went away for about 2 wks and now is back and from my foot to my hip. I am taking apple cider vinegar , cherry juice and pushing the Water. I had gotten away from tracking water and that may have been the problem. As soon as I get it back under control I will walk again. I have just been afraid to eat too much because I have been stalled for 3 wks but maybe need to eat more. Going to the market to get some raw veggies to add to my diet. I have missed radishes and celery. Sorry to hear about your leak. How did you know you had a leak?

[4ALongerLife 329]

I had "pneumonia" in July and August, then alot of pain in my left shoulder and side again and it won't go away. I had severe pain previously in March whenever they found the leak originally, but it was excrutiating pain back then; now it's a slow stabbing/burning pain... oh the joy of it all lol. I've had an MRI to make sure it wasn't arthritis starting, yeah another great thing to tell me that I'm just getting old so let's do an MRI to make sure it's not that lol... then I have had chest xrays and CAT scans to make sure it was a leak... the last CAT scan was of my chest and abd region, laying down and bam, they saw it then ... it was about 10 mm in August... now it's about 8 mm which doesn't sound like much of a difference but is a huge difference in a month, thankfully. My dr's watching the diameter region (which is way too mathematical for me to explain, hello I was a liberal arts major in college/grad school due to my unfortunately weak math skills! lol). Another month of liquids and I hope the thing will plug up and be closed, then I just have to be careful on not overeating to break the plug. Bad thing is, I do still struggle with "just one more bite" unfortunately and that can do it! This journey is a never ending process isn't it?

Ok back to you and the stall equation.... Do you have a NUT? I was self pay so I don't but that might help you as I've seen other readers/posters say they go to one (I see it on MFP alot too, I'm more on there than here and I use the statuses!). Does the cherry juice have a lot of sugar in it? I log my Vitamins (as they have calories) ... so I just wonder if that is adding to your intake as well.

If you are that active from your work and are hungry on 700 calories a day, now I am not a NUT, but I think it's sensical to up your intake a bit. Try 900 and see if you are less hungry but still loosing for instance. It's a "tweaking" game really. You have to figure out where your body responds, but what I posted earlier in that list of suggestions, that's a good guide of what items to play with to find the magical equation for YOU. At least it has been for me, but I'm just attempting to figure this out as all of us are! The 60-90 mins of cardio is what shocked me - and what usually most of us get quiet about. Sounds like you are doing that at work and WITH the gout so kudos to you Chelle! Keep rocking it girl!

[Chelle68 27]

Thank you for the encouragement. I will do some experimenting with my calorie intake. Take care of yourself and that leak.

[dar1983 750]

Out of surgery for 3 months and been on this stall for one month!! Is this normal? What should I do? I know it is only

3 months , but I see some people here loosing so much but I only lost 30 before surgery and 25 post surg. A lot of stalls in between .

welcome to my world. I am at a loss...

[Linds324 32]

welcome to my world. I am at a loss...

How ironic that you're at a loss since you're not losing...

And everyone else, I'm allowed to say this to her...she's my mom!

[Ijam75 102]

I had a brutal stall around the 6 week mark that lasted for weeks. They happen, they suck, they play games with your mind and can even start making you second guess things. You just have to remind yourself that the weight will come off.

Sent from my mobile productivity killer.

[dar1983 750]

How ironic that you're at a loss since you're not losing...

And everyone else, I'm allowed to say this to her...she's my mom!

Love the sarcasm!