Please stop and do the math.

People get completely freaked out by what I feel are unreasonable expectations. They fly into a panic. They assume that the first time they don't lose on the scale that their loss is done. They think that two weeks at one weight is a massive stall. They look at other people's large losses and forget that we don't all lose at the same rate.

First - if you did a pre-op diet you are not going to have the same loss your first month as someone who didn't do one. Your pre-op loss should get counted into your loss calculation if you did a pre-op diet.

Second - a stall is three weeks or more at the same weight with no fluctuation. Are you panicked after that? Well, my friend coops once spent twenty one MONTHS at the same weight. She finally broke through and never regained during that time, and even lost two sizes while not budging on the scale. Is it the miracle cure you may have been hoping for on the scale? No. But stalls are not the end of the world. They are certainly more normal that flying to goal in six weeks, I promise you.

Third - losing anything more than a pound a week is good. Are you eating less than ever before? Yes. Does that guarantee you'll lose faster than ever before? No. I had two nine week stalls - no movement except upwards for my monthly cycle. I had months where I lost but only in the tenths of a pound. It's not normal to expect a big loss every time you step on the scale. It's setting yourself up for disappointment.

Fourth - your pattern is your pattern. You can compare yourself to other people sleeved the same day or with the same stats but it doesn't matter. So much of this is individual. So if you're constantly seeking out other people and comparing your losses to theirs, you are eventually going to discourage and frustrate yourself.

Fifth - are you closing in on goal? We all lose even more slowly the less weight we have to lose. So if you only have sixty pounds to lose but shed thirty in your first three months, please don't be hysterical because you're "only" losing a pound a week now that you're past the halfway point. It's normal.

Stop. Breathe. Do the math. Adjust your expectations. This is not a race. You do not get a special award for reaching goal more quickly. Your surgery was not pointless or worthless if you manage to get to goal in two years instead of six months. The real goal is not losing the weight. It's keeping the weight off. That's real success - that's what we're here to do. It does not matter if you hit goal in nine months or two years - the real challenge and the real journey begins with maintenance. How quickly or slowly you lost does nothing to change the challenges you'll encounter there.

I am not ranting at anyone in particular. I just feel that this is an issue that comes up constantly and it's actually pretty silly for people to fly into such a panic without really thinking. I've seen folks upset when they're logging losses of upwards of four pounds a week. Point to the diet that helped you accomplish that and was easy to maintain prior to surgery.

~Cheri

Always wise words from you Cheri. All very good points to keep in mind.

There is another side to the scale as well. I'm one of those that lost too much weight too fast, 80lbs in two months landed me right back in the Hospital with kidney issues and gout in both feet and a knee, couldn't walk or stand for four days. Now I'm taking drugs to protect my Kidney, drugs for gout and on top of all the meds and vitamins for the sleeve, not fun. We've heard it all our lives, but as in most everything we do we don't really believe until it happens to us, moderation people. Find out what your body can handle and go with the flow. Gaining weight too fast is what got us into the situation to be sleeved but loosing too fast can get you into even more trouble. I'm in search of a stall to allow my body chemistry to get back to something resembling normalcy...

There is another side to the scale as well. I'm one of those that lost too much weight too fast' date=' 80lbs in two months landed me right back in the Hospital with kidney issues and gout in both feet and a knee, couldn't walk or stand for four days. Now I'm taking drugs to protect my Kidney, drugs for gout and on top of all the meds and Vitamins for the sleeve, not fun. We've heard it all our lives, but as in most everything we do we don't really believe until it happens to us, moderation people. Find out what your body can handle and go with the flow. Gaining weight too fast is what got us into the situation to be sleeved but loosing too fast can get you into even more trouble. I'm in search of a stall to allow my body chemistry to get back to something resembling normalcy...[/quote']

Thank you for sharing your story. I think so many of us want to lose so quickly that we haven't even considered these risks!

There is another side to the scale as well. I'm one of those that lost too much weight too fast, 80lbs in two months landed me right back in the Hospital with kidney issues and gout in both feet and a knee, couldn't walk or stand for four days. Now I'm taking drugs to protect my Kidney, drugs for gout and on top of all the meds and Vitamins for the sleeve, not fun. We've heard it all our lives, but as in most everything we do we don't really believe until it happens to us, moderation people. Find out what your body can handle and go with the flow. Gaining weight too fast is what got us into the situation to be sleeved but loosing too fast can get you into even more trouble. I'm in search of a stall to allow my body chemistry to get back to something resembling normalcy...

Sorry to hear about your struggles! I hope that you get some normalcy soon...and some relief. Things will most assuredly taper off, so here's hoping that the rest of your journey is less stressful and traumatic for your body.

~Cheri

I'm so glad I came across this thread. I'm nearing three weeks post op and have read so much about the dreaded "three week stall". Going to breathe and do the math. Thanks OP.

Please stop and do the math.

People get completely freaked out by what I feel are unreasonable expectations. They fly into a panic. They assume that the first time they don't lose on the scale that their loss is done. They think that two weeks at one weight is a massive stall. They look at other people's large losses and forget that we don't all lose at the same rate.

First - if you did a pre-op diet you are not going to have the same loss your first month as someone who didn't do one. Your pre-op loss should get counted into your loss calculation if you did a pre-op diet.

Second - a stall is three weeks or more at the same weight with no fluctuation. Are you panicked after that? Well' date=' my friend coops once spent twenty one MONTHS at the same weight. She finally broke through and never regained during that time, and even lost two sizes while not budging on the scale. Is it the miracle cure you may have been hoping for on the scale? No. But stalls are not the end of the world. They are certainly more normal that flying to goal in six weeks, I promise you.

Third - losing anything more than a pound a week is good. Are you eating less than ever before? Yes. Does that guarantee you'll lose faster than ever before? No. I had two nine week stalls - no movement except upwards for my monthly cycle. I had months where I lost but only in the tenths of a pound. It's not normal to expect a big loss every time you step on the scale. It's setting yourself up for disappointment.

Fourth - your pattern is your pattern. You can compare yourself to other people sleeved the same day or with the same stats but it doesn't matter. So much of this is individual. So if you're constantly seeking out other people and comparing your losses to theirs, you are eventually going to discourage and frustrate yourself.

Fifth - are you closing in on goal? We all lose even more slowly the less weight we have to lose. So if you only have sixty pounds to lose but shed thirty in your first three months, please don't be hysterical because you're "only" losing a pound a week now that you're past the halfway point. It's normal.

Stop. Breathe. Do the math. Adjust your expectations. This is not a race. You do not get a special award for reaching goal more quickly. Your surgery was not pointless or worthless if you manage to get to goal in two years instead of six months. The real goal is not losing the weight. It's keeping the weight off. That's real success - that's what we're here to do. It does not matter if you hit goal in nine months or two years - the real challenge and the real journey begins with maintenance. How quickly or slowly you lost does nothing to change the challenges you'll encounter there.

I am not ranting at anyone in particular. I just feel that this is an issue that comes up constantly and it's actually pretty silly for people to fly into such a panic without really thinking. I've seen folks upset when they're logging losses of upwards of four pounds a week. Point to the diet that helped you accomplish that and was easy to maintain prior to surgery.

~Cheri[/quote']

This is one of my favorite posts and I keep coming back to it...every time I start to get discouraged! Thank you again for taking the time to write this!

I'm so glad for this thread and bumping so more newbies like me will see and hopefully READ it!

excellent thread!! seriously need to stop obsessing with the scale & take a breather...

Sent from my GT-I9100 using VST

Ok here is my 2 cents on the topic...for ME....for over 20 years I was eating sugar free.drinks...low fat everything....etc.....so when I had the surgery those changes had been.made long ago...i think some patients lose really fast in the beginning because its at surgery they.give up sodas, fats, all those things at once...that being said....i am slower to lose but ill take it anyday...my co mids are gone...i feel great most days and I walk 3/4 days a week for half hour...dr says that is good...its doable long term....ive wondered if some of the ones ive read or seen on YT will regain when they slow up on the amount of exercise they do.....ive seen some say they do several miles everyday the weights too...just curious

Please stop and do the math.

People get completely freaked out by what I feel are unreasonable expectations. They fly into a panic. They assume that the first time they don't lose on the scale that their loss is done. They think that two weeks at one weight is a massive stall. They look at other people's large losses and forget that we don't all lose at the same rate.

First - if you did a pre-op diet you are not going to have the same loss your first month as someone who didn't do one. Your pre-op loss should get counted into your loss calculation if you did a pre-op diet.

Second - a stall is three weeks or more at the same weight with no fluctuation. Are you panicked after that? Well' date=' my friend coops once spent twenty one MONTHS at the same weight. She finally broke through and never regained during that time, and even lost two sizes while not budging on the scale. Is it the miracle cure you may have been hoping for on the scale? No. But stalls are not the end of the world. They are certainly more normal that flying to goal in six weeks, I promise you.

Third - losing anything more than a pound a week is good. Are you eating less than ever before? Yes. Does that guarantee you'll lose faster than ever before? No. I had two nine week stalls - no movement except upwards for my monthly cycle. I had months where I lost but only in the tenths of a pound. It's not normal to expect a big loss every time you step on the scale. It's setting yourself up for disappointment.

Fourth - your pattern is your pattern. You can compare yourself to other people sleeved the same day or with the same stats but it doesn't matter. So much of this is individual. So if you're constantly seeking out other people and comparing your losses to theirs, you are eventually going to discourage and frustrate yourself.

Fifth - are you closing in on goal? We all lose even more slowly the less weight we have to lose. So if you only have sixty pounds to lose but shed thirty in your first three months, please don't be hysterical because you're "only" losing a pound a week now that you're past the halfway point. It's normal.

Stop. Breathe. Do the math. Adjust your expectations. This is not a race. You do not get a special award for reaching goal more quickly. Your surgery was not pointless or worthless if you manage to get to goal in two years instead of six months. The real goal is not losing the weight. It's keeping the weight off. That's real success - that's what we're here to do. It does not matter if you hit goal in nine months or two years - the real challenge and the real journey begins with maintenance. How quickly or slowly you lost does nothing to change the challenges you'll encounter there.

I am not ranting at anyone in particular. I just feel that this is an issue that comes up constantly and it's actually pretty silly for people to fly into such a panic without really thinking. I've seen folks upset when they're logging losses of upwards of four pounds a week. Point to the diet that helped you accomplish that and was easy to maintain prior to surgery.

~Cheri[/quote']

Thanks for the reminder - that's truly helps in the middle of my three week stall. I'm only 7 weeks out and I realize now that I had completely unrealistic expectations (like a "new me" the day after surgery. BTW it didn't help that my doctor kept telling me if probably lose 160 l s in 6 months)

Sent from my iPhone using VST

Please stop and do the math.

People get completely freaked out by what I feel are unreasonable expectations. They fly into a panic. They assume that the first time they don't lose on the scale that their loss is done. They think that two weeks at one weight is a massive stall. They look at other people's large losses and forget that we don't all lose at the same rate.

First - if you did a pre-op diet you are not going to have the same loss your first month as someone who didn't do one. Your pre-op loss should get counted into your loss calculation if you did a pre-op diet.

Second - a stall is three weeks or more at the same weight with no fluctuation. Are you panicked after that? Well' date=' my friend coops once spent twenty one MONTHS at the same weight. She finally broke through and never regained during that time, and even lost two sizes while not budging on the scale. Is it the miracle cure you may have been hoping for on the scale? No. But stalls are not the end of the world. They are certainly more normal that flying to goal in six weeks, I promise you.

Third - losing anything more than a pound a week is good. Are you eating less than ever before? Yes. Does that guarantee you'll lose faster than ever before? No. I had two nine week stalls - no movement except upwards for my monthly cycle. I had months where I lost but only in the tenths of a pound. It's not normal to expect a big loss every time you step on the scale. It's setting yourself up for disappointment.

Fourth - your pattern is your pattern. You can compare yourself to other people sleeved the same day or with the same stats but it doesn't matter. So much of this is individual. So if you're constantly seeking out other people and comparing your losses to theirs, you are eventually going to discourage and frustrate yourself.

Fifth - are you closing in on goal? We all lose even more slowly the less weight we have to lose. So if you only have sixty pounds to lose but shed thirty in your first three months, please don't be hysterical because you're "only" losing a pound a week now that you're past the halfway point. It's normal.

Stop. Breathe. Do the math. Adjust your expectations. This is not a race. You do not get a special award for reaching goal more quickly. Your surgery was not pointless or worthless if you manage to get to goal in two years instead of six months. The real goal is not losing the weight. It's keeping the weight off. That's real success - that's what we're here to do. It does not matter if you hit goal in nine months or two years - the real challenge and the real journey begins with maintenance. How quickly or slowly you lost does nothing to change the challenges you'll encounter there.

I am not ranting at anyone in particular. I just feel that this is an issue that comes up constantly and it's actually pretty silly for people to fly into such a panic without really thinking. I've seen folks upset when they're logging losses of upwards of four pounds a week. Point to the diet that helped you accomplish that and was easy to maintain prior to surgery.

~Cheri[/quote']

Well stated

I'm so glad you said that as eloquently as you did. I was about to start a new thread entitled 'Shut up about stalling, it's boring me rigid!'

Ok here is my 2 cents on the topic...for ME....for over 20 years I was eating sugar free.drinks...low fat everything....etc.....so when I had the surgery those changes had been.made long ago...i think some patients lose really fast in the beginning because its at surgery they.give up sodas' date=' fats, all those things at once...that being said....i am slower to lose but ill take it anyday...my co mids are gone...i feel great most days and I walk 3/4 days a week for half hour...dr says that is good...its doable long term....ive wondered if some of the ones ive read or seen on YT will regain when they slow up on the amount of exercise they do.....ive seen some say they do several miles everyday the weights too...just curious[/quote']

I'm so glad I read this. Yes you are correct about how much of our eating habits we have to change impacting speed of weight loss. We too ate very healthily. I tried to eat at least 1 -2 lbs of fresh veggies daily which doesn't leave that much room for junk. We didn't eat fast food, we didn't eat fried stuff, cokes, chips, junk, nachos and other crap. Our downfall was cake once a week on bad weeks--not even every week and only 1-2 slices, not the whole cake. I felt bad when I ate 3 slices of thin crust veggie pizza with only half the cheese (our standard pizza order), I can't fathom eating a whole pizza like others say they've done.

Moreover, I mostly ate at or close to 1200-1300 calories. And I had less than 100 lbs to lose from the surgery. Add to that low thyroid and inflammatory auto immune disease which slows weight loss, plus that I'm 47 years old and female.

Put all this together, and logically I know I won't lose as fast as someone who was eating a lot more, is younger, not hormonally challenged, not inflammed, and had lots of room for dietary improvement.

My 23-year old, naturally thin son in contrast--you know how he loses 10 lbs in 2 weeks? He stops eating fast food. That's it. If I didn't love him I'd slap him for how easy it is for him. I'm not a healthy 23-year old male. It's stupid to compare myself to him.

It drives me mad when I see threads saying "sept sleevers, how much have you lost?" Or whatever. All that does is make some people feel bad.

I wish we could all just compare ourselves to our former selves, not to each other. My former self had NEVER lost weight this fast. My former self could NEVER have been satisfied or felt nourished with 600-700 calories. My firmer self NEVER felt in control and hopeful that this finally, was my lifetime change that I could work to maintain.

I'm grateful every day that we could afford this surgery for both of us. I'm grateful it exists, and that we have a chance to live longer, easier lives as a result of it.

And I hope I never lose that sense of gratitude no matter what the scale says on any given day.

Thanks did letting me rant.

I'm so glad I read this. Yes you are correct about how much of our eating habits we have to change impacting speed of weight loss. We too ate very healthily. I tried to eat at least 1 -2 lbs of fresh veggies daily which doesn't leave that much room for junk. We didn't eat fast food, we didn't eat fried stuff, cokes, chips, junk, nachos and other crap. Our downfall was cake once a week on bad weeks--not even every week and only 1-2 slices, not the whole cake. I felt bad when I ate 3 slices of thin crust veggie pizza with only half the cheese (our standard pizza order), I can't fathom eating a whole pizza like others say they've done.

Moreover, I mostly ate at or close to 1200-1300 calories. And I had less than 100 lbs to lose from the surgery. Add to that low thyroid and inflammatory auto immune disease which slows weight loss, plus that I'm 47 years old and female.

Put all this together, and logically I know I won't lose as fast as someone who was eating a lot more, is younger, not hormonally challenged, not inflammed, and had lots of room for dietary improvement.

My 23-year old, naturally thin son in contrast--you know how he loses 10 lbs in 2 weeks? He stops eating fast food. That's it. If I didn't love him I'd slap him for how easy it is for him. I'm not a healthy 23-year old male. It's stupid to compare myself to him.

It drives me mad when I see threads saying "sept sleevers, how much have you lost?" Or whatever. All that does is make some people feel bad.

I wish we could all just compare ourselves to our former selves, not to each other. My former self had NEVER lost weight this fast. My former self could NEVER have been satisfied or felt nourished with 600-700 calories. My firmer self NEVER felt in control and hopeful that this finally, was my lifetime change that I could work to maintain.

I'm grateful every day that we could afford this surgery for both of us. I'm grateful it exists, and that we have a chance to live longer, easier lives as a result of it.

And I hope I never lose that sense of gratitude no matter what the scale says on any given day.

Thanks did letting me rant.

Excellent post as usual, GG!

~Cheri