I’m in the dreaded three-week stall and it sucks. I knew this was coming. I knew it was going to happen. I thought I even prepared myself for it. I have preached to others that it’s not big deal. That it’s your body saying, “Whoa, what the hell did you do to me?” and, “Your body needs to figure it out before it loses more weight.” I know all that, but it doesn’t make it suck any less and it doesn’t make me any less pissed off. There, I said it. I’m pissed off. I said it again.

Rationally, it makes sense. My body is wondering if it’s a time of famine, so it’s not going to allow it’s self to lose any more weight until figures out that this is the new normal. This may take some time – I’m in a Facebook group where some people who had their sleeve operation in November stalled for three weeks. That’s a major blow to my already fragile psyche! After years of yo-yo dieting, when you don’t see the scale move, that when you find the donuts, or bread, or Cookies or (insert vise here). That is not an option. Eating a donut or other off-plan food will not only make me sick, even worse, it could damage my sleeve. It’s also not an option because I must be accountable for my actions. I need to be an adult. I will add that accountability and being an adult sucks, too! :-)

So, I am writing this post as much for me as for anyone that reads it. The three-week stall will most likely happen. Try to prepare yourself for it, but know that no matter how much you prepare for it, it’s still going to be difficult when you go through it.

What am I going to do about it? I’m going to keep on keepin’ on. That’s all I can do. I am going to stick to my plan – 3 meals and 3 shakes per day with 80-90 grams of protein; just as the doctor ordered. I’m going to continue going to the gym and walking on the treadmill. These are the two things that are going to help me achieve my goals. I cannot lose sight of that. I also know that this is temporary. My rational mind knows the arithmetic behind calories in vs. calories out. I’m consuming 600-800 calories a day right now and I’m burning about 250 on the treadmill daily. That formula will equal weight loss as soon as my body realizes we’re going to be OK. I just wish my body knows what my brain does!

I'm stalling too and I admit, although I know the science, I am frustrated. I had my sleeve surgery on 12th November and have lost 30Ibs including my pre op weight loss. The scales haven't really moved since 19th. I get my water in but cannot stomach protein shakes, so I know I'm deficient there. I can't eat much, obviously, but as the variety increases I know I'll lose more. Thank for your post, McButterpants!

I'm stalling and depressed. I had my surgery on the Nov 18th and lost 20lbs but haven't lost in a week. I even gained a pound. I don't know how this is possible. I barely eat. I'm definitely not getting all my water and protein in yet. It's so hard. I don't know what to do. Any advice?

Cathy & Alisa,

As I said in my original post, it's just the body needing to figure things out. You have to just stick to your plan and your body will catch up. I think that's what I have to do to get thru this. And knowing others have gone thru this and you see their success - that helps, too.

But, you wouldn't have guessed I had that great knowledge yesterday as I had a big pity party for myself...I didn't go to the gym as planned, I didn't get my 80 grams of Protein in and I wasn't close on the Water. And you know what? I felt like crap. I was tired and lethargic. I had a bad attitude.

So, today is a new day and I'm going to play by the rules. I need to in order to feel human again. I'm going to eat my three meals, I'm going to drink my 3 shakes (OMG, the shakes are getting old),I'm going to drink my water and I'm going to go to the gym for a nice long treadmill workout.

I hope you guys have a great Sunday! Let me know how you're doing!

Edited December 8, 201312 yr by McButterpants

Cathy & Alisa, As I said in my original post, it's just the body needing to figure things out. You have to just stick to your plan and your body will catch up. I think that's what I have to do to get thru this. And knowing others have gone thru this and you see their success - that helps, too. But, you wouldn't have guessed I had that great knowledge yesterday as I had a big pity party for myself...I didn't go to the gym as planned, I didn't get my 80 grams of protein in and I wasn't close on the water. And you know what? I felt like crap. I was tired and lethargic. I had a bad attitude. So, today is a new day and I'm going to play by the rules. I need to in order to feel human again. I'm going to eat my three meals, I'm going to drink my 3 shakes (OMG, the shakes are getting old),I'm going to drink my water and I'm going to go to the gym for a nice long treadmill workout. I hope you guys have a great Sunday! Let me know how you're doing!

GOOD FOR YOU!! That's the attitude!!

I'm stalling and depressed. I had my surgery on the Nov 18th and lost 20lbs but haven't lost in a week. I even gained a pound. I don't know how this is possible. I barely eat. I'm definitely not getting all my Water and Protein in yet. It's so hard. I don't know what to do. Any advice?

Please read this. This is what's going on. There's nothing you need to do except stick with the program and keep faith that this is part of the process.

" Weight Loss Stall or Plateau

A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf.

Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below.

The Inevitable Stall

By Diana C.

A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why.

Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.

As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days.

What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau

If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements.

Too Many Carbs?

Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section on Carbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating.

Fit Day

Spark People - If you join Spark People also join the DS group.

The Daily Plate

Calorie King

For more tips on keeping a food journal see the Personal Nutrition Guide.

Eating Enough?

If you are under-eating or go more than 4-5 hours without eating, your body will shift into fasting mode, slow your metabolism and conserve your stored energy (fat). This can contribute to a weight loss stall or plateau. Make sure you are eating small meals or small Snacks throughout the day and also ensure you meet your daily protein requirements. Try eating some protein with every meal or snack. For more information on protein requirements see our section on Protein.

Drinking Enough?

An adequate level of water in your body aids in the effective breakdown of fat. The daily minimum recommendation is 64 Fluid oz of water a day. If you are in ketosis you will need to drink even more water to ensure the ketones are flushed out of your system. You may also need more than the minimum amount of water if you are exercising or live in a warmer or dry environment.

Exercising?

Exercise can increase your metabolism and burn fat. Strength training will build muscles and will boost fat burning. In a stall you can try increasing your volume of exercise or changing up your routine to overcome a weight loss stall or plateau. If you have been doing mainly aerobic activity, try doing a bit of strength training, and if you have been doing mainly strength training, try an aerobic work-out.

The High Fat - High Calorie Stall Buster

Many DSers swear by the fat/calorie shock as an effective weight loss stall or plateau buster. Having a day of higher fat and calorie eating followed by a returning to consistent low carb eating can sometimes "shock" your body back into weight loss mode."

Thanks for posting this again, Butter! I think I've read it about 4 times, but it is just such a good article! Plus, I think I'm almost there myself... Sleeved on 11/21, and this was the first time I gained 0.5 lbs. I'm just reminding myself its just Water.

Also, I've read a lot of people tend to lose inches during the 3 week stall, and I'm excited for that part... I'm down almost 100 pounds since my highest weight and have only dropped 2-3 sizes, depending on the brand. I am starting to get a little more frustrated with that aspect of things...

Anyway, thanks again for the great article!

Purple - wow look at the success you have had! That is awesome.

You're one week behind me on your surgery date - I was 11/14. Seems like a long time ago and it was only a little over 3 weeks ago for me.

I love the article that Butter posted - it's great information.

Did you take your measurements? I took mine before surgery, but haven't checked them since. I should...I'm almost afraid though - like when I put on my jeans, I'm worried they aren't going to fit for some reason (I think because I wore them for so long and that was the feeling every time I put them on before surgery). Weird.

At any rate - hang in there. You're doing great!!!!!

Thank you mcbutterpants! I didn't know any of this. I kept thinking I was doing something wrong. I'm just hoping I wake up and see it go down!!

Can we share what we eat in a day? I just want to make sure in not eating too much!

Today I had

1/2 protein shake

A few bites of cottage cheese

1 hard boiled egg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Broth with 3 crackers

Maybe I'm grazing?? Is this too much?

Hey Mcbutter, thanks for the compliment! I just can't wait for the sizes to start falling... I keep reading about people at my current weight (280ish) wearing size 20 pants... I'm not even fitting into a 24 yet... bah! But I know it'll happen eventually... I haven't taken measurements since very early in the process... I know I should be doing that... maybe this week sometime. Its cool to see that you were a week before me! How has your recovery gone?

Thank you mcbutterpants! I didn't know any of this. I kept thinking I was doing something wrong. I'm just hoping I wake up and see it go down!!

Can we share what we eat in a day? I just want to make sure in not eating too much!

Today I had

1/2 Protein shake

A few bites of cottage cheese

1 hard boiled egg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

broth with 3 crackers

Maybe I'm grazing?? Is this too much?

What was your surgery date?

Hey Mcbutter, thanks for the compliment! I just can't wait for the sizes to start falling... I keep reading about people at my current weight (280ish) wearing size 20 pants... I'm not even fitting into a 24 yet... bah! But I know it'll happen eventually... I haven't taken measurements since very early in the process... I know I should be doing that... maybe this week sometime. Its cool to see that you were a week before me! How has your recovery gone?

I'm 222 and I'm still in my size 20's - down 30 pounds and I haven't had to buy new jeans yet!

My recovery was very uneventful. I took 4 pain pills during my recovery. I was able to walk immediately. My doctor does his surgery on outpatient basis, so I was home by noon the day of my surgery. The only complication I've had is some constipation.

I have gotten frustrated trying to get my 80 grams of Protein in along with all the Water. I think we can only do the best we can do and keep trying.

I'm going to take my measurements this week. I am only weighing once per week - that's for sanity. I may skip this week's weigh in. We'll see.

How is your recovery going? This is a crazy ride, isn't it?????

Thank you mcbutterpants! I didn't know any of this. I kept thinking I was doing something wrong. I'm just hoping I wake up and see it go down!!

Can we share what we eat in a day? I just want to make sure in not eating too much!

Today I had

1/2 Protein shake

A few bites of cottage cheese

1 hard boiled egg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

broth with 3 crackers

Maybe I'm grazing?? Is this too much?

What was your surgery date?

Alisa,

This might not be enough!!! Remember for the first month get Water in, drink it, sip it, lap it up!!!

THEN get protein in...

And fagedabout the stall. "This too shall pass"

Hoo har! The stall is over and it's 3 weeks exactly. Another couple of pounds gone this morning. I love my sleeve aka Dame Belly Melba :-)

My surgery was 11/18. Exactly 3 weeks ago today. Weighed myself this morning and up 4 ounces. I will try and drink more water today. I drank a lot of crystal light yesterday but that didn't help. This is very frustrating!!! I think I'm going on 10 days with no weight loss.

Alisa - I agree with ArtsI don't think you're getting enough in for 3 weeks out.

At 3 weeks, my doc wants 80 grams of Protein and 64 ounces of Water. At 3 weeks I was getting between 500-700 calories. I think you're probably getting less than that.

Were you given any guidelines by your doctor? Are you tracking your intake (calories and protein are important to track). You can use myfitnesspal or one of the many other ones?