How long a stall is too long?

[AGreenEyedWolf 97]

I am 6 months VSG post op and I will not lie - I have very little if any restriction. I avoid bread, cakes, Cookies, rice, Pasta - all that kind of stuff - and I simply cannot eat ground beef - for whatever reason, maybe it's the texture, I throw up if I eat it so I just avoid it entirely - and the only thing I drink now is Water and hot tea - but - I can eat pretty much whatever else I want at this point and I have no issues eating or drinking at all. I have been up and down from 175 to 173 and back since May 12th (about 2 months) and I have started to feel worried that I may never lose the rest of the weight I want to lose (my goal is at least another 25-30 pounds). I don't know if I am struggling with this stall because I need to eat more (I eat probably 800-1000 calories a day) or because I need to burn less calories (I do a 10 minute workout once a day on my total gym here at home and walk at least 5 miles a day also). I don't see my bariatric doctor again until August 22nd, but That is still quite a ways away and I am starting to worry. How long does a person have to be stuck in a stall before they have to do something about it and if I was to try anything to get out of the stall, what should I try?

[geets 44]

Since deciding to have this surgery,July 11th,I have read and watched on YouTube a lot of people saying they're 20-30lbs from their goal weight. I have a goal weight too,I'll have to wait and see what happens. But a part of me is now questioning this desire to achieve goal weight and whether not to just to accept the weight lost already and be happy with the way we look,bloody good I'm sure and love your body.
I remember when I used to weigh 140lbs and being unhappy with myself,I look back now and think 'you lucky thing why didn't you just accept and be happy with your body?'
I know this doesn't answer your question,but this is just a thought. You don't seem to be consuming many calories either. Good Luck and I hope you get to where you want to be x

[Maxthecat 37]

Do you have a nutritionist? I had RNY but I'm not allowed 1000 caps until after I reach goal. At 6mos I would be a max of 800.

[ryan_86 335]

I'd try something different. I would try reducing calories again, but give your NUT a call.

I'm kind of in the same boat. Can't eat beef, but don't feel much restriction unless I eat too much too fast. I measure everything rather than relying on restriction to tell me I'm full. I stalled at six months but had more or less met goal. I eat 1400-1600 now

[AZLoser 103]

I'm 6 months out and I'm at 600-800 cal/day. Make sure you measure everything so you're not getting extra.

[AGreenEyedWolf 97]

I tried changing what I was eating rather than the amount of calories I was eating... I am allowed grains (via crackers) - so I gave up the crackers I and dropped to 171.6 in 2 days... however, 2 days later I was back at 173.2 so obviously I am still doing something wrong. I drink 101.4 ounces of Water a day, plus 1 cup of hot tea with Splenda - I do the 10 minute workout and then I (usually) walk 3 miles (some days I skip the walk if I don't have time in the morning or if I know I will be getting lots of steps in without it later in the day) followed by enough steps the rest of the day to have walked a total of 5 to 8 miles - and I have done other exercise as well this week - roller skating... swimming... (it's summer and I have out of town family here so we have been doing all kinds of stuff). I think I am not getting enough Protein, so I am going to increase my protein and decrease my veggies for the rest of the week (I would give up my blackberries - but my NUT and my doc encourage me to use them as my go-to snack because they tend to keep me "regular").

[Sullie06 1,047]

I'm 6.5 months out at just broke a 5 week stall. I'm now 11 pounds from goal but it's been slow going the last two months. My NUT advised me to switch up my diet to get my body moving again. I dropped my calories to about 800 for a day, then upped them to 1200 then next day, dropped them to 1000 the day after and then my stall broke.

I have lost 6 pounds in the last 2 weeks after nothing for 5. I'm currently getting between 1100-1300 calories a day, 80-100 g of Protein, 50-100 grams of carbs. I hit 100 pounds total loss this morning.

[JKC2016 82]

How to Break a Stall, from Jillian Michaels' Slim for Life (paraphrased)

Track everything you eat for three days and make sure you really have stalled and aren't just slipping.

If you are confident in your food and exercise levels being at a place where you expect to be losing:

Have one really high calorie day (she says 2,000 calories, it would be the most you can manage up to that). Try for healthy fats like avocado, nuts or nut butter, full fat dairy--not junk.

For the next six days, increase your previous normal calorie intake by 10%. So if you were eating 1200 per day, eat 1320 for the next six days.

This will reassure your body it is not starving and shift it back into fat burning mode.

If you are freaked out at the idea of adding calories, realize this is only an additional 1700 calories over the entire week, which is only 1/2 of one pound, nothing to be afraid of.

Me again: I think I did this by accident, before I read it. I had one day of over indulgence at a BBQ and then I've been trying to increase to 1400 total per day. And I was concerned because I gained a little. Then I looked at the numbers and I'm down a fat percentage, gained 3 pounds of lean and lost one pound of fat!

Which was an interesting feeling--I need to remember the goal is not weight loss. My goal is health and a relatively low body fat percentage. Which just might mean that I stay near my current weight of right around 150 and shift some weight from fat to muscle.

I'm going to keep an open mind about what my ultimate goal weight might be. Right now, I can tell my clothing continues to fit more loosely and I'm gaining muscle definition and feeling great.

[AGreenEyedWolf 97]

Still going back and forth from 171 to 173... it has now been 2 months of this... I see my surgeon and NUT in 19 days. I am going to change some things up again over the next few days. We will just have to see how it goes. Kind of frustrating to be about 20 pounds from my goal and feel I am unable to go any further :-(

[Olypie 41]

I'm 6 months out as well and have stalled. From what I've heard it's not that uncommon as our bodies are still adjusting.

I follow a lady named Clusie L on YouTube and when she was losing weight (she's in management now) that she hit a 5 month stall.

It's depressing for sure to hit the stalls, but she has lost 190 lbs in two years.

I try to stay off the scale everyday as well. As that can depress the hell out of you when the weight bounces around.

I would suggest talking with your nutritionist, but also keep in mind it's normal and the closer you are to goal the harder it will be to drop the weight.