3 week stall

[xxaprilrose 3]

hey everyone. i had gastric bypass on march 3rd. I noticed that ever since surgery, every 3rd week I would stop losing weight for an entire week and then it would start dropping again. I am down 40 lbs so far but the last 3 weeks I havent lost a thing. Is this normal? I am getting nervous that Im doing something wrong

[catwoman7 10,922]

yes. Normal.

[winkydinks 17]

Cut out 90% of the carbs you're eating. I was 355 on surgery day, and then I stalled out at 315ish for about a week. Eliminating carbs was my solution, and the only carbs I eat now is a bit of watermelon each day if I want a little extra something between meals. My stall was about 3-4 weeks ago, and now I'm down another 18 lbs since I adjusted my diet.

[summerseeker 1,870]

TBH you are doing so well. 40lbs is a lot of weight to loose and you are on the right track. You should not change anything that your team has set for you. My dietician explained bariatric weight loss like a staircase. For every down step there is a flat step. If you track your food, { I use My Fat Secret UK} you know that you are in a calorie deficit. You can not fail. I am lucky if I manage 850 a day but I have had a difficult time since surgery. So am a little behind my peers. I once had a 5 week stall that had me worrying but the good people here put me right. Onwards and downwards.

[liveaboard15 1,292]

i stalled out on week 3... and now on week 7-8 i am stalled again. normal

[Tomo 1,148]

Changing macros is always interesting and usually pays off. Some say cut the carbs, others say up them. For example, I upped my carbs to over 100g and dropped another 5 lbs. I have been below my weight loss goal but was stalled for a few weeks. I have been working up to consume the 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, as per my surgeon's diet plan. It's similar to the Longevity diet based on a 30 year recent study.

[A Curtis 2]

Thank you for posting. I was just searching the forum for a post about the 3 week stall. I am currently 6 weeks post-op and have been stalled from week 3- the current. I know all the FB support groups etc warn you about the 3-week stall, but I have been so discouraged watching the scale not move for 2.5 weeks.

I keep my net carbs at below 35 a day, my calorie intake is usually between 550-700 calories a day. My Protein is always between 70-90 grams a day. And for the most part, I reach 64+ oz of Water. i don't know what else to do to break the stall.

I did lose 1.3lbs in the last 24 hours, so I'm hoping that's a sign I'm back in the game and will see the scale changing again.

[Dogmom68 135]

On 08/09/2022 at 18:02, A Curtis said:

Thank you for posting. I was just searching the forum for a post about the 3 week stall. I am currently 6 weeks post-op and have been stalled from week 3- the current. I know all the FB support groups etc warn you about the 3-week stall, but I have been so discouraged watching the scale not move for 2.5 weeks.

I keep my net carbs at below 35 a day, my calorie intake is usually between 550-700 calories a day. My Protein is always between 70-90 grams a day. And for the most part, I reach 64+ oz of Water. i don't know what else to do to break the stall.

I did lose 1.3lbs in the last 24 hours, so I'm hoping that's a sign I'm back in the game and will see the scale changing again.

It sounds like you’re doing everything perfectly! But don’t worry. The weight will start to drop again. Summerseeker mentioned weight loss like a staircase and I found that to be true for me. Keep up the great work. You’re really doing well! 40 lbs down is great! 😁

[A Curtis 2]

20 hours ago, Dogmom68 said:

It sounds like you’re doing everything perfectly! But don’t worry. The weight will start to drop again. Summerseeker mentioned weight loss like a staircase and I found that to be true for me. Keep up the great work. You’re really doing well! 40 lbs down is great! 😁

Thank you. I had a little bit of another drop this morning so I think I'm working my way out of the stall (thank goodness). I am trying to promise myself ill avoid the scale lol but then every morning it calls my name

[Dogmom68 135]

On 08/10/2022 at 15:45, A Curtis said:

Thank you. I had a little bit of another drop this morning so I think I'm working my way out of the stall (thank goodness). I am trying to promise myself ill avoid the scale lol but then every morning it calls my name

Hi! Just wanted to see how you’re doing and if the weight loss has kicked back in!😁 It’s very frustrating, I know! Just hang in there, keep pushing your water/fluid intake and if you have to incorporate Protein Powder or liquid to boost your Protein intake then do! Hope everything is going well!

[SpartanMaker 676]

On 6/3/2022 at 1:41 PM, Tomo said:

Changing macros is always interesting and usually pays off. Some say cut the carbs, others say up them. For example, I upped my carbs to over 100g and dropped another 5 lbs. I have been below my weight loss goal but was stalled for a few weeks. I have been working up to consume the 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, as per my surgeon's diet plan. It's similar to the Longevity diet based on a 30 year recent study.

This is good advice. What you're experiencing is something called adaptive thermogenesis in the scientific literature. In effect, your body adapts to your restricted intake by also reducing the amount of calories you burn.

As much as we hate it, this is actually a evolutionary advantage. When our bodies detect "lean times", they adapt to make sure you survive long enough to make it to the next time of plenty. This was important over most of human history because we we didn't always know where the next meal would come from.

To break out of this adaptation where you body is "helping" you survive, you should try to do something different. Varying your macros as suggested above, varying your exercise routine, or potentially even upping the number of calories you eat for a while can all "reset" the metabolic changes that caused the stall.

Now that said, even if you changed nothing, it's unlikely the stall will last forever. At the end of the day, your body can only slow your metabolism so much. If you prefer to wait it out, that should eventually work as well as long as you are sticking to your plan.

[qtdoll 534]

(Bump bc I don't wanna make a new thread)

I mentally prepared myself for my 3 week stall, but bc I had to stop taking birth control to avoid blood clots, my period also came at the exact same time week 3 started. Not only did i stall, but I have a ton of Water weight, so I 'gained' a bit. Luckily I know what's going on& i know that's gonna go away & so I don't feel too bad about it, but MAN your first stall is really a bummer. I just gotta keep going

[Kels WG 4]

Thank God for this question and advice because I have been going crazy! I added in veggies and poultry during puree period and gas and bloating is back!! Weight loss stall broke one day and I lost a lb abut then gained it back the next day!!😫