Advice and encouragement

[Candigrl1 152]

Hi,

I need some encouragement please. I am into my 2nd stall since WLS. First one came less than two weeks from my surgery date and lasted a week, now I am in this second one but this one is much longer (going on three weeks). To make matters worse I am a slow loser. This is starting to get discouraging and darn annoying. I'm left wondering if I made a big mistake getting WLS and am I going to stay at this weight. Was this it? I'm trying to stay positive about but the bad is starting to outweigh the good. Please tell me it gets better.

[lizonaplane 1,606]

Many people think they are a "slow loser" but in fact they just have unrealistic expectations from shows like My 600 Lb Life, which features people who lose "fast" because they are much bigger than your average WLS patient. You may still be a slow loser; I can't tell how much of your 33 lb weight loss was before surgery, but I lost about 9 lbs on average per month for the first 6 months after surgery, and my surgery center said I was doing great!

Try to focus on things you can control, like eating and drinking and exercising the way your surgery center recommended, and don't worry about the scale. You might also focus on how your clothes fit or other "non-scale victories".

You might also consider reaching out to your surgery center to make sure you're on track, and consider seeing a bariatric therapist.

Good luck!

[Sleeve_Me_Alone 654]

It is so, so important to remember that stalls are a completely normal, expected part of WLS. Nobody loses weight at a set pace the ENITRE time and then magically just stop when they reach goal. Weight loss is not linear - it is an up and down, start and stop, stall and restart process. So you need to make peace with the fact that you will not lose weight every week, when you do lose weight it will be variable, and that all of this is normal and healthy.

That being said, a true stall is usually considered 3+ weeks, although this definition varies amongst doctors/dietitians. Regardless, a week or two with no movement, or even a slight gain, is NOT a stall. Most people's weight fluctuates 5ish pounds day over day - meaning you may weight 2lbs more today than you did yesterday and in reality, didn't actually gain any weight. I would suggest not weighing everyday. Its not helpful or healthy and can actually lead to some really unhealthy habits. Pick a set day each week to weigh - I weight on Tuesdays because I had surgery on a Tuesday so I'm tracking week over week from my surgery day. Also, take measurements and pictures. While you may (often) not see the scale move, your body WILL be changing. Keeping tangible data helps remind you that there is still progress and gives your brain concrete evidence. Lastly, you just need to give it time and trust the process. WLS is not magic, it takes time and consistency. This isn't just another diet we can give up on, this is the rest of our lives. Hang in there, you are exactly where you are meant to be.

Edited June 30, 2022 by Sleeve_Me_Alone

[Arabesque 6,608]

@Sleeve me alone! is correct. Stalls are just part of the journey. Your body becomes stressed from all the changes, weight loss, diet, activity, etc. It’s the equivalent of how you may shut the door & pull the covers over your head when you’re stressed or anxious. Let your body take the time it needs to come to terms with the changes & face the world again. It may need a week or even 3 or 4 weeks. There are no rules just averages or ‘generally’ with stalls just as with your rate of loss. There’s no right or wrong just how your body works & reacts.

Stick to your plan & you’ll notice the scales moving again.

[Smanky 743]

Yep, this is 100% normal. Take it from a serial staller (I also stalled at week 2 and every second week after) and slow loser (in that I've lost my weight at the same rate I would on a standard old-school calorie counting diet). Manage your expectations, and don't compare yourself to other people who are losing fast and aren't stalling. Doing that will only make you unhappy. Focus instead on the positives as they come, and they DO come. Feeling better, clothes getting looser, sleeping better, skin clearing up because you're not poisoning yourself with processed sugar anymore! The weight will come off.

Distract yourself with activities that aren't about your weight, and stay off the scale for a couple of weeks. The stall will break.