The 2nd-4th week weight loss stall/plateau

There is some good info here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/carmelita/blog/tag/stalls+and+plateaus/
Don't worry. Stalls in the early days are common and short lived.
Good reading here.
Tash xx

Hi, I'm 2.5 weeks post-op and have been experiencing a weight stall too. I mostly attributed that to a lack of mobility due to stitch pains and although I would prefer to see a constant downtrend have not been too concerned about it. It's still good to know that this happens and I will not beat myself up when my weight loss stalls again in future. Interestingly, as chris commented, my body is changing shape. I've lost cms off everywhere but my bust (no change, dang) and even gained a cm around the ribcage (stumped my dietitian).

Don't do anything, just keep on as you are, you stall a while then it moves again, then a stall then it moves...honestly the first one freaked me out I kept thinking I would be different to everyone else and that I wouldn't lose any more weight...but I did, and continue to lose, and continue to stall...it comes off in its own time :)

WOW i have been the same weight for 1 week now .......

On 6 weeks post-op

What can i do to jump start it again hehehehehehehehehehe .........

Thanks, GS :) Seeing others' journeys definitely helps !

(My mood has lifted today - I've come to the end of a 2.5 week stall (been eating nothing but protein for 3 days). Hooray !)

I'm not sure if this will help because we all lose differently, but for anyone else who likes visuals, this is how my weight loss has been ...




(Starts from when I booked in for surgery and began self-imposed modified Opti diet for seven weeks, to seven months out. The two peaks are from my two surgeries - sleeve then gall bladder removal).


... a bumpy ride, but it's been heading in the right direction!!

Don't give up. If you're doing the right things, you'll be fine. I was leaning on my dietitian heavily the first month or two. They are the professionals and there to help guide in our individual journeys.

Good luck.

Just bumping this thread up for my fellow November-ites, some of whom (including me), are experiencing this atm.

Hi Ladies,

Try not to get hooked on the scales or do the head thing with the plateaux's. Some plateaux and others don't but I have personally found after doing the head game thing about 3 different plateaux's that I have had since surgery. It's not worth the dissapointment. The very best judge is your clothing. And as someone on this forum told me if you are doing excersize remember muscle weighs more than fat. That is an area where the scale will not be of any help..

If the sleeve has taught me one thing that would have to be paitents. I've only got 15 kilo to go until I reach my own goal and I reckon that will be the hardest and really test the head.....I've gone from a size 22/24 to a size 12 that is now a tad loose. Next week I'm off to to treat myself to a new hair do to celebrate 6 months.......

Have a terrific night

Andrea

Hi all,

I just thought I'd add my own experience with this too. I didn't have a complete stall or plateau, just a very frustrating yo-yo.

My starting weight was 123.9 and in the seven weeks leading up to surgery I lost 13kgs, 110.9kg on the day of surgery.

Post-op was as follows...

Day 1: 113.9
Day 2: 110.9
Day 3: 108.9
Day 5: 107.8
Day 6: 107.6
Day 7: 107
Day 8: 105.9 (5kg down since morning of op)
Day 10: 105.8
Day 11: 105.4
Day 12: 105.5
Day 13: 105.4
Day 14: 105.5
Day 15: 105.2
Day 16: 105.3
Day 17: 105.2
Day 18: 105.1
Day 19: 105
Day 20: 105.2
Day 21: 105.9 (back to Day 8 weight)
Day 22: 105.5
Day 23: 105.1
Day 24: 105.2
Day 25: 104.3
Day 26: 104 (today) - 6.9kg loss since surgery and 19.9kg in total

I was fully expecting to jump back on the scales this morning and find a 105 point something staring back at me again.

My confidence was shaken and I had some awful doubts begin to creep in, but I just had to get over that and remind myself of the long-term nature of this new adventure that we're on. I think we'll be learning about our new sleeves everyday, for the rest of our lives.

Best wishes!

That's great news you must be so proud watching the scales go down. All the best with the next weightloss goal.

Great news - what a relief for you. I know what you mean about the head game. I would have easily given up on a diet if that stall had hit me. At least with the sleeve, there is nothing you can do but wait it out. And, of course, the results always appear.

MiddleWoman

I wanted to update on this thread that since my stall from week 1-3 with no loss, I have now lost just under 7 kg in 2.5 weeks, for a total of just under 20kg lost since starting optifast, 11.5kg since surgery 5.5 weeks ago. That stall would have killed me if it was during a diet, just shows me how your mind is so much a part of this, because through the stall it was sure comforting to know that it pretty much had to give sometime.

Love my sleeve :)

Lozza,

I can see how opti does dehydrate you as when I have them they make me really thirsty.

I too had a stall between week 3 and 4. Just losing 200g for a 10 day period. I also weighed the same from discharge day (day 4) 105.8kg until day 13. I was very disappointed to say the least. The dietitian told me to only have my 3 - 1/2 cup meals and if I required morning or afternon tea, to have half a cup of vanilla forme yoghurt.

I will be 7 weeks out on Monday and have so far lost 11.6kg since op day, 1.8kg was whilst in hospital.

Don't beat yourself up over it. The dietition said opti dehydrates your body and your body needs to replenish the fluids it has lost. Once starting fluids again after the op, this can take up to 4 weeks or so.

All the best,

Did any of you have a stall over two weeks long right at the beginning of your journey with the sleeve.

I weighed 128kg the day of the surgery (which was down from 136.6 before opti),

I lost down to 122.9 by 7 days,

Now, at a day off of 3 weeks past surgery, I have been 123-123.4kg, YES I have managed to actually fluctuate UP in weight a little.

I am still feeling quite okay about it, it didn't bother me even after a week but a two week stall seems very long to me right now, so I'm hoping you can all help me out a bit. I emailed my dietician and he said that weeks 3-4 can be notorious for stalls but I need to hear that from some of you who've been there and done that.

Thanks

Hi Slimnewme

When I had my sleeve done on the 24th January, I lost 5 kg in 6 days while I was in hospital. I then lost NOTHING for five weeks! It all averages out in the end, don't get too disheartened!

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your positive replies. I am impatient I know, I just expected to see something.

Carrie thanks for the link on weight loss/platuea it is very informative and explains it very well.

Hi Slimnewme,

Today is my three weeks post op mark and my losing has slowed right down. I lost 6.5kgs in week 1, 2.1kgs in week 2 and I don't think it's even 1kg this week.... and I know that I am doing all the right things.

Whilst my brain is going 'What the???', I know what Zoe, Chris and Carrie says is true. We just have to keep on, keeping on, and remember, this is our new life, not just for a couple of months.

So keep up the good work!! You have lost a great amount all up so far and you will continue to lose weight, just don't lose motivation.

Fishyoutofwater

Hi, Slimnewme.

It was funny, the day I came home from the hospital (one day after surgery, US Health system kicks you out ASAP) my DH asked if I had lost weight yet! Unless the portion of the stomach taken weighed an enormous amount, it isn't like a tummy tuck where actual spans of fat/skin are removed.

I thought my first stall had happened around the same time you are writing about, but in hindsight it was just very slow for a while. I am repeating myself here, to say we have the new tummy for the rest of our lives, so let the body figure out what is going on. Right now there is both the 'shock' of the operation and the fact that there are many fewer calories coming in. No wonder the body is just standing still and going "What?"

Hope this helps,

Zoe

Hi Slimnewme,

As Chris says... you're doing great. It is really really common to have a bit of a stall at around 2-4 weeks out, don't worry, it will start falling off again soon.

And here's a link to some more information that Zoe gave us: Weight Loss Stall/Plateau

Cheers - Carrie :-)

Hi there
I think you're doing great with your food and water for only 3 weeks out.
Don't worry about the scales - they will definitely start moving again.
Some people have found that they've even put on weight immediately post-op, so don't stress.
Just keep on doing all the right things, and you'll soon love your scales.
Periods of not losing will happen throughout your journey - often this is when the body changes in shape, so don't forget to measure as well as weigh.
Best wishes
Chris

Help,

I had sleeve surgery 3 weeks ago yesterday. The day after getting home I lost 4kg but have not lost anything since. I am eating really well, watching my protein and making sure that I have my 2litres of water per day. I have been having my 3 meals plus morning tea. I have been having mainly tuna or salmon but not much veges as I can't fit them in. I have also been walking approx 30 mins or more per day.
Today I thought I might just have my 3 meals and not MT.
I just don't know what to do to get those scales moving does anyone have any suggestions as I am getting really disheartened.

Thank you Zoe for that info. I think that maybe my problem might be from eating too much pasta :(

Having a huuby who is a truck driver and not getting home unitl 9-10pm 4 nights a week and I work nights leaving about 1am (yes we are ships passing in the night) I found that pasta dishes were something that was easy to cook up and leave in the fridge for him to eat when he got home (and I was in bed) and so I too have been having small amounts of pasta as well.

Is there some where easy showing carb amounts as in 1 slice of bread equals XXX carbs.

I dont need anything too hard to work out as I am dyslexic and cant always get the mind around what should be simple working outs :(

Ruth :)

My weight loss have been stalling from time to time. Very annoying!

I have tried a new approach to speed things up: Carb reduction. I keep my carbs between 20-30 grams and my proteins over 60 grams each day. First day i lost 1 kg, second day I lost 100 grams. I am on my third day tomorrow. Seems like things are moving again. I hope it stays that way.
I test with urine stix and they show ketosis, a residue from fat burning.

It could be worth a try to have a look at your carbs. Surely my intake was to high.

Good luck

thanks that was really informative