I just went through the same thing as well. I was losing very rapidly and then I went through a 4 week period where I only lost 3 1/2 pounds! I thought, oh no, is this it? Am I done losing weight? Did I do something wrong?? Nope, I just had to be patient and here in the last week the pounds have started dropping again. I've lost 8 pounds in the last 2 weeks! So just hang in there and keep doing what you're supposed to do and the weight will drop. Stalls are hard to go through but just focus on the long term goal and know if you eat right, exercise and drink your liquids you WILL lose the weight!! Best of luck to you on your journey!!

Laura - The swelling of our pouches after surgery literally takes about 3 months to completely go away. Then suddenly we're able to eat a bit more than we used to because there's more room in the pouch. It's fully healed and is working like it should right now. 6oz at a time is about normal at this point. Of course that amount will vary depending on what you're eating. I can do about 8oz of soup but only about 3oz of dense protein like beef or chicken. It's good that you have stopped drinking with your meals. That is the #1 sabotage of this surgery. By drinking with your meal (or directly afterward) you are just washing all the food from your pouch and making it empty again. So hunger will creep in very soon afterward. But by waterloading between meals, you're better able to keep your hunger at bay and not think about food all the time. During surgery the nerves in our stomach were cut so that's why we don't feel hunger or fullness at the beginning. It takes those nerves anywhere from 3 months to 18 months to repair themselves and start working again. So it's not unusual to start feeling hunger around the 5-6 month mark. I've noticed a slight feeling of hunger creeping back in. That's why the first few months after surgery are so important -- to help us established good eating habits and change the way we think about food, so that when we start feeling hunger again we have good control over those feelings. So if you haven't already mastered your relationship with food, now is the time to really work hard to get a grasp on it. As for the morning sickness. It's very common. I've had that since the beginning. It's caused in part from mucus that drains into our pouch through the night and coats the lining --- then when we get up in the morning we have that yucky feeling. Especially right now when the pollen count is high and allergies and sinus problems seem to be running wild - we're producing more mucus than normal. The best thing that works for me is a hot beverage. Either tea or making my protein hoto cocoa in the morning settles my stomach and prepared me for the day. I literally can not eat solid food first thing in the morning -- I must start my day with liquid or soft food. Then I'm perfectly fine to eat whatever I need to the rest of the day. I really doubt if you've stretched your pouch this early after surgery. But you can avoid doing that by sticking to the good eating habits that we were taught. Measure your food if you must. Eat on a schedule so you're not having unplanned snacking. Don't drink with your meals. Don't push the boundries and don't eat beyond your known limit. These first 12 to 18 months are the most important for us. This is our window of opportunity to see success. After that it gets very hard to lose the weight we need to - so use this time wisely. Pam

If ya'll have been around the OH boards for any length of time, you'll know that this is pretty common. right around the 5 to 6 month mark many people claim they had a long plateau that lastest several weeks or even a couple months. Make sure you are taking your measurements to see if you're losing inches instead of pounds right now. And just keep following your plan and keeping up with the exercise. Things should start moving again soon enough. Pam

Hi everyone, I can not believe the different in my level of activities. I now can move with out pain. YePPe!!! I am able to play tennis, and jog a short distants at a time. I walk everyday and my body feel good. It might be because the weather is changing to warmer but I am feeling like a new person. I am so happy to be able to move around again. As for losing weight I have lost 70+ pounds. I have slowed down on losing weight. I go up and down 180-183 for a week. I am trying to increase my water and my activity level in hopes to lose more weight. I am rather short 5'1" and my problem area is my stomach which hasn't gone away fast enough for me but I have been blessed so far and love, love, love this new journey I am on. I enjoy noticing the difference in my body and my abilities to move with easies. Continue Success Everyone Liz

Does anyone know how to tell if the stomach pouch has stretched? Is there any signs or symptoms? Is there a way for this to be reversed or stopped without having to go back through another surgery?