Feeling slightly frustrated as a result of no loss in three weeks

Three weeks ago I was on a roll and dropped five pounds in five days.  I wasn't surprised to hit a stall immediately following that but the length of the stall is starting to frustrate me.  I am going to the gym five days a week and eating better than I have my whole life.  It's discouraging to work so hard and see no results.  Sooo...I'm going to try to switch things up a bit and this week go back on my pre-op diet of two shakes a day and a lean protein and veggies for dinner. Hopefully that will shake things up a bit. 

On a side note....at the three month mark I started shedding hair like crazy.  I'm hoping it doesn't last too long. 

Hi nelchina,

I found these suggestions REALLY helped me! Be sure and take your measurements, note your increase in energy and how your clothes fit for other factors for success besides a number on the scale.

Beating the Diet Plateau

Try these tips for moving the scale in the right direction again — you may not even need all of them to start seeing a difference:

1. Ruthlessly clean up your diet. “I have the four deadly sins of food: butter, cheese, fried food, and sugar. These things will keep you from making progress. Examine your diet to make sure you’re being honest with yourself. You lose the right to complain if you aren’t eating what you are supposed to,” says Guillory.

For us that have had surgery be sure and have lots of sources for protein and allowed foods.  Make sure bad carbs are not creeping in the food plan!

1. Skip the alcohol. Alcohol not only adds calories to your diet, but it effectively slows your metabolism and reduces your motivation to work out and diet.
2. Go low-glycemic. If you still have refined carbs in your diet, get rid of them, especially before a workout. Eating a meal containing low-glycemic carbs about three hours before a workout results in more fat burned than a meal containing refined carbs.
3. Vary your exercise routine. “If you’re coming to the gym and you’re doing the same thing every time, change your workout,” says Guillory. Run today, lift weights tomorrow, swim on the next day, take a group exercise class the day after.
4. Try high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Working out at different levels of intensity is thought to increase weight loss. Guillory has her clients weight-train for about 20 minutes, exercise at 85 percent of their maximum heart rate for about 10 minutes, do more weight training for about 10 minutes, and then finish with moderate cardio exercises.
5. Strength train. Use weight training to build muscle. Each pound of muscle burns about 50 calories a day at rest. According to a national survey of more than 6,000 adults, about 19 percent of people who were successful with weight loss included weight training in their workouts.
6. Use a heart rate monitor. “It keeps you honest about the intensity of your workout,” says Guillory. Figure out your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Target your workouts so your heart rate stays between 65 and 85 percent of your maximum most of the time.
7. Drink water. If you are not drinking enough water during the day, your body may be retaining water, adding to the numbers on the scale. Guillory recommends consuming about half your body weight in ounces of water every day if you work out a lot (more if you’re outside in the heat). A 145-pound woman should drink about 73 ounces of water.
8. Exercise for more than 30 minutes every day. People who exercise at least 30 minutes every day are more successful with weight loss. Try to get in at least this much exercise — and increasing the time you spend working out every day will increase the caloric burn.
9. Get the people in your life on board. Most people don’t sabotage your diet on purpose, says Guillory, but their food-related acts of love could be undermining your weight loss.

By Madeline Vann, MPH | Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Kathy thanks for the great suggestions!  It looks like there are a few I can try.

do an OH search for "3 week stall". It is about the most posted topic second only to hair loss. 

Thanks Holly.  I had a stall at three weeks.  This one is a three week stall at three months!  :)  I've read a lot about the stalls.  I know they can be normal and we all experience them at some point.  This is just lasting longer than I would like.

Great suggestion Holly

We did a search for you and here you go....

3 Week Stall

Not that you want to hear it but it is totally normal and expected at different points.  Don't worry, it will pick up again, but your body does need to catch up.  Just make sure you stay on top of your fluids, protein, and exercise and it will all balance.  :)  I notice when working out it will pop up and then drop down.  Also, changing the workout regimen may help too.  Don't get discouraged!!  I did at first, but now it is not as much of a shock when I get on the scale and it stays the same or fluctuates up or down a pound or 2.

I do like to hear it's normal and expected.  :)  I'm going to implement a few changes to shake things up and see what happens.  I'm not discouraged yet!

The stall is right on time.  Don't sweat it - it will pick up shortly.  Instead of the scale, it's time to reach in the back of your closet for those items that didn't quite fit and try them on.  Your mood will elevate, I promise.  These stalls will happen over and over during the next year.  Always try on new clothes when they occur to give yourself something to be happy about.

For the hair loss - it usually only lasts a few months and stops.  Don't waste any money on special vitamins, shampoos, or other remedies.  It's just your hair growth cycle rebooting.  Instead, it's time for a makeover.  Work in some cute layers that will blend in that new growth that's about to emerge.