"3 week stall" has lasted 4 weeks.... SO FRUSTRATING!

** 8 weeks post op **

I am SO frustrated right now. I hit the 3 week stall 4 weeks ago and haven't lost anything since. I have had a pair of jeans that I thought for sure I would be into already. Everything I read about the 3 week stall is that it only lasts 2-3 weeks, you are losing inches during that time blah blah blah.  All I know is that THIS is why I was so unsuccessful with weight loss before surgery.  I would do all the right things but not see any results.  And now, 9 months into my WLS bust my ass journey, the same damn thing is happening.  Only this time I went through with the drastic decision to have surgery to help me, and STILL it's not helping.

I am getting my protein, my fluids, my exercises in. I just don't get it.  I know we will have plateaus, I understand that.  I just didn't think it would be SO soon and for SO long. I don't' know what to do.

I am so very frustrated.

Take a breath :) You will get there in time.  I went though something similar but I have to say, just hang in there, if you are following the program, good stuff will happen!

You did not mention how much you are eating. Are you measuring your portions and tracking every bite? By the 9 month mark we can eat a lot more than in the beginning.

The "three week stall" is named that because it happens around the third week after surgery.  You are in a plain, old, stall since you were 8 months out from surgery when the stall started, not three weeks.

If you post exactly what you are eating we might be able to troubleshoot for you.  Are you measuring and logging every bite so you have an accurate picture of how much and what you are eating?  Portion sizes tend to creep up over time.  The only way to know for sure if you are eating too much is to measure and log your food.  We can still stall, or even gain weight, if we eat too much, even if the food is "healthy".  

The biggest reason for long stalls are eating too large portion sizes and adding carbs back into your diet.  Many people will experience a stall if they are eating too much fruit.  Fruit has great fiber, but lots of sugar too. The body uses the sugar in fruit the same way it uses candy.  You won't burn fat if you are eating too many carbs.  Take a look at what you are eating and if you can see a pattern.  Are you eating processed or simple carbs like bread, pasta, sugar, rice, potatoes, crackers?  Those foods will stop your weight loss dead in it's tracks.  Getting your protein and water in is very important, but it won't help if you are eating too many carbs.

Exercise is great to keep your heart healthy but it does not really have a big impact on weight loss.  The most important part of WLS is controlling what and how much you eat.  That is the key to success.  If you are not losing weight, then you are eating enough calories to put you into maintenance.  If you are not gaining and your weight has not moved, you may have to drop the calories down and keep your carbs at under 40 grams to get the ball rolling again.

Keep on fighting!  You can do this!

I am only 8 weeks post op. The 8 months was my 6 month supervised weight loss BEFORE surgery. It's just been that long since this whole thing started. My 2 month post op is tomorrow.

That's why I am having such an issue. And yes, i measure everything, making sure I get my protein in. I'm still on 2-3 protein shakes a day, with little protein high foods sprinkled in. Cottage cheese, eggs, chicken, homemade venison chili. And all only about 1/2 cup at a time (or whatever I can handle).

Then just keep doing what you are doing!!!   The weight will come off as long as you keep following the rules.  If the scale gets you down, stop weighing for a while.  You're not doing anything wrong.  Stop getting down on yourself.  Negative thinking never helped anyone.  

You've got this!

 I HEAR YA!!!

My 3 week stall sort of broke 3 or 4 days ago.  Now I am only losing (sometimes) a half a pound a day.  My doc wanted me to be 30 to 40 pounds in the first month.  Instead I was 19 and it was all from the first two weeks.  Now I am following the diet to a tee, still not able to workout but I move, and I get my water in.  I understand your frustration and pain.  But we just have to keep doing what we are supposed to and it will come off.

Stay off the scale:  it will drive you NUTZ.

Find something positive to do with your demon scale:

*  A boat anchor

*  A plant stand

*  Target practice for your nice new Glock 9 MM

*  Paving stone in your garden

*  Launch ramp for your new skateboard

*  Your best creativity:

You will hear all kinds of excuse's as to why? but just know it happens and it's all a part of it! I stalled for almost 2 months and go figure, I was Preggers!! so be careful is all. And most importantly be patient with your self. You body has to catch up with the weight loss, blah, blah, but you can't give up, keep doing what you know is the right thing, It's easier said than done, to say stop stressing, but it's hard. We have all been there!! too. The weight comes off, for some super fast, others super slow, but it will come off. Just hang on In THERE! You can do it.
Don't be discouraged, it's going to be okay! You'll see, in due time, but it takes it's own time too. I love to blink my eyes and my re-gain of this 30lbs is gone, but it's not going to happen like that, so I have to keep working at it. Day by day, & losing a one pound at a time, it's all I can ASK for now. 8 yrs. Post.op.
Peace Jbug Good Luck & Best Wishes as you con't on through the journey, of a lifetime, and It's true what they say, it's easy to lose the weight & even harder to keep it off. It really is. So don't beat your self up over it, stalls happen in wl, & you can bet it will happen again too, but you'll get over now & then too.

I'm sorry it's frustrating, but, honestly, it's just part of the process and you have to learn to live with it. I stalled at day 10 post-op for a few weeks, so I feel your pain! You can see from my ticker that I did, in fact, start losing weight again. :)

The only thing you can do is keep on keepin' on and trust the process. The worst thing you can do is let the frustration get the best of you, say "eff" it, and go off plan. Hang in there, this is a marathon not a sprint!