WTF...MAJOR stall

I'm sorry for going around with this AGAIN, but I am in a stall of stalls and just don't get it.

I am about 3 months out from my sleeve and have been cranking along.  Now I have not lost an ounce in over 3 weeks.  I have been logging every bit of food that goes into my mouth on myfitnesspal.  I am hitting my 100 grams of protein a day and my daily caloric intake is under 1000.  I am exercising every day as well.   Usually a good solid hour on my bike (riding hard, not strolling), and doing weight training 3 days a week.  HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?    And on top of that, I thought surely yesterday would have to break something.  As many of you know, it was Yom Kippur which is a fast day for Jews.  I ate completely normally on Tuesday before sundown (my standard 1000 calories), and then yesterday didn't eat a bite or drink a sip of water all day until after sunset.  At that time, I ate a very sensible and controlled meal of 2 hardboiled eggs and some vegetables and humus.  Total of under 200 calories.  So when I stepped on the scale this morning I was blown away that I am still completely stuck at the same number.  so frustrating.

These are the only things that I figure might be causing it. 

1.  Has my body just adjusted itself to 1000 calories per day?  Is this all it needs now?  Do I try to up my exercise (time is a major issue there) or lower my caloric intake even further?

2  I have been working out at the gym for only the past month now.  I have a personal trainer and we are doing a lot of weights.  We are not going with super heavy weight, rather light but with higher reps, trying to tone up, not bulk up.  Is it possible that muscle has been put on this quickly to offset any fat loss I may have had?

Starting to get really discouraged.

M

Oh Matthew, I have answered this question so many times, my friend :-) 

You are doing everything right and shouldn't change a thing.  Don't eat more or less; don't exercise more or less; just keep on the path you are following.  No your body hasn't "adjusted" and no you haven't increased muscle mass much at this point. Especially not on the calories you report eating.  Virtually impossible in one month to do that. 

The number ONE reason for what you are experiencing is water retention due to increased activity.  You've upped your exercise phenomenally in the last month and I bet anything your muscles are sore!  Whenever we do this the body automatically goes into water retention mode and hangs onto every single ounce to cushion those inflamed muscles/tendons/ligaments.  

I bet you $$ that even though the scale hasn't moved that you are noticing things fitting different.  Whenever the scale stops you should be using the measuring tape or your tightest pair of pants.  The change will be apparent in inches lost, not pounds on the scale 

You are doing everything right for FAT loss - and the scale is not your friend in that battle.  It's the worst indicator of fat loss.  If you want to lose a quick 6-7 lbs. you could cut off your arm but would you be any less fat?  Nope!  

The one thing you don't mention is your carb intake.  Are you staying below 40 grams of carb per day?  Also, how much water do you typically drink per day?  With your increased activity you need to be doing 100-120 oz. of water each day.  

It's way, way too early to be getting discouraged.  This is a lifetime commitment you've made and you'll need to be doing these things every single day forever.  Do yourself a favor right now and unhook your happiness from the number on the bathroom scale.  It is the WORST indicator of success and you don't want your mood dependent on whatever it reports on any particular day. 

You can do this! 

^^^^  What Tracy said.  Do not freak out. You're doing everything right.  The scale will eventually move in the right direction.  It's during times like these that I noticed the greatest difference in how my clothes fit.  

Stalls are a fact of life for most of us.  Stay on course and the rest will take care of itself.

I couldn't have written it better than Tracy.

When people hit a stall, they increase exercise even more, which leads to short term muscle injury and more water retention. It's fat loss without weight loss.

Want to hear something funny? If you'd been sitting around on your ass the last three weeks, you'd weigh less.

But these are just short term aberrations. You've lost fat. You can't keep gaining water weight until you burst. In the end, you'll be happy.

I'm also in the same boat as you. 3 months out and stuck. It is soooo frustrating. I really can only lose it seems if i go about 700 calories. Just seems so unhealthy. 1000 calories for me I will never lose. It's like my body just got used to that amount and it's happy just staying there. I think it's great advice what has been given so far. I think it's just great to vent here as well. We just have to keep on telling ourselves this is not it..this is not our final destination. The scale will go down...eventually. Keep it up :)

If you're maintaining at your current calorie level, it may be your maintenance "sweet spot." Plenty of folks here don't see the scale move unless they're at 800 or 900 calories, and maintain at 1000 - 1100.

I stalled for almost 4 weeks, did not change a thing, and then one day I stepped on the scale and it started coming off again....don't give up hope!!!

First, what Tracy said.

Second, three weeks does not constitute "a major stall". It is just barely a stall at only three weeks sicne it is VERY common to go a week or two without losing anything.  When it it 6 weeks long, then that is another matter.

Just hang in there.

Lora