How long and how soon was your first stall?

Ok guys I need to dive into the depth of knowledge on this board because the doc is  not concerned yet but I am so motivated I want to break this.  I had surgery 1/15/08 so I am almost 7 weeks out.  I have been the same weight for two weeks give or take a pound up and down. I am excerising 4-6 times a week with a solid half hour on the treadmill.  I have gone from walking and now doing more and more jogging so I am constantly pushing myself to the next level.  Right before the stall started I began weight training and have been lifting upper body everytime at the gym alternating between chest, arms, and back.  I am just now getting over the initial soreness of starting to lift again, so maybe I am retaining a lot of water.  My diet has opened up to eating about anything but of cousre in same quantities.  I average about 800 calroies a day, whi*****ludes one to two protien shakes at 20 grams each.  All my other meals are 90% protien with the occasional oatmeal or unsweeted shredded wheat for a meal. (I love cereal).  So what should I do?  Just press on knowing it will quit?  Should I shake things up? (if so what) or do you see some defiencey in my program.  BTW i am down 90 from the first of december and 40 since surgery.  So this could also be a body getting readjusted also.  Anyways any suggestions. BTW also getting over 64oz of water a day but is it 90% crystal light

I'm sure others on here can give you better advice than me but I will try to help.  First, I was a little later than you when my first stall occurred which was about 4 months out.  And it did last about 3 weeks.  From everything you have said you are doing, I believe you are doing everything just right....exercising, drinking water, getting your protein.  I am not sure about the calories but some of the more experienced posters who lift can probably help you out on this.  I'm just guessing but 800 seems a little low.  I think your doctor is right.........don't worry, it will pass and you will start losing again real soon.  My guess is your body is adjusting and catching up with all the changes you have made to it.  And I want to congratulate you on the weight you have lost so far.  That is Fantastic!!!!!  Keep up the great work!!!!!  And continue on.....the weight will be flying off again in no time!!!!!

You may not have technically stalled.   The weight may be the same but you may be swapping fat for muscle.  Have your pants sizes gone down any?   Do you catch yourself having to sinch up your belt a notch or two?  I posted this a month or two ago.   Hopefully it can help you but at 7 weeks out you're probably just expeiencing your body catching it's breath before the weight starts falling off again.  It's very common.

Plateus suck and I'm sorry you have to experience one but if you say you are losing inches then you may be actually losing weight and putting on muscle.   That's a good thing!  You could ask 10 people and get 10 different answer on plateau busting but the following has worked for me in the past... 

1) Weight Training and Cardio - Lifting weights will increase your lean muscle mass which will in turn increase your metabolic rate.   Both weight training and cardio are gonna burn calories and you even burn a set amount of calories a day doing nothing. (your Basic Metabolic Rate)  Combine that with the calories you burned from exercising and if you total caloric expenditure for the day is more than you consumed you will have a deficit.   Have a deficit of 3500 calories and you lost a pound.  You also may want to consider altering your exercise routine as well.   If you are doing low intensity exercises try some high intensity things like sprinting for a few days and see if that helps.

2) Alter your food intake by eating more frequently - How do you make a fire hotter?   You throw some fuel (wood) on it.  Think of your metabolism as that fire.   The food you consume will make that fire (your metabolism) burn more efficiently.   If you are eating 3 times a day up it to 6 and make sure they are all high protein foods.   Go very easy on the carbs with the exception of the green, leafy veggies.   As a rule of thumb stay away from the white stuff.   (potatoes, rice, etc.)

3) Go easy on the carbs - As in the above go easy or eliminate the bad carbs altogether.   I know it's easier said than done.  At least in my case it is.   You are pretty far out so I don't know if you have any problems with dumping but in my case I can (and sometimes do) eat the sugary stuff.   Old habits die hard I guess.   Stay away from them and that may be the key to busting the plateau by itself.

4) Trick your metabolism - Some people don't believe in this but it's worked for me.   I will stay religious to a 'diet' during the week (M-F) and trick my metabolism one day on the weekend by eating whatever I want.   This relaxes my metabolism and makes it think that I'm back to the old habits and when I go back to the 'diet' on Monday I shock the system again.   Like I said some people disagree that this works but I've done it for awhile now and it works for me. 

5) Drink water - Sometimes when  you think you are hungry you are actually thirsty.   Drink 16oz of water and sometimes that's gonna do the trick.   Personally I shoot for 128 ounces a day.  At a minimum try to get in at least 64 ounces.

I had surgery on the 14th of January and last week was a slow one for me too.

It's hard to be patient when good things are happening to us ain't it. I pretty much stay away from my scale other than a pre-planned twice per month because I don't want the type of anxiety you're going through right now. And yet, I still worry some days that  nothing good has happened lately. And then the next thing you know, I pull another notch up on the belt.  All of these guys have given you good advice, better than anything else I have. I'd just say, put the scale up and come back to it in two weeks.

Everyone's stalls are different I think ..  (Just ask Senator Craig!    &:-D)   But seriously .. it's really hard to gauge when someone is going to experience a stall (or even if you are having a stall, until it breaks)   I guess I was the extreme (good or bad?) situation, in that I really didn't have a stall ..  Just an ending to my weight loss after about 10 months or so out, after about 200 lbs. loss  ...  I kept waiting for the weight loss to pick back up, and after about 2 more months I finally lost about 8 more lbs. in 2 weeks ..   But then I regained almost all of that as easily, and fluctuate now between that low and the regain weight ..  ugh!    If only I could get this last 70 off!!! 

I've been on one now 4 to 5 weeks....can't seem to shake it.

Sounds to me like you need to up your calories. As much as you are working out you are probably burning most of what you are taking in. Your body thinks you are trying to starve it. I had a stall at a few weeks out and when I upped my intake I started to loose again. You have to fuel your engine.  pan head