In a stall so early out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am but 4 weeks out and have been in a stall for at least 2 weeks.  I lost 15 Lb pre-op and another 17 after surgery.  I am not able to exercise because of chronic pain that I have.  I still have never gone over 700 cal and I am finally getting in enough protein.  I'm trying on the liquids, it is very hard for me.  It is so depressing not to lose anything eating so little. 

Any suggestions?

I am with you!  I just started week 6, have been stalled since 2.5 weeks.  Only 23lbs total lost.  Bout ready to toss the scale right off the roof. 

I get my protein and fluids in.  My cals are around 700.  Modified my carb intake.  Well except for today when I went of the deep end and got all up in a bag of popcorn some sadistic ass brought into work! 

Right now I am entering various meats into MFP too make a grocery list.  Among the better choices: tuna, whiting filets, crab legs, scallops, chicken breasts, filet mignon.  Of course, cottage cheese is always a winner.  Playing around with different foods I eat to see what is the best choice, yet still appealing and something I can work with.

Funny to see all these options and all amount to only 10 carbs!  See below...I'll post for a lark.  It is informative.

 

Breakfast	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein
Homemade - Filet Mignon, 3.7 oz	181	0	8	27
Gretchen's Homemade - Snow Crab Legs - Steamed, 3.5 ounces	115	0	2	24
Home Made - Sauteed Shrimp, 3.7 ounces	248	1	3	22
Generic - Cod Fillet Baked, 3.7 oz	111	0	1	25
Kroger - Whiting Filets - Uncooked, 3.7 oz. (113g)	93	0	1	19
Fresh & Easy - Jumbo Sea Scallops, 5 scallops / 4oz	100	3	0	19
Beef - Chuck Roast, 3.7 oz.	130	0	4	22
Lobster Tail - 6 oz - Steamed, 3.7 oz	123	3	2	22
Chicken Breast - Skinless - Baked, 3.7 oz	170	0	2	34
Tyson's Chicken - Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Chunks, 3.7 oz	148	1	2	28
Starkist - Chunk White Albacore Tuna In Water, 3.7 oz	89	0	2	18
Steak - New York Strip Grilled, 3.7 oz.	204	0	15	26
Beef - Ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, patty, cooked, broiled (hamburger), 1 serving ( 3 oz )	213	0	13	22
Kroger - Breakfast Turkey Sausage Patties, 1 patty	50	1	3	5
Tennesee Pride - Sausage Patty, 1 patties	105	1	8	5
Add Food Quick Tools Quick add calories Remember meal Copy yesterday Copy from date Copy to date Copy from which date? Friday, December 28 Thursday, December 27 Wednesday, December 26 Tuesday, December 25 Monday, December 24 Sunday, December 23 Saturday, December 22 Copy to which date? Tuesday, January 1 Monday, December 31 Tomorrow Today Yesterday Thursday, December 27 Wednesday, December 26	2,080	10	66	318

 

Honestly, I am stunned you are able to eat 700 calories. I am 3 1/2 months out and could never eat that much. I eat protein first and sometimes have a little room for veggies. I get about 450-500 cal per day.

Please don't take this the wrong way, as I mean to say it with kindness - it wasn't a sadistic ass who brought popcorn to work, it was just a regular person. They are all around us and always will be. We have to have our minds made up we won't touch that kind of stuff no matter what.

I suggest you look closely at what you are eating and I wish you luck.

I'm only 11 days out and just to get my protein in liquids I'm intaking 600 to 700 calories.  How are you getting enough protein at 450 to 500 calories?  I'd like to know the secret.  Cause I can Imagine at 3.5 months out I'll be able to fit a lot more.  Maybe my sleeve is really big.  I don't really feel that much restriction.  But I haven't started purees yet maybe that will make the difference? 

You won't feel any restriction with liquids. You will start to feel some restriction on puree/mushies and seriously on solids. The nerve endings in your stomach were cut, therefore no feeling/restriction. As you get further out and they regenerate you will. I too am around 400-500 calories a day, but I'm on solids and 2.5 months out now. 

I'm right there with you!  I'm a little over 2 weeks post op.  I do good to get 2 protein shakes in a day @ 160 calories each.  But they have 30g of protein each, so my focus is getting that in.  Rarely ever do I have anything else besides water.  So I'm not even getting 400 calories a day.  I get to move to pureed food next weekend, so I expect it to increase.  But honestly I'm content with my protein shakes....can I stick with them mostly rather than pureed food.  Maybe take in some veggies from time to time.  I'm sure I'm not getting the nutrition I need.

Just try to remember that this is NORMAL!!  Your body is adjusting to the trauma that it has gone through and the change in the fuel intake you are providing it.  Just keep trying to get in all your protein, drink your fluids (I know its hard but try changing up flavors with Crystal Light or sugar free tea ect.) and keep working at getting exercise.  Even just walking in 5 min stretches 5 to 6 times a day will be a huge help.  Stop torturing yourself with the scale.  Set it aside for a week and start taking your measurements.  I'll bet anything that you are losing a ton of inches right now but you're so focused on the number on the scale you're not paying attention.

I was easily getting in anywhere from 400-800 calories a day and was not eating any crap at all so I'm sure you're doing fine!  In fact my Surgeon requested that I try to hit 800 calories every day in order to prevent my body from going into starvation mode.

Be patient, don't give up, it will happen!

My name is Tammy.  I'm only 11 days out and my stall started this week.  I lost 14 on preop diet before surgery and than 10 the first week.  This week I just froze.    I understand where you are coming from.  I also have tons of Fibromyalgia pain.  What I did for exercise was walking in the pool and ligh****er aerobics preop.  The water lifts the weight of your body so this type of exercise doesn't hurt you.  (This was recommended by my orthopedic doctor)  As soon as my incisions heal I'm going back to the pool.   Until than I'm just walking average of 15 mins a day which is hard for me because of the pain.    Maybe you can try water exercises too?  Mostly all La Fitness gyms have pools.  Hope this helps.  Take care. 

Very common. It's called the three week stall, though it can hit some folks at 2 weeks out and some at 4 or 5 weeks out. Your body is adjusting. It's incredibly frustrating but it will break. Honest.

I ( with my surgeons blessing) started eating soft foods fairly early because I couldn't tolerate the shakes.

Of course I can eat all foods now (although that is just an assumption because many I have not tried).

Since the beginning I worked hard to get the most protein, fewest carbs - out of the least calories. Eating this way also gives me a volume of food that doesn't leave room for me to eat more.

For example, a person could eat 4 pouches of tuna. That would be 68 grams protein, 0 carbs and 320 cal. That would leave room to add a little more protein, carbs and cals and be just fine. Of course I don't eat that much tuna (boring) but it makes my point.

I don't try to up my calories because I don't believe in the "starvation mode myth" and neither does my doctor. She once asked me - have you ever seen a picture of a person who has starved to death? They are NEVER fat.

I realize there are differences of opinion on this starvation mode issue so don't claim to be an expert.

Anyway, you will find your own path with food once you get past liquids but I started right out of surgery. Those horrible shakes had 150-160 cal per 23-25 grams protein so I used the powder and got the same amount of protein for 110 cal and mixed it with water. Also the RTD Premier shakes have 30 grams protein so used them too.

Lastly, I need to explain I am a slow loser. My PCP wanted me to get a malabsorption surgery because she doesn't think the weight will go adequately without it. I chose VSG and know I must be extra vigilant to be successful.

Annie