stalls

So what's been your longest stall time?  I've only lost 3lbs in this past month.  I'm having a hard time accepting this.  Although I'm grateful for all I've lost to date, I can't believe this recent lag of weight loss.  This can't be the end, right????  I'm at 90lbs total loss including the pre-surgery loss.  But far from my goal weight.
I'm confused.......add more protein some say, less protein others say.........

These past 3 lbs have actually pushed me below 200lbs.  A BIG accomplishment, and another goal reached.  But now 6 months out and I need to see that scale moving again!  It keeps me encouraged.  I am eating more these days, but probably only 1000 cal. max.

I had a stall like that for a whole month myself.   I kept loosing and gaining the same 3 to 4 pounds it was so frustrating.    I too started eating more then I should .  I understolld the concept of the glycogen stores but it did not  help me ( I am enclosing that for you see below)

It is funny I knew I was loosing weight it just did not show on the scales.   I decided that I was on a water pill in the being but stopped taking them    I started back and that showed on the scale alot.  I am now down about 85 pounds. 

I knew I need to be accountable so I joined a local TOPS chapter.  I like the commodery and the weigh ins help me keep on track.    I hope ...  But hang in there it will worl   But loosing 90 pounds isnit it incredible., 

 

It's water. This explanation of what's happening is courtesy of Diana Cox.

Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.

As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

OMG guys am also stalled I want to pull my head off lol 35lbs in 5 months since surgery 41lbs. am getting really frustrated 

I, too, have stalled. I've been losing/regaining the same 5lbs for the past month or so. It is frustrating, but considering the grand scheme of things, I am very grateful for my total weight loss (93 since weigh-in, 70 since surgery).

I try to think of it this way....it took me a long time to put on and maintain the weight, it's going to take a while to get it off. I look at this "stall" as a time where my loose skin has a chance to catch up with my weight loss and tighten up a bit!

As for strategies to break the stall....keeping a food diary to limit overeating is a tactic that seems to work (if one follows through with writing everything down); Substituting low-cal for full-cal - i.e. fat free half-n-half for full fat half-n-half, fruit instead of candy, etc.; Getting a bit more (any) exercise, i.e. taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Don't forget the progress you have already made! Good luck to all!