5 Reasons You May Experience a Stall After Weight Loss Surgery

You’ve had weight loss surgery, you’re past the liquid stage, the puree stage, and now you’re eating whole foods again. Your body has recovered from major surgery, and you’ve most likely experienced rapid weight loss. The experience of significant weight loss over the last few weeks (or months) has been unfathomable, but now the scale isn’t moving. Your body is stalled, and no matter what you do, the scale just won’t budge. 

A stall is not the end. 

You will continue to experience weight loss once your body recalibrates.

A stall can happen to anyone after WLS – we’re here to help you through it. As bariatric patients, we have been there and we know countless other patients that have been there too. 

This is one of the most asked questions we get from our listeners. That’s why we dedicated a podcast episode to this topic, and now we want to expand the topic on our blog. 

If you’re experiencing a stall in weight loss after bariatric surgery, try sitting back and taking an inventory of the WLS basics. You’ll most likely be able to pinpoint what you can do to keep moving forward. 

We’re going to review our top five reasons why the scale may not be moving and how you can help your body overcome this dreaded stall (that does happen to EVERYONE).

1. Low Water & Protein

Right out of the operating room, our surgeons advise us to get plenty of water and protein. 

Generally, surgeons tell us to consume 64oz of water (or non-sugary, non-caffeinated liquids). This can look like water, (no sugar added) popsicles, (no sugar added) Jello, etc. Just make sure you stay hydrated. That is the main goal. These fluids also help move nutrients and waste through our bodies. 

The added stipulation of not being able to drink 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after eating adds to the challenge. We get it, it’s hard. In the beginning, getting in the recommended amounts is a process. For some, this can take a few weeks to several months. Set timers and do your best to get in the water you can and build as you go. 

Protein is also SUPER crucial after WLS. Protein helps with many internal bodily functions. The main one after WLS is healing and recovery. Most surgeons give a range of 60-80 grams of protein daily, depending on your body type. Some patients may need to consume more based on their individual needs. 

Without the right amounts of protein in our bodies, systems will not work as they should. Protein is the fuel to keep our bodies moving. You may be experiencing a stall if you’re not consuming the right amount you need to function. This could result in a stall as your body may start holding on to reserves and doing its best to conserve energy. This means weight loss will slow down or stop altogether.

A few best practices for keeping up with your protein levels is to track your food intake. Make notes about what you eat daily and tally up those protein grams. If you're struggling to meet your daily goals with whole foods, keep protein shakes and bars on hand to supplement. Check out our Protein Explained episode for a deep dive into all things protein.

2. Sleep

How much sleep are you getting? 

If you get less than 6 hours of sleep each night, your body does not have time to recover and reset for the next day. Sleep plays a massive role in the levels of your body’s hunger hormones, Ghrelin and Leptin. Lack of sleep can increase and decrease these hormones and cause havoc in your body. The goal is to balance these hormones in your body so it can function properly, stop the stall, and shed weight with the help of your new tool, WLS.

Check out our episode, The Importance of Sleep After WLS with Dr. Dovec, and download the sleep tracker to help you get a minimum of 6-8 hours of sleep each day.

3. Stress Level

How’s your stress level? 

As bariatric patients, we have the same stressors we had before: balancing family and friends, work, maintaining a home, etc. Then we have an added layer of stress in our lives by ensuring we meet our basic needs. Water, protein, proper sleep (lions, tigers, and bears – oh my). It can be a lot. Especially the first few months and up to a year after surgery. 

As the stress piles on, so does the stress hormone Cortisol. Increases in Cortisol can have adverse effects on our bodies, mainly the immune and metabolic systems, thus slowing down weight loss after bariatric surgery, which can cause a stall.

We use intentional movement and self-care to reduce stress in our lives. Something as simple as an evening walk can help level out the stressors in your life. If you aren’t already, get into therapy to help weed through the headwork that’s a huge part of life after bariatric surgery.

4. Emotional Eating

Are you eating off plan? Going back to old habits? We get it. 

These are the habits and coping mechanisms we’ve relied on for most of our lives. They don’t simply go away after weight loss surgery. It's a struggle to create new paths and ways to cope when we’re up against something difficult in our lives.

For most patients, our coping mechanisms often involve food. We eat when we’re happy, sad, and stressed. You may have taken a path recently that isn’t aligned with your goals. That is okay. You’re not the first WLS patient to get sidetracked, and you certainly will not be the last. 

The first step to getting back on a plan that serves your lifestyle goals is awareness.

Be aware of the choices you’re making and make adjustments as needed. If you need additional support from those of us that have been where you are, we have several resources to help you. Reach out to us. You are not alone. Others have experienced a stall, navigated through it, and moved on to lose their excess weight.

5. Alcohol

Have you re-introduced alcohol to your body? If you’re still in the “losing” phase of bariatric surgery, you may want to reconsider consuming alcohol until you’re in maintenance mode. 

The body considers alcohol a toxin and will prioritize metabolizing it first to get it out of the body. 

Alcohol basically jumps the line and hijacks your metabolism for up to 36 hours, stopping the metabolization of all other nutrients and fats in the body. Many patients that consume alcohol regularly after weight loss surgery will experience a stall or regain as a result.

As bariatric patients, the possibility of transferring addiction is also something to be mindful of when consuming alcohol. Please seek help if you’re struggling to get back to a better place.

Navigating A Stall After WLS

We hope this information was helpful. So many factors go into weight loss after bariatric surgery. These are just a few main reasons we’ve experienced a stall ourselves. Some of our listeners and Benchies have struggled with these too. The best advice we can offer is to know you are not alone on this journey and seek out support.

We started our podcast to inform and help the bariatric community thrive with the tool of WLS. If you’re struggling to navigate life after WLS or experiencing a stall, we’re here to help you.

If you haven't already, join our email list to get regular content updates and information about our support group, The Benchies.