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So... what happens when you stop checking out the forums every day and quit tracking? Well, for me it means weight gain. Hit my low of about 165 and then... well... then, essentially have been on a bender since then. It's been about a month. I know what I have to do, I just have to actually DO IT. I'm up 4lbs and can't seem to shake it. I'm NOT going over 170 again, but I have to find that happy medium between starving myself and gorging myself. My solution: start holding myself accountable. I'm starting over today. Tracking, posting, and weighing daily. For others out there in the same boat, don't give up or give in. Take it one day at a time and don't let setbacks get you down.

i love it! where can i get one! [emoji23] Sent from my SM-G973U using BariatricPal mobile app

I do. I struggle with evening grazing. I'm very careful to graze on protein and vegetables though. Maintenance is a challenge. Best advice that I could offer is to follow your plan and do what your team tells you to do for the first year at least. My eating habits have completely changed as a result of follow my plan. I hope a can continue to keep it off.

This is not the answer to your question, but... I am...older... and I have thinning hair as well. I have used Rogaine on and off over the years, and it does help. I get fine fuzz, which helps hide the scalp. I also use a colored dry shampoo to camouflage the bad spots, and lo and behold, that topomax helps too. I guess it works, as my daughter came with me when I had my hair washed and cut, and she said she never knew my hair was thin...

I'm 45, 6 feet tall, and started out at 396 my heaviest (was 366 at the start of the pre-op diet). I am very, very active. Outdoor work, sports, CrossFit. I did track my food and, like you, was on way more than 3,000 calories a day. Now, two months post-op, I am 94 pounds down from my heavy and 64 from the start of the pre-op diet. I eat more than most people—I take in between 1000 and 1400 calories a day, including up to 120 g of carbohydrates, which is unusual for bariatric patients. I am still in the fast-lose "honeymoon" period and am losing 3-5 pounds a week after the initial massive weight dump. And yet... I'm satisfied. Thriving, even. The only thing is the restricted amount means my strength isn't what it was—probably lost about 30% off my PR lifts. I don't really care, because now I can run, and jump, and my palms can touch the floor, and I'm off my meds. I do feel hunger when I haven't eaten in too long, but it's not the gnawing "feed me or I will make your life miserable" HANGRY feeling I would have had before. It's more like... "things are not right, please to be feeding me now." Here are a couple of typical days for me, all approved by my nutritionist: Meal 1: Fairlife Core Power protein shake Meal 2 (post-workout): Oatmeal with protein powder, a bit of maple syrup, blueberries, and raspberries Meal 3: Koussa (summer squash stuffed with ground meat and rice, braised in tomato sauce) Meal 4: Tuna salad on one of those little dense squares of European-style flat rye bread Meal 5: Collagen peptide protein and an apple ---- Meal 1: Fairlife Core Power protein shake Meal 2 (post-workout): Scrambled egg with a bit of cheese, spinach, and hot sauce Meal 3: Ground turkey with sugar-free Korean BBQ sauce, green beans, a bit of rice Meal 4: Skyr (Icelandic nonfat yoghurt) with raspberries Meal 5: Lentils with ham The biggest thing I had to teach myself was that it's okay to leave food on the plate, EVEN IF IT'S JUST ONE TINY BITE. Because the line between "I am full" and "debilitating nausea and acid reflux" is sometimes just that one single bite.

Thank you for the suggestions. I've been reading a ton including these boards and will probably check on one of those books as well. Makes sense that a larger person might have a larger calorie goal. Don't know what didn't occur to me. So much more to learn!

Binders (girdles, lol) would have been nice for about the first week. The first cough/sneeze made me wish I had taken them up on it at the hospital!

It's really common for people to experience an immediate drop in apetite right after surgery. This can last from a few weeks to forever, it just depends on how your body reacts. I lost my apetite for most of the first year and then it slowly returned until now it is about 65% of what it was pre-surgery. When I had very little apetite, it was easy to live on 600 calories and I did for months. Then it went up to 800 calories and stayed there pretty much until I hit goal. I was blessed not to be hungry during the weight loss phase, but some people never do lose their apetite. So you won't know exactly how your body is going to react until you are post-op. But if you have the average experience, there will be at least some period of time when your apetite is greatly diminished.

You're making a HUGE change, so it's okay to be nervous about it! Don't be surprised if you struggle, and don't feel bad when you inevitably do. Look at this amazing community you found that you can reach out to when you need an understanding friend! This is going to be an amazing change your body will thank you for later.

Please try Fairlife Core Power shakes. I love the strawberry/banana flavor. Tastes just like a milkshake. I am 8 days post op RNY and bought one battle to try and it was so good, i drank it in an hour. Yesterday i tried vanilla flavor, it was pretty good. I placed a order of 7 bottles for Walmart pick up today, for strawberry/banana. Let me know if you tried it. Sent from my SM-G973U using BariatricPal mobile app