PamelaAM

Oh, and one more thing - if you "like" them on Facebook they provide discount codes. Wish I had known that sooner because I paid full price but they said they will give me the 30% discount on my next order.

Oregondaisy - My biggest problem was that I always wanted to eat. Even though I still have great restriction, we all know that if you eat all day you are consuming way too many calories. My SIL had gastrci bypass many years ago and had lost and regained over the years. All of a sudden she was down 42 pounds and my niece down about 20 so I asked them what they were doing. They said they were on the Bee Pollen Diet and just took this pill (or two) each day. As desperate as I was, I decided to try it. I've only been on it almost two weeks now - the first week you just take one pill so I didn't really lose but I didn't gain either. Then you start on taking two pills in the morning and I was shocked at what it did to my appetite. I will start to think I want food, but then when I think about it I don't want it - at all. When I eat (haven't change what I eat at this point just trying to stay away from junk) my appetite is really diminished. I've lost 4 lbs this second week and have tons of energy. The only problem is that I have so much energy that sometimes it is hard to get to sleep at night but nothing serious. I watched my SIL struggle for so long after her bypass and she looks amazing now. How these pills make me feel is how many explain they feel after a sleeve - but for me, I never really lost my appetite - imaginary or real. I am not recommending this but just saying that for me, I love how it takes away my appetite and allows my sleeve to work as a tool. Here is the website: http://beepollendiet.com/ I guess there are alot of fakes out there that have copied these folks, so my SIL said to make sure you order from this site. She has no interest in the company, just knows it is working for she and her daughter. And I feel great for the first time in a long time :-)

I have been patiently waiting for the phone call. It came just a little while ago and Iwas so excited that they are able to fit me in, in September because otherwise I would have had to wait until December or January. Got assigned to Dr. Gary Belzberg at Kaiser - Harbor City. He and Dr. Zane are both great! Anyone have experience with Dr. Belzberg? So excited!:001_smile:

Patrice! I am just now seeing this post - haven't been on the board that much. I too, started going up again and gained 14 lbs. Am struggling to get it off again but started going to the gymn every morning and love how it makes me feel. Haven't lost anything but I need to get the food under control too. You tend to forget how easy it is to go back to old eating habits - maybe not as much but still the wrong stuff. So now I am only at the half way mark - back up to only 50 lbs lost so have another 50 to go. Bound and determined to get there. .

So funny how it is SO different for everyone! I don't really struggle with much (unfortunately) with the exception of taking that one bite too much of anything- then I suffer :-(

So here's the deal. . .I had one of the PA's in my surgeon's office explain to me why the hair loss. She said that when you do something as drastic as removed 85% of you stomach your body thinks that it is dying because a major organ has been compromised. So it starts sending all of it's energy to all of the major organs in an effort to save itself. Thereby not having any energy left for any of the peripherals - hair, nails etc. So your hair follicles actually die immediately after surgery but it takes 3 months for them to work their way out of your scalp. That's why you start experiencing hair loss at about 3 months out. LeslieH is correct that it normally lasts for about 3 months and then will slowly subside. My hair was very fine to begin with. I wore it in an A-line bob and colored it - both bleach and color, just to have some texture to it so that it appeared thicker. Once my hair started coming out at 3 months I started to freak out and went out and bought 5 wigs - very cool wigs, I might add - you'd be amazed at what's out there. I just could never bring myself to wear one. So I ended up cutting my hair really short (which I thought I would NEVER do) still color and bleach and everyone loves it, including me! When I was 60 pounds heavier I would have never been able to get away with a cut like this because my face was way too fat, but now it looks ok. This surgery will change your life. No doubt. It is such an amazing transformation you will be in awe. I, too, freaked out about the hair loss and I'm not going to tell you that I didn't have some incredibly emotional times over it, but the weight loss and the new life is SO worth it. It doesn't fall out completely and for many of the gals that have gone from really thick hair to normal hair or even thin hair, when I see them, they still look fabulous - one would never notice the hair loss. Sleeve4me uses those clip in extensions and you would never know it's not her own hair - looks incredible. For me, I just went really short and honestly, don't think I will ever grow my hair long (er) again!

Leslie, you look fabulous! You shot by me so quick it was amazing!!! Great job! See you next week!

You look amazing!!! Can't wait to see you!

Thank you for the amazing inspiration!!!!!

It has nothing to do with Protein according to my doctor. The way it was explained to me was that when you remove 85% of your stomach which is a major organ, your body thinks it is dying and sends all of the signifcant energy to the major organs in an attempt to save itself. The hair follicles actually die at the time and right after the surgery. It simply takes about 3 months for the hair to work itself out and actually fall out during the 3-6 month period. If you look at the anatomy of your hair/follicle you will see the process. I take Biotin because I figure it might help with the regrowth but it doesn't help at all with the actual loss. Some people experience the loss and others don't. For me, I had significant hair loss to the point that I had to cut my hair really short and am actually doing a "comb over" on the top to disguise the loss. So it IS really important to get your protein in, but not because of the hair loss - but because your body just needs to to heal and perform it's functions well.

OMG Bonnie!!! You are doing amazing!!! I hope you can join us in May when we all get together again!

Absolutely amazing!!!! I, too, am so grateful for my sleeve! Keep up the good work - you look fabulous!

Congrats Sophia!!! Maybe if I ever get around to getting my knee replaced I can do it with you! UGH! I can't even stand the thought of THAT surgery!

You look GREAT! I started at 250 also and can't wait until I am at 153!

This morning, Sophia (sleeve4me) and I were invited to speak at the Kaiser Options graduating class! When we were in our class that graduated on April 2, 2010, it was one of the things that we promised ourselves that we would do - to go back after we'd had the surgery to encourage others. It was amazing! It was crazy to see how excited everyone was about OUR weight loss! We both brought a sample of our old clothes (Sophia brought her 18W dress to show and then also showed her Junior size 9 dress that she now fits into, and I showed my size 20 pants and then they saw me in my new size 14 skinny jeans!) and used them for show and tell. They had alot of really great questions but mostly seemed really excited to hear our stories and see our successes! What a great feeling to be helping give hope to the people in the class! I hope we get the opportunity again! We looked at everyone and it seemed like just yesterday that WE were the ones sitting in the 12 week class. So happy to be on the other side now and having lost so much of our weight! ] What a rush! It was amazing!

So scary! I think it is really important that you posted here so that others that are considering a plication as opposed to a regular sleeve know that it CAN happen. Thank goodness you are ok but what an awful thing to experience! I know it is all such a personal decision but I've never been really clear as to why someone would select a plication as opposed to a sleeve and leave that unused portion of the stomach in place. Have people ever really gone in for a reversal? Just really curious. Again, thank goodness you are fine and congratulations on your weight loss :-) Your note is a great reminder that none of us should ever ignore signs of our bodies not feeling right.

I am eating 5-6 times per day at about 200 calories per session since they told me I had to get my calories up to 1200 a day now that I am over 3 months out. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner but also have small "meals" in between that consist of maybe a yogurt or a couple of thin deli turkey slices with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese rolled up into it. My nutritionist just told me that I also have to make sure to get between 100-130 grams of good carbs in as well each day.

I was especially excited to read your note because as you can see below, out numbers were almost identical and I will be thrilled if I am at my goal after a year!!! You have definitely inspired me today!

She actually showed me a meal plan that had 3 distinct meals laid out. There was a ton of food in each meal - all of the food that I actualy spread out over the day. She said that they want to get you used to eating only 3 times a day and not eathing anything between. Sorry, doesn't fit with what I know works well for me OR the advise of every other diet out there.

Oh my goodness I wish I would have known a couple of weeks ago - I was just in Nashville and could have packed up a whole other suitcase and brought it to you! I'm coming back on the 23rd of February but you will probably be a whole different size by then. Get in touch with me tomorrow at pmarquardt@pancan.org or call me at (909)744-7300 and let's see what I can send out to you. It's always tricky with this surgery because you are only at the different size stages for such a short period of time.

Just wanted to remind everyone that there is a Clothing Exchange forum on this site. I didn't even realize it until yesterday when someone pointed it out to me. Great way to *recycle* our clothes and also help everyone out so that they aren't buying a ton of clothes at every different weight level. Just scroll down way far on the main page of the site to find the Clothing Exchange.

OMG! I have been teetering between 200 and 201 for over a week now. Really wanted to hit Onederland by tomorrow morning but this morning was at 200.5 once again. I know it will happen eventually but I really wanted to start the year out under 200. Anyone have any tricks up their sleeves? It's more just the psychological thing of getting under 200 for the New Year :-)

If you had already lost 50 lbs on your own prior to surgery, it is not uncommon for your body to "hold on" to weight before it decides to release it. Especially if you are on a low amount of calories, your body might have gone into starvation mode. I was sleeved on September 27th so a couple of weeks before you and hadn't really lost prior to surgery. But when I hit the 2 1/2 month mark I was definitely stalling. Saw the nutritionist and she said I had to get my calories up from 800-900 up to 1000-1200 because my body was hanging on to the weight for fear of never getting food again. Once I was able to up my calories I have started to lose again. Slow, but at least I am losing. It is hard to get in 1200 calories - I am literally eating something every 2-3 hours. And if you are working out alot you actually need MORE than 1200 calories to not starve your body. Seems weird but that is the science of how it works. I, too, would suggest that you meet with the nutritionist and get some additional guidance.

I asked my surgeon for one and he said while they used to give them out, they no longer do because they said that the food choices for the kids meals are usually not that healthy and they really don't want people to order the kids meals. He suggested ordering something healthy and taking a to go box and making a couple more meals out of it, which is what I normally do.