bean406

I am now 13 weeks post op and it's been a pretty good journey so far. I have been stalled again for the past week-ish. I have lost just under 60 pounds and though that's a lot of weight still feel like I'm "missing the mark". I think I need to pay more attention to sugar content. Also my hair has been coming out A LOT, which I know they said it could but at the rate I'm going I'm surprised I'm not bald! Going to add back in two protein shakes a day and be more consistent with my vitamins and see if that makes a difference. Hoping the weight keeps coming off and that eventually my hair will be healthier than ever!

Fabulous transformation!! Congrats

Thanks for the reply!! Yeah, I have been losing a LOT for the past 3 weeks. I am thinking of going with a really short cut so at least I won't notice as much!! I used to do biotin but can't take the same stuff I used too because the pill is bigger than I'm allowed to swallow. I am pretty sure I'm not getting enough Protein so that's one thing I can do to help...also, I am just now getting going on bariatric Multivitamin and Iron supplement. Guess I'll give it a few weeks and see if it helps. I expected hair loss but not this much this soon!!

Glad your hair is growing back!! I was actually thinking about this today. I know my surgeon warned that this could happen but said it would be around the 6-9 month mark for most people. Today I am 3 months out of surgery and my hair is coming out in gobs when I comb and in the shower! It seems too soon so now I'm wondering if this could be happening because I'm not getting enough protein?? Any insight is appreciated.

I too got nauseous and actually sick once when I started taking a multi a few weeks after surgery. I used Bariatric Advantage and the pills are about the same size as Celebrate. I ended up trying to eat half the Vitamin at a time and it helped with the nausea but even now if I take those vitamins whole it can make me feel queasy. I switched to Celebrate multi and iron tablets and I do better with those. So, the vitamins could go down easier as you get more post-op weeks under-your-belt or maybe they will continue not to agree with you as in my case. You may want to try other flavors too as that may make a difference in how they go down.

I hear ya, stalls are VERY frustrating. I have been on a week-long stall and it definitely has dampened my spirits a bit. I guess we just need to keep our eyes on the end-goal and do the best we can!! Hang in there.

I'm 10 weeks out and still trying to figure this out!! I know for the first month or so I barely ate anything and still did my protein shakes as much as I could remember to do. I took the advised 20-30 min to eat a meal and basically just stopped before I felt full because I wanted to make sure NOT to overdue it. Within 15 minutes or so after a meal I would have a sense of being satisfied but never had that "oh crap I ate too much" stuffed feeling. I think everyone is probably a little different in this area. Not sure how helpful any of that was, lol.

Thanks for sharing .

Seeking help for the mental health part of your journey should be commended and certainly shouldn't be looked at as a "cop out". Understanding our eating behaviors is an important part of the process. I think we all struggle with food choices and it's up to us to find what works for us and deal with issues as they arise. I look at this surgery as a tool to aid in weight loss but you're right in that it's definitely not easy. You can do this and you are not alone in the things you're feeling!

Stress can definitely wreak havoc on your body! I would say it could definitely be a contributing factor to your stall. Also, short stalls are fairly normal from what I understand and of course it depends on what you're eating as well. Sometimes I don't lose for a few days and then one day it will be a bigger loss. Good luck with everything!

I'm another "weigh-every-morning-after-I-go-to-the-bathroom-person" ...I initially planned on doing once a week but I can't stay away from the scale and I agree with what someone else said about it helping me keep on track.

I agree with everyone in that it gets easier. My pre-op liquid diet and then 4 weeks following surgery were the hardest. We always seem to want what we can't have! Starting week 5 when I was allowed soft foods something triggered in my brain and it definitely got easier. I agree that the mental part can be a challenge as we all need to learn what triggers us. I had my surgery in Houston and I've been back home for a little over a week and I already noticed that I definitely tend to eat when I'm bored. Also, old food choices are taunting me so dealing with that as well. It's not easy but having the surgery is definitely a HUGE tool for success. I would just say hang in there and get any help you may need with the mental aspect of the life-changing journey you're on.

I personally wouldn't self-medicate or take anything that your surgeon isn't ok with. Prior to surgery they don't want you taking anything that will thin out your blood. After surgery they will encourage you to walk. I also had cuffs around my calves that would squeeze every so often; they actually put those on when I was getting prepped for surgery. I was also given medicine for blood clots during my 2-day stay in the hospital. It is a valid concern that I would suggest talking with your surgeon about .

I can totally understand how you feel. I too have been on so many failed diets that it's always in the back of my mind that this might not work. I actually expressed my concern to my doctor who told me I would pretty much be the first person ever it didn't work for! Just keep the faith and keep your eye on your goal. Positive thinking and good eating choices is the way to go.

Wahoo for regular sizes!! I think this is something we ALL look forward to. Great job!

I think all of us fall "victim" to the dreaded stalls at one or more points in our weight loss journey. I go a few days without loss sometimes and then the next thing I know the scale drops down a bigger chunk. My nutritionist said a good visual for the weight loss is that we shouldn't expect a nice continuous descending line but more like something that looks like stairs going down in that there will be plateaus but followed by a larger drop (at some point). Anyways, as to how much you're eating I can't really say because our bodies are all different and I'm sure our pouches vary in size to a small degree. I can drink a 4 oz shake in 20 minutes but solids are definitely less. My doctor said to eat solid meals over the course of 30 minutes but I have a really hard time stretching meals out that far. I am only a little past 5 weeks post-op so still a lot to learn also!

Today I am 5-weeks post-op and it feels like I've been at the 27-lb. loss mark for several days now. I'm kinda bummy tonight because it seems that other people have lost so much faster! I know I know everyone is different and there are many contributing factors as to how and why people lose more/less etc. Also, I spent a month post-op with family in the Houston area where my doctor is and last Friday I flew home to Montana. I miss my support system!! Also, I'm in the soft foods stage and it seems no matter the speed at which I eat most things feel like they are not going down smoothly and not drinking while eating has been really hard for me!! I am going to add in more exercise to my routine and just make it "the norm" as I'm sure that will help speed things up.

I hear ya'll on being frustrated with stalls. I've had my share in my 5-week post-op journey so far. My nutritionist explained that rather than the loss being a nice continuous decline it would visually look more like descending stairs in that there will be days where you feel "stuck" but wait it out and then you'll have a bigger "drop". That analogy has helped me thus far when I get frustrated.

It is a bit nerve-racking but also SOOO very exciting!! Each day after will be a little better than the previous day and you'll be a few weeks post-op before you know it!! Prayers for a safe surgery and speedy recovery!

Congrats on your surgery and everything going well! Safe travels home!

Thank you for saying that...makes me a little more confident .

Ok, so I just hit the 20 lb loss mark today since May 9th... don't know if it just feels slow but I feel like I should be losing quicker? I know we're all different but with as little as I'm eating I thought it would be more. I was stuck at 16 lb loss for like 4 days then dropped a little more. Feeling a little down today.

I was actually at Park Plaza Hospital. I'm staying with family near Conroe and also in Katy. Thanks for the restaurant suggestion. My fav place so far for soups has been Panera Bread--lots of choices!

I have been dreaming about weight-loss surgery for years. I talked to my Mom about it over Christmas break to talk about the sleeve option and I was really excited about it. My insurance doesn't cover WLS so I thought I was probably going to have to wait until I was done with school and worked a job that would hopefully have an insurance plan that did cover it. Long story short my dear Grandpa decided to help with financing my surgery. A few months later I was scheduled and began long-distance correspondence with my surgeon's office. I flew from Montana to Houston on 5/6/12 and I was sleeved on 5/9/12 by Dr. Yu of Texas Laparoscopic Consultants (http://www.tlcsurgery.com/). I am 3 days into the pureed food stage and actually find myself having to set reminders to eat because I'm just not hungry! I hope this is the beginning of a new healthier me and I'm excited for the journey. Hope to learn some things from this site and also make some friendships.