BethinPA

That was helpful to me in the beginning.

I have never liked gyms. I have a stationary bike, free weights, an exercise ball and lots of DVDs. I enjoy walking outside as much as possible. There are lots of routines to use on shape.com, and exercise equipment available at TJMax.

I agree. I had bilateral knee replacement in 2009, and that was one stressful, painful recovery. My hair didn't show the strain at all. My surgeon says hair loss occurs during the most active weight loss phase postoperatively.

After three months I was told I could take pills of any size without crushing them any longer.

You need to keep sipping fluids, even though you don't want to. If you find that you don't need to pee for long periods of time, that is a bad sign. But if you keep sipping, you should be ok. This phase will pass, I promise!

I agree with gamergirl, show off your curves! And I would take off the fitbit, replace it with a pretty bracelet. And remember that guys don't notice even half of the details that we women notice - he will just be paying attention to you. Have a wonderful time!

I was surprised how easy it was for me to give up soda post op! Not even a temptation to me. However, I had a big orthopedic surgery 10/15, and for three days afterwards the only thing I wanted to drink was diet ginger ale. The good news is the desire passed, and I don't seem to be worse off for it.

I am a year out, and I still weigh and measure my food, and log everything into my fitness pal. It becomes a way of life. Are you seeing a therapist? It sounds to me like it would be a good idea to do so.

I eat kashi go lean or Special K protein with skim milk. It is important to always measure though.

I'm a year out, and it think (hope!) that my hair loss has calmed down, but the regrowth is so short that it will be months and months before I get the benefit of fullness from it.

Wow! You don't even have surgery scars! Congratulations!

If you are having serious reservations about the surgery, then you shouldn't have it. This journey is difficult enough for folks who were motivated before going under the knife. I'm almost a year out, and I'm here to say that it is STILL difficult! This surgery will not solve all of your problems regarding overeating. So don't do it unless you feel you are truly ready to do it. I remember when they wheeled me into the OR, helped me onto the operating table and were strapping me into place, I looked up at the nurse anesthetist and thought " I could say stop right now, and not go through with this." It took all I had to keep my mouth shut until they put me under! And I am glad that I kept my mouth shut, because I know this was the right decision for me, and I never could have been as successful without it. It is truly worth it and is the right decision for lots of people - only you can determine if it is the right decision for you.

I couldn't tolerate eggs, chicken or turkey at first. It doesn't mean you won't be able to tolerate them just fine later on. Be gentle with yourself, you will find foods that you can tolerate now, and your options will expand later.

It is not uncommon to run a low grade fever after surgery - it is because of the anesthesia. Just rest and take good care of yourself, and it will resolve on its own.

Well? How did the date go? Well, I hope!

So I bought a couple pairs of spanx recently, smoothing out my stomach lumps and bumps is a necessity at this point. I bought them online, and used the height/weight guide to determine what size to order. I got one pair that was about $35.00, and couldn't even pull that sucker over my hips! I also splurged and got the over $70.00 shaper, and that one slid right on. So I thought I was good to go. I wore the expensive one out the other night - tre uncomfortable! It kept rolling down - very annoying! Does anyone have any suggestions for good Spanx outcomes? Should I have bought a larger size?

I am almost a year out and am still losing hair, but I have had some thyroid issues that I'm sure has contributed to it. That said, I also see a lot of regrowth, it is just short still, and so not very helpful yet. I was looking at some old pictures, comparing the heavier me to the lighter me, and I was instantly drawn to how thick and healthy my hair used to look preop! But the weight loss has definitely been worth the hair loss.

I have lost 100 lbs but still need my CPAP. I still have hope that someday I can lose enough weight to not need it, but my hope is fading a bit....

It's only day one! I was really stressed about getting the protein and fluids in from day one also, but the reality is that the majority of people can't achieve their goals for a while - it took me weeks. So please go easy on yourself and just focus primarily on fluids for now, because they are the most important. The protein will come later.

You have lost your most favorite coping mechanism - food. This is a tough adjustment, no way around that. But you can do it! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, stay the course and you will be do glad that you did. You are worth all of this effort!