Youngun

I started out weighing every two-three weeks and then went down to every couple months. It's so awesome that way! I never get discouraged by gains or stalls! I've been pleasantly surprised every time I've stepped on the scale! I had no idea I was only 12 pounds from goal until I weighed today! I had been telling people I still wanted to lose 20 and they all said I was crazy! Lol! I just try to focus on how happy I am with how I look and how much my health has improved! The numbers are just kind of a fun little milestone-marker I guess, but they're secondary to me! I'm actually kind of hoping to gain a bit in the next month because I want to build some more muscle before tackling my last 12 pounds!

I am 6 months out and haven't had any hair loss! Am I the only one?! I don't always get enough Protein in and I forget to take my Biotin quite often :S I think maybe I lost weight a bit slower than most, so perhaps that's why I didn't lose a noticeable amount of hair. My hair is au natural right now - it's usually blonde, but I didn't want to keep doing it blonde after surgery because I was paranoid about the hair loss! But! When it was blonde and damaged I took "biosil" it's a modified version of silica (horsetail supplement) that is absorbed and used much easier than the silica from horsetail supplements. I doubt it stops hair loss, but it made my hair WAY healthier and shinier! Can't hurt!

Thought I'd add another before and after for direct comparison... 2 different bridesmaids dresses and a hugeeeee difference! I've never been so happy in my life! Down to single-digit sizes! Just a couple sizes to go! I'm aiming for a 4 or a 6

Thanks for the support guys! The dress is flattering for sure - I still need to lose my lower belly (although my upper abs are showing through!), a teeny bit more in the arms, and a bit more in my legs. If I got down to 140 and couldn't lose anymore I'd probably be satisfied! I have pretty big bones lol! And yeah it had to be on the toilet because I have a psychological problem with full length mirrors - I've never owned one. Lol super classy! I used 2 things actually! I'm not sure which has made the difference, so I keep using both... Bio-oil (orange oil "cellin oil" I think) and a silicon scar therapy treatment. I started the scars with just the scar therapy in the beginning but now I put bio oil on them too... They're still pretty raised and purple but the stretch marks have been doing amazing! Hope that helps!

So I had surgery December 18 2012. I wish I had done it sooner! I've never been happier or more energetic! In the beginning: 190lbs (185 pre-surgery) Size 14 (tight) Blood pressure 155/125 Now: 152lbs Size 6-8 Blood pressure 130/80 I've lost 38 lbs and only have 27 more to go! The best part there is the blood pressure! I celebrated like crazy at the dr when I weighed in and even crazier when she told me my BP! There is hope I won't die young! I don't have much problems with sagging skin as I'm only 25. In fact - my stretch marks on my stomach have all but disappeared after using the scar treatment for my scars on my stretch marks as well. I haven't been eating perfectly the whole time, so the weight has come off slowly but surely. I work on a farm, so I don't have to work out (although I do push ups, planks and leg lifts when I have the time) and I think the manual labor has helped considerably. Anyways! I've attached before and after pictures! Because I know we all like those! The before pic was December 2nd and the after was a few weeks ago at ~155 in a size 6 fendi dress I bought with no hope that it would ever fit me... It's a little loose! Hopefully some people find this post encouraging

I pick the rice off my sushi! You can eat more, it's more delicious and healthier! I love sushi!

Well that's not very nice :S so much for accepting advice graciously. So people can't call you names, but you can insult me? You can dish it out but you really can't take it can you? And my point is you said you followed your dr's advice but you didnt... Just pointing out an incorrect statement. You might make people think your doc said 2 weeks if they don't read all the replies.

Yeah heart palpitations may also be a symptom. When you're at risk of being low in potassium it would be a good idea to cut down on salt. You'll restore a little balance if you lower your salt intake when you're low on potassium. So try to stay away from salty foods for at least a week

I can't stop thinking about food! I'm not even hungry! I'm finding I'm really unproductive at school because all I think about is when lunch is! And when I think about food I come on here for encouragement but it's really distracting me from my responsibilities anyone else? I posted in the twenties forum because I want to know if other people my age are being distracted from their school work? And I didn't realize my attachment to food was as deep as it is! Is your addiction stronger than you thought it was? Does the obsession go away or get better? Don't worry! So far I've been quite good at following my plan despite the psychological hurdles! The pain of overeating trumps my food addiction!

Potassium is a valid possibility. So is dehydration or Iron. Because we're trying to keep our stomachs less acidic than usual it makes it really hard for your body to absorb iron. If potassium, you may also notice twitching of the skin just underneath your eye. Potassium affects charge gradients across your cell membrane and, so is especially important for heart function so definitely get checked out. My fingers are crossed that its dehydration!

Hahahaha! The Darwin awards! Did nobody else notice the OP said she followed her dr's directions of 3 weeks, but the title of the thread is something to the effect of alcohol TWO weeks out. I say do whatever you want, but I really don't see the point of posting this after the fact. Were you planning on having more drinks and the warning replies made you stop? Because that would be pretty legit I guess. If I could give you advice that you would accept graciously I'd tell you to probably call your surgeon BEFORE you do something you're unsure of. Good luck with the rest of your journey

I never used to like nachos either, but now I've been craving them like crazy! If you want to suck on them you may be craving salt and so you could be dehydrated...

I used to love water plain before surgery too! Like I binged on water almost as much as food!!! I'm drinking crystal light as I type and it makes me so sad to be going against everything I've learned :S I know I'm going to want an early dinner when I finish this water which means a late night snack that I don't usually have. Sigh...

I didn't read all the replies, but I do have some advice. Artificial sweeteners tell the brain that there is an influx of sugar, so the brain tells the pancreas to secrete insulin, which lowers your blood sugar. The lowered blood sugar makes you feel like you have to eat and "settles your stomach". They use artificially sweetened gum in anorexia clinics to give the patients an appetite. Anyways. This may work for you! Before you eat, chew some gum with artificial sweetener and eat one bite, chew some more gum, and continue. The gum should keep your stomach settled. Key is to go slow! For fluids, it will help if you flavour them with something that has artificial sweetener like crystal light, or pretty much anything that is a powdered drink flavour. I am super against artificial sweeteners for the reasons I said before, but when water was making me sick I just flavored it with crystal light and voila! Stomach settled... Only thing is... I can eat way more after a bottle of crystal light water

Lots of little signs... You'll get better at recognizing them. When I get full I feel a little heavy and burpy and I get the hiccups. If you over eat you'll feel tight in the chest and if you wayyy overdo it you'll feel pain in the lower part of your esophagus. Just try to eat portions you know are comfortable and don't push it! No need to eat a ton if you don't have to!

I'm jealous of all the support you guys have!! Be thankful for that! I wish I had support - if I had support I would have told people!

I was sleeved while in school - on my Christmas break! I just make sure I have lots of small protein-packed snacks in my fridge (ie ham slices). When everyone else is gaining their freshman 15 you'll be losing! How awesome!

Be careful with concerta after surgery! Definitely talk to your surgeon about it and say it already reduces your appetite! 4 weeks post-op I took mine and it hit me SO much harder and I couldn't eat all day or Breakfast the next day! I just couldn't get anything down! It was even hard to drink water! So make sure you have an open dialogue with your doctor about concerta because you need your nutrition! Best of luck with your sleeves ladies! I was sleeved on dec 18 2012 and I'd never go back! It's been amazing!

I just had one piece of a spicy salmon roll and one piece of salmon avocado and some miso soup for lunch! Yummy!!! And half the price of all-you-can-eat that I used to get! I could eat miso soup, edamame, shrimp tempura, and like 3-5 rolls depending on the day... I was crazy!

Wanted to add I'm sorry I don't know the fat/carbs/protein/calories stats for this! Depends on how much you eat and the ratios you use!

Hey! So I came up with this with the help of my mom. I'm sure there are probably other people who thought of it before, but I wanted to share just in case there wasn't! I took lean ground angus beef (I looked for bison - which would be better because it has less fat, but couldn't find any) and put it on top of multigrain tostitos and cheese on top of that, then I broiled it for a minute in my toaster oven and dipped those chips into fat free Greek yogurt in place of sour cream (it tastes exactly the same!!!) It's a great way to get Greek yogurt in which is high Protein and absolutely delicious alternative to real nachos. I had to make it tonight because I was craving nachos like no tomorrow! I attached a picture! I hope others try it and love it as much as I do! Oh! And I know it looks like a lot in the picture - don't worry I didn't eat it all! I could only fit in 3-4 chips and the rest I'm saving for lunch even then I probably won't finish! And I even used a small side plate! :S