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GREAT job!!!!! Congrats!

Congrats--you look great! Awesome work!

Barbie, do you recommend a specific brand of Nioxin shampoo? I would want to use one with no animal products and not tested on animals, since I'm a vegetarian. Thanks so much! Great to have your professional advice.

I just had my 3-month post-op appointment and my surgeon said it's pretty much unavoidable. Generally your hair falls out 3 months after the event that triggered it, so my surgeon stresses the importance of protein immediately post-op. I got all of mine in and am still losing hair, but I figure it could be worse and maybe the protein kept it at bay somewhat. My hair is past my shoulders so I think even a small loss looks like more because the hair is longer. I take biotin and surgeon said he doesn't know if it helps, but it can't hurt. I have also heard that zinc might help, but I don't take it. The surgeon also said the surgery itself and the anesthesia can trigger hair loss. Mine started at 10 or 11 weeks. Hopefully this too shall pass.

So sorry, GOF. You could always do the "Dear Abby" comeback: "Why do you ask?"

My surgeon allows popcorn once you are at 4 months post-op (due to the seeds/hulls--he has the same restriction on other seeds and nuts--these are the last things he allows us to add to our diet). You may want to ask your surgeon's office what they advise.

Amazing! Congratulations. You look wonderful.

I think the reason they don't want you to chew gum at first is that for the first few weeks at least your stomach is so swollen, the opening is about the size of a coffee stirrer. So theoretically, gum could clog up that opening if swallowed. However, if you've already swallowed it and you are fine, plus the nurse said not to worry, I think you are in the clear.

Ugh! That's a bummer that you can't eat veggies a year out.

At the beginning it says you are a week out and at the end it says you are a year out...I'm confused. I think you meant to say a year, though?

I second Land's End--and anyplace that sells Miracle Suits. I get suits with underwire, bc they are the most supportive.

You probably still have fluid retention from the IV fluids you received in the hospital. I gained 14 lbs of fluid from that but it came off in around a week, and then I started losing "real" weight. Hang in there and try not to weigh for at least another week...and drink as much water as you can and walk as much as you can.

I knew going in that I would be a slow loser too. I also have hurt my metabolism with years of dieting, and I am also hypothyroid secondary to a pituitary adenoma. I gained 3 lbs doing the cabbage Soup diet! LOL. You get the idea. I decided on VSG bc even though the GB was tempting due to the malabsorption aspect, in the end, I didn't feel it's good for your body to have malabsorption. I wanted to do this the healthy way. During my 6-month preop diet, I lost about 16 pounds in 6 months. Now I have lost about 35 pounds in 13 weeks. So I have lost twice as much weight twice as quickly. I'll take it. Now if you do this, just don't compare yourself to people who are losing 80 to 100 pounds in 3 months. Or to those who have lost maybe 50 but seem to be eating junk food and not exercising when you are staying true to plan and exercising. It's really difficult to compare but you need to put it in the context of what good progress is for you and for your own body. And eventually, the cumulative effect means that it WILL come off and that you won't regain, as long as you stay true to plan. Good luck!

I find that sometimes it's easier to eat veggies as a snack instead of a meal. I like to make a dip out of plain 0% Greek yogurt--add dill dip mix (low-sugar type) or a Penzey's spice mix. then cut up red pepper, cucumber, zucchini strips etc. to dip it in. about 100 calories and really filling. You can do this with PB2, Greek yogurt and apple slices too. When I'm eating a meal, if I have any carbs (which is rare--like a spoon of baked sweet potato), I put that on the bottom of the wide-mouthed mug that I eat out of, then veggies (like zucchini, spinach, sauteed peppers, etc.), then Protein. Then I eat in layers, so protein first, then veggies, then carb last--and a lot of times I won't have room for the carb. I like red pepper strips and a laughing cow babybel lite cheese as a snack too, or cucumbers with the soft low-fat laughing cow cheese on it. I like those mini cucumbers that look like pickling cucumbers. They are nice and tender and digestible. I can also eat about a cup of romaine lettuce with a few cut up veggies on it (carrots, peppers, cucumbers), and some protein on top. I've seen a few people post what they've eaten for the day and sometimes there are zero veggies and then there are things like processed carbs. I say everyone should do what works best for him or her, but I can't imagine a food plan, for me, that doesn't include veggies.

Hope everything comes out okay! Glad that the nurse was reassuring.

Your ticker says your high weight was 287? So not entirely truthful, though I can't imagine going to get a new license due to weight going up? Might be nice to get a new one someday for a lower weight, though.

That's so sad! They should have training in that stuff or something. I noticed you said you could write your weight on a form, though. That is a lot nicer than in my state, where they ask you for anyone to hear if your weight is the same, and if it changed, you have to tell the number out loud so anyone within earshot can hear!

You should definitely call your doctor--mine doesn't allow gum chewing for the first 12 weeks specifically because there can be a concern about swallowing it. It's not a foregone conclusion that something will go wrong because you did swallow it, but definitely something to get checked out.

I use almond milk and it works and tastes great!

I would see if you can go to a clinical center of excellence and see a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, especially one who can do a consult with the bariatric and/or GI departments. Hope you feel better soon, and congratulations on your pregnancy.

World Market has the Torani SF syrups, or sometimes you can get a deal on the Torani Web site for free shipping.

thrift store shopping!

I love water aerobics! It's a way better workout than a lot of people think, and it's easier on the joints. I would take some classes at a local pool or gym and then apply what you learn in your own pool. I think the structured classes, at least for me, are good because I work out at a higher level than I do on my own. Then in between classes, I do my own water workouts and land workouts too. How wonderful that you have your own pool!

Exactly. I think we can only speak to what works best for each of us as an individual, and we should respect others' decisions about how much they want to share with others.

I would say that it might be tough, depending on how much incisional pain and post-op gas you have. I didn't really sleep on my side or stomach comfortably for about 2 weeks. Can you get a massage before your surgery? I also would want to be careful about your actual incisions and making sure you don't expose them to possible germy areas, etc. I've gotten and enjoyed massages in MX while on vacation, but I'm not sure they are subject to the same types of sanitation standards there as spas and salons are here (this is in no way implying anything about the hospitals, of course).