Champ715

I'm not a surgeon or nutritionist but it seems normal to me (and awesome!). I've lost 41 lbs in 3 1/2 months but I started at a lower weight and didn't do so great getting my Protein in at first. I've seen lots and lots of posts here about people losing that much and more in a month. I think your progress is great and you shouldn't have anything to worry about. However, if it's bothering you then reach out to your surgeon or nutritionist for a professional opinion.

I was sleeved on 9.30.15 and am down 41 lbs as of today. I still have 36 lbs to lose but I'm happy to see progress already. Photos on the left are from my highest weight of 205 in March 2015. Photos on the right are last month around 167. PS Sorry they're kind of blurry. I had to zoom in a lot on the before photos.

My surgeon's office has an insurance coordinator who met with me on my very first appointment. She was able to look up my insurance information then tell me what my deductible would be and any out-of-pocket expenses. I knew this information from the very beginning so it baffles me that you are two weeks away and nobody has told you.

I had United Health Care through my employer and was required to do 6 consecutive visits with a nutritionist and the psych evaluation. My surgeon's office has a bariatric insurance coordinator who told me that I would be disqualified if my BMI dropped below 40 at any point during the 6 months of visits. She basically explained it this way: the insurance company wants to find any reason to deny coverage for the surgery so if they see that you lost weight with just diet and exercise, they'll say that you don't need surgery to lose weight. I started with a BMI of exactly 40 so I had to be careful not to lose even an ounce during the 6 month visits. I actually ended up gaining 3-4 lbs throughout the six month period. It seems like all policies and clauses are different so this may not be the case for you. I just wanted to make sure I passed on my experience because I'd hate for someone to get half way through with their 6 months, lose a pound, then be disqualified and have to start all over.

When was your surgery? I couldn't get my chewables down either for the first month. They tasted so chalky and nasty. My plan didn't allow me to swallow a pill bigger than a pencil eraser until I was on solid foods (which was 8 weeks for me). Do you have a nutritionist or bariatric advisor that you can talk to? He/she should be able to help you find some other options or at least let you know when you can progress to a tablet. It does get easier. Hang in there!

I've never heard of an employer doing this. Is that even legal? I have BCBS through my employer and I didn't even have to tell them what kind of surgery I was having. I just told my boss I'd be out for a week for surgery but nobody asked any questions past that. It seems like if you met the insurance requirements and the insurance company approved you then your employer should be able to introduce their own requirements or caveats. I would definitely try to get some more information on this because it sounds fishy to me.

That is so odd and seems so wrong. I wasn't even weighed again after I had gotten insurance approval. I weighed myself at home the morning of surgery but they didn't weigh me at the hospital. I'm not sure the doctor can dictate whether or not they file your insurance. Don't they have to do that? I would definitely get your insurance company to try to contact the doctor. Good luck and I hope it works out!

Yes, I was this way for 3-4 days after surgery. After the cloudiness went away, then came the intense emotions and feelings of "what have I done?". I was an emotional rollercoaster for probably 2 1/2 weeks then everything leveled out. I'm a little over 3 months out now and I've never felt better! Hang in there!

I have long thick hair so I've always had a lot break off in the shower. I'm three months post op and just started noticing more than usual coming out when I shower and wash my hair. One thing that has helped me is only washing my hair every 3 days or so. I know that sounds gross but I have very dry and coarse hair so it doesn't get oily/dirty very quickly. I also make sure to brush it very gently to prevent tangles. Unfortunately, I don't think there's anything you can do thjat will absolutely prevent hair loss. Getting enough Protein and being gentle to your hair will definitely help mitigate the loss. It will eventually grow back so try not to worry too much about it.

I was sleeved on 9/30 and have lost 39 lbs so far but nobody at work has noticed (or at least nobody at work has said anything).

My plan allowed bread at 6 weeks out but it says "all bread must be toasted and crispy". I guess this is to prevent that "doughy ball" people are referring to. My nutritionist also told me not to have starchy carbs every day. I usually have bread, pasta, or some kind of cracker/chips maybe 1-2 times per week.

My nutritionist told me about some capsule Multivitamins that are a smaller dosage than the 6-pill serving size of Bariatric Advantage. Does anyone have any idea what brand these are? I would email and ask her but she's on vacation for three weeks. I can't get anyone at the surgeon's office to answer either. Thanks in advance!

Everything I've read says that Biotin will not prevent the hair loss; it will only help with regrowth. As far as dosage, I would just get whatever dosage they have available bottled at the drug store. Our bodies do not absorb excess nutrients (you just pee them out) so there's no point taking a huge dosage.

I have BCBS Alabama and my six months had to be consecutive and all with the same program.

I'd say it's probably head hunger. I am three months post op and still don't experience true hunger. What I feel is more of an empty feeling. Even though I don't get hungry, I do get cravings like I always did. Sometimes I think "man, a diet coke would be so good right now" but I just drink Water instead and the cravings go away. I know it's all in my head. PS the way I distinguish between hunger and "empty" feeling is by asking myself "will anything satisfy the feeling or will only something very specific satisfy the feeling?" For example, prior to surgery, when I felt hungry I would always want something very specific like a cheeseburger or nachos or whatever. Only that specific food I was craving would make me feel better. The "empty" feeling I have now is satisfied by whatever I put in my stomach, regardless of whatever I might be craving.

I'm sure it will be frowned upon that I'm telling you this but this is what worked for me so here goes. At three weeks post op, I hit a stall that lasted about 11 days. I was right at 188 and didn't lose an ounce for 11 days. I was following the diet plan religiously and only eating Protein first then vegetables. I still couldn't eat more than an ounce (maybe two ounces) at a time. I wondered if maybe I wasn't getting enough energy from my food so maybe my body was in starvation mode and was holding onto all that fat. One night I had 1/4 of a baked potato for dinner then the rest the next day for lunch. The following day I was down 2 pounds. I know starchy carbs are a "no-no" but I think my body needed that glucose to convert to energy. I try to stay away from starchy carbs but I still lose when I do eat them. For me, moderation is key.

My morning nausea was present until about 3 weeks post op. I would get really hot and dizzy while getting ready in the morning to the point where I felt like I would pass out. It does get better with time and eventually goes away. Hang in there!

All protein drinks/shakes were sickeningly sweet for me the first month post op. I'm 3 months post op now and I love the premier chocolate shakes. Isopure is still pretty sweet to me but it's tolerable if a dilute it with water. I think it's normal to not be able to get all your protein in these first few weeks. Just hang in there and soon you'll be able to tolerate more. Good luck!

This actually seems like pretty terrible advice. If you can't afford to buy new clothes with the money you actually have, maybe don't rack up "oodles" of credit with terribly high interest rates.

I told people at work I was having surgery to remove an abdominal mass. I've lost 36 lbs in 2 1/2 months but it's not so drastic that anyone has noticed or said anything. Unless you're starting at a really high weight, I doubt you'll drop weight so fast that people notice quickly. I'm 5'0 and started at 205 lbs so my starting statistics are similar to yours.

I have BCBS AL and they required a 3 year medical history. I didn't have this from my primary doctor so I called to ask if it was a mandatory requirement. They said it was mandatory and I would not be approved without it. I ended up having to track down my OBGYN in a different city to get records from 2012. I don't know if BCBS Anthem is the same way but usually it's spelled out pretty clearly in your policy. If it's listed as a requirement, they most likely will not waive it.

Why didn't you ask the doctor this when he/she told you that you should be on birth control. You aren't going to get solid medical advice from a forum. What is everyone suggested a certain type of birth control and it turns out that you're allergic to it? Please see an obgyn about this.

Also, I should say that my fiance was very nervous and apprehensive of me getting surgery. My dad was also apprehensive. I basically told them that I had spent 6 months doing research and had already made up my mind. At that point, I was not interested in hearing from any naysayers. I could tell they were still apprehensive but they respected my decision enough to support me. Now that I'm post op and have lost 34 pounds in 73 days, they are both very happy that I did it.

My fiance has been extremely supportive but I myself had feelings of "I'm never going to eat that again". One of our bonding rituals has always been cooking and eating together so I was worried that we would lose that. It was difficult until I got to solid foods but now we are able to cook and eat together like we used to. He's actually been eating healthier as a result. If he wants something that I'm not allowed (like a cheeseburger) then he cooks that while I cook my own food. Maybe just remind your husband that there will be changes at first but eventually you'll find your "new normal". I would also remind him that, as your partner, it's important that you have his support. As for the regret part, I was an emotional basketcase the first two weeks or so. I had deep feelings of anger, frustration, and regret. All that leveled out and now the only regret I have is not doing this sooner.

Hang in there! I also have a history of anxiety and I was on an emotional rollercoaster for the first 3-4 weeks post op. I was like you and felt like I could cry at any minute. I had several bouts of crying sessions over the most random things so I finally went to see a counselor. I have no doubt that I'd still be an emotional basket case if I hadn't gone to see someone. Feel free to message me if you have any questions or if there is anything you need to talk about! It does get better, it just takes time. Keep your head up!