Kiba

In addition to toning out with some light weights, I'm using firming cream and taking Vitamin e, it's tightening my skin up quite well. Whole Foods has some organic lotions and body butters, there is one in a purple and orange tall bottle, it smells like mango cream-sicles. Saved my skin.

I lost some hair myself, I use Ogx products since they're sulfate free and such, helped a lot! Plus I stopped heat products completely and just towel dry. The main components for Vitamins is taking Biotin, Iron & vit e, I also drink lots of herbal tea (rooibos & white) and my hair started growing back in full. I hope that helps!

I got the Nexapalon in June, about 3 months after surgery, I was doing alright at first but after a month on it, noticed weight loss basically slowing down/stopping, insane sugar cravings, lots of mood swings. Right now I'm at 6 months post-op, 3 months with this implant, lost quite a bit of weight but I've been stalled for like a month! I'm convinced it's the BC because I've had sensitivities in the past; though I'm scared to resort to another option as right now is NOT a good time to have an oops incident. However, I have noticed the effects getting weaker, my moods seem much more stable and my cravings not AS bad.

I've tried getting my Water intake higher and trying hard to curb my sugar to good sources like fruits. It's tough. If I don't see an improvement, I may consider removing mine, but it is so darn convenient. Surgeon and doctor said it usually takes 4 months for your body to fully adjust to birth control, so maybe try being patient with yourself too! Its hard work maintaining weight loss and pregnancy prevention at the same time.

Hi all!

So I've been trying to curb around my usual Protein intake into eating more bars like Kind or Think Thin -- it's great, some of the few bars I've had that don't hurt my stomach and help me stay full. But I'm noticing a lot of hate towards soy Protein in general, now I'm starting to get worried. Of course I did the research and know it has good and bad's to it; more specifically I'm worried about how it'll effect my hormones, especially since I'm on birth control. But it's in EVERYTHING. Small traces of soy are pretty much anywhere in the types of foods we want to eat. In addition to the hormones, I'm wondering if this will cause my hunger receptors to be triggered in the wrong ways when eating.

Anyone else focus on the type of protein they get in? Of course I try to eat lots of lean meats, blended drinks when I can; but often times the bars work on the run. Should I be concerned for the interactions it could cause with my weight loss or even my birth control?

What is everyones take on soy protein, let me know!

Following up with surgeon, they suggest waiting 4 months to see if the side effects wear off. I feel my nerves are stabilizing a bit more, but my weight loss isn't moving. I lost a pound all month! My sugar cravings are still horrible and what is worse is I don't feel hunger as much as I used to unless it's well, sugar!

I am scared to imagine it's the birth control causing me to stall but someone explained to me that you gain weight on birth control, so my body could be evening out because it's losing and gaining weight at the same time. Is that possible?

I had really bad GERD prior, the hernia repair helped tremendously and I'm still continuing my PPI -- haven't felt any issues with the VSG. I too was told to consider another surgery but I felt this was the right choice for me. You will have the occasional annoyance, but you have to watch your trigger foods of course.

Almost 6 months out, still can't tolerate even a sip.It immediately comes right back out. Honestly not too distraught, I don't have to drink my calories this way. I do miss the occasional glass of wine though, we'll see what happens!

I was mistaking a lot of allergy symptoms with GERD, have you been checked out for that? When I started taking acid reducing medication and catering my diet around it, my nausea and mucus issues went away almost completely! GERD gives your mucus and if you already have allergy issues (which I do and take Claritin) the combination is horrible. Try taking some OTC Omeprazole with your allergy meds and see a difference; it could very well be that.

I'm feeling your pain, I'm at 6 months post-op and I haven't moved on the scale for 3 weeks; starting to panic myself. I have upped the exercise and trying to eat more Protein, but nothing is moving. My paranoia is blaming the birth control but apparently this is a common time for people to hit stalls as mentioned before you hit your 'comfort' weight. Before I gained lots of weight, I was ALWAYS stuck in the 180s; here I am trying to break it. I wish you the best of luck! Try to stay calm, stress only makes it worse.

When I was first sleeved, I felt distraught, I constantly cried and thought "what have I done to myself" the first two months are tough, in my honest opinion. No amount of training or prep can really get you ready enough for such a drastic change. Once I was moved onto soft then solid foods, I got happier, the weight was coming off and I didn't feel trapped in my diet anymore. Now at 6 months, I feel happy with my decision and glad I went with it. I feel confident and healthier. It gets better!!

I have always had ulcer issues and needed to take Omeprazole most of my adult life (awful I know.) My recovery after surgery was harsh, I needed the Omeprazole plus Carafate when healing. I eventually found myself feel so great I didn't need either. I'm at 6 months out and I have the same gurgling sensation as before..along with gas and hiccups I think I need to start up again! My surgeon said the VSG will make you susceptible to acids issues always. Best to listen and take the medication as acid can really mess with your hunger.

That is so scary. I can't imagine gaining so much weight so quickly.

I hope so! I too was terribly sensitive to hormones, this was suggested as the best alternative since the pills and the ring were a complete disaster for me. At most on both I think I gained 10 lbs pre-surgery, then I stopped taking any BC for 3 years completely. I am still worried because I do feel hunger but I know I haven't been eating at all lately due to stress. I should try focusing less on the sweet cravings and just eat more Protein again. I am going to try and up my fitness time to see if I can push this insane three week stall. I have been feeling myself getting lazy due to the Summer weather! Here is hoping!

That is terrifying! Since I put it in, I have been stopped, not gaining or losing, I'm deeply considering removing it now. I feel bloated constantly and I too am craving NOTHING but sugar now. It is so weird. 100 lbs though? Is that clinically possible? Was it mostly the cravings than the actual hormones?

I am now especially, the hormones are making me feel quite terrible! But I worry because I hear IUD's aren't as effective, especially the non-hormonal one.

Hi all!

I recently was put on nexplanon at 4 months post-op, lost 62 lbs total (yay) and been using the implant since June, so it's been roughly 2 months almost now. Of course I'm having the traditional side effects, insane mood swings, weird Migraines, irregular bleeding, etc. My concern is weight gain.

My doctor said of course with hormonal birth control there is always a risk of weight gain, though she said the average for the arm implant was 5 lbs. I noticed a month into me getting it, my weight loss started to slow down, to the point where I was staying the same weight for a week, no movement. I assumed maybe it was a stall, since I have been getting them every 12 lbs or so.

Today I weighed myself and saw a 2lb increase. Now technically I'm supposed to be having a normal period this week, but that's all out of wack due to the hormones (and no I'm not pregnant.) Now is that normal? Should I be freaking out? I have noticed little appetite changes however I am feeling hunger much more strongly than before and my craving for sugar is insanely high. Of course I am staying strong and trying to avoid anything and everything that is a threat at this point.

Anyone experiencing these worries with birth control after the sleeve? I was very sensitive to hormones years ago, I stopped taking hormonal birth control for years as a result. Of course after the surgery, it was recommended I take extra caution besides condoms (yes sadly,) so I did. Besides the insane mood swings, it's been terribly nice not dealing with any pills or inserts. I'm curious on options and experiences.

I just don't want to gain all I worked hard to lose.

Thanks!

It might sound incredibly strange, but when I upped my carb intake a little, my weight loss got out of the stall immediately. I'm no medical expert, but I'm assuming it had something to do with the stress my body was going through and the lack of energy from the carbs. Maybe try changing food around a bit and continue to hydrate and do cardio. The slight carb increase also helped me when I was doing my work outs, try to build muscle, it helps with the weight loss too!

I've discovered grazing in small pieces throughout the day helps me a lot. I used to be a one big meal kind of person, due to my insane schedule, but now at 7 weeks post-op I am grazing all day, small meals, chewing so much I get tired and move onto my activities. I drink A LOT of Water -- I use my Camelbak to measure my intake, on a good day I drink about three full bottles worth. It helps me keep track of intake so well, some of the bottles even have measurement bars at the sides; worth the investment. I hope that helps!

I would NOT recommend grazing, as that is a way of "eating around" the restriction of the sleeve. What I would recommend is 5-6 small, high-Protein meals/snacks per day. Eating frequently will help you avoid feeling hungry between meals. Grazing all day, on the other hand defeats the purpose of being sleeved.

5-6 small meals is grazing to me; as I mentioned I went from one meal to several. I'm not suggesting carrying a bag of chips and eating all day. The point is to eat small and space it throughout the day, and honestly grazing for some people work in terms of weigh loss or maintenance. It's a question of what your body needs and how well it responds to it.

I took out my Protein Shake and noticed the SAME thing happen, my NUT and surgeon said it's perfectly normal. Your body is like a computer downloading data on foods and drinks all over again. I was stuck yo-yoing between 5 lbs for two weeks, suddenly one morning it just dropped and kept going down again. You will have stalls, your body is just adjusting.

I've discovered grazing in small pieces throughout the day helps me a lot. I used to be a one big meal kind of person, due to my insane schedule, but now at 7 weeks post-op I am grazing all day, small meals, chewing so much I get tired and move onto my activities. I drink A LOT of Water -- I use my Camelbak to measure my intake, on a good day I drink about three full bottles worth. It helps me keep track of intake so well, some of the bottles even have measurement bars at the sides; worth the investment. I hope that helps!

I had a similar issue, I threw up for the first time during week 5 (something just didn't agree with me) and I must have strained myself so bad, my entire abdominal area hurts and I keep getting spasms, now it's hard to drink or eat. I'm assuming it'll get better in a few days, right now my tummy feels like it got punched.

Prednisone is quite possibly one of the worst things you could put into your system. When I was a pharmacy tech; we would go out of our way to talk to doctors to find alternatives for it. Perhaps your PCP can give you something else? Besides weight gain, it has some terrible side effects, especially after a procedure like this. What you're experience is quite normal for this medication.

I was supposed to get prescribed some for PCOS but my PCP and Surgeon felt it would be best I start them a month or two after surgery. When I asked why, they said it is something new to introduce to the body and it is better to wait once I've healed a bit, they also said it could interfere with weight loss, so I should be careful with my intake when I do get on them. I will be starting them soon, until then been very cautious with condoms and using the calendar method to avoid an oops. I too was informed the increased fertility is an issue.

Found out it's normal after vomiting to have some pink, especially this early, it's just muscle straining from the contractions in the stomach, and the rectal spotting was due to internal hemorrhoids, stool softeners should help with that!

I've been great at dealing with everything so far, but I'm about four days away from starting my liquid diet and I'm finding myself starting to ride the emotional rollercoaster. I'm scared of the surgery, I'm scared of not being able to ever eat normally again, I'm scared of my relationships changing, I'm scared of having no support, and I'm scared of how I'm going to look after all of this (silly, but it's a thing that's bugging me).

How do I deal with all of this? What did you guys do to cope?

This is all so normal, I can completely relate!

I'm about a month out and it has been quite the journey from post to pre-op. I promise you it does stabilize but it requires a lot of patience toward yourself above anything else. Surrounding yourself with positive energy is so important. Post-op when I was on my liquid diet, I avoided a lot of my friends; though it seems unhealthy, they were very understanding. It just was the right thing to do to avoid surrounding myself with potential triggers with food and drink. I kept busy, continued my work, hobbies, and eventually the operation day came and I felt nervous but confident.

The afterwards was the hardest part, still is -- your emotions will go through some insane changes, some based on hormones, others based on the trauma of the surgery. It gets so much better. I remember the first week, I cried so much fearing I couldn't eat ever again, telling myself I ruined myself (truthfully!) But now at 5 weeks, I am so happy with this decision. I just started on normal foods (slowly) and it has gotten easier, my energy levels are coming back, I am eating small but yummy foods again, I KNOW I will eventually be able to try more of my favorites (within moderation) and stay away from the awful ones that hurt me.

If you're honest with the people in your life, be open and communicate. I had to explain every emotion to my boyfriend and family members so that they could respond appropriately to my needs; remember no one can read your mind! Also keep in mind, it's a chance to improve yourself, it is a lot of work but the other alternative is struggling with health in a more mentally demanding and exhausting manner. I made this decision to be healthy and feel good about myself; your heart will tell you if it's the right one for you.

I definitely will have to -- I'm just concerned about the bloating I feel the following day.