axlr8n

I'm 3+ years out and I still don't get hungry... if I don't eat on a schedule I forget to eat and then end up with low blood sugar. I remember the taste issue as well but that came back for me after a few months.

Same here... by the end of the first week, I was drinking beef broth and feeling like I was having a filet mignon :-). The first two days were definitely the worst.

I just switched to them recently... was having some issues with Vitamin D and Iron and my bariatric surgeon recommended that I switch to these. I haven't had labs done since, but it sure is convenient!

I had a 360 body lift and thigh lift. I took 3 weeks off work, but continued to walk around like a grandpa for a couple months. I had two spots where my incision didn't heal quickly and I had to keep packing them with gauze and wait for them to heal from the inside. It was at least 3 months. While I want to be optimistic, you should know that there is a chance that everything won't go perfectly and heal as quickly as you want... it's a pretty major surgery. I'd also say that your stomach is going to be quite tender for some time and even if you're healed and can get in the water, swimming or snorkeling might be a lot of activity. So... cruise yes - lots of activity, who knows.

David Shiffrin

It's been almost a year and my scars are fading really well on the sides and back, unfortunately... my tuck was really tight in the front and actually split open from the pressure on the incision (took about 3 months to heal). That scar is much wider and darker. The surgeon said he would revise it if I have another procedure, but I'm not sure about getting anything else done yet. I kind of like myself the way I am now :-).

I had that in combination with a horizonal thigh lift last September. It was about $15k here in Chicago. I know I could have done it cheaper elsewhere, but I liked the surgeon and am happy with the results. Be prepared though - it's not fun!!!

In the first few months, no... definitely not. But after a while I was able to drink a full bottle of water at a time and can definitely consume that much in a day. Dehydration is a real risk though so it's good that you're thinking about it.

I think it's pretty normal a few weeks after surgery to start to feel a little sluggish and have less energy... your body is adapting to some very significant changes. If you're tired, take a nap - listen to your body. You are by no means fully healed and recovered at three weeks post-op. As for the hunger... you're probably eating a lot of liquid / soft things. It'll probably get better when you start filling yourself with dense protein. That was also very uncomfortable for me though, and even after 3 years I often get that sick to my stomach feeling after a few bites of chicken or steak. It's a balancing act and something you'll figure out with time.

Hi - and congrats! I'm so happy for you. My plastic surgeon insisted on high protein and hydration and lots of rest for the first few weeks... he also said that most creams and treatments don't work, it's just a matter of time. Not stressing the incisions for the first few weeks is probably the most important, the areas on my stomach that were really tight and got pulled on a lot are where the scar is most visible and taking the longest to fade away. After the incision healed over, I just used regular moisturizing cream to keep everything loose and moving, but that was more for comfort than scar treatment.

I did the 360 body lift and vertical thigh lift the first round... no major complications, but there was a deep hole both front and back that I had to pack with gauze and took a long time to fill in and heal. Next up is the moobs... but I don't want the long horizontal scars so I'm looking around to see if there is another option. I don't understand why they can't do a lift and raise with the main scar in my armpit, but my surgeon says that he can't do it that way. I haven't scheduled anything and probably won't if it means big scars - I'll just live with the extra skin.

It looks a lot better - another few weeks and you'll be all healed up! There were times early on that I really regretted having plastics, but now that it's been 7 months I'm starting to think about round two :-).

I'm game - how can I help?

That looks painful - I hope you're getting better every day!

Hey Lucas. When did you gain the weight, and how long have you been overweight? Is 190 your true goal, or just a weight that you think is accomplishable right now (your ideal BMI is around 170 based on your height)? For me, I started gaining weight in high school and basically spent my entire adult life losing and gaining weight (mostly gaining). Even when I dieted and lost weight, I never got down to an ideal weight and didn't keep it off long. The surgery has allowed me to lose down to a healthy BMI and maintain it now for over 2 years. The biggest change for me is that I'm not hungry all the time anymore (hormones?). Given my history, I can certainly relate to your desire to have a long term tool to help you keep everything under control... but the reality is that you can eat around your surgery if you really want to and it probably gets easier over time to do so.