TexasGirl86

Hey everyone,
I had my surgery in June of last year, and I've lost almost 75 pounds. Which has been great, and tbh, I haven't really worked out, which isn't great. But I will now, I really want to tone up and gain some muscle.
But I've had an unforeseen complication that I wasn't aware of, despite my research before hand. My blood pressure is now constantly low, which it wasn't before the procedure. Sometimes it drops really low and I almost pass out, I get cold sweats, feel nauseous, hands have gotten numb. I can't tell if its a combination of the low bp plus dehydration, if its a lack of nutrition, I don't know, I made an appointment with my surgeon later this week.
Sometimes these spells come on after I've eaten something, they definitely happen if I eat something that is even slightly spicy.
On the plus side, my hair appears to have stopped falling out.

I can't believe I missed this thread.
Everyone isn't going to be happy with their results.
Personally, I've been looking at WLS for more than 5 years. (Signed up on forums, spoke to a Physician who was a family friend who had it, went to a Seminar at UT Southwestern) Spoke to friends, co-workers who had WLS and asked whether they would do it again, what did they regret, etc. But I always told myself I would try everything else first.
Everything else include: Being the heaviest I've ever been at 250 on 5'4, losing 70 pounds by an hour and a half of cardio a day and a restrictive diet over 9 months, GAINING BACK 50 pounds, trying and failing at: Weight Watchers (4 times), Nutrisystem, SlimFast (multiple times), a Trainer, a Weight Loss Doctor (prescribed amphetamines for eating less), Medifast, Gym memberships, etc. I would always lose 10 pounds, and then gain it back plus more. I became clinically depressed and suffered panic attacks, developed sleep apnea, high cholesterol, became pre-diabetic, etc.
My weight kept going up, and thats when I knew it was time to look into WLS again.
Statistically speaking, the vast majority of those who are obese will NOT successfully lose and keep their weight off through diet and exercise alone. There have been numerous studies which prove that now. Its a fantasy. Those who are able to make the magical transformation of going from obesity to a healthy weight AND maintaining is through diet and exercise alone are the EXCEPTION TO THE RULE.
Being obese or morbidly obese and needing to lose weight is not the same thing as being a little overweight.
In the end, to each his own.

Hey everyone, its been maybe 6 months since my surgery- I read on here about possible hair loss starting at month 4. And it happened, and it's getting worse. Like, when I shower, brush my hair, it just keeps coming out. Seriously is reminds me of a horror movie. It's all over my carpet, even on my clothes. I'm shedding! I took a pic recently and noticed that you could see my scalp much more clearly than ever.
So whats the deal, when is this going to stop? I'm scared. I met with my nutritionist about 2 weeks back, and she said that it would stop (didn't say when) and told me to take Biotin (I am) and make sure to get 60 grams of Protein.
Any other advice?
- Sad, shedding, balding TexasGirl86

Go on Pinterest and look up 'bariatric recipes' or 'high Protein dinners'. There are tons of easy things out there!

I am ten weeks out and still in the "soft food" stage for two more weeks. At restaurants I usually order a cup of Soup or a shrimp cocktail. Baked fish would work - but it would take me a week to finish an entree! At home I usually eat things like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, string cheese, chili, and egg salad. I could probably handle tuna salad, but haven't tried it yet. The only meat I've really had other than fish and seafood are tiny pieces of chicken and pork that were in Soups.

Gordons frozen grilled Cod,tilapia and salmon are very good. All cooked just reheat, 2 servings per box.
Some Frozen meatballs are precooked also, I love these.
I make several burgers on the grill and freeze them. I add cheese and have a great Protein meal.
I also bake the whole bag of skinless boneless chicken breast or tenders, again freeze what you want. Wonderful to just thaw in fridge to make dinner or chicken salad.
Best of luck to you

At six weeks out I was still eating a lot of foods from earlier phases: cottage cheese, yogurt, tuna, tilapia, salmon, turkey, cheese, meatballs, eggs, refried Beans, etc. I don't really cook a lot either. Just choose a Protein and then add a little bit of vegetable and fruit to it. Green Beans and tomatoes are what I have been eating a lot of lately.
I went with my NUTs guidelines through the different phases and added the new foods from each new phase to what I was already eating to expand my choices.
As far as restaurants are concerned, I've also brought home leftovers from some restaurant meals (Greek, Mexican, Hibachi seafood, and Southern Cooking mostly).
I also ordered Chinese a couple of times and got chicken and broccoli with extra chicken and no rice which stretched over several meals. I also had shrimp egg fu yung.
I just use Protein shakes as a supplement and focus on real food.
Did you NUT provide you with guidelines and a list of recommended foods?
Whatever you eat at this stage, it helps if it's moist. Definitely eat slowly and chew thoroughly. I definitely didn't try dryer and tougher meats until closer to three months out.

You are not alone in the way you are feeling! My sister and I did this together, and we have faced many of the same struggles. We were tired of Soups, broth, and Protein shakes; I detest the unflavored Protein powders! We are nearly 4 weeks post op, and Water still tastes funny to us (and we both used to love it). Oh, and Vitamins, "forget about it"! We tried Flintstone chewables, and they were horrible! I couldn't handle the taste, and though my sister doesn't like them, she can deal with them. We got samples of Bariatric Advantage Vitamins at our one-week check-up, and I could deal with those, but my sister couldn't. Manageable or not though, we both wanted over-the-counter vitamins so we could get them whenever we wanted, rather than have to wait for them to be delivered. As of today, we both still struggle with getting enough liquids, and protein. Basically, we've had those "I just want to cry moments" as well.
Here's what we settled on. I take Centrum Chewables Adult (orange flavor). My sister takes flinstone Chewables. We both take two per day. We also use the New Whey Protein Shots which are 42 grams of protein. We both drink only half of it in one setting since your body can't process more than 20-25 or so grams of protein at a time anyway. I mix mine with juice, and my sister mixes hers with Water because the flavor is so bold. I've also tried the Proteinex shots. They will send you free samples of that one, so that will give you a chance to try it before you buy it. There are also some protein waters out there you can try.
I also try different drink mixes to mix things up a bit from regular water and crystal lite. There are numerous sugar free options; from Hawaiian Punch, to Crush, to store brands. They are usually only a dollar or so per box in my area. If you're into tea, try drinking some in the morning, or sipping on iced tea throughout the day to get your liquids (use and zero calorie sweetener to sweeten). One of our FAVE treats is the blackberry slush from Sonic. It's sugar free, and really nice on a hot summer day. A small or medium can last a while since we can't drink much of if at once. We put it in the freezer after the first time, and eat it with a spoon (like a sno cone). They also have other sugar free flavors to choose from.
Last week, I even made a gumbo with chicken, sausage, shrimp, lump crab meat and green peppers, to add something with spice and kick to our diet. I use boneless skinless thighs because they remain moist, and taste great. I cook the chicken with the green peppers first, and add the other ingredients once that's done. Once the chicken is tender, I break it up with a potato masher (while its still cooking). That makes the chicken take on a shredded texture (very easy going down). I add the sausage next, and once it's cooked a while, I add the seafood, and let it all cook even longer. The flavor is sealed in, and everything is very soft. I peeled the skin off of the sausage prior to cutting it up and cooking. I don't know if it would've been a problem for our systems, but I didn't want to take any chances. You can add/omit ingredients based on your own preferences.
I know it's cliché, but things will get better. It's a matter of determining what works for you. It's basic trial and error (as difficult as that can be sometimes).
Good luck on your journey!

I really struggled at lot between week 3 and 4. (Honestly I am now 9 weeks out and just now feeling better). I felt very hopeless during this time too but I promise you it gets better. You just have to hang in there and find stuff you can tolerate. I ate a lot of refried Beans with cheese melted on top (I put some spices in too like garlic salt, cumin and cilantro). I like and tolerated hummus quite well. sugar free fat free chocolate pudding with some Protein powder mixed in. Greek yogurt (I like the Dannon Light & Fit Greek strawberry Cheesecake). Ricotta Bake from theworldaccordingtoeggface.com website was REALLY good and even though I could only eat a small amount, it made me feel more human.
For Protein powders, I have been using Precision Engineering whey Protein Isolate - both chocolate and vanilla - and I like both of them a lot. I sometimes mix in PB2 and/or some of the Torani sugar free flavored syrups (I especially like Salted Caramel mixed with vanilla.) For unflavored, I use Doc Hale Nutrition Whey-licious (available online). You are able to mix it with as little as 3 oz of Fluid, so I mix it with Propel Fitness berry Water and just get it done.
On the Vitamins, you might try calling your dr or NUT and see which ones they suggest. I use BariActiv (not the same as Bariatric Advantage) and tolerate them quite well. It is EXTREMELY important that you get Vitamins in, so you have to find something you can tolerate. I have heard 2 Centrum Silver chewables or 2 flinstone vitamins even. Do a search for vitamins on here and see if one comes up that you could try.
PROMISE it gets better!!

@@MissRobin Glad you didn't let this thread deter you. Obviously WLS is not all sunshine and roses and it's good for you to know the good, the bad, and the ugly before undergoing surgery, but the misleading "facts" in the OP should NOT influence your decision. Glad you read through the replies and I hope they helped put things in better perspective for you.

thank you so much for your post I'm 2 weeks away and I'm nervous but I have done my research but her post made me second quads at a point but I decided not to listen and continue moving forward

thank you!!

I'm so happy to read all the responses to this post as a person going in for there last pre surgery appointment before insurance approval on Monday I've been reading threw lost just getting support and looking at everyone's positive life changes. This post was totally freaking me out but like many of you pointed out most of us did not make this decision in 2 weeks and have been on researching and going threw the process for months to years ..hence why a psych evaluation is usually necessary for this surgery just to see if you understand and are actually ready for such permanent changes, but anyway thanks to the community for clearing my fears

Im 5'3" and down to 213, about what you were pre surgery. It IS big. Yes you were very heavy. Thats a lot of extra weight on a small frame. And if we were going to lose it gradually we would have done so with all our previous weight loss attempts. Not buying this.

ummm.... last I checked this is a weight loss surgery SUPPORT group... not a 'tell us to just diet and exercise' group. That's great that it was quite easy for you, but I'm told enough in society that surgery was the 'easy way'. I certainly don't need to hear it when I'm looking for support.

Hey, guess what? I learned how to eat responsibly, exercise properly, reset my metabolic rate too! I too, don't follow the typical American diet. 95% of the time, I don't eat processed food, and eat nothing but lean protien, nuts, legumes, fruits and veggies. I rarely eat sweets. I feel the healthiest I've felt in over 20 years. And I had (GASP) weight loss surgery!
So you do you, I'll do me, and we'll all go on living happily ever after. Sound good?

Some people love drama....

Biotin is supposed to help...whether it does or doesn't idk yet (I'm pre op). Honestly I'm concerned badly with it but I'm thinking about it like this....hair will shed AND grow back and I have thick hair so hopefully its not too noticeable. Loose skin is a bigger worry of mine lol.

Sadly I'm now going through those. I have natural curly hair so I don't want to cut it but I may have to soon. It's so bad I'm always picking hair off my shirts.

@@TexasGirl86 Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones? I tried everything 10,000mg of Biotin (even before surgery) I got all my Protein in within the first two weeks, took all my Vitamins, only washed my hair every other day ect... Unfortunately none of that did any good. It still came out but on the bright side I just cut it off and I love it! It's soooo much better than having hair sticking to me! I know it sounds dramatic but it grows back and it's really worth it once the weight comes off. It's like having a baby, it hurts but once you see the results It won't even matter

I can't believe I missed this thread.
Everyone isn't going to be happy with their results.
Personally, I've been looking at WLS for more than 5 years. (Signed up on forums, spoke to a Physician who was a family friend who had it, went to a Seminar at UT Southwestern) Spoke to friends, co-workers who had WLS and asked whether they would do it again, what did they regret, etc. But I always told myself I would try everything else first.
Everything else include: Being the heaviest I've ever been at 250 on 5'4, losing 70 pounds by an hour and a half of cardio a day and a restrictive diet over 9 months, GAINING BACK 50 pounds, trying and failing at: Weight Watchers (4 times), Nutrisystem, SlimFast (multiple times), a Trainer, a Weight Loss Doctor (prescribed amphetamines for eating less), Medifast, Gym memberships, etc. I would always lose 10 pounds, and then gain it back plus more. I became clinically depressed and suffered panic attacks, developed sleep apnea, high cholesterol, became pre-diabetic, etc.
My weight kept going up, and thats when I knew it was time to look into WLS again.
Statistically speaking, the vast majority of those who are obese will NOT successfully lose and keep their weight off through diet and exercise alone. There have been numerous studies which prove that now. Its a fantasy. Those who are able to make the magical transformation of going from obesity to a healthy weight AND maintaining is through diet and exercise alone are the EXCEPTION TO THE RULE.
Being obese or morbidly obese and needing to lose weight is not the same thing as being a little overweight.
In the end, to each his own.

@@glitterpockets Bye bye boobies! 40 triple D to a 32 D.

My surgery sucked with complications and I have lost most of my muscle but guess what? I am so glad I did this surgery!!!!
It sounds like you didn't take it seriously, probably didn't follow your diet plan because you barely lost weight, and then gained that weight back! And your fishing for excuses as to why it didn't work for you.
This surgery works amazing and duh- you are giving up eating large portions for life. That's the point!!!

I agree with your logic @@VSGAnn2014 concerning threads, topics and forums.
But as you said it is in your opinion, just as it is in mine! It is difficult to put everyone in the same category. As everyone is different in so many ways.
Dialogue is good, learning is good, instruction is good. it is all good!
But there is a way of expressing thoughts, principles, information and ideas without being harsh, rude or belittling others. That is my opinion.
The way we communicate with each other behind the mask of a computer does not give us licence to say what ever we see fit because it does not matter. No one really knows me or you. I concern myself with the possible negative affect because I told it like it is in my books. Instead of treating others with understanding and compassion like I would like to be treated.
I know that this comes up all the time on the forums. Around and round we go. I feel this way, you feel that way and we defend our way of thinking and that's okay! I just worry about those ones that aren't as disciplined in their thinking not to give a dead ratz behind what others ( complete strangers ) think or respond to threads that they have written.
I think that a lot of people have been treated with disrespect for a long time dealing with the issue of weight. Why add to it other then it gets a lot of people looking at the thread to see how it's going to turn out!
It is exhausting! But that is just my opinion. It doesn't mean anything really.

In my opinion, the main reason people fail at WLS is not because they had difficult complications like you did, RJs/Beginning.
It's because they didn't understand or they simply didn't take seriously the post-op instructions they were given by their surgeons. I see a lot of pre- and post-op behavior described online that leaves little doubt that many folks who have WLS consider their surgeons' instructions to be optional for them.
The most basic instructions -- eat a minimum of 60 grams of Protein and drink 64 ounces of Water daily; avoid highly processed carbohydrates; after your body has recovered from surgery, start cardio and strength-training exercise -- are ignored by many patients.
The benefit of many threads on this forum comes not just from support for the OP, but from the dialogue it starts and the education it makes possible for many more people than the OP. That is the potential value of this thread.
The purpose of this forum is not to avoid hurting anyone's feelings. It is to help those who are considering WLS and those who have had WLS who are stumbling along, trying to find their way and to achieve the best possible outcomes they can get from WLS.
The OP made a great post that has produced a very valuable conversation. I'm grateful she posted. And I'm grateful for the conversation we're having. These are very important topics.