catwoman7

the first few weeks can be tough - but you WILL get through this. Life does get back to normal after awhile. My eating habits can never be the same as they were pre-surgery (I now eat fewer calories, smaller portions, less fat & bad carbs, more protein), but I don't really feel any different than I did before (other than 200 lbs lighter, of course...).

mine deflated. Got very saggy - as in - I looked like I was 90 years old. But after plastic surgery - ta da! - I look like I'm 20 again! (errr...at least in the chest, anyway...)

over 200 lbs. At my lowest, I'd lost 235 lbs, but I've gained 12-15 lbs since then (I saw 12-15 because it varies from day to day). So if you go by my weight right now, I've lost c. 220 lbs.

I've had two skin removal surgeries (lower half & upper half). Yep - big surgeries (six hours each) and much tougher recovery than weight loss surgery. I'm glad I had them, but they're no walk in the park. Just so you know, no one can tell by looking at me that I had them, because it was pretty easy to hide my excess skin - I just had to watch what I wore (slightly long-ish, slightly oversized shirts - and elbow-length or longer sleeves). Now, I can wear anything. Of course, *I* know I look totally different underneath my clothes now - more like a normal person. No more stuffing my stomach skin into my jeans or tummy-control leggings and no having to pick up my excess stomach skin when I shower so I can clean underneath it. And no more skin slapping up against me while doing certain exercises. But when clothed, it's not obvious. Again, my excess skin wasn't hard to hide as long as I wore the "right" clothes - but still, I'm glad it's gone.

I would pick up some individual packets of protein - some you'll like, some you won't - and it's not cheap to do it that way, but on the other hand, then you're not stuck with some enormous $40 tub of something you can't stand. You can get individual packets at GNC or Vitamin Shoppe - or online. I personally like Syntrax and Unjury products, but people's tastes are all over the board.

is this all the time or mostly after you eat? Are you a bypass or a sleeve patient? If all the time, things should get better fairly soon. I remember the first few weeks were kind of tough. Remember to eat slowly and if your stomach doesn't seem ready to move on to the next phase, then don't....take your time. If you are a bypass patient and it's mostly after you eat, there's a chance you could be developing a stricture. If slowing down doesn't help, keep your surgeon updated. If it's a possible stricture, they'll do an upper endoscopy and stretch it out if they find it (easy, painless "fix" that'll make you feel better right away, if that's what it is). You are in the right time frame for that - they almost always occur during the first three months post-surgery. I had one at four weeks and another at eight weeks. If you're a sleeve patient, though, this is probably NOT what it is. From what I understand, sleeve patients can get them, but they're VERY rare in sleevers (they happen to about 5% of bypassers)

at less than 1000, you should still be losing weight, esp given your activity level. Definitely make sure you're getting enough protein - but otherwise, I'd ask the dietitian or surgeon. I was at 1000 or slightly over at a year out, and I still lost weight (albeit very slowly) until I was around 18-20 months out. Are you still weighing, measuring, and logging everything you eat? (not trying to be critical here - just trying to figure out what might be going on)

how many calories are you averaging a day? Is it possible to cut back on them?

with fruit, I started with berries. Now at four years out, I can eat pretty much any fruit except citrus fruits (the acid bothers my stomach). Cooked veggies are much easier on your stomach than raw, so start with those. I can usually eat raw veggies now, too, but sometimes they irritate my stomach, even this far out. as an above poster said, though, check your plan first - they're all different.

I don't think I've ever read any statistics, but most people do lose their hunger - at least for a few months (some up to a year or so). A few lucky people never get theirs back, but most of us do at some point. even if you don't, yes - you'll be hungry - but don't forget, you'll have 85% less stomach. So you will still lose weight. But most likely you will lose your hunger for several months, too.

from what I've heard/read (from hanging out on various bariatric boards for the last five or so years), it does help most people. Not all - but most.

yes - a lot of people. Some just hate them, some get gastric distress from them. Even people years out. Fortunately, I've always been able to tolerate them - but some people can't.

it should go away. Some people have to go through the steps slower than the surgeon's guidelines because their stomachs aren't quite ready to move to the next step yet. Going slower than the schedule is fine - getting ahead of the schedule is not.

I've taken Centrum (or the generic equivalent) since day 1. Walgreens and CVS both have generics. I took the chewable version for the first few months, then switched over to a regular tablet. for calcium, I take a couple of different versions. When at home I either take generic tablets or mix some Upcal D powder into my yogurt (for my breakfast dosage). I always have Bariatric Advantage chews with me for when I'm out & about and it's time for my calcium (I take one of the other versions when I'm at home because they're cheaper - but BA chews are great for when you're away from home or traveling)

I think the best guidelines to follow are put out by the American Society of Bariatric & Metabolic Surgeons. Some surgeons keep up with current research, some don't. ASBMS reflects the research. I follow these now (although these are pretty much what my clinic recommends, too). You have to scroll down a bit to find the vitamin recommendations: https://asmbs.org/app/uploads/2008/09/ASMBS-Nutritional-Guidelines-2016-Update.pdf

^^^ what she said...

slowdown almost always happens after the first month. I dropped down to about 10 lbs a month (give or take a couple of pounds) during months 2-6. After about month 6, my weight loss dropped even further. The more you lose, the slower it goes, because the less you weigh, the fewer calories your body needs. if you're following your plan and weighing/measuring your food, you won't stretch your stomach.

nothing will go wrong. This is one of the safest surgeries out there. You will pull through just fine!

with a ferratin level at 16, I'm shocked they're suggesting you stop taking iron supplements. Some WLS patients start getting infusions when they get down that low. Yes, it's within the normal range, but it's low - and those levels can drop fast.

if you have acid reflux now, I would not even consider getting the sleeve. I had reflux as well - going with the bypass was a no-brainer for me. If it weren't for the fact I had reflux pre-surgery, it would have been a toss-up. hunger goes away for most people with both surgeries - and it also eventually comes back for most people regardless of surgery. I would not base my decision on that. less than half of RNY'ers dump. The statistic I see thrown around a lot is that about 30% of us dump. I don't know if there is any hard core research behind that number, but suffice it to say that a lot of us have never dumped.

it's probably fine. I tend to go by the dates for perishable things like meats and dairy, but you can usually go well beyond the expiration date with a lot of non-perishable products. Like the above poster said, just smell it. You'll know if it's gone bad or not.

walking I could do right away - in fact, I was encouraged to do so. Other exercises I had to wait about a month on - strength training they said to wait even longer than a month (may have been eight weeks for that, I'm not sure) 8-9 lbs the first week is great. You are not "My 600 lb Life", so do not expect to lose as much as quickly as they do. The average range for weight loss for the first month seems to be about 15-25 lbs for us more "normal" bariatric patients, so you are just fine. I lost 16 lbs that whole first month, and I started off at over 300 lbs.

I did. I was 5'6" and 373 lbs at my highest - so that's a BMI of 60.2. I lost 100% of my excess weight (am now a normal BMI). I should add, though, that that is not typical. My surgeon said about 10% of his patients who start off that high make it to normal weight, and from the peer-reviewed articles I read, that's about right. I worked my fanny off to get it off, though - almost never went off plan that first year - and I still, four years later, log every bite that goes into my mouth. I'm sure it would be much easier if I was OK with being just "overweight" - like 180 lbs or so (and at one time, even 180 lbs sounded like a pipe dream and I would have been *ecstatic* to be there!!), but I really, really want to stay at a normal BMI, so I'm willing to put in the work.

you are correct - insurance companies will sometimes cover it if you have documented proof of medical problems from the excess skin, like chronic rashes. See your PCP when something flares up so you'll have a paper trail. Without a medical necessity, it's not likely to be covered.

I think he's just trying to scare you into exercising. Seriously, the food intake is going to make MUCH more of a difference!