catwoman7

haven't heard of this in WLS patients - and I'm pretty sure water isn't absorbed in the stomach. I just did some googling (although I know it's not always good to ask Dr. Google). Sounds like it can be caused by a lot of things - kidney issues, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease, diabetes, certain medications, etc. Sounds like they'll need to do some testing to figure it out (and you said the Zepbound is making it worse - so that might be one factor - although it sounds like it's not the only one since you had it even before you started on Zepbound)

I just used the "diet and exercise, working with a dietitian" spiel with normal-sized people. Most of them believe that anyway. For other obese people, I was more honest since they know "diet and exercise" doesn't really work.

for me it's biking, walking, and water aerobics - mostly because I enjoy them and will actually willingly DO them regularly.

do you mean bone density LOSS? Best exercises for that are strength training and any cardio that puts pressure on your bones - like walking and dancing (because your feet are pounding on the ground - which strengthens bones)

I never had any expectations re: measurements, but I lost A LOT of inches.

bypass will usually cure reflux (or at minimum, greatly improve it), but I've read on here of people who had hernia repair which ended up improving (or curing) their reflux, too... Hopefully your surgeon can give you some idea on the best way to proceed with this. Reflux is awful! (been there - that's the main reason I went with bypass)

or maybe something like SIBO? Or IBD or IBS? Or even a redundant colon? (I have the latter - I'd sometimes wake up in a lot of pain because "stuff" would get stuck in one of the curvy parts). A colonoscopy would detect the latter, though (that's how I found out about mine). Not sure about the others.

totally normal. Also, your weight loss so far is totally normal. I think a lot of people have unrealistic expectations because of shows like "My 600 lb Life" - but you need to remember that those people start out MUCH heavier than the average WLS patient. Most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month. Of course, you'll always find people who lose more or less than that, but most of us seem to fall somewhere in that range. So you're fine. And also, yes, most of us also experience our first stall sometime during the first month or so of surgery. So again, normal.

P.S. she may have told you not to take Metamucil because she thought you were too clogged up. If you take fiber supplements when you already have a huge clog, it sometimes just adds to the clog. Once you're "unclogged", a fiber supplement can keep you from clogging up again.

It evidently affects people differently. I take a capful every morning and have for almost nine years - fortunately, it never had that effect on me.

I would wait, too. Not everyone loses hair. Plus some (like me) lose so little that it's not noticeable.

either one should do that. For some reason, DS seems to improve (or cure) GERD even though it has a sleeved stomach. And bypass has always been known to improve or cure GERD. You may be able to lose more weight with the DS because it bypasses much more of the small intestine, but then on the flip side, complication rate is higher than it is with bypass (but then again, complications with either surgery aren't very common). another thing that comes to mind is that most PCPs are familiar with bypass, but not so much the DS. So if you have issues, you may have to see a specialist. beyond that, either would be a good option. Check to see if your surgeon recommends one over the other.

I don't feel "full" in the same way I did pre-surgery. I feel sort of uncomfortable pressure in my chest. I know when I feel that that I need to stop eating or I'm going to be sorry...

most people (not all - but most) lose their sense of hunger for up to a year post-surgery. For a lucky few, hunger never comes back. the pre-surgery liquid diet is different, though - that's the worst part of the whole ordeal, IMHO. It's hell - but most of us have been there and have made it through. I ate lots of sugar free popsicles and sugar free Jello (the latter since it was the only thing I could have that somewhat resembled real food). You just have to white knuckle it and remind yourself that it WILL end. I was so glad to be rolled off to the OR the morning of my surgery knowing that the stupid pre-op diet was OVER!!

for most people, yes, gastric bypass greatly improves if not outright cures heartburn. Mine completely went away for the first three years. I have it occasionally now (I'm nine years out), but it's pretty mild and a couple of Tums (or something similar) will usually knock it out.

I'm nine years out and have been in maintenance for the last seven years. I eat around 1600 calories a day to maintain my current weight. The only macro I pay attention to is protein, because we learned very quickly after surgery that I malabsorption it. So I aim for 100 grams of that a day. Besides that, I just try to eat a balanced diet - protein, vegetables, a little fruit, some whole grains, an occasional handful of nuts, mostly. but if you're still trying to lose weight, 1600-ish would be too high (at least for most women). And even in maintenance, people's caloric needs are so different. There are women on here who maintain on 1200 calories and others who maintain on 2000. Depends on your metabolic level, how active you are, how muscular you are, what amount of weight you're trying to maintain (I'd have to eat a heck of a lot less if I weighed 110 lbs) - it's really just trial and error to figure out at what level you can maintain your weight.

I have not but I've known a few WLS vets who have - and all have had great results. I've read a lot of people regain the weight after they discontinue it, though. so you'll either have to keep up with it or else be really careful.

^^^. another idea - when my mother-in-law died a few weeks ago, we took a bunch of her stuff to St. Vincent de Paul (it's sort of like Goodwill), including her home scale. After we dropped the donations off, we went inside so I could get an idea of what all this stuff would sell for (for tax deduction purposes). I was shocked to see probably 30 scales in there! So that's another idea - as long as they work!

It can take a week if not longer for the first BM - there's not a lot in there because you haven't eaten solid food in a while. But that first one can be a doozy, so it might not be a bad idea to start taking a stool softener - or as NickelChip suggested, maybe some Benefiber. and as ms.sss said, for many of us, constipation becomes a chronic issue. I've been taking a capful of Miralax every morning for almost nine years to keep on top of it.

^^ as usual, I agree with everything Arabesque said. I wish my loss of interest in eating and hunger had never come back!!

you won't always show loss every week. In fact, most people experience occasional stalls when they won't lose anything for 1-3 weeks, even though they're sticking to their plan 100%. If and when you hit those, just make sure you're following your plan and stay off the scale for a few days. The stall WILL break as long as you're following all the rules. I had bypass, not sleeve, but I was post-menopausal. I lost over 200 lbs.

That's not normal. I'd check with your doctor.

this is the first time I've heard of a case like this, and I've been on this site for nine years. I malabsorb protein so from the get-go I've had to be sure to get at least 100 grams in every day, but it sounds like your mother's case is more extreme. I still have a protein shake every morning so I can be sure my intake ends up at least 100 grams by the end of the day, but it sounds like your mother may need even more than. that. Maybe her liver issues are a factor in this, too. I've taken OTC vitamins all along and have never had deficiencies - and that's true of many of us. Usually, OTC versions are fine (although you usually have to take two regular multis a day, rather than one (which is true of many of the bariatric-specific multis). She may have to get prescription-strength vitamins (I know they have prescription-strength vitamin D, for example - not sure about other vitamins). hmmm...not sure what to tell you. This sounds like a pretty rare condition, so I hope someone can help her!

check with the dietitian. You're not the only person who has trouble with artificial sweeteners - they may have some suggestions.

it's like that once you get into the second year. I had months where I'd only lose a pound or two. I'd think "well, this must be it..", and then I'd drop a couple more pounds. I finally stopped losing at 20 months out. It can take some people a couple of years.