catwoman7

some of us do manage to blow pretty far past the statistics. It depends on how hard you're willing to work. I did exercise regularly, but I wouldn't say vigorously. They say weight loss is about 80% diet and only 20% exercise. I think that's probably true..

whoops - sorry - I must have missed something. Mine never revved up after the first couple of months. I lost about 10-12 lbs a month from about months 2-6, then it was down to about 5-8 lbs a month during months 6-12. After a year, it was slow as molasses, although I didn't stop losing weight until about month 20.

66 lbs in two months is excellent - and yes, weight loss slows down quite a bit after the first month or two.

they might be able to with a tummy tuck. I had a lower body lift, which takes a lot longer (they do front and back). Also, if he has help, like some surgical residents who can do things like sew you back up once the surgeon is done (or even help with the surgery), that probably helps as well.

you can eat around any surgery, including DS, but yes - it's harder with the DS than it is the VSG and RNY (from what I understand...)

I know you didn't ask me this, but it depends on the surgeon. My surgeon refuses to operate for more than six hours at a time (he said he doesn't feel it's particularly safe for the patient to be under anesthesia for much longer than that, plus, he gets tired), so I had my lower body lift during one surgery and my breast lift and arm lift under a second surgery. Some surgeons will do everything at once, though.

that's one reason why I was really careful whom I told (and I know you didn't tell this woman -- your BF did). I didn't want to hear about someone's neighbor's second cousin's wife's aunt's best friend who had this surgery and died. Almost no one dies from this surgery (statistically, 99.7% make it through just fine - which are excellent odds), so I didn't need to hear any of that, especially right before going through it. Sorry to hear that this woman thought it was a great idea to tell you this. GRRRR.

I wasn't allowed to eat any solid food at all during my pre-op, so not sure - but I would think since it's pre-op, it wouldn't really matter if they were raw or cooked (after surgery, you can do cooked vegetables fairly quickly, but you have to wait awhile to start on raw). Spices shouldn't be a problem. I don't know about oil - it's very caloric, but if your eating pre-op eating plan allows it, then...it allows it. I'd check with your clinic if you can.

you'll be fine. I slept most of the time I was at the hospital. My husband was there almost the whole time - even slept in a chair in my room (this was almost six years ago, so no COVID) - but I was out like a light most of the time so I wasn't aware he was there. the others are right - it's good he can be with you during visiting hours. In a lot of hospitals, even that wouldn't be allowed. I know it sucks, but.... At least it's just a couple of days.

weight loss after revision is almost always slower than it is after a "virgin" surgery, and on top of that, you're starting off at a much lower weight than most of us, which also means slow weight loss. And...you're about three weeks out. Just in time for the infamous "three week stall" to boot.

they work for some people, but not for others. I've never tried them because I'm afraid I'd be one of those for whom they wouldn't work. I've considering using them when I'm traveling, though (although I haven't yet...). Even if they didn't work for me, we're only talking a week or two - so not much (if any) damage done.

not much you can do about it other than keep on top of your protein and supplements so it doesn't get any worse than it would otherwise. Mine lasted about three months. Fortunately, I didn't lose enough for others to notice. here's an article about it: https://www.healthline.com/health/hair-loss-after-surgery#causes

I make biscotti occasionally. At 2-3" long, you've most likely overestimated the calories - it's probably half that. But it's always better to overestimate than underestimate... btw - try this one sometime https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chocolate-hazelnut-and-ginger-biscotti-102709

a lot of people do seem to lose their hunger for a few months. I did for five months. I was pretty bummed when it came roaring back. It definitely made things more challenging.

I wouldn't try too hard. The vast majority of us regain 10-20 lbs without trying in year 2 or 3, before our weight settles and stabilizes (unfortunately, some gain way more than that if they're not careful). Also, fat redistributes a bit and you start looking better, even if you don't gain or lose anything. My "ancient", drawn face gradually looked a bit fuller and healthier. I swore I wouldn't be one of "those" people who experienced a rebound, yet----here I am! (I bottomed out at 138 - now I bounce around in the 150s and have been here for c. three years).

my husband never had weight issues until he was in his 50s (and now he's "overweight", not obese). He could eat any damn thing he wanted and never gain a pound. But..he's getting older...and he can't really do that anymore. his food choices never affected me in the least. I was always a super healthy eater, even when I was obese (I just ate way too much of everything). He ate crap. Well, except when I cooked for him. But otherwise he'd eat fast food, cookies, candy, donuts, ice cream. A lot of it was in the house (and...still is). Oddly, that rarely tempts me. I'm on his case a lot trying to get him to get healthier, especially now that he's getting older - but it mostly goes in one ear and out the other. Sigh.

I'd only lost 63.8 lbs by five months out, and I started out heavier than you. there are so many factors that affect your rate of weight loss - gender, age, metabolic level, starting BMI, whether or not you lost a lot of weight before surgery, activity level, how committed you are to your eating plan, etc etc etc. The only two factors you have much control over are your activity level and how committed you are to your surgeon's eating plan. If you're doing well with those two things, and your overall weight trend is down, you're good. In the end, it's your level of commitment that determines your ultimate success, not your rate of weight loss.

with your age (and I'm older than you, so I'm not picking on you!) and your low starting weight, I would totally expect you'd be a "slow loser". It'd surprise me if you weren't. Just stick to your plan. You ARE losing, and that's what's important. And I agree it's not helpful when doctors tell you how much you "should" lose - I was reminded several times along my journey that I was a "slow" loser (like I needed reminding...), but I ended up losing all of my excess weight. It's your level of commitment that makes the most difference, not your rate of weight loss. There are too many factors that contribute to your rate of weight loss that you don't have much (or any) control over, like your age, gender, and genetics. So focus on those factors you DO you have control over - how closely you follow your plan, and your activity level. If you're committed and follow your plan, and your weight is on a downward trend, you're fine. also, 193 is only five lbs from where you are now, and you'll likely lose another couple of pounds before then. I don't think your surgeon is going to care. You'll be close enough.

if you have GERD, consider RNY. VSG can (and it doesn't always, but there's about a 30% chance) make it worse. RNY often (not always - but usually) improves if not outright cures GERD. outside of that, it comes down to personal preference. I went with RNY because I did have GERD - but I would have chosen RNY anyway because at the time I had surgery, VSG was just becoming popular, and I was a little afraid of it becoming "Lapband 2". However, it's been around long enough now that it's proven itself. there's actually a lot more research on RNY since it's been around much longer - but VSG is the most popular surgery right now, and has been for a couple of years, so you're going to find a lot of info on that. and yes - statistically people lose more weight with RNY, but success is more dependent on your level of commitment than it is on surgery choice. There have been people wildly successful with both surgeries, and people who have failed both surgeries, and lots of people in between. If you're committed, you can definitely be very successful with your VSG...just as successful as you likely would have if you'd chosen RNY instead.

you're in the infamous "three week stall". Almost everyone experiences that. In fact, you'll find literally thousands of posts on this site about the three-week stall. Just stick to your program and stay off the scale if you need to. It'll last 1-3 weeks, and as long as you stick to your program, your weight loss WILL start up again. It always does..

first, unfortunately, there are far more patients who never make it to goal than there are those who become "too skinny". In fact, research has shown that only 10-15% of patients make it to a normal BMI, let alone skinny. secondly, you do have control over this. If you find yourself losing too much weight, you can always increase your calories.

yes, it can. It says on the bottle to not use it for more than something like 10 days without checking with your doctor, so check with him/her - but my doctor said that it's because some people might actually have some serious problem (and constipation is just a side effect of) that really needs to be addressed by a doctor. In my case - no serious problem - so my doctor gave me the go-ahead to take it every day.

mine are pretty well faded except in a couple of areas. I was kind of surprised, actually. It's most noticeable on my arms, but those scars are pretty thin now. You probably wouldn't notice unless you were paying a lot of attention.

probably iron - although odd poop colors are not at all uncommon the first few weeks after surgery. Mine was yellow for the first month. I wouldn't worry about during the first few weeks. Your body is doing some major adjusting after being re-wired. liquids go right through you, so you're not going to feel much - if any - restriction. You'll feel it once you start eating solid food.

I just make my own - just substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, and if you want extra protein, dump some unflavored protein powder in. I did look at the ingredient list on their three versions of chili. Nothing jumped out at me that's notorious for causing G/I distress, but it sounds like your body is intolerant of SOMETHING in there...