catwoman7

I have osteoporosis, but it runs rampant in my family (I'm 60 years old - so getting to be that age, too...). I didn't have a baseline scan done before I had surgery, so I have no idea how much of it was the surgery and how much was genetics & age. I suspect it might have been some of both. And yes - adequate calcium supplementation and weight-bearing exercises should help... you do lose some bone weight with any major weight loss because you don't need the same amount of bone to hold up 150 lbs as you do 300 lbs....so some loss is normal, expected, and not problematic. But yes...you want to try to avoid osteoporosis. I honestly don't know how common it is, although I know it's happened to some people. But as with mine, it may have something to do with age & genetics, too - you really don't know for sure unless you had a scan prior to surgery.

pasta still kind of sits like a lump in my stomach at five years out - that's why I don't eat much of it when I *do* eat it, which is not very often. My family often has lasagna at Christmas - so in the past I've made a zucchini one for myself and the other dieters in the family (using zucchini slices instead of pasta, that is). Honestly, I can't really tell the difference because all the flavor in lasagna is in the sauce...

P.S. people used to throw this statistic around on these boards all the time, and i have no idea if it has any hardcore medical research behind it, but common belief was that about 30% of RNY'ers dump. It's less common in sleevers, but they can dump, too. I don't know how accurate that statistic is, but just from what I've been able to tell from hanging out on various bariatric boards for the last six or seven years, that wouldn't surprise me. It seems more people DON'T dump than do.

I've never dumped. I kind of wish I did because it would keep me from eating sugar, but ....no. Never have - and at this point (over five years out), I doubt I ever will.

I had weird colored poop for the first three or four weeks post-surgery, but after that - no. I'd just check with your doctor or surgeon. If nothing else, for peace of mind.

a lot of people leave the hospital heavier than when they went in. Some up to 10 lbs heavier. It's the IV fluid. Like the above poster said, it takes a few days for it to work its way out of your system - but then you'll be on your way!

pretty much every day. After the first couple of years, it seems to be a lifelong struggle for a lot of us. At least I'm maintaining, but it's a fight every day.

it won't hurt you, but as others have said, it's not very nutritious, and you have a tiny stomach - so you need to be eating nutritionally dense food. Also, for some people, it causes blood sugar spikes and cravings. I never ate it when I was in weight loss phase. I do eat it occasionally in maintenance, but not very much of it at one sitting and not very often.

I could walk right away. I was released to do everything else except for weights at four weeks out. I think I had to wait eight weeks for weights. how much loose skin you end up with depends on a lot of factors - age, how much you lost, how long you were obese, genetics. If there's a lot of it, there's not much you can do other than have plastic surgery. For most of us, it's pretty easy to hide in clothes, though, even if it's bad.

a lot of us liked the "ricotta bake" recipe from the "World According to Eggface" blog. It's not pizza - but it's made from ricotta cheese and tomato sauce - and I think there might be mozzarella cheese on it, too - so it hits those particular cravings for some of us...

yes - normal. You were pumped full of IV fluids in the hospital and likely left heavier than when you arrived. Some people "gain" up to 10 lbs while in the hospital. It takes a few days to work its way out of your system this is why I don't like it when people compare their weight loss with others, and why I hesitated to respond to the OP's question - although I put it out there regardless because I was a "slow loser" from the get-go, so I figured it might be OK for people to see that I was below average in the rate-of-weight-loss dept, yet I lost all of my excess weight ANYWAY. Your level of commitment to your program has FAR more influence on your ultimate success than your rate of weight loss ever will. Regardless, this may or may not be your problem. You may be more of an "average" loser or even a fast one. It's too early to tell. But right now, it's the IV fluid weight that you've dealt with. Should be out of your system right around now, though, so you should be on your way...

I lost 16 lbs my first month and then for the next six months or so, I lost 10-12 lbs a month (it slowed down after that). I started out at over 300 lbs. But like you said, everyone is different. I would say on average, most people lose 15-25 lbs the first month, and then 10-12 or so lbs a month after that (but it slows down the further out you go)

I think a lot of this is just personal preference and you have to try them on and walk around in them to see what feels "right" for you, but I personally like Saucony. In fact, I liked my first pair so much I went back about a month later to get another pair in a different color! P.S. I tried on a pair of Brooks the day I got my first pair of Saucony. I really liked the Brooks shoe, too - in fact, I went back and forth. But then I finally decided on the Saucony.

Yea - I felt that way at first, too. But once I started on solid foods, I could definitely tell!

are you early out? A lot of people have trouble with poultry early out but can eat it again after the first few weeks or months.

Hunger does eventually come back for most of us - mine came roaring back during month 5. That may be what's going on. Or it may be your body wants more calories because it's now burning more calories..

to be honest, I can't think of anything major. Many of us have chronic constipation, but that can be managed (I take a capful of Miralax daily to prevent it). And you're right - the saggy skin (I had mine removed, but it was easy enough to hide when I had it - I doubt anyone knew about it but me and my husband). Many people experience hair loss during the first few months, but that's temporary and often minor (some lose a lot - but most don't lose enough for other people to notice). It grows back. And of course you'll be tired the first few weeks, but that's true of any major surgery, really. some people with RNY have dumping syndrome; some with VSG have acid reflux (sleevers can also get dumping syndrome, but it's more common with bypass). Dumping can be managed, too, by eating the way you're supposed to eat. about 5% of RNY'ers have a stricture (or two) during the first three months or so post-surgery, but that's also minor and an easy fix. patients of either surgery can also experience low blood pressure during the first few months - so they get dizzy (and a few have fainted) when they're transitioning from lying down or sitting to standing. If you're one of them, you have to remember to transition slowly. you'll also have to take vitamins for life with either surgery, but it's more critical for RNY'ers because of the malabsorption factor. Skipping on that can cause big problems down the road. Other than iron, though, deficiencies are rare as long as you keep on top of your supplements (iron is an exception because some people don't absorb iron well via oral supplements - they have to get occasional infusions. Luckily, most people can absorb it through oral supplements just fine, though...) can't think of any other common side effect at the moment, but maybe others will chime in

I was ready for purees. It didn't necessarily mean I was hungry (I wasn't...), but I was tired of liquids and ready to move on. as far as knowing when you're full, full cues are different after surgery, and you may not even have any full cues early out. You had some nerves cut and it takes awhile for them to regenerate. Just measure out what you're supposed to eat, according to your plan, and just eat that. At some point you'll start recognizing your new "full" cues, but they could be different than they were pre-surgery. At five years out, I still don't feel "full" the way I used to. I just feel sort of uncomfortable (I know that's pretty vague, but I'm not sure how to describe it). When I start feeling that, I know if I continue to eat, I'm likely to get sick. Some people feel pressure in their chest, some people's noses start running - it varies. But it'll take awhile to recognize yours.

should be fine to take occasionally when you really need it. Miralax, on the other hand, can be taken every day. I take a capful a day as well to prevent "build up"

I had two or three cortisone injections in my hip after my surgery (before surgery, I had a cortisone shot every three months - but once the weight started coming off, I didn't need them after the first few months). Anyway, I never had any problems with them.

hair loss is another thing that most (maybe all?) of us vets, in retrospect, wonder why we worried so much about. It's temporary - and for many of us, we're the only ones who notice the loss (I know some people lose a lot - a very noticeable amount - but most of us don't). It's a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things. whether or not you need Spanx depends on where your loose skin is - and how much you have. I was apple-shaped, so I don't/didn't have much on my hips, butt, and thighs. Mine was almost all in my gut. And yes - I just tucked it into jeans or "tummy control" leggings, and always wore a slightly oversized, long-ish top. Ta da! Excess skin gone. I'm sure I was the only one who noticed it. Spanx would work, too, if you're not wearing something that it can be tucked into. as far as 500 calories, that's really just the first month or so. From about that point until maybe a year out, I was eating 600-800 calories a day, usually closer to 800. At around the year mark, I was at around 1000-1200. Now, in maintenance, I eat 1500-1700 a day. I did develop what we think was reactive hypoglycemia at about two years out, but I was told to eat something every 3-4 hours and, if I eat a carb, to be sure to pair it with a protein. That seemed to take care of it...

personally, I don't know ANYONE who would take being morbidly obese over having some excess skin. Excess skin isn't fun - but it is INFINITELY better than being obese! I did eventually have mine removed, but I would have taken it ANY DAY over weighing over 300 lbs again!

I guess it depends on how much loose skin you have, and the quality of the skin. Mine was so stretched out that it was of very poor quality - so nothing was going to help that except for surgery. But I weighed almost 400 lbs at my heaviest, so....my skin was pretty badly stretched out!

I eat bread occasionally but didn't start doing that until I was in maintenance. I still don't eat much of it and don't eat it very often.

since it's been three months, you're in maintenance. The only way to start losing again is to cut calories or beef up your exercise. And just so you know, those last 30 lbs or so can be a BEAR to lose. I think I lost only about a pound or two a month at the end - I thought I'd NEVER get there! P.S. if you're no longer logging your food intake, I'd start there so you know how many calories you're averaging NOW. You have to do it over several days or even a week or two since it can vary from day to day. Once you know your average, then cut about 100 out a day. If a couple of weeks go by and nothing happens, cut 100 more. Eventually you'll find your sweet spot and start losing again. Alternatively, you could do enough exercise (and not change your eating) to create the same deficit. Or you could do both...