catwoman7

this is a lot to unpack, but one thing I wanted to mention is that most people lose their sense of hunger for up to a year, so that is not unusual. Mine came back at five months out, and honestly, even though it was weird to get used to, I wish I'd been one of the small minority whose hunger never comes back. It was so much easier to stick to my plan and lose weight when I was never hungry and didn't give a flying flip about food. I actually found it pretty liberating after awhile. you won't start feeling restriction until you're on solid food. Purees and fluids go through your stomach pretty fast. As far as hunger and fullness signals, again, if you're like most of us, you're going to lose your sense of hunger for a few months - up to a year. And when those signals return, they might be different than before. I don't feel "full" the way I did pre-surgery. It's hard to describe, but when I start feeling pressure in my chest, I know it's time to stop eating or I'm going to be sorry. Some people have even weirder signals, like sneezing or a runny nose.

I agree it's probably not common. I've been on this site for eight years and I think this is the first time I've seen a post about it.

^^^^ what she said. I agree with everything she said.

after what you've been through, a stricture is nothing! (I had two of them - very easy fix). Malabsorption usually isn't a problem as long as you keep on top of your supplements.

I started at 373 lbs and lost 16 lbs the first month, and then about 10 lbs (give or take a couple of lbs) per month for about six months after that. Then it gradually dropped. After the first year, there were months when I only lost about 2 lbs. I ultimately lost over 200 lbs, 100% of my excess weight. people lose at different rates for all different reasons, many of which you have little or no control over - such as age, gender, starting BMI, your percentage of muscle, your metabolic rate, various genetic factors. The two factors you DO have control over are your activity level and how closely you follow your clinic's food plan. If you do well with those, you'll lose the weight, whether fast or slow. In the end, your success depends on how compliant you are with the program, not how fast or slow you lose the weight.

you're not going to feel full on a liquid because it goes right through you. You likely won't feel restriction until you get the solid food stage. Untll then, just drink (or once you move on to purees, eat) whatever is recommended in your clinic's plan. And no, you don't have to wait every 15 minutes before sipping broth.

I'm several years out at this point, but my usual drink at coffee shops (other than just regular brewed coffee, which is my standard order if I'm there in the morning) is a small iced latte with 2% (or lower) milk and sugar free syrup. But I wasn't allowed to have caffeine for the first six months post-op, so I would have stuck with a brewed decaf with a little milk or half & half (oddly, I don't like coffee sweet if it's hot - only when it's (the coffee's) cold).

current BMR won't figure into your post-surgery intake as it's based partially on your current weight. They'll start you off pretty low for the first few months and then you'll likely gradually increase as the months go by. Final calorie range (once you hit maintenance) will depend on whatever your weight, activity level, etc are once you get there.

it might be the artificial sweetener they use in that chew (?). Anyway, there are lots of options for calcium citrate. Most drug stores sell one or two brands of calcium citrate tablets (vs. several brands of calcium carbonate, which we're not supposed to take since it's not well-absorbed by us). I look for the "petite" version of calcium citrate tabs (I've gotten them at Walgreens - but other stores may have them as well) since I like them better than those big horse pills. there is also a powdered form of calcium citrate, but I don't know how easy it is to find in stores. You can order it online, though. NOW makes it - and so does Upcal D. I used to buy the latter. You can mix it into food or beverages, but Upcal D, at least, doesn't really dissolve - it just suspends in liquid, so you have to shake your beverage before every swig. I ended up just mixing it in with yogurt.

most of us have been through that. It lasts for about three months, and then the hair will grown back It's due to the trauma of the surgery (actually, hair loss can be a side effect of any major surgery - as well as other stressful physical events like childbirth), plus the very low calorie intake we have for the first few months post-surgery (which is why I think we see it more after bariatric surgery than other major surgeries - because it's paired with the very low calorie intake. A double whammy). There's nothing that will stop it - that process began back when you had your surgery. It'll stop and the hair will grow back, though.

some people also "gain" weight from the IV fluids they give you in the hospital, since it's essentially salt water. I've read about people "gaining" as much as ten pounds from that! It can take a few days to work its way out of your system - although since you're ten days out, you're probably right - at this point it's probably inflammation or constipation.

yep - it's the infamous three week stall! This question comes up almost every day. If you're interested in reading more about it, here are the 17,501 posts on it (and nope - I'm not kidding...): https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=three week stall

that's pretty fast - although did you lose weight before surgery and/or did you have to do one of those two-week liquid-only diets before surgery? If not, a chunk of that weight you lost right after surgery could have been water.

yes - individual packets are perfect for traveling. I used to get a box or two of individual packets from Syntrax, but last time I got this at Costco. They're fine - although any fruit-flavored protein powders (including the Syntrax ones) I mix with an individual packet of Crystal Light lemonade, too. I think they taste better that way (but that may just be my personal preference) https://www.amazon.com/Protein2o-Protein-Isolate-Orange-Mango/dp/B09RY2Y261/ref=asc_df_B09RY2Y261/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=632238326555&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5540704642575492079&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1028057&hvtargid=pla-1893285882852&psc=1

don't take much because if you're like most of us, you'll be sleeping most of the time you're there. The only things I used were my cell phone (and take your charger!) and the clothes that I both arrived and left in (make sure they're comfy and easy to put on/take off). I took toiletries but didn't need them since the hospital provided me with a bag of them - soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste. I don't know if all hospitals give you those, though. I did take Biotin spray but didn't need it - but a lot of people do. Same with chapstick (or other lip balm). I didn't use it, but a lot of people do. they'll have gowns and non-slip socks there, so I didn't take anything like that. Really, for me, it was just the clothes and the cell phone. I slept most of the time I was there.

it grows back. Hair loss usually lasts about three or four months, so yours should be about over...

yea I love their turkey chili. That's my go-to order when I'm at Panera's when they have it (usually winter months). It's way better than Wendy's chili, IMHO

two months is long for a stall - you may have thrown yourself in maintenance. Have you tried cutting back on overall calories? EDITED TO ADD: If you were under 200 lbs - (you're 5'10", so pretty tall), I'd guess that it was probably because you're close to your new set point. But if your current weight on your profile is correct, you could still potentially drop quite a few lbs. I'd cut back on calories and see if that does anything.

yep - it's a rule for life. I got used to it pretty quickly, though.

You can always lose weight by lowering your calories and/or increasing your activity - you just have to ask yourself if you want to, or if you're OK where you are. most people end up in the "overweight" or "class 1 obese" category ("class 1 obese" being - not very obese), so having your weight loss stop at a 27 BMI (where yours is now, according to your profile - and that is in the "overweight" category) is pretty common. If your body is happy where it is, it'll likely be a challenge to get it to go lower (and to keep it lower), but again, you can do that by lowering your calorie intake or bumping up your activity level.

if you've been sticking to your program, then it's just a stall. Most of us experience several of those along the way - think of it as your body stopping to recalibrate once in awhile. Just stick to your plan and stay off the scale - maybe just weigh yourself once a week until the stall breaks. And it WILL break. It usually takes 1-3 weeks, but occasionally they'll go longer. But it will break for sure as long as you're sticking to your plan.

thiamine smells like sulfur - so yea - really awful. Although I've been getting it in capsule form the last few years (well, they are B-complex capsules, actually). Much better, since the capsule doesn't "melt" until it's in your stomach.

I know you're probably getting tired of this, BUT - first of all, I had a "non-bariatric" dietitian for my pre-op diet as well. But that surgery is so common now they know what they're dealing with and the requirements - or if not, it's easy enough for them to look it up. My dietitian had worked with several pre-op bariatric patients in the past, even though she was a generalist. also, if you're going to cut calories (which of course you should if you're wanting to lose weight), protein is the LAST macro you want to cut. Protein preserves muscle mass. If you don't get enough, you'll be eating through muscle. As long as your overall calories are lowered, you'll lose weight. I don't remember how much protein mine had my eating because it was nine years ago this summer that I started with her, but I know I was eating a lot more protein and a lot fewer carbs than I was before I started seeing her. also, I still eat 100-150 grams of protein a day because if I get less than 100, my prealbumin level tanks. Most bariatric patients eat somewhere in the 60-80 (or some clinics say 60-90) gram range, but some of us need to eat more than that for various reasons.

protein needs are higher for post-surgical bariatric patients than they are for "normal" people. Most of us eat higher protein/lower carb diets than do normal people. This is percentage-wise, not gram-wise. So yes, the dietitian will likely have you eating fewer calories, but a higher protein to carb ratio. So I don't find her recommended protein level that unusual. on my pre-op diet, the dietitian had me eating 2200 calories/day. As a 300+ lb person, I lost weight on that, because I'm sure I was eating 3000 or more cal/day to maintain my 300+ lb weight. On the flip side, many 170 lb people (well, women anyway) would gain weight if they averaged 2200 calories a day, unless they're very active. However, in addition to having me average 2200 cal/day, she also increased my protein to carb ratio, to more or less match what it would be after surgery. I lost weight like crazy (over 50 lbs before surgery) - and it was probably a healthy way to do, too. cutting your intake down to what a 170 lb person would normally eat might not be very sustainable at this point. That would likely be around 1700-cal (for women), give or take depending on your metabolism and how active you are. It was even hard for me to get used to 2200 (although I eventually did) - but I did lose a ton of weight on that.

I had my bypass almost eight years ago and never had a problem absorbing Miralax. And sleevers don't have absorption issues, so it wouldn't be a problem for them, either. So....??? as for milk of magnesia, I usually get the cherry-flavored version. I think I've seen mint-flavored, too. If the Phillip's brand doesn't have it in flavors, the generic brands that most places carry (like CVS or Walgreens) do come in flavors.