catwoman7

it took me 20 months to lose all my weight, and the last three or four months were slow as molasses. I was eating more than 680 calories, though. I was eating more like 1200. the closer you are to a normal BMI, the harder and slower it is to lose weight. Three to five lbs a month is actually pretty good. There were some months near the end when I only lost about 2 lbs the whole month. ever go to Weight Watchers meetings and listen to these barely overweight people scream and moan about how hard it is to lose 10 lbs? I used to (mentally) roll my eyes when I overheard such conversations. Now I totally get it. just stick to your plan. It'll be slow, but you'll get there.

a lot of women post about screwed up cycles the first few months after surgery - estrogen is stored in fat cells, and the theory is that it's released due to the rapid weight loss. It does stabilize after a few months. Maybe that's what's going on??

I'd check with my PCP or surgeon. Hair loss that far out from surgery usually isn't telogen effluvium, the loss that is common after bariatric surgery (and can be a side effect of any major surgery, actually). It may be related to a nutrient deficiency or something. At any rate, I'd certainly mention it to my doctor.

soup - unless it has a lot of solids in it - is pure liquid and will go right through you. It's not the same as eating 8 oz of real food.

it's pretty common. Usually not as extreme as the article GradyCat posted, but yes - I think a lot of us have unrealistic perceptions of our size. I'm almost seven years out. I had about a 20 lb regain in year 3 (which unfortunately is very common), and I'm constantly thinking I look "fat". I'm always shocked when I see a photo of myself and realize I'm not fat - I look just fine. Or I'll see a photo of myself from a couple of years ago in "Facebook memory" and think - wow - I looked great then - and then I'll check my weight spreadsheet (which I've kept since my surgery) and realize I weigh exactly the same now - or maybe 2 or 3 lbs more - than I did in that photo. if it's causing you anxiety or depression, then yes - I'd agree counseling may be a good idea. But if it's not - then know that you're certainly not alone!!

they usually don't do reversals unless you're having serious medical issues that can't be resolved any other way. talk to your surgeon. They may be able to suggest or prescribe things that help. Plus like others have said, you're still very early out. A lot of this will clear up in the near future. The first few weeks can be tough, but then it gets a lot easier. I honestly don't notice a difference anymore - other than my stomach doesn't hold nearly as much food as it used to.

unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it. Some people claim to have luck with biotin and/or special shampoo products, but others say they did nothing for them (I think if biotin "works", it's more effective once the hair starts growing back - rather than stopping it from falling out). Just know that it "will" stop and will grow back!! Some people get a shorter cut or wear scarves or something to make it less noticeable....

yes - lower body lifts are pretty painful. My arm lift and breast lift were much easier - but I think it has to do with the liposuction and muscle tightening they do with a lower body lift. I had to use a walker and a toilet seat riser for several days - and those first couple of nights were AWFUL. But....it does end, and in the end, the results were worth it (I had my LBL three years ago - and the arm & breast lift two years ago)

I was told to wait at least 24 hours after I stopped taking pain pills, but I never took any pain pills (I had almost zero pain from the surgery). I think I waited about a week to drive, though. I didn't have much energy and slept a lot the first few days - plus I had my husband here to run errands for me.

I went to water aerobics a lot that first year (I still do once or twice a week, but I went a lot more than that the first year. I have a bad hip so walking fast enough or far enough to get much benefit out of it is tough - and I was too heavy at the time to do much else). I think I "rode" the stationary bikes and seated ellipticals at the gym, too. Once I was about eight weeks out, I was cleared to do weights, so I added in the weight machines at the gym, too.

I like "Reps to the Rhythm" videos on youtube. It's my favorite "walking" type of video (although it's more intense and "dance-y" then some - so more of a cross between a walking video and something like Zumba). He has a bunch of different lengths of videos - and they're rated by color (I think the red ones are the most intense - but there's at least one blue one that I know of that's pretty intense - and my favorite one to boot). Anyway, the longer ones would give you 10,000 steps. Or you could do two or three of the shorter ones (he does include the step counts on his videos)

weight loss slows down a lot the farther out you get. My first month I lost 16 lbs. Then for the next six months or so, I lost 8-12 lbs a month. After that, I dropped down to about 5-8 lbs a month. And after the first year, it was like two lbs a month. This happens to almost everyone. The closer you get to normal weight, the slower and harder it is to lose. I remember going to Weight Watchers meetings before I had weight loss surgery. I used to mentally roll my eyes at these women who were only slightly overweight moaning about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. Yea - right. Try losing 100+ lbs. But now I totally get it!! btw - I agree with the above poster. If you're straying too far from your clinic's plan, then get back on it. Track everything. If you're committed, you WILL continue to lose weight. I lost for 20 months.

it's not really cosmetic - I don't think they attempt to make you look "pretty" - but they do remove the excess skin. I might have been OK with it because I'm in my 60s and have been married forever, so I really didn't care what I looked like under my clothes - I did it more so my clothes would fit better and my skin didn't slap up against my body while I was exercising. But I decided to go for the whole lower body lift, not just the panniculectomy. if you want something that looks more natural, then go for a whole lower body lift (also called a 360, I believe). They do front and back, pull up the mons area, reposition your belly button and create a new, natural-looking opening for it (so it looks like a normal belly button), etc. And as the above poster said, they usually do liposuction and muscle tightening, too. Appearance-wise, it's going to look a lot better. That is, if you care... if your insurance covers panniculectomies (and if so, you're lucky!) but you want to do a full lower body lift, many of them will at least cover the panniculectomy part of it.

here - I just did the search for you (on the three week stall). 17,501 posts at the moment: https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=three week stall

23 lbs in two weeks is actually phenomenal. You are ahead of the curve. It was probably six weeks before I'd lost that much. you're probably in a stall right now. Most of us have our first major stall during the first month or so after surgery. It's called the "three week stall" because it's usually the third week, but not always. Typically lasts 1-3 weeks. Just stick to your plan and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you follow your plan the stall the break and you'll be on your way again. if you want to read more about this, search this site for "three week stall". Last time I checked, there were over 17,000 posts on it. And no, I am NOT kidding. It happens to almost all of us.

no one loses 15 lbs a week for the first 2-3 months. There might be *one* week out of that 2-3 month period where a few people might lose that much (although I've been hanging out on bariatric boards for about seven years and have never heard of anyone losing that much in a week - so if so, they'd be outliers - unless, of course, they started out the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life"). It's really pretty unusual for us "normal" WLS patients to lose more than 25 or 30 lbs the first month, and then it drops after that. It seems like most of us are somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month - but again, there are always a few who lose more than that (maybe 30 or so lbs). But 15 lbs a week, no - or at least I've never heard or read about anyone who's lost that much. someone else quoted that MIchigan study on here a year or so ago, and those of us who have been hanging out here for a few years found it pretty unbelievable. I think the five lbs a week they quoted isn't unusual at all - but 15 is a huge stretch. Maybe it's just the wording they used (??). If so, too bad - because that can - and probably does - get misinterpreted. to the OP: I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I started out at almost 400 lbs. I'm not sure how much you've lost or what your expectations are, but I do think a lot of people's perceptions and expectations are based on shows like "My 600 lb Life". But you have to keep in mind that those people start out MUCH heavier than your average WLS patient.

it depends on where you are, but yea - it's happening all over the country.

really common. For some it eventually goes away, for others, it's permanent. Has to do with less padding plus temperature regulation, I think. I had that the first year or two post-surgery, but I don't any more.

I can eat all of those as well

if you stick to your clinic's program, yes, you'll lose the weight. But you have to be really dedicated, because as GradyCat said, it's just a tool. It'll only take you so far - you have to put in the work to really take advantage of it. That said, it's the only thing that ever worked for me.

unfortunately, transfer addiction after WLS isn't all that uncommon - some people substitute one addiction (in our case, food) for another. I agree with GradyCat - I'd try to find a therapist who deals with these issues (PTSD and depression - and now, addiction issues). I'm so sorry you're going through this!!

when I get chocolate cravings, I sometimes mix a teaspoon or two of unsweetened cocoa powder into a thing of vanilla Light & Fit (or Carbmaster - or another low-cal Greek yogurt). And occasionally I'll even top that with a couple tablespoons of light or sugar free Cool Whip and a few raspberries. My version of a sundae...

not sure what the guidelines are in the UK - or if it makes a difference if you're self-pay or not. But you'll find out at the consultation. In the US, if your BMI is below 40, as others have said, you have to have weight-related conditions (such as diabetes) to qualify.

I took off three weeks but could have gone back after two.

P.S. if you're expecting to drop like 30 lbs a month, you need to adjust your expectations. Almost no one loses that much that quickly unless they're the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life". Unfortunately, I think shows like that give people unrealistic ideas and expectations about weight loss surgery. Us "normal" WLS patients, with very few exceptions, just don't lose that fast. After the first month, many of us settle into about a 10-lb a month (give or take) rate...and the further out you get, the slower the loss.