catwoman7

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Weight regain happens. You’re not the only one you had or will experience it. We get over confident or complacent & poor choices slip in. We go back to old behaviours of using food (or alcohol) to comfort us or sooth us in times of stress or emotional upsets.
It’s why what you need to do is reset your head not your tummy. Remember how we always said doing the head work is a very important aspect of our weight loss & maintenance. A pouch reset won’t reduce the size of your tummy (not that your’s would be stretched) nor do anything to get to the root of your eating & change your behaviours. Stretching your tummy is pretty difficult. It would take a concentrated to eat excessive portions multiple times a day for a prolonged length of time to do it.
You’ve made the first two steps already by acknowledging & recognising the what & why behind your regain & by starting to track your food again. Best advice then is to go back to how you were eating (food choices, portion sizes, eating behaviours, meeting Protein & Fluid goals) when you were nearing your stabilised weight.
Would you consider going back to your dietician to help you get back on track? Did you see a therapist when you had your surgery? Maybe get in contact again for the regain & also the drinking. We have to be careful with addiction transfer after surgery. It can be a slippery slope.
All the best. You got this.

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...

the no drinking rule applies to Snacks, too, unfortunately.
P.S. one thing I started doing early out which seemed to help (and I still do it, nine years later) is drink 16 oz of Water as soon as I get out of bed in the morning - before eating Breakfast, even before drinking my morning coffee. That way I'm 1/4 of the way there (i.e., to my water goal) before eating breakfast and getting dressed!

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!!

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.

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

^^^. 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!

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

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

This isn’t uncommon. Our tastebuds & sometimes sense of smell changes after surgery while we’re healing & our tummy is very sensitive. It is temporary usually about two months which is about how long it takes you to fully heal from the surgery. Unfortunately though it can make finding foods & drinks we can tolerate challenging. You may find something you easily ate yesterday you can’t face today. Don’t give up on that food. Just avoid it for a few days & then try it again. Some foods seem extra sweet or salty. Textures can be off putting too. Sometimes a food or flavour you didn’t enjoy before tastes delicious during this time.
Add to that our loss of appetite &/or interest in eating & it can feel like a nightmare & you’ll never be able to eat again. In a few weeks you’ll find you are enjoying flavours, textures & foods more. If you’re lucky your loss of hunger & interest in eating will last a 6-12 months +/- which helps with your weight loss but they too will pass. Actually after they return you often wish they hadn’t & you still weren’t hungry.
I embraced things tasting exceedingly sweet at this time. I gave up sweet foods - never reintroduced them. So no cakes, biscuits, Desserts, lollies, flavoured carbonated drinks, etc. except on very odd special occasion. Very little added sugar (<5g a day) & avoid artificial sweeteners or sugar alternatives where I can.
I ate a lot of Soup, yoghurt & extra milky scrambled eggs & extra milky instant rolled oats during purée. During soft foods I ate a lot of minced meat dishes (meat balls, savoury mince bolognese, …) with sauces & slow cooked stews/casseroles.

Give your self time to heal & recover & your tummy to be less fussy & sensitive. I used to say my tummy was like a petulant temper throwing 2 year old during that time.

nope - that's the same thing I told people! (except for other obese people - they know the "diet & exercise" thing is a bunch of schlock, so I was more honest with them. A lot of skinny people believe that, though...)

if you can afford to pay the difference, I'd go for the full Tummy Tuck. The results are going to look a lot more natural.

nope - that's the same thing I told people! (except for other obese people - they know the "diet & exercise" thing is a bunch of schlock, so I was more honest with them. A lot of skinny people believe that, though...)

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