biginjapan

This is something I think about for myself as I lose weight.* I sort of wonder if I have always used my weight as an excuse not to be in a relationship, because whenever I lose weight and start to attract attention again, it mostly annoys me (usually I think because if I'm not interested, what's the point?) I've been alone for a very long time and I don't know how I would deal with dating again (not that I was ever that great at it). That said, I've always been optimistic that eventually I would find someone to share my life with (even a deep meaningful friendship, something I don't currently have). I don't know how I'll navigate this going forward, but to be honest, it's not a huge issue for me at the moment.

*Not that any of this matters because here in Japan there is no one for me. The majority of Japanese men are not interested in dating a middle-aged "fat" woman (and no matter how much weight I lose, I will always be fat here) and many are intimidated by Western women - so, no. The non-Japanese guys my age are either married with kids, or the kind that like to chase tail that's half their age. Either way, they're not interested in me and I'm definitely not interested in them.

On 3/5/2020 at 11:36 AM, amberpons30 said:

But I've seen alot of people lost 100 or more in a year time

Yes, but that depends on a lot of factors - often the more overweight a person is, the faster their weight loss will be post-op. Men lose weight a lot faster than women. And genetics plays a role too - some people are naturally inclined to lose weight faster after surgery than others. You can't compare yourself to other people - your body is your own, and it will lose weight on its own schedule. As for stalls, sometimes moving from one food stage to another will cause a short stall, but it's just your body adjusting. If you stick to your macros (protein, calories, water) and get some exercise in, the weight loss should come, however slowly.

Also - the scale is not the only measure of success. Take your measurements - now, today. Then, every week, or two weeks, or month (just be regular about it), take your measurements again. I do this on the first of every month and it's very telling. I had the sleeve done 3 years ago, and bypass 3.5 weeks ago, and I know that the body will be changing, losing weight, even if it doesn't show it on the scale. Try smaller clothes - you'd be surprised what fits you now. I've been shocked by being able to go down not one size, but two or more in less than a month.

90g of carbs is still quite high. Have you tried cutting back on carbs? That might help kickstart your weight loss again. I'm only 3 weeks out but I'm trying to stay under 40 net carbs/day (although I'm not always successful at that). Also, have you talked to your surgeon/nutritionist? If you stopped losing weight then there may be something else that is impacting this.

It's common for hair to fall out. It will grow back! When I had the sleeve done back in 2017 I did the same as you - started supplements months before surgery and used lots of Biotin shampoos and conditioners. It still fell out. I kept my hair in a short bob during that time - the Hair loss didn't seem as bad as with long hair, and once the hair started growing back it made sense to have a shorter hairstyle to manage those shorter hair until they grew long enough to fit the hairstyle.

I think you're doing well! I also revised from sleeve to bypass a week before you did, and I've only lost 10 pounds in three weeks. But I'm not worried. I feel good (except for the Constipation (!)), have a lot of energy, and can see the difference in my face, my collarbones (they've magically re-appeared!), and the way my clothes fit. Next week will time for my monthly measurements, so I'm sure I'll see a lot of progress there too. As for food, I can also eat about 1/2 cup of food, but unless it's a puree or liquid (like soup), I'm trying to make it less than that in one serving. I've been on soft foods for the past week, so I'm much more conscious of what I'm eating and how it will affect me. So far, so good - no issues with anything I've tried.

I think 16 pounds is great for three weeks! I've only lost 10 since my surgery on the same day, but I'm not worried about it. I was looking at my weight loss averages from when I had the sleeve 3 years ago and I averaged between 7-15 pounds per month (I was about the same weight you were at starting weight). That, combined with my pre-op weight loss (22 pounds), meant that by November (10 months out) I had lost 100 pounds. I still wasn't at goal weight then, but I was happy with my progress. Of course, after that, I derailed, but that's another story.

Remember, you probably didn't gain 100+ pounds in 6 months, you are unlikely to lose that much in the same amount of time. Some people do, but they are either male (tend to lose weight faster), or started at a higher weight, or are genetically pre-disposed to lose weight faster than others.

11 minutes ago, MsMocie said:

Dr Kaur said I probably would not go until thursday or friday, my op was on tuesday, so I didn't bother to make an issue of it. But I must admit, that it feelt like it played some peekaboo back there for around a day 😂

I hadn't been able to go the full day before surgery, or the day of surgery, or the first day post-op. So by the second day post-op I asked Dr. Kaur for an enema which he happily handed over and that helped a lot (for some reason the nurses were reluctant to do anything with my request for one). At that time I wasn't so worried about the Constipation, but the fact that I might have to push so hard that I would actually open up some wounds!

On 4/17/2017 at 8:54 PM, XiHoney_Doll3 said:

I had my original sleeve done June/2013. I lost 90 pounds and I gave birth to my baby girl Oct/2015 I have since gained 50 pounds back total. I went back to my initial surgeon's office and was seen by his PA. I spoke to him about how I wasn't feeling very much restriction and that after doing the 5 day pouch test it was not any better. His solution was phentermine. I followed it and I lost maybe 5-7 pounds but regained as soon as I stopped taking them. I have since spoken with a new bariatric group and the physician is wonderful, he has had me do an upper GI which has allowed him to see that I no longer have a "sleeve". This would explain the feeling of no restriction. He has advised that he would recommend either resleeving me or converting me to RNY.

Has anyone been resleeved? What have your results been like? I am not too fond of the idea of RNY for malnutrition/malabsorption issues that I have seen friends dealing with.

I had my sleeve done in Feb 2017, but after the first year where I lost 100 pounds, I regained about 60. I tried doing pouch resets but they didn't last. I could eat a full plate of food, not as much as I once did (because let's be honest, I probably could eat 2 plates of food), but certainly a lot more than anyone who had had the sleeve should have been able to eat - the restriction was really not there for me. So just over 3 weeks ago I had a revision to RNY (long-limbed). My surgeon and I discussed the possibilities and this was his recommendation based on his experience as a surgeon:

• People who re-sleeved had the lowest amount of weight loss after a revision
• People who had a mini gastric bypass (which basically keeps the sleeve but adds a long-limbed bypass - usually about 100-150cm) do great in terms of weight loss, but at least 10% will suffer from GERD afterwards, which will require another surgery
• People who revised from sleeve to a standard RNY (which is a short-limbed bypass) didn't lose as much weight overall with that procedure
• People who revised from sleeve to a standard RNY but with a long-limbed bypass did the best with weight-loss and without the complications of developing GERD. So I went with this option (not only because of this, but because of other gastro-intestinal issues I have).

In any event, I would talk to your surgeon about what you want to achieve and what is the best option for you, your sleeve, and what your own particular health needs are.

9 minutes ago, MsMocie said:

I saw a video on this. They added prunes in smoothies, Beans can be eaten on soft, so can banana if one can eat it. Prunes and bananas might be to sugary atm, but Beans and perhaps nuts can be eaten. Also dark veggies in smoothies etc.

Also, to all of you, I admire those of you that can go weeks without going (it is actually kind of dangerous, so please seek medical help if nothing happens the first week. This is actually an acute situation, so were medical resources are low, this will go higher up in the food chain because you can have critical situations if poo gets a leak). I went from monday day before surgery to friday same week, and I couldn't cope with it. When I went it was some of the best feeling in the world. I used an enema though.

I can't imagine not going for 5 days straight! After a day and a half of no movement I'm feeling it. If things hadn't finally moved on as they did today, I would have gone to the hospital for some help. I do have to admit though, once it's (ALL) finally out, it feels sooooo good! 💩😀

28 minutes ago, IAmGrace said:

What is a slider food?

Slider foods are often simple carbs (chips, pretzels, crackers, popcorn, Cookies, most Desserts, etc) that go down real easy!!! So easy in fact, that you'll finish off a whole bag of _____ and wonder where they all went. They have a lot of empty calories and no real nutritional value, so what you end up doing is eating foods you shouldn't, instead of foods you should. That's why it's easy to regain, no matter what surgery you had. You have to be careful in your food choices forever. That's not to say that once you are in maintenance mode you can't have a treat now and then, but if you had any kind of food addiction before surgery, you have to think about whether or not eating these foods will take you back down that (weight regain) path again.

4 minutes ago, summerset said:

I'd say be careful with anything laxative. One gets used to this stuff pretty quick. Wean yourself off as soon as possible.

Eat enough Fiber, move enough and drink enough - but please don't get dependent on laxatives. 😕

I've never been a fan of laxatives, or needed to use them, since for at least a decade before my sleeve I suffered from ulcerative colitis where the opposite problem was a daily fact for me. In fact, only got them because it was suggested after my first surgery, so even though they were expired I still used them. I have some Smooth Move tea which I found buried in my pantry (also bought after sleeve surgery) - I think that did a lot more than the ex-lax. In any event, I'm hoping that my diet (with fibre) will be enough to keep me regular, but I want the laxatives as a backup, because I never want to go through what I just went through the past three days! (seriously, I have no idea what the neighbours think was happening here, but even I was scared by the sounds I was making!)

14 hours ago, kathleen0909 said:

Three weeks in. Started soft diet this week. Concentrating on Protein and fluids. Started colace. And resorted to milk of magnesia today. Any tips on keeping things moving along and not getting backed up? I had gastric bypass surgery on March 3.

OMG - We are surgery twins and this week has been horrible for me - I've spent the last 3 days in a lot of pain because of Constipation. I couldn't even leave the house. I've used up the few laxatives I had remaining, went back to liquids, and now have a big order of more laxatives, soluble fibre, and more to help me get through this. Luckily my classes have been postponed or are online until the end of April, so I don't need to worry about having issues during the day at work (because trust me, once something starts moving back there, I need to get to a toilet right quick! 😞😉). I finally was able to pass most of what was in there out yesterday and today, and the weight that I "gained" since the weekend is now gone. I know more fibre will help, but at the same time even though I'm on soft foods now I am limited by what I can add that has enough fibre in it. I'll have to be much more vigilant from now on.

8 hours ago, summerset said:

I can't help myself, I find this statement more and more irritating the longer I'm out of WLS, especially that one about "the window of weight loss closing". It puts patients into an unnecessary state of anxiety and builds up equally unnecessary pressure. I wonder if surgeons and dietitians sometimes are being misinterpreted here or - if they're interpreted correctly - if they're aware of the consequences they provoke.

My first surgery was 2001. The MGB was almost 4 years ago. After my latest revision 4 weeks ago my weight went down again during the liquid phase (i. e. eating less calories than my body is used to) and I'm in the middle of a normal BMI range.

My findings are: if I'm in a calorie deficit (screw the macros) I'm losing weight. I doubt I'm the big exception.

However, creating this calorie deficit is definitely harder for some people! (Think age, height, gender etc.).

Of course - any calorie deficit will most likely result in weight loss. I think what the surgeons are referring to is the honeymoon period after surgery, where weight loss will happen the most rapidly, and the most easily. Eventually it does slow down, and for many people, hunger returns. But I've known people on this site, and other places online, who lost 80-90% of their weight in the first year (often faster), but took 2-3 years to get to their goal weight. It's not impossible. But I think it also sets up people to feel like a failure if they DON'T reach their goal, and that's not true either. Many people make it to the overweight BMI and can't go further into the healthy range (or can, but find it harder to maintain). But even then they've lost 80% or more of their excess weight. That's something to be proud of. Even for myself, I'm trying to manage expectations - I'd like to get to a healthy BMI, but I know that weight loss is usually not as dramatic with revision surgery, and that it will probably take me longer to get there (if ever).

One of my favourite doctors on YouTube, Dr. Weiner, says that in his experience, the four-month mark will be the halfway point of your total weight loss. Most people lose all of their weight in the 6-12 months post-op, it’s not as common, although possible, to keep losing weight after that. So I don’t know why your doctor said that you’re done at four months - I’ve never seen any guidelines that have remotely said the same thing. You are still technically obese but close to overweight in terms of BMI. From my experience, both on this site, and with sleeve surgery a few years ago, I’d say you are either in a stall, and/or you need to be prepared for your weight loss to be happening at a slower rate than before. Maybe mix up your diet a bit more (get off the Protein Bars and eat real food), and change up your activity. It doesn’t have to be going to the gym, just upping the intensity of walks or playing physical games with your kids may be enough.

I had my revision to bypass three weeks ago but did not have to do any bowel prep. In fact, I was told to eat a carb rich meal for dinner the night before surgery (which I did). Surgery went well and other than gas pain on the first day post-op, haven’t had any problems since. (Ahhh...that’s not true. Now that I’m soft foods Constipation has become an issue, but that’s another topic...)

Yes, this is common for many people, not just gastric surgery patients. When your body goes through an extreme event (any kind of surgery, pregnancy, etc) some Hair loss will occur. It can be upsetting and disconcerting, but probably the only people who will notice are you and your hairdresser. It will stop, it will grow back, just give it a few months.

On 3/23/2020 at 8:37 AM, Margaret 5161 said:

I am now 16 days out from sleeve surgery. As tired as I am of liquids I find I’m very hesitant to start moving on to the puréed. I feel great no issues just hesitant. Anyone else have that issue and suggestions to get started? Thank you.

I just had bypass a few days before you and I've been on purees (and full liquids) since the day I left the hospital (day 3 post-op). I haven't had any real issues except with Greek yogurt (I guess I'll be a bit lactose intolerant for a while, common with bypass, not so much with sleeve). But I had the sleeve 3 years ago so have already been through this once before, where I had to wait a couple weeks before going on purees. In both cases, waiting, or starting right away, I've been doing well. I've been drinking blended Soups, pureed veggies, soft tofu, cottage cheese, etc. Just go slow and start with small amounts at first. Try one new (pureed) food per day. After a few days, try adding another pureed food for a second meal. Your sleeve will let you know what's working and what's not.

The scars will mostly disappear over time - the scars I had from my first surgery are pretty invisible but I think if I got a tan they would probably show up. I’ve only ever used Vitamin E cream on my scars as it’s the only thing I can get with any regularity here in Japan.

7 hours ago, BecomingAnna said:

So that’s not a good thing or normal 😞 yes I Was 373 when i went Into the Hospital Stayed 2 Days and gained 6lbs Surgeon said He Was Pretty sure it was Water weight from my IV. As Of Today I Am Now 328.

Everyone is different. I was watching a video on YouTube by Dr. Weiner and he mentioned that some people are faster losers than others - here's the relevant section of the video. Maybe you are part the lucky genetic group who tends to lose faster than others!

You're only a week post-op and already eating eggs? That might be a little fast - and clearly it is since you are either in some kind of discomfort or have the hiccups which means you are overeating (!). I had my surgery on March 3rd and was on full liquids and purees for 2 weeks - so blended Soups, cottage cheese, yogurt, mashed/pureed veggies, soft tofu, etc. - all that. Now that I'm on week 3 I have started with soft/mushy foods. I tried the ricotta bake but that was a disaster - clearly I'm (hopefully temporarily) lactose intolerant (very common for bypass patients!), so I'll be avoiding any primarily dairy-based foods for a while. I tried some of Shelly's Egg Bites this week and they've been going down quite well. Canned tuna has also been a good option for me (I mix in a little shredded cheese and add some seasonings, warm it up just enough to soften the cheese).

Here's the thing - just because you CAN eat something, doesn't mean you HAVE to - if it is causing any kind of problem, just refrain from eating it for a week, and try that food again later. Stay on full liquids, or add different kind of mushies like the ones I mentioned above. And the less liquid it is, the less you should eat of it, at least in the beginning. So if you can drink 1/4-1/2 cup of liquids at a time, your food intake should be 1/8c. Try that - you may have to have more "mini-meals" but it's better than waiting hours for the discomfort to clear so that you can your liquids and/or other food in.

I'm surprised you have to get so much Protein in so soon after surgery. My protein schedule was 1-2 weeks post-op: 40g, 3-4 weeks post-op: 50g, after one month: 60g+

If you are on liquids only then I would imagine you have to drink more than one protein drink a day to get to that level, which again I think is really high, and unrealistic. Most programs I know of will encourage you to get your liquids in (first priority) and then protein (second priority), at least in the beginning stages post-op.

A great source of protein, other than shakes, is miso Soup (just the broth, nothing else). If you have access to a Japanese restaurant of any kind, or a supermarket that sells miso paste, it's a great way to add protein. Bone Broth is good too, but I like to mix things up a bit.

I feel your pain! I had the sleeve done three years ago, lost over 100 pounds in about 10 months, then gained about 60 back through bad food choices and/or just plain overeating (even healthy foods). I'd go on reset diets which would work for a while, but then I would plateau for a long time and start to gain weight again. Part of the problem was trying to deal with my food addictions that came back once I fell off the bariatric diet wagon. After a while it was just too hard to get back on again. Eventually I decided to have a revision to bypass, which I had done 2.5 weeks ago. Hopefully that's not something you'll have to do - if you have support groups around you and people that you can work with, it should be possible to lose the weight you regained.

Longer stalls are not uncommon the further out you are from surgery (often 2-5 weeks!). As long as the weight is not going up from week to week, I think it's okay. Are you taking your body measurements? That can often show that you are losing weight, even if the scale doesn't move. I've also noticed that sometimes the body likes to hold onto fluids a little more every now and then, not sure why. Even being constipated/having no bowel movements for a few days can affect the scale. Another thing you can try is mixing up your diet and exercise a bit. Go cycling or swimming instead of walking, try some new bariatric-friendly recipes...it may kick your body out of its stall.

deleted..duplicate post.

12 hours ago, CammyC said:

Just be careful as the days go on! You can’t trust a fart after Bariatric surgery! I pooped my pants 3 times when I was in the all liquids phase. Horrible, I know. Now I know after a really big one, the next one might be more lol. Happy tootin!! 💩😂🤮

Haha! This has been an issue for me every since I had the sleeve three years ago. I've learned to only let a little bit of fart out to see if it's actually gas, or something worse! Luckily I've only been caught out at home (a few times I'll admit), but I have extra undies and clothes to wear at work just in case the worse happens.