Iona

What my nutritionist told me was that the Hair loss is actually the hair regrowth. Your body shuts down all non-essential processes during surgery and directly after, so by month 3-6 it's starting those back up and the new hairs push out the old ones. So it looks like hair loss, but it's really just a replacement period that happens to most people. The good news is that it will come back. The bad news is that you can't do much about it. I'm taking Biotin for strength in what I've got and trying to keep up my Protein amd Water for healing.

I cut my hair to a shorter, more layered look so it will be less noticeable. 🤞And I love the tinted dry Shampoo for making what I've got look fuller. Luckily, the worst of mine should be in winter, so I'm just going to stock up on cute hats.

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That's fantastic! Congratulations!

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Bloating soon after surgery is completely normal. You're swollen and still working out the IV fluids they pump you up with in hospital. Try to walk as much as possible, follow your surgeon's orders for food, and as counterintuitive as it seems, drink lots of Water. Everyone's plan is different, but I'd say if your doctor wants you on only cooked pureed foods, do that. Right after surgery when everything is healing is not the time to fudge the limits of your pouch.
20lbs in this little time is amazing. You're doing great. The first few weeks are frustrating, but stick it out and it gets better and better.

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Bloating soon after surgery is completely normal. You're swollen and still working out the IV fluids they pump you up with in hospital. Try to walk as much as possible, follow your surgeon's orders for food, and as counterintuitive as it seems, drink lots of Water. Everyone's plan is different, but I'd say if your doctor wants you on only cooked pureed foods, do that. Right after surgery when everything is healing is not the time to fudge the limits of your pouch.
20lbs in this little time is amazing. You're doing great. The first few weeks are frustrating, but stick it out and it gets better and better.

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thought i'd share some pretty incredible numbers i got back from my last blood draw a few days ago. and compared to 2 weeks pre-op. so about 14 weeks total......

weight: 370 -> 285 BP: 180/120 -> 115/70
resting pulse rate: 72 -> 48
fasting glucose: 125 -> 91 (basically "beginning stages of diabetes" to "can't get much better than that") hBa1c: 7.5 -> 4.9 total cholesterol: 276 -> 156 LDL-C: 201 -> 94 Triglycerides: 140 -> 79 ALT: 64 -> 20 (f*cked up liver to not-f*cked up liver) AST: 103 -> 20 (f*cked up liver to not-f*cked up liver) cortisol: 20.5 -> 6.5
so that's what can be quantified. what can't be quantified is the emotional changes and degree of overall happiness, which are now off the charts. i am also 14 weeks sober, which has never happened for me since i started drinking back in college! (but desperately needed to)
anyway, i was a walking time bomb before, but now a walking picture of health. and just signed up for a half-marathon next spring!
god bless this surgery. i feel fortunate that the problem i have had my whole life has a medical fix like this. others aren't so lucky.
i'll post some pics when i build up the nerve.

I am addicted to Premier Caramel yum

Next week I will be 6 months out, I have lost 88 pounds and feeling great, still only about to eat about 3-4 ounces. Have chest days every now and then but everything is on track. I have a love hate relationship with my decision bc sometimes I feel so restricted but then I look at this and now I can run with my kid and play and not get out of breath!

I'm now a few days short of six months postop. Down a total of 86lbs. (305 to 219).
First photo was day of surgery. I had already lost 16lbs on preop diet.
Second photo is today.
Third photo is my face at highest weight before preop diet.
My pants are size 14 (brand runs large). Top vest is a large. Undershirt is a tight medium.

Eating is very important. I've heard great things about Smooth Moves tea for Constipation, also I've had good results with Benefiber and sugar free Fiber gummies. All bodies are different, sometimes diabetes is completely resolved after surgery, sometimes not, sometimes only after a certain amount of weight has been lost. My friend was insulin dependent for 10 years before surgery and was completely off it and any other meds within 6 months of surgery.
Try to get your walking in, it will help prevent muscle atrophy (you need your muscles to process glucose properly) and help move things along in the downstairs as well.
Have faith, follow the path, and trust that a healthier you is going to be the result. Getting on meds now does not mean you'll be on them forever, and ending up on less meds in a healthier body is not a bad option for a result.

Not necessarily. It's different for different people. I have a friend 7 years out who still chews or crushes her pills, but I'm 2.5 weeks out and I can swallow pills just fine. I couldn't for the first week, but it's no problem now. I just have to take them one at a time, sometimes with a sip in between.

Eating is very important. I've heard great things about Smooth Moves tea for Constipation, also I've had good results with Benefiber and sugar free Fiber gummies. All bodies are different, sometimes diabetes is completely resolved after surgery, sometimes not, sometimes only after a certain amount of weight has been lost. My friend was insulin dependent for 10 years before surgery and was completely off it and any other meds within 6 months of surgery.
Try to get your walking in, it will help prevent muscle atrophy (you need your muscles to process glucose properly) and help move things along in the downstairs as well.
Have faith, follow the path, and trust that a healthier you is going to be the result. Getting on meds now does not mean you'll be on them forever, and ending up on less meds in a healthier body is not a bad option for a result.

During the liquid phase I ordered a Soup and didn't worry about finishing it. Tonight I ordered a 2 egg taco omelet with cottage cheese. I managed about half of the omelet (not much of the filling,) and a couple nibbles of the cottage cheese. The leftovers will be Breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. I eat slow enough that I don't have to spend half the meal watching my companions eat, which is nice. My boyfriend and I plan to go in on meals together. American serving sizes are plenty generous so my maybe 4 ounces isn't going to make him go hungry, lol.
The hardest parts for me so far have been remembering to not drink with my meal, and not getting so caught up in conversation that I miss the 'satiated' point and go straight into 'full.'

During the liquid phase I ordered a Soup and didn't worry about finishing it. Tonight I ordered a 2 egg taco omelet with cottage cheese. I managed about half of the omelet (not much of the filling,) and a couple nibbles of the cottage cheese. The leftovers will be Breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. I eat slow enough that I don't have to spend half the meal watching my companions eat, which is nice. My boyfriend and I plan to go in on meals together. American serving sizes are plenty generous so my maybe 4 ounces isn't going to make him go hungry, lol.
The hardest parts for me so far have been remembering to not drink with my meal, and not getting so caught up in conversation that I miss the 'satiated' point and go straight into 'full.'

I've lost almost 100 lbs in 10 months, I PROMISE you it did not fall off magically. I was not allowed any exercise AT ALL for 16 WEEKS. lol! I promise promise promise you that waiting 2 weeks, or whatever your doctor recommends, for doing exercises that could tear your incisions will NOT derail you, especially when you are committed like this. It's just not worth it, you could end up in the hospital.

For even some TMI, I was constipated in my 6th week. I took a laxative. Just the muscle spasms alone caused me to reinjure myself. I couldn't walk standing straight for almost a week and it pushed back my recovery by at least two weeks. So I do speak from experience. I don't want you to feel discouraged. I'm 10 months out, I do yoga every day, I run/walk 5-7 miles a day and I run 50 flights of stairs a day. You will be able to do all you want to do soon and that fat WILL start dropping off, I promise!!!

Don't focus too much on the number of meals a day. (Well, some programs REALLY want their patients doing 3 meals from the very beginning).. but I don't think that's necessary, or possibly healthy, if you feel too hungry, you'll overeat.
So, I prefer to see patients focus on their goals. Figure out how many Proteins, carbs, fat, and calories you need, and then create a plan that meets all these goals. Eat as often as necessary to meet your goals.
I find, by tackling it this way, I have to push to get everything in, and eating becomes something different in my brain. It's no longer hobby, socialization, comfort, or any of that jazz... it's fuel and nourishment. Period. And that's a good thing!
I don't feel guilty about eating now since when I don't eat, I feel weak. (hmm.. when I was a teenager, I was embarrassed to eat in front of people since I was heavy... I forgot about that! Lol!).
If I have a day where I meet all my goals, and find I'm still hungry.. veggies are always on the menu. So there is no panic that I'll be left hungry, and not "allowed" to eat (a common problem while dieting).
Sorry, this post is a little all-over-the-place.. but hopefully something here is applicable

I've been through all the waiting, through the fear, questions, anxiety and depression, I've prepared and researched, and it's tomorrow! I am THROUGH THE ROOF with excitement, I feel like it's the night before a lifetime of Christmases. See you all on the flip side!
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The surgery went well! I had some breathing problems directly after, but they sorted them out in the recovery room and it's been getting better every day since.
Came home on day 3, I was so ready to be out of the hospital! Not a lot of nausea for me, mostly my irritation is the gas. That and not over-exerting myself. I don't have a lot of real pain, so it's very easy for me to over do it and then be completely wiped out for a day.

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Thanks for all the replies! I have waited so long to have this done and don't want to screw up now. I am starting to feel better day by day and right now only experience "head hunger" not physical hunger which is a demon that I will just learn to overcome.

I'd say you're doing great. Perhaps your sleeve is healing faster than others and has less residual swelling! Count that as a big plus. I could handle liquids pretty well post-op, but definitely felt the restriction as soon as I was on mushies. Half a scrambled egg filled me to the brim.
Good luck!

How did you go? How are you now? I'm not feeling too bad at day 3 post surgery. Came home yesterday, and have just been resting, dozing and watching TV. I've found I tolerate warm drinks better than cold ones. Managed about 35 FL.oz of liquid today, but only one of them was a Protein Drink. I'm so grateful that I had very little nausea, did have bad pain for the first few hours after surgery, till me a few hours to get stable in recovery. How are you?

You are right Iona. The intubation tube can cause some irritation on your throat. I should go away in a few days.

Are you measuring yourself? The scale is not the whole story. I went from a size 14 to a size 10 with only losing 5 lbs. I'm working out like crazy, my hips are narrowing, my waist is shrinking, my thighs, are getting more firm, as are my arms. I keep dropping the width on my bras!

But in that time I've fluctuated between 172 and 168. Sometimes up, sometimes down. I'm about to start trying on size 8's and haven't lost a single lbs in 3 weeks.

Also make sure your sodium intake isn't too high causing retention, check to see when you will be getting your period as that can cause Water weight gain as well.

DON'T PANIC!!!!!!!!!!! You are committed to this, working hard. It will happen for you, don't give up and don't be discouraged!!!!! CHeck your measurments, enjoy the success you've had so far. You are doing AMAZING! You have recommitted and are on fire, this is exciting.

I've been through all the waiting, through the fear, questions, anxiety and depression, I've prepared and researched, and it's tomorrow! I am THROUGH THE ROOF with excitement, I feel like it's the night before a lifetime of Christmases. See you all on the flip side!
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I like the NOW unflavored whey Protein.

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Good luck!!! Walk walk walk as soon as you can!


Band to SIPS/SA-DI/LOOP DS 8.8.17
HT: 5'6ish HW: 242 SW: 226 CW: 210 GW: Healthy