BunnyJean

what are protein treatments? what does it consist of? I'm terrified because I've lost 1/3 of my hair due to hormonal issues. I can't imagine after sleeve surgery. With people saying they lost 1/3 to 1/2 their hair! I will try anything at this point.

I should resign myself to being bald after my operation then. Because I truly have 1/3 to 1/2 my hair loss just from menopause and hormones messed up. I can give all kinds of tips for hiding big parts and making hair appear fuller. I've been taking B's and Biotin for years but upped my Biotin uptake at least a year ago. I have been taking Healthy Skin & Nails by Pro Caps Labs for at least 6 months. I "think" it's slowed down my hair loss. I still lose alot but maybe not so much. Again I am PRE sleeve so mine is hormonal. And after sleeve it could be too, I don't know. There is 4000 mcg of Biotin in this product, 10 mg of Silicon, 152 mg of gelatin and 20 mg of branched chain amino acids along with a host of other vitamins, b's, d, a etc. It;s not the cheapest product out there. You can get on their website or Amazon. Probably other places, I never looked. I think I will research how much biotin is too much. Maybe I will double my dose of these. UGH on the hair loss!!

Good for you!! I had my first life style class yesterday and the reason they don't want you to have caffeine is because the caffeine works at the strictures of either the sleeve or the pouch for the bypass surgery. Just eats away at them. And the reason you should not have carbonated drinks is that it expands your sleeve or pouch. Increasing the volume of them. These were interesting for me to learn the reasons why. So I'm going to start limiting my caffeine (I drink 2 cups coffee a day and the rest is water 99% of the time so no worries about soda or pop for me). I'm going to have my 2 cups today because I already have a splitting headache. But starting tomorrow, I will have 1.5 cups for a few days and then I will go down to 1 cup for a bit then a half and then stop. I have plenty of time. I doubt I will have my procedure before end Oct. It's getting real for you girl!!! Keep up the good work!!!

Oh Hon, I think it had ALOT to do with the stress of your husband's operation and subsequent situation. Hair loss seems very common with WLS. I don't think anyone escapes it. All we can do is drink (or eat) the protein, take our supplements, I do think Biotin is some help. I too only wash my hair 2 times a week. I work at home so I rarely style it. I'm pre-sleeve but have massive hormonal loss for 3 years. I honestly do not know what the surgery will do. I'm going to try to be the most compliant person they have ever had LOL I can't lose anymore. I'll have to borrow from my husband! Hope you are doing well now and your hubby too.

Nioxin didn't work for me. Nothing has so far. I'm pre-sleeve. I have hormonal hair loss. So between the hormones and the surgery, protein, nutrients or whatever, I'll be buying a wig or sporting a shaved head!!!!

I need to jump on this thread. Because I was going to post something about being lactose intolerant. I am. So for a very long time (years), I have not been able to tolerate milk products. I actually use Rice milk instead of Almond because it has no flavor for cooking etc. I can tolerate MUSCLE MILK. The Pro ones seem to bloat me, but the regular Muscle Milk is fine with me and I actually really really like it. I love the Vanilla Cream. That has 130 cals, 0 sugar and 20 grams protein per premixed shake box. Muscle Milk has whey isolate protein. Which is more easily tolerated if you have lactose issues. I'm lucky that I can tolerate it. So try that maybe? I have also tried pea protein, hemp etc. for years. Sometimes I just gag them down. Till I found one that I really like but wonder if the protein, because it's all plant based, is as useful as the whey. I use powdered RAW FIT by Garden of Life. Vegan, dairy free, gluten free, soy free. One scoop has 160 cals, 1 sugar, 28 grams protein. My typical breakfast for so many years has been 2% greek yogurt (I can tolerate Fage greek yogurt) with a scoop of Marley Coffee flavor Raw Fit (YUM YUM!). I mix the powdered raw fit with just a couple tablespoons of water then add the greek yogurt. Otherwise you really have a hard time stirring it, so thick! I don't mind the bit of gritty left, actually. I imagine if you left the raw fit to sit mixed a bit, the gritty may go away. I never tried it though. The greek yogurt and scoop raw fit is a whopping 48 grams protein. YES it's too much to eat at once when I am sleeved. but even half is 24 grams. Good for soft stage, puree stage. BUT......is the plant and seed based protein as beneficial for your body after sleeve as the whey or whey isolate is? I understand totally the need for protein. I have had hair loss for 3 years due to menopause and Estrogen Dominance. I need my protein to work for me to try to mitigate the effects of WLS on my body and slim head of hair! Was wondering if anyone knows the answer about the whey vs plant based. Thanks so much!!!

You are absolutely right. I never take pics of me because that isn't ME! But it is. A friend of mine keeps saying take pics, no matter what you look like because your kids will want them after you are gone. One day, I hope to be ME again and comfortable with pics. I'm working through now and becoming less ashamed and embarrassed the more I research and the more I look forward to surgery! #WATW

I'm new here as well. Downloaded a book all about VSG & a link to this site was in the book! I have 1 nutrition meeting & 3 required lifestyle meetings left. Monday is my meeting for sleep study. Not the study itself. I really hope I don't need. Plus my advocate at the surgeons office said that if anything holds things up it will be a sleep study because they are backed up. Can't send paperwork to ins co without sleep study. I hope I'm not denied!!! She doesn't think I will be. Hope is to have surgery end of Oct. No date yet tho. I'm worried how the sweet heck I will do 1-2 weeks liquid only diet???? I will be sleeping. That's my main worry right now [emoji23] best wishes to you all on this journey!

Christina, me too. I was/am embarrassed as well. I have a wonderful husband, 2 great successful kids forging their own paths, I'm a success at my job but for 20 yrs, no matter what I have done, I have not been able to get off & keep off weight. That makes ME feel like I've failed. People who don't live in my house have no idea the things I've done & tried over the years. Even that stupid nasty oralistat or whatever it's called. My son has replaced the belt on my treadmill saying mom most people don't wear out the belt the treadmill is a shirt hanger lol. I thought about WLS for 3 yrs. I finally went to general meeting last OCT but still thought about it till May, when I finally made an appointment to start the steps. I'm probably going to have sleeve surgery end of Oct or thereafter. Def before end of year. My husband knows. My daughter knows. I have not told my son. I asked my skinny daughter if she was ever embarrassed about my obese status. She said omg nooooo! I told her about surgery & asked if she would be embarrassed that her mom had this surgery. She was so upset FOR ME. She said mom I do not know of another person who has worked harder than you have to lose weight. You have worked at it my entire life. I love you & never have been or will be embarrassed about you unless you use mommy spit on me to wash my adult face [emoji23]. I love that girl[emoji173]️ So my best friend knows & I told my hairdresser the other night because of the expected hair loss I will probably experience. I'm already struggling with pretty good hair loss for 3 yrs now from menopause & Estrogen Dominant diagnosis from gyno. So you may feel & I may feel like we have failed but our loved ones & those that really matter in our lives don't feel that way. Am I afraid to fail at this? Most definitely. I don't even want to lose weight fast, I just want to lose it!!!! I don't even care if it's the standard 1 lb a week. When the the scale never moves, that's very discouraging. This will be our new tool. Much like WW treadmills & Atkins have been in the past. Will I tell additional people? I doubt it. Our society is judgy. & just because so & so goes on a diet & is able to succeed & keep it off does not mean everyone can. & yes genes matter!! If people say wow you've lost weight I may even come back with heck yes wasn't it about time? That's sure to end the conversation. So good luck to you in your journey. We both will stop being so harsh with ourselves & try to love ourselves just a bit more & give ourselves confidence. We count. We are not failures [emoji1303]