MegPRN

Have you had an upper GI imaging study, like a barium swallow? You might have developed a hiatal hernia that could be fixed. You should talk to your doctor!

Coughing (and laughing, honestly) is really important to prevent post-op pneumonia. It might hurt, but you've got to power through it (and take your pain meds to keep in under control). Don't get pneumonia!

I used to like eggs, but I haven't been able to eat them anymore. I'm about 5 months out from surgery. The yolk has a metallic/iron-y taste to it that makes me gag. Even scrambled eggs/omelettes are no good. Too bad, too, because it's such a good healthy food.

Like all of you, I've never been one to be chilly. I live in Arizona so it rarely gets cold. This has been the coldest winter I've ever been through, though.. I got a space heater for under my desk at work! Unheard of. At least now I've lost enough weight to not look like a marshmallow if I layer my clothes

Great advice! And wow, look at you! You look 14 years younger now than you did in your "before" pics!

I'm in the middle of bad hair loss right now. Every time I run my fingers through my hair a few strands come out, and it comes out..not quite in clumps, but a ton whenever I wash my hair (every 3-4 days). I don't have bald spots (yet) and my hair was ridiculously thick to start with, so it's not showing much and seems to be coming from all over my scalp rather than a specific spot, but it still feels bad. I started increasing my protein intake, and am taking biotin and l-lysine. How long did the hair loss last for those of you who went through it? I'm worried it'll keep on like this forever, every time I don't eat enough protein or something, and I'll end up looking like I have mange. When did it start growing back in?

If you had your surgery at an accredited bariatric center of excellence, try getting in touch with the hospital's bariatric surgery program coordinator (they are required to have one if they're accredited). They often manage a clothing exchange where people who have lost weight can bring their bigger clothes to trade for smaller sizes brought in by others further along in the program (or starting at a smaller size!). It's a great way to get free clothes that fit! If your coordinator doesn't have a clothing exchange, suggest that they start one!

I have this problem, too. I eat 3 or 4 bites really quickly, I immediately feel overfull (because I'm probably not chewing enough either!), and leave the table. Then within an hour or so my stomach is empty and growling again, so I find a probably less-than-optimal snack (light swiss Laughing Cow cheese and Wheat Thins was last night). I'm continuing to lose despite this, which worries me, because developing poor habits right now will set me up for failure when I'm out of the honeymoon period. My support group is having a speaker come talk about mindful eating in January, so I'm looking forward to that!

My surgery date was August 16. I weighed 265 lbs on surgery day, and as of this morning, I weigh 198 - so I've lost 67 lbs in 4 months. I went through a period where I ate whatever sounded good, and didn't count my protein - and then my hair started falling out. Reading the responses to this thread, it sounds like it's just something that happens around this time if it's going to happen, so maybe a coincidence? Either way, I'm tracking my protein again and making sure I get at least 80g per day. I try not to eat anything that doesn't follow the 10 calories/1 gram of protein rule. I'm not exercising at all, beyond walking around work and playing with my kids. I get between 800-1100 calories per day right now. I'm wearing smaller clothes (a pair of pants I bought at the beginning of October are now falling off me), but I don't really feel like I look any different. I feel more bones under my skin, and my tailbone gets sore more easily when I'm sitting, so I know I have less "padding", but I think it's happened so fast my image of myself in the mirror hasn't caught up.

Lol, well, that dress is old enough to be going to its own prom (I’m 34, so it’s 16 years old) and this is the first time since high school I’ve fit into it

Oh, this? Just my prom dress. NBD.

Start at one size down from your pre-surgery size.. if it's too big, go down another size. No need to stress! Clothes shopping is the fun part! If you had your surgery done at an accredited hospital, contact the bariatric surgery coordinator; they might have a clothing exchange, so you don't have to buy new clothes every time you drop a size - you can supplement your wardrobe from stuff donated by other surgery patients!

Congratulations! What an accomplishment. As of this morning, I'm 201.8. So close to joining you!

My surgeon used an endoscope rather than a bougie - no idea what size it was. I do know I feel excellent restriction, and am sticking to the nutritional recommendations, and am meeting my goals. I think that's what's important.

I had that experience with coffee. I couldn't drink it for a few weeks after surgery. I think it was associated with the swelling of my new stomach, because now that that's gone, I'm back to my morning cup!

Sort of a scale victory - but for the first time in my marriage (10 years in March 2019), I weigh less than my husband!

I live in Arizona. I start feeling depressed and grumpy when it's been too sunny and hot for too long - April through June are the worst part of the year for me. It's the monotony. Clear, blue sky and hot, for weeks and weeks on end, dusty and dry, no rain in sight. I feel refreshed and happy when the weather turns cool and we get rain more regularly! I wouldn't call my situation SAD, exactly, but my depression is definitely worse in the spring and summer.

I admit that I had a few fun-size pieces of candy. By no means was it a binge, though, as it would have been in years past. And I noticed some stomach irritation as I was getting ready for bed. So now I know it was too soon, and won't do it again. Trial and error. And I still hit an all-time low with my weight this morning.. so I don't regret it

If you're craving savory, you might try Unjury's chicken soup flavored protein powder. I've not tried it myself, but I've heard many swear by it!

I'm 10 weeks out from sleeve surgery. I've noticed lately that I seem to have a "delay" when I swallow liquids. I don't notice it as much (or at all, really) with solids. It's like - I swallow, then I feel it sit for ~2 seconds in my throat, then I feel it move down into my stomach. It's more noticeable with really cold things because I can feel the cold liquid moving down. Anybody else have this? It doesn't really bother me, and I don't have any other symptoms (reflux, choking/aspirating, etc) so I'm not really worried about it. Maybe a hiatal hernia? It's just weird and different!

You might want to bring it up with your surgeon. They might recommend a scope to see if you have a hiatal hernia, especially if it's bad enough that you're worried you could be aspirating. Aspiration pneumonitis from acid can be really bad.

I had my sleeve surgery in August. I have a 2 year old boy, and a 5 year old girl. It was tough at first, because I didn't have the mental energy to worry about food for my family - I could only focus on my own nutrition and hydration needs. It was an adjustment for my husband because I'm the primary grocery shopper and cook. He was very supportive, though, and made sure that he and the kids were fed and happy. My two year old often wanted snuggles, but he's also very protective of me - I told him once that he couldn't jump on my belly, and ever after that, he'd ask "Tummy hurt?" before he hugged or snuggled on me. He's very sweet. I think your kiddos will be understanding if you explain what's going on in language they can understand. Don't feel selfish. This is a hard thing to go through, it's not the "easy way out" like so many people like to tell us. You're not just doing it for yourself - anyway, I didn't do it for myself. I did it so my kids will have me in their lives for longer. I'd like to meet grandbabies some day, and if I'd continued as I was, I probably wouldn't have.

If you're craving a fruit smoothie, try a fruit-flavored protein shake (Premier peaches&cream, strawberries&cream, or bananas&cream are really good!). Also, I didn't have any restriction on straw use, and I would not have been able to "sip" on my water all day if I didn't use a straw. It's just not how I drink. Maybe talk to your doctor about adding a straw at this point? Good luck to you! We're here to support you!

Update: I've reached my first milestone - 218 today (or 99 kg!!)! Pedicure time this Friday!!

I work at a hospital, and we have a surprisingly good sushi chef on staff, so there's fresh sushi in the cafeteria grab-and-go cooler. Today I'm having a vietnamese spring roll - crab, shrimp, and avocado wrapped in lettuce and then the whole thing is wrapped in a rice wrapper. No idea the macros, but it's minimal carbs and a fair amount of protein and healthy fat. They come 2 to a pack, so I'll eat one for lunch today and save one for tomorrow. I also got some hummus and cucumber slices for a snack later!