AZhiker

Good luck and kudos to you for such an awesome challenge! Keep us posted!

You are building muscle and also probably having fluid fluctuations. Hang in there! Exercise will be your life saver.

I started getting 10,000 steps a day (with my little step tracker buddy on my wrist) by week 2. I don't really count miles, because our terrain is so hilly, so steps work better for me. My doctor said to get 10,000 a day, so I made that a goal that I have kept with the help of little buddy. It does get easier as the weight comes off and you get in shape. Hydration is so important, however, especially as we approach the warmer months.

I wear mine 24/7. I only take it off to shower and charge. It is my best little buddy. I find it very motivating to park in the farthest parking spot at work or the store. It helps me be "happy" about forgetting the milk in WalMart and having to walk clear across the store to get it. I have met my goal of 10,000 steps every day since week 2 post op, and all the credit goes to this little device that keeps me honest about my actual activity for the day. I never knew how much of a difference it could make until I got one.

I am trying to do a good hike (3-5 hours) every week. So beautiful and so great to get out. And so great to be able to walk up hills without panting my lungs out, My balance is better and my endurance is definitely much better. I did have a slip and fall last week (loose gravel) and went down on one hip. I am on blood thinners still (thanks to a post op DVT) and so the bruise on my hip is the size of a saucer!

Yesterday my husband and I went for a hike in the local mountains to see the wild flowers which are absolutely spectacular this year, due to lots of winter rains. The weather was perfect, the birds were singing, the flowers were stunning (including some I had never seen before) and I just couldn't stop. We kept on going and ended up hiking 10 miles. This is the farthest I have been able to go in years, due to weight and joint pain. It was amazing. NO JOINT PAIN! (I have already had a total knee replacement, arthroscopic surgery on the other one, and multiple steroid injections in my hips - all for arthritis brought on by 5 decades of being overweight.) This is so wonderful. I feel like I am actually getting my life back - the life I used to love and then lost. Having 50 pounds off made such a difference. I cannot even imaging how great it will be with another 50 off. I am going to need a rope to hold me down! I took a friend out to see the flowers this morning - only hiked 4 miles, but still felt so good to be able to get up and go with no pain. This surgery has opened a whole new chapter for me, and I hope for the same for each of you.

I'm so glad this topic came up. I am 3 months out and it seems like whenever I eat solids - like meat or even a quiche, I get nauseous and start having pain. Smoothies and protein drinks are fine, but it seems like I've gone backwards. I was eating pretty well a month ago, and now everything just hurts or makes me feel miserable enough to just go back on liquids. I try to eat slowly and really chew everything to mush, but maybe it is still just too much food. It's very frustrating, because I can eat 3 bits just fine. I feel great and then I eat the next 3 bites and it's disaster. So I guess I just need to stick with 3 bites and keep the protein supplements going. It makes me want to avoid solids altogether. At this rate, it doesn't seem like I will ever be able to get enough protein from food sources alone. Cottage cheese and yoghurt are my life savers right now. Does this get better?

I am also at the 3 month mark. No hair loss yet, but the texture seems courser and definitely dryer. My nails are really strong and hard, however - the first time I've ever really been able to grow nails. I started taking 10,000 mcg of Biotin at the two week post op mark when I started the other vitamins. I keep watching for wads of hair in the shower drain, but none so far. Fingers crossed!

Knowing how judgmental people can be and already having heard negative comments about WLS, I decided to keep my surgery very private, Coworkers are starting to comment on my weight loss now, however, and some have asked, "What are you doing?" My standard answer is truthful - that I have made some major lifestyle changes that have been ongoing for months and even years. I tell them that I have given up wheat, sugar, soda, alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweetners/colors, additives, and processed foods. I also tell them that I have stepped up my exercise a lot (which they see, because I wear my tracker and try to get as many steps in as I can during a work shift.) Usually by the time I get to the sugar or alcohol they sort of sigh and walk away. I don't think I am being dishonest, as all these lifestyle changes are necessary for me to be ultimately successful, regardless if I had surgery or not. Anyone not willing to make substantial changes is not going to lose weight and keep it off, so I don't feel I need to go any further. WLS is just one more tool, but doesn't guarantee success by itself, as we all know. But I still feel a little guilty. What do you think?

Thanks for all the encouraging replies. Although my co-workers have noticed, they seem to be over it now. I am changing departments next week, so it will be a whole new group of folks who just see me now, and not 62 pounds ago, so it will be a fresh start now.

I had bypass, and my doc keeps all his patients on an acid reducer for 6 months. I don't tolerate them well, however, and the only one I can really take is ranitidine. He said that was OK (like better than nothing) so I take 150 mg twice a day. I had bad GERD and actually had a Barrett's polyp (pre cancerous, due to acid damage) removed before surgery. I have not had GERD since the surgery, but staying on the acid reducer religiously. Don't want to take any chances.

Idawn, I started walking a few days after surgery. My surgeon said to do 10,000 steps a day - he didn't give a time frame, so I just started working toward that goal. My little step tracker is my new best friend. I didn't realize what a motivational impact it would have! As I started getting 10,000 steps a day pretty consistently, I also added 10 flights of stairs a day and 100 wall pushups a day (4 sets of 25). Then I added an upper body weight routine every other day. Each week I increase the number of sets by 1/2 set. I also started using the Elliptical machine 30 min a day, alternating with the days I do the weights. I have never been a great exercise buff - hiking yes, but just pain exercising, not so much. BUT..... I can feel my arms getting stronger and seeing some actual muscles! (little ones.) My stamina and endurance and increased a lot, and I can knock off those stairs like nothing now. I don't get out of breath when I walk up hills, and I am starting to walk faster. I had to go out of town this past week for a funeral and I was really worried about eating wrong and not getting the exercise in. I did my best to eat well, although it was hard because we went out a lot, but I DID get my 10,000 steps a day, 10 flights of stairs, 100 wall pushups and weights in - every single day! Amazingly, I actually lost some weight on the trip, and I really do attribute it to the exercise. I have not had any real stalls yet. The weight loss has been pretty consistent, and again, I attribute this to the exercise, I know that exercise is going to be one of the big keys to keeping the weight off and not regaining, once I hit my goal, so I am trying really hard to incorporate it into a routine that I will continue for life. I don't think it matters what you do, as long as you get some cardio and some strength training in. The more muscle you build, the better your metabolism will be, I think you have to set some small, realistic goals and then increase them a little each week. For example, once I can do 5 sets of my upper body routine with my 3 pound weights, I will increase to 5 pound weights and start over with just a few sets, gradually building those up. The best buddy is that step tracker. Whenever we stopped for gas or potty on our trip, I was walking, Whenever I have a lull at work, I walk for 5-10 minutes. I park in the farthest spot when shopping or at work to get a few more steps. It is very empowering, makes me feel more positive about myself, and I think it is also toning me up a bit, because my saggy skin doesn't seem so loose. Anyway, find a way to do it in small bites and I think you will be very happy with how you feel.

I went through all the drawers and the closet today and got rid of a LOT of clothing...….. and I found quite a few pieces that I had been saving and that actually fit now! It sure opened up a lot of closet space and feels so good to fit into things I haven't worn in years. It was a real morale booster, as this has been a "hungry" day. Seeing all those clothes going out the door reminded me to stay strong and not even think about cheating.

You are right - it IS work and there are no quick fixes, but everyone wants a gimmick. I was there, too. I never tried anything too radical - well, maybe starvation for 25 days was radical - but at the end of the day, it still boils down to hard work, excellent nutrition, portion control, and exercise.

I will have my 8 week post-op appt with the nutritionist who will finally give me the go-ahead for vegetables! I have a big organic garden full of veggies I can't eat and it's killing me! So this appt is very exciting. The food restrictions will be lifted and I can start eating more normal food. But..... I am scared. I have been doing great for the past month on 500 cal/day - protein shakes and protein foods. When I add some berries to my morning smoothie, some veggies and a salad with meals, and then try to gradually add more legumes, seeds, and nuts, the calories are going to go up. I have been losing 4 pounds/week for the past month, and I don't want to lose that momentum. I have also been adding more to my exercise regimen every week and will continue to do so. (Presently, I walk at least 10,000 steps, climb 10 flights of stairs, do 100 wall pushups, and alternate between Elliptical and weights, every other day.) I will add time to the Elliptical each week and more time/pounds to the weights each week. Anyway, I am hoping the extra exercise will counter act the extra calories, My plan is to increase the calories 100/day at a time for at least a week to find the amount I can eat and still keep losing. Does this sound reasonable? I have been doing so well, and I just don't want the additional food groups to cause a stall.

I was scared right up to the pre-op room. I am a nurse, and I think knowing all the possible complications and CHOOSING to risk them in an elective surgery really messed with my mind. I thought over and over, "I should just do it on my own." But who am I fooling? After dieting for 5 decades? My PCP told me, "If you had been able to do it on your own, you would have." I was literally crying in pre-op. Then my surgeon came in and told me that none of his patients had ever come back wishing they had NOT had the surgery. Was he telling the truth? I don't know, but it was the reassurance I needed to go ahead. The first little bit is hard, for sure. And I had a complication of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that I am still taking a blood thinner for. But I feel like this is the best decisions I have ever made for myself. After 48 pounds off, I can walk up hills and stairs without being winded. I have so much more energy and I think the very best years of my life are still ahead! Bottom line - some fear and ambivalence can be perfectly normal - just means you are weighing the risks seriously. However, life is so much better on this side of the surgery, and you can never know until you take the plunge!

Maybe the itching is also related to a lack of oils. I am just craving oils. My skin is so dry and my hair is like straw. I actually "cheated" and started having 1/8 of an avocado most days, using a little butter, and using 2% cottage cheese instead of fat free. I figure as long as I log it and include all the calories, it is OK as long as my protein is still where it should be. I will get the "green light" in 10 days to add these things "officially." I can hardly wait to add in some nuts, seeds, and olive oil.

I have found that if I eat until I think I am full, I will have pain. I have to stop before that point and just let things rest. I usually have to divide my protein meal in half and eat the second part about an hour later. I also found that I need to have a lot more moisture with my protein, so I add chicken broth and cottage cheese to almost everything. If I eat too much, or eat too fast, or don't chew really really well, it will be painful. A couple of times, it was so bad I thought I would have to go to the ER, but it passed. I had swallowed too much too fast and it only takes a time or two to learn not to do THAT again!

Me too! Mostly on my belly. It itches all the time. My skin has been so dry ever since surgery, and I thought it was just dry skin. Lotion doesn't really stop the itching. Then I thought that maybe the skin was getting saggy and that was causing it. Good to know that ketones could be responsible.

45. In my face, of course!

I am diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. My CPAP setting is 10. However, I am now down 45 pounds and am finding that it is forcing air into my esophagus and pouch, causing a lot of burping. I have an appt with my sleep doctor to see if the setting can be lowered, As long as the machine shows less than 3 apneic episodes/per hour, I hope we can keep reducing the pressure until I don't need it anymore,

Just an idea to try - turned my life around. Gluten and sugar. (Wheat and sugar are the most inflammatory foods known.) I was nearly crippled and using a walker from inflammation and joint pain. I was using NSAIDS around the clock. Eliminating gluten and sugar has been transformational. I have not used NSAIDS for a long time and can walk and hike pain free. My brother had the same experience. He could hardly walk and is now training to hike the Grand Canyon. Yes, it requires a lot of label reading. It also opens up a whole realm of grains that people don't usually consider, but which are much healthier - quinoa, teff, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, sorghum. I can cook an entire Thanksgiving dinner with no wheat, and no one can tell the difference! Just an idea.

I started 10,000 mcg of Biotin at 2 weeks post op, when I started my other vitamins. I am 6 weeks post op, so it is still a bit early to tell about hair loss or not. My hair and skin have been sooooo dry since surgery. I look like an old, withered apple and my hair feels like straw. I am using a lot of lotion and got some shampoo for dry hair - something I've never had to do before.

I took 2 weeks off, which was just right, My weight loss has been steady - a big drop from the 2 week pre-op to surgery, bit of gain the week after surgery (normal with all the tissue swelling and IV fluids), and then 4 pounds a week ever since. I am really working at this, By day 7 post-op, I was walking 10,000 steps a day. I am still doing that, along with 10 flights of stairs a day. I am also working in time on my elliptical machine and starting some light weight work. I am up to eating about 500 cal/day, which feels right to me at this point. I have plenty of energy. I know stalls happen, but I am trying very hard to keep the scale heading down by trying to be super active and logging every bite. No cheating. It's not worth it! I would like to be pretty close to goal weight by 6 months out. That might be unrealistic, but right now I don't have an appetite and I sure want to take advantage of that while I have the opportunity, There are sublingual B-12 tablets that dissolve and absorb right under your tongue, bypassing the GI tract. That might be something you could try. You don't have to take them with meals. Please keep us informed about what your doctor says.

Have you ever gotten B-12 injections? Did they help?