Penny1966

I lost 16 pounds in my first two weeks and have lost nothing since (29 days later). I am losing inches though, did you do before/during measurements?

I also lost 16 lbs the first month, and I was heavier than you are. And yes - your expectations are too high. Most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month. Of course, you'll always find outliers, but they are the exception. I think people's expectations are shaped by shows like "My 600 lb Life", but you have to remember that the people on that show start out MUCH heavier than your average WLS patient. And the more you have to lose, the faster it goes - or at least at first. You are fine. You're within the average range!

I lost 15 pounds on my two week pre-op diet. I lost 15 pounds my first month post-op. Then another 15 the second month. And another 15 each, months 3 & 4. Slowed down to around 10 after that. I was also disappointed with my weight loss that first month, but boy did it add up quick. I am a bit shy of 7 months post-op and a bit shy of my first goal weight.

Just stick with the plan, and be kind to yourself! 💕

Glad to hear your are doing so well! I did not weigh myself for almost a week after surgery, so I can't comment on the weight gain.
I had a leak that needed to be repaired, so I didn't feel great for the first few days. After that, however, I was pleasantly surprised at how little pain I felt and how relatively easy the recovery was!

Congratulations!!!! Yes, the Water weight gain is normal from the IV, and you will start peeing your brains out soon! LOL!!!

I felt fantastic after my conversion to RNY. I was shocked because I felt terrible in the initial days after my original VSG.
Also anytime I receive IV fluids I “gain” Water weight. But it always goes away.

Day two post op, I'm feeling much better today. Yesterday I had quite a bit of reflux each time I drank but woke up with very little pain this morning and drinking is easier. Didn't have any bloated feeling.

yes - I had almost no pain at all. At first I was afraid they hadn't done the surgery! And yes - that Water will work its way out of your system within a few days.

I had gastric bypass surgery yesterday morning and believe it or not,a day later and I am feeling pretty good. Very bloated from the air they pumped into me but no nausea or severe pain. I see I have gained about 9 pounds from the IV fluids they were giving me in the hospital but I am sure they will come off soon enough. Has anyone else experienced this? Has anyone else had the experience of feeling better than you thought you would? Reading some of the forums before my procedure had me really scared.
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I have epilepsy but I haven’t had my surgery yet. My doctor said there wasn’t any issue with it. The only thing is that some people might have to adjust meds because after surgery you can’t take Extended-Release meds anymore. If that’s the case for you I’d try to make the switch before surgery if you can to ensure that you tolerate the new meds first. Good luck!

I just turned 60, and have made the decision to be “more healthy” I just finished class 2 and have 5 more to go, the plan is to have WLS at end of February 2021. I have spent my adult life overweight and it is time I take control.

Hi: I had my sleeve done in January of this year. I was 65 at the time. I had to pay for it out of my own pocket because I would have had to wait 5 years to get the government to pay for it. I had some inheritance money so I thought I would spend it on myself. I couldn't wait 5 years. My blood pressure was going up, I was a borderline diabetic and the writing was on the wall that I was heading for some major problems if I didn't do something about my weight. I had to go to Toronto for my surgery, have my husband stay with me for a week and then fly back home. All in all it went well. I did have a big bump in the road, About a month ago I became very depressed and went off the rails. It was with the help of this group that I realized I had experienced major stress for about 8 months and I needed to get some help. The help is always there if you need it.

Welcome to the over 60 club! Because of the cost, I had to wait until Medicare kicked in. The surgery was very easy for me with not one post surgery food issue or pain. I'm down 55 pounds in 3 months and feel great. I'm realistic about loose skin and the shifting of weight at this age. I'll never have flat abs and I am more concerned about the loose skin on my face. I'm hoping some botox and fillers will help at some point. I have had to reduce contact with a few people who weren't supportive as they also have weight issues. I gladly give up a few of them to be able to sit on the floor comfortably with my young grandchildren. And I've been able to reduce my blood pressure medication in half and hope to stop it all together down the road. And I had the sleeve because I want to be able to enjoy some foods and a glass of wine at some point and don't need to be thin, but do want to be healthy and able to do more things that I enjoy that I can't do now with the extra weight.

All I can say is that I am 2 years post bypass. I lost 100% of my excess weight in 7 months, am keeping it off, and am not deficient in Vitamins or minerals. The restriction is much less now than it was a year ago. I focus on whole, plant based foods which allow a tremendous amount of volume. I can eat basically as much as I want, and control weight by monitoring the grains, nuts, nut butters, and seeds. Those are the most caloric dense foods I eat, and it is easy to tweak caloric intake up or down by adjusting those.
I think the people you know who have had bypass and are Vitamin deficient are the exception to the rule. Are they taking their supplements? The malabsorption part of bypass gradually goes away, but bypassers are still supposed to be taking their vitamins unless directed otherwise. You do not see all the other bypassers out there who are doing fine, look great, and are not deficient.
I had bad GERD, so bypass was my only real option. But I would have chosen it anyway. This is major surgery and I only wanted to do it once, and get all the weight off once and for all.

I first started looking into WLS about 15 years ago, and my family talked me out of it because of the potential for horrible complications. Since then, I reconsidered it periodically, but kept deciding that I couldn't do it. I thought about everything I would have to give up -- all of my favorite things, like diet soda (my one guiltless pleasure), pizza, ice cream, fried foods, Pasta -- and I couldn't stand the thought of it. I hated the idea of having to completely change my diet and take Vitamins for the rest of my life.
What made me finally go through with it was the realization of everything I was giving up to continue living as an obese person. I didn't have any major health problems yet, but I had been diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes and I was going to have to start taking medication if I didn't get them under control. My mobility was going downhill and I was missing out on so much in life because of the physical and social limitations of my weight.
My advice is that you make your decision by carefully considering what you have to lose vs. what you have to gain. Studies show that we humans are naturally averse to the risk of loss and tend to overvalue what we have to lose and undervalue what we have to gain. When I really thought about everything I was already giving up and losing by continuing to live with obesity, the tradeoffs of having WLS didn't seem like so much of a sacrifice in comparison. Yes, it is a big lifestyle change and it is really hard, but the improvements to my health and quality of life are incredible. Like so many people, I wish that I had gone through with it sooner before I missed out on so many things in life. There were so many times that I wished and dreamed about how my life would be if I wasn't cursed with obesity, and here I am now, 160 pounds down from my highest weight -- something I used to think was impossible.
As for the recovery, it's actually not bad for most people. I only spent one night in the hospital and I had surprisingly little pain. I never even had to take any pain medication after I left the hospital. I only took a week off from work. There are risks to any surgery, but the rate of complications for WLS is very low. The liquid and pureed diet is rough, but it's only a few weeks. You didn't say how old your kids are, but if they're very young, you may need to get someone to help with them for a while. You won't be able to lift them for several weeks after surgery. If they're teenagers, they're probably self-sufficient enough to pitch in while you're recovering.

Hello,
I had my surgery in October 2014. I went from a 14/16 plus size and 244lbs at 5’5.5” to a size 6 170lbs. In 2015 I became disabled and depressed. I lost my career and independence, social life... I was put on many medications that caused me to gain 60lbs in two months. After 1 and A half years I weighed over 300 pounds. I was disgusted. The medications were damaging my liver so my husband suggested to go vegan. Three years Later I’m a size 8 and I weigh 169 pounds. I don’t even know how I did it but I did and I wanted to share it with you all. Because you can do it to! Just never give up and make small changes and soon the small changes will become your new habits. I was only vegan for one year. Then I started ensure plus and cooked a healthy dinner. My health problems do interfere with my appetite so I guess that helps a little. But I have my restriction back and my latest report from the doctor was that all my labs are normal including my liver. The picture shows me in July 2017 and me in December 2020. I’d like to stay in touch with the others who are striving to maintain your health. I’m looking for a support system because I don’t have anyone else who’s been through what I’ve been through but I know you’re out there.

I'm almost 13 years out and have faced my fair share of regains (including 2 pregnancies along the way) but have managed to nip them in the bud in the 10-15 lb range. I honestly think regains are just part of the process and we all face them to some extent and i'm sure i'll face them again in the future, so this post is a good reminder for me as well! So here are my go to moves to get rid of regain:
My go-to moves are:
Eat Meals (don't graze) - don't skip Breakfast, even if it's small Eat Real food, not processed slider foods like chips and sweets Stop eating after dinner - get away from the kitchen after dinner. Evenings have always been my toughest time and so i make myself a cup of Decaf coffee, take it upstairs with me, and don't go back to the kitchen under any circumstances. Focus on the food, not exercise - 80%+ of weight loss comes down to food Move for Mental Health - aiming for 10K steps works for me and calms my urge to stress eat Talk to someone about mental health - overeating for me is a sure sign that's i'm heading on a downward spiral and the weigh gain and guilt and shame associated just makes it worse...see a doctor, find a medication that works for you, find your way back to a good mental health state Things i that haven't worked for me:
liquids / Protein Shakes - it's not sustainable (and really hard for even a few days...how did we do it pre- and post-op?), it makes me unbearably grouchy, and the minute i stop the weight comes back on Counting Calories - that is a trigger for me after a LIFETIME of dieting and i don't want to go there! Excessive exercise - it's too hard to outrun a bad diet with exercise and getting hurt would be a sure way to halt my progress. One more change that has truly been life altering for me is something i did after my last regain in 2018. My weight creeped up to 161lbs. That was 20lbs over my usual set point of 140lbs, which i had maintained for 10 years post-op (i'm 5'2" and started my journey at 200 lbs). It was starting to scare me and i knew i needed to do something.
I went back to all the things I listed above but i also did something i never had done before, i started eating plants for Protein. I cut out the meat first and then the dairy (which seemed overwhelming until i found all my own plant based substitutions), and i started focusing on vegetables! I didn't think about portions (after all, i'm a WLS patient, how much could i really eat) and i found myself shedding weight effortlessly!
Not only did i lose the 20 lbs i had gained, but for the first time in 12+ years post-op, i hit a new set point of about 122lbs which i've been maintaining with ease for the past year! I didn't start a diet, i didn't ever go off a diet. I just focus on plants and i feel great and have never been lighter! And i know what you're thinking...where do you get your protein??? But there is more than enough protein in plants for anyone who's at least 6 months post op! The funny thing is, i eat more than i have in years, but i finally feel like i'm living the healthy life i wanted and it's easier than i ever though it would be.
Anyway, sorry for the long post, i'm just so happy with how this has been working and i know it can work for others too! Feel free to message me if you have questions. Keep fighting the good fight!!

SAMMC Bariatric Clinic: Weight-loss Surgery, Nutrition and Hair loss (whmcbariatric.blogspot.com

Weight-loss Surgery, Nutrition and hair Loss
by Jacqueline Jacques, ND
Original content: http://www.obesityaction.org/magazine/ywm22/wlsandhairloss.php
Typically, about 90 percent of hairs are anagen (in a growth phase) and 10 percent are telogen (in a dormant or resting phase) at any given time, meaning you are usually losing a lot less hair than you are growing so you don't have noticeable hair loss. But sometimes this can change.
A common fear and complaint of bariatric surgery patients is post-operative hair loss. While for most of us as people, our hair is an important part of our self-image and body image, it is not very important to our bodies. For this reason, nutrition can have a great impact on hair health because when forced to make a choice, the body will shift nutritional stores to vital organs like your brain and heart and away from your hair.
Hair loss has many causes. The most common type of hair loss after weight-loss surgery is a diffuse loss known medically as telogen effluvium, which can have both nutritional and non-nutritional causes.
Growing and Losing Hair
Whether you are aware of it or not, for most of your life you are always in the process of both growing and losing hair. Human hair follicles have two states; anagen, a growth phase, and telogen, a dormant or resting phase. All hairs begin their life in the anagen phase, grow for some period of time, and then shift into the telogen phase which lasts for about 100 to 120 days. Following this, the hair will fall out.
Specific types of stress can result in a shift of a much greater percentage of hairs into the telogen phase. The stressors known to result in this shift, or telogen effluvium, include:
High fever Severe infection Major surgery Acute physical trauma Chronic debilitating illness (such as cancer or end-stage liver disease) Hormonal disruption (such as pregnancy, childbirth or discontinuation of estrogen therapy) Acute weight-loss Crash dieting Anorexia Low Protein intake Iron or zinc deficiency Heavy metal toxicity Some medications (such as beta-blockers, anticoagulants, retinoids and immunizations) Weight-loss Surgery and Hair Loss
Nutritional issues aside, bariatric surgery patients already have two major risks of major surgery and rapid weight-loss. These alone are likely to account for much of the hair loss seen after surgery. In the absence of a nutritional issue, hair loss will continue until all hairs that have shifted into the telogen phase have fallen out. There is no way of switching them back to the anagen phase.
Hair loss rarely lasts for more than six months in the absence of a dietary cause. Because hair follicles are not damaged in telogen effluvium, hair should then regrow. For this reason, most doctors can assure their weight-loss surgery patients that with time and patience, and keeping up good nutritional intake, their hair will grow back. Discrete nutritional deficiencies are known to cause and contribute to telogen effluvium. One would be more suspicious of a nutritional contribution to post-bariatric surgery hair loss if:
Hair loss continued more than one year after surgery Hair loss started more than six months after surgery Patient has had difficulty eating and/or has not complied with supplementation Patient has demonstrated low values of ferritin, zinc or protein Patient has had more rapid than expected weight-loss Other symptoms of deficiency are present Nutrition Iron
Iron is the single nutrient most highly correlated with hair loss. The correlation between non-anemic iron deficiency and hair loss was first described in the early 1960s, although little to no follow-up research was conducted until this decade. While new research is conflicted as to the significance of ferritin as a diagnostic tool in hair loss, it has still been found that a significant number of people with telogen effluvium respond to iron therapy.
Optimal iron levels for hair health have not been established, although there is some good evidence that a ferritin level below 40ug/L is highly associated with hair loss in women.1 It is worth noting that this is well above the level that is considered to be anemia, so doctors would not be expected to see this as a deficiency.
Zinc
Zinc deficiency has been tied to hair loss in both animal studies and human cases. There is data linking zinc deficiency in humans to both telogen effluvium and immune-mediated hair loss. Zinc deficiency is a well-recognized problem after bileopancreatic diversion/duodenal switch, and there is some indication that it may occur with other procedures such as gastric bypass and adjustable gastric banding.
In 1996, a group of researchers chose to study high dose zinc supplementation as a therapeutic agent for related hair loss2 in patients with vertical banded gastroplasty. The study administered 200 mg of zinc sulfate (45mg elemental zinc) three times daily to post-operative patients with hair loss. This was in addition to the Multivitamin and iron supplements that patients were already taking. No labs for zinc or other nutrients were conducted.
Researchers found that in patients taking the zinc, 100 percent had cessation of hair loss after six months. They then stopped the zinc. In five patients, hair loss resumed after zinc was stopped, and was arrested again with renewed supplementation. It is important to note that in telogen effluvium of non-nutritional origin, hair loss would be expected to stop normally within six months. Since the researchers conducted no laboratory studies, and there was no control group, the only patients of interest here are those who began to lose hair again after stopping zinc. Thus we cannot say that zinc would prevent hair loss after weight-loss surgery, and further study would definitely be needed to make this connection.
A further note: The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for zinc is set at 40mg in adults. This study utilized a daily dose of more than three times that level. Not only can these levels cause gastrointestinal distress, but chronic toxicity (mostly associated with copper depletion) can start at levels of 60 mg/day. Information related to this study has made its way to many a support group and chat room – even to doctor's offices – with the message of "high dose zinc will prevent hair loss after weight-loss surgery." Patients should be advised that high dose zinc therapy is unproven and should only be done under supervision due to the associated risks of toxicity. A lab test to check for zinc deficiency would be best before giving a high dose such as this.
Protein
Low protein intake is associated with hair loss. Protein malnutrition has been reported with duodenal switch, and in gastric bypass to a much lesser degree. Little is known about incidence, as only around eight percent of surgeons track labs such as total protein, albumen or prealbumen. Limited studies suggest that patients with the most rapid or greatest amounts of weight-loss are at greatest risk.3
With surgical reduction of the stomach, hydrochloric acid,4 pepsinogen5 and normal churning are all significantly reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, pancreatic enzymes that would also aid in protein digestion are redirected to a lower part of the small intestine. It is thus likely that maldigestion, rather than malabsorption, is responsible for most cases. Some studies have also implicated low protein intake.6
Research also indicates that low levels of the amino acid l-lysine can contribute to hair loss and that repletion of lysine stores may both improve iron status and hair regrowth. In a study of anemic patients with hair loss who were supplemented with 1.5 to 2 grams of l-lysine in addition to their iron therapy, ferritin levels increased more substantially over iron therapy alone.1
Many individuals believe that supplementing with or topically applying the nutrient Biotin will either help to prevent hair loss or will improve hair regrowth. To date, there is no science that would support either of these presumptions. While biotin deficiency can cause dermatitis, hair loss is only known to occur in experimentally induced states in animal models or in extreme cases of prolonged diets composed exclusively of egg whites.7
Other
Other nutrients associated with hair health include Vitamin A, inositol, folate, B-6 and essential fatty acids. Hair loss can also be caused by systemic diseases, including thyroid disease and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and is influenced by genetics.
Conclusion
Hair loss can be distressing to bariatric surgery patients and many will try nutrition themselves to see if they can prevent it. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that early hair loss is preventable because it is mostly likely caused by surgery and rapid weight-loss.
Later hair loss, however, can be indicative of a nutritional problem, especially iron deficiency, and may be a clinically useful sign. Educating patients about the potential for hair loss and possible underlying causes can help them to make informed choices and avoid wasting money on gimmicks that may have little real value.
About the Author:
Jacqueline Jacques, ND, is a Naturopathic Doctor with more than a decade of expertise in medical nutrition. She is the Chief Science Officer for Catalina Lifesciences LLC, a company dedicated to providing the best of nutritional care to weight-loss surgery patients. Her greatest love is empowering patients to better their own health. Dr. Jacques is a member of the OAC National Board of Directors.

Try Popsugar Fitness on YouTube (free videos). Yoga and Barre would both be great for improving flexibility (and increasing core strength)!

I'm not a doctor. I'm wondering if you might have endometriosis.... small areas of uterine tissue that grows in areas other than the uterus but still responds to hormonal changes as if it lived in a uterus. So if you still have ovaries that signal a period, that tissue gets the signal and sheds.
Sorry if tmi....hth.

New shirt from Amazon..... Halife..... Size small

Looking super cute as always! I spend NYE in my jammies! LOL!

Going to Home Depot with the hubs. My size 10 jeans are too big.
Happy New Year! 🎊🎆🎉

My doc has me following the 30-30-30 rule. Nothing for 30 minutes before you eat. Take 30 minutes to eat and chew 30 times before swallowing. Then wait 30 minutes before starting liquids again. It works well for me. I'm 3 weeks out and still trying to get into a good groove schedule wise. For my doctor/nutritionist, as long as the Protein Soups have the consistency of water/protein shakes then they consider them a liquid..I had a thicker soups last night for dinner and it was pureed so I treated that like a soft food instead of liquid and followed the 30-30-30. When in doubt, always call your doctor's hospital or message them for advice. My doctors hear from me at least once a week, but that's what they're there for! [emoji4]


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First, let me say that you picked one he// of a time to get sleeved. You're very brave. Me, I was sleeved in the spring but as the holidays approached I grew very anxious. Eating is so integral to my family's holiday season that I had a lot of feelings that I had to work through. Kudos to you! Stay strong!
Second, it does feel like you're eating/drinking on a schedule in those first days/weeks. Hang in there. It gets better.
Lastly, to answer your question on the strictness of the no drinking with eating rule, I'd say it's pretty important and one that I can honestly say that I never break. Not only does it negate some of the benefits of your sleeve, but it also hurts (at least for me anyway). That being said, I was never told not to drink 30 minutes BEFORE I ate. This is where you'll see some variances in advice based on your doctor's preferences. I generally drink right up to when I eat, but NEVER drink with my meal and ALWAYS wait at least 30 minutes.
Think of your new stomach sort of like an hourglass. The sand (food) moves through slowly, but steady. If you introduce liquid into the mix, the liquid effectively "washes" the food through more quickly. By drinking with eating, you will empty your stomach quicker and feel hungry again sooner. So, it's good to get the habit down now while you're on liquids and still swollen from your surgery. At this point, for me, it's a habit and I only notice it when I'm in a restaurant. I always get that quizzical look from the wait staff who are confused when I tell them I don't want anything to drink/don't want refills/etc. "Yes, really. I don't want anything to drink. Not even water."