lizonaplane

I am three months out and I enjoy small "treats" occasionally. I will eat a tiny (about 1.5 oz) piece of cake on a holiday, but not a huge piece and not every day. My birthday was on Thanksgiving this year so we celebrated it the day before. I had about 1.5 oz of chocolate mousse cake on the celebration day, and then the next day was Thanksgiving so I had about 1.5 oz of a different cake (my mom keeps the local French bakery in business between her cake orders and croissants and baguette - she is not obese, just overweight). The next night we had a ton of leftovers plus a cake someone had brought and I decided two nights of dessert in a week was enough. I didn't want to start eating dessert again every day. I also will eat a cracker or some cream of wheat if my stomach is upset, which happens a lot. AND... I drink diet soda! My surgeon said after 4 weeks we could have carbonation, so I drink it again. But very slowly, not like 6 cans a day like before! I eat at restaurants most of the time because I travel for work. I try to make the best choices I can, but I know it's not perfect. Still, I'm not going to quit my job that I love; I'm just going to learn to make the best choices I can. I'm not aiming for perfect.

I think it could easily be fluid retention and also, if you're constipated, that will affect it too. Keep up the drinking as much as possible. That's the best thing for you at this point. If you can't tolerate plain water (it tastes bad to me now... so sad!) try water flavoring packets like Crystal Light, true lemon or true lime, herbal or decaf tea, decaf coffee... broth? I'm sure you'll see better results soon!

I agree with adding a flavor packet to your water... I also like the Walmart brand, as well as the Starburst brand pink and blue flavors. You can get those at a Walgreens and Walmart. But your weight loss sounds fine to me! Don't Panic!

I think 20 lbs in 3 weeks is fantastic! I was not anywhere close to that and the surgery team thinks I'm doing great at 3 months/35 lbs down. You didn't gain the weight overnight and you won't lose it overnight

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I'm suffering from intermittent nausea in the last few weeks, but nothing like what you're dealing with. For me, if I eat a cracker or some cream of wheat, it helps a bit, as does diet soda, slightly flat. I had surgery the day before you. Good luck!

I know the difference between digestion sounds and hunger sounds.

I have been buying new bras at intervals. The pain seems to be mostly when sitting in cars, specifically. In fact, it's worst in my car (I drive a lot of rentals).

I just had blood work done today - will get the results in a few days. I also have a meeting with a trainer today to learn how to do some strength training. I've done this before, but it was so many years ago that I don't remember and don't want to injure myself. I have never been able to open jars. I even have a hard time with protein drink bottles! Thanks for the supportive words!

I just checked, and my heart rate is the same or higher than it was before surgery. I don't feel tired, just I don't have MORE energy, like everyone else says. My back hurts when I drive, no matter how I adjust the seat. I do drink enough most days, but since I don't like plain water any more, it's harder. I feel weak in my upper body strength, not just like I have to lie down. I guess I wasn't explaining it well. I didn't have hypertension or diabetes before surgery, although I was headed towards being prediabetic. The things that bothers me most is the discomfort after every meal (I'm probably STILL eating too fast), the hunger, and the loss of upper body strength.

You might also be one of the 20% of patients who don't lose their hunger after surgery. That's where I am. I have to eat 6 times a day most days, but my surgery center is fine with that. I'm 3 months out, but I've been hungry from the first week. Don't assume that your hunger is reflux or head hunger, like everyone on this board will tell you. As far as food suggestions will go, I would recommend refried beans, tuna with mayo well mashed, high protein milk, nut butters, soft cheeses, etc.

I've lost 35 lbs since surgery and almost 85 lbs overall. I can walk faster and fit in an airplane seat better, but I don't feel "good." I don't have more energy and I'm hungry all the time and I'm uncomfortable every time I eat. I'm always afraid I'm going to throw up because I'm nauseous a lot. I always had plenty of energy, but now I'm weak and dizzy all the time. I can't even lift a suitcase into the overhead. I'm sort of wishing I hadn't had this surgery. Maybe because I had such high expectations?

I agree with other posters. You have not failed. The only way to fail is to stop trying. Work on eating more protein, drinking more water, tracking your eating, meeting with a therapist, talking with your doctor about an appetite suppressant such as phentermine or metformin (I've been taking metformin since a month after surgery since I was one of the unlucky 20% that never lost my hunger), and keeping on these boards. You've got this!

Your body is still healing, but I would reach out to your surgery team to check in regarding your symptoms.

You may be one of the unlucky ones like me, who did not lose their hunger after surgery - my therapist said that happens to about 20% of her patients. I've never heard of thyroid medications increasing hunger, but talk to your doctor. But... even if you are hungry now, once you get on solid foods, you may be less hungry. Hang in there!

I found that once I was off the sugar for a few days, it got a lot better. Your body (and even more your mind!) is used to eating sugar. You won't ruin the pre-op just from a few licks on the lollipop, but try to keep on the diet faithfully. Lots of liquids and keeping busy helped me Good luck!

I agree with the above poster - many people don't loose weight for a week or so because you can gain up to 9-10 lbs from the fluids they fill you with during surgery. Or, you may be in the "three week stall" which can happen early and last for a few weeks. Make sure you're getting all your water and protein, and hang in there!

I'm sorry she said this to you. It sounds more like she was concerned about you having the surgery in Mexico than the surgery itself, but I don't know that for sure. My mom was very supportive of my having surgery, but she was terrified that I would go to Mexico. I ended up getting covered by insurance and having it in the US. However, I know many, many people have good experiences in Mexico (try watching some YouTube videos on "my level 10 life" - Erin went to Mexico and then went again for plastic surgery). Yes, there might be slightly more risk if your home doctor will not help you if you have a complication, but you can always go to the ER. Many of the doctors in Mexico did medical school in the US and I'm sure it's a much nicer facility than most in the US, in terms of recovery. Good Luck!

Well, each type of plane is has different size seatbelts and differently sized seats. So, what fits on an A321 might not fit on a 777. In general, small planes have smaller seats and seatbelts, so those were the only ones I really needed extenders on at about 260. Now at 199.8 (!) I can fit in any seatbelt on any type of plane I've flown on since about 260 lbs. However, I haven't flown on any really small planes since I was about 250 (before I gained the last 30 lbs during the first part of the pandemic that led me to seek surgery).

If you fly a lot, they will give you early boarding. I have extremely high status on American and I'm the first after people with disabilities. I don't know how often you have to fly on Southwest to get this privilege. But when you are smaller, it's not as much of a pain to board at the same time, aside from having trouble stowing your carryon. I always hate walking down the aisle and bumping people's arms. It's getting a bit better for me, but I still prefer to fly in the front.

I am also 2.5(ish) months out. My surgeon doesn't require me to wait after drinking to eat, so I would normally eat the broth first. However, sometimes it might be hard to eat the protein component after drinking all the liquid. I didn't find that to be the case for me. If you have that issue, maybe just eat the protein/veggies and don't drink the liquid. When I eat soup as a side, it's been pureed soup (carrot or mushroom) and so I think of that as liquid(ish), and I drink it with my meal. I didn't have any issues, but it was just about 1/2 cup or less.

don't panic! The pre-op diet was hard. I found that it was easier for me if I kept busy and drank a lot of sugar free beverages. Maybe try some peppermint tea, or other herbal tea, either plain or with Splenda/Stevia? Also, make sure you have all the things you will need for the first week or so after surgery. Like, get some protein drinks, clean your home because it will be hard to bend/move for a time, do your laundry, pay your bills, etc. Best of luck!

I suspect that this is incision pain, related to the fact that your abdominal muscles were cut and need time to heal. I had this pain for about 6 weeks almost. It might not be where the actual external incision is. It was very uncomfortable! I didn't start having pain from eating too much/too fast until I was eating solid foods; I could drink a ton of liquids/broths/etc, but when I started with solid foods I would feel the chest fullness (that got better!) and now I get hiccups when I eat too much/too fast.

Congrats on your surgery! I'm 2.5 months out and I will say that I can swallow a fair amount of water in one gulp now. I can't chug a whole bottle like I used to, but it doesn't interfere with my life. PACE: that's the hardest thing for me. I can't seem to get the hang of it, and most meals I'm in pain afterwards. When I'm at my parents' house my mom will remind me when she sees me eating too fast, but I eat most of my meals alone, and it's hard to remember!

Like another poster said, no one can force you to have a surgery. My semi-ex-boyfriend has a BMI of 18 and he's extremely healthy, and eats healthy too. He's just naturally very thin. I would consider getting a DEXA scan to see how much muscle mass you have. You don't have to go in for a "clinical" one, but there are some private DEXA scan centers that can give you a pretty good idea. I went in for one right after I started losing weight pre-surgery to get a baseline. It was about $100, but their usual price is $150. Good luck!

I have to learn to eat more slowly. As much as I tell myself I'm doing better, I'm really NOT THERE YET. I have thrown up a few more times recently, but not after I'd eaten more than a few bites. I haven't figured out that I'm full until I start hiccuping, and someone told me that's when I've eaten TOO much...