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My surgeon said that hair loss is due to poor nutrition (not getting proper protein). It also takes a while for your body to start losing hair, and it is reversible. Talk to your surgeon, the will be able to answer it for you. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I feel amazing today! I am 3 weeks postop today and am down 35 lbs. from my highest weight (287), 21 since surgery day (273). I had a stall of sorts for almost a week but the scale is moving again now (252). My incisions are completely healed and really feel like I never had surgery, except for the lack of hunger and the tiny amounts I can eat I am still on purees for another week and am doing great - everything has really gone down quite well, I just get full really fast. I am getting in liquids just fine and still struggling to get enough calories and Protein, but working on it every day. I've been hitting the gym since last week and doing just cardio for now - elliptical and treadmill. I am still able to wear most of the same clothes I started in (mostly size 20) but they are getting really baggy and feel way different and TODAY I put on a top (size 14/16!!) I bought quite a while back to "shrink into" and it fits! It is just a stretchy knit top and isn't super loose but with my shapewear (ha!) I feel comfortable and confident in it and that hasn't happened to me for AGES! I am by no means in a 14/16 in pants (I think I am solidly in an 18 now) but I will take what I can get, considering I am only a fraction of the way to my goal weight I think this is just one of many wonderful days to come and I just cannot say how happy I am that I took this huge step for myself and my family - I would recommend the sleeve to anyone contemplating WLS!

Maybe you could get the unflavored protein from this site to add to your stuff so you're still getting your protein. http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/reg/unflavored_protein.shtml

I am in the process of ordering my Vitamins so I have them all here when I get home from surgery. There are so many options!! For those of you who have already had bypass, did you have trouble with any of the chewables? I think that would be easiest for me, but there are so many different ones I have to take that I just wonder if it will be hard to manage. Some of my options come in a powder to be dissolved, but I don't know if it is worth the trouble. I would love to hear your stories and also know what brands you prefer for each type. My dr wants me to take two multis, 1 Calcium citrate with D, 18 mg Iron, and sublingual B12. Thanks!

I'm almost 9 weeks post op VSG, with hiatal hernia repair, and I'm still having trouble eating most things. I'm barely getting 2 premier protein shakes and maybe a light baby bell cheese or a small amt of chicken in. I'm still getting that pressure/pain in my chest which slows me down from drinking and eating. My surgeon wasn't concerned when I saw him 2 weeks ago but the nutritionist seemed more worried when I saw her this week. Has anyone else experienced this? What is everyone able to eat at 9 weeks?

I made several home made soups post op, and used my magic bullet to purée. It worked out fine. I even took meaty tomato sauce and puréed it. It was delish. I was so sick of sweet protein shakes! You can also drink Kefer probiotic yogurt drinks. Those are very filling. Making home made soup is the way to go. It gives you something to do as well as some good standing and moving time.

I am on day #5 of my pre-op liquid protein diet. I am keeping a log of what I am drinking, grams of protein, fat, carbs and sugars. Yesterday, I had 198 grams of protein! i think what did it was the physician's weight loss center nuritional supplements that i sip throughout the day that total 36 grams of protein in 24oz. imagine if crystal light had 12 grams of protein in every 8oz. what happens when we consume too much protein?

@@Inner Surfer Girl - FYI - the board is lagging today so if it appears your post don't go through, refresh before hitting send again. That way you don't double post. To the OP. You can bring a shaker bottle and Protein powder in a sip lock. I'm 4 months and I only have one a day and sometimes not even that. If you think you can survive without powders then just make every effort to eat nutritious high protein foods. I've been to England but only London which is just like any major city complete with a Whole Foods supermarket. I did find a health food store in Devon that might carry Protein Powder but I'm not certain. Since you aren't leaving until summer, you can try calling or writing them. City WholefoodsDevon, England 14 South Street Exeter, England EX1 1DZ01392 250925

For the past few days I've been all about questions. BIG ones - like how I intend to embrace lifestyle changes, how that will change my life outside of the weight loss (like the "hobby" of eating being gone), etc. Today continues along that theme, but different. My mind doesn't seem to be getting more answers as much as more questions. That's typical of me - it means I've gotten past the initial phase of researching, and arrived at the "I've decided I want this" phase, and I'm trying to prepare for the reality of life after the event/decision. Sort of like how an engaged person is thinking first about a date for the wedding, and maybe about where to honeymoon. Then it's about the budget and what they think they want the wedding to look like. But closer to the actual wedding, it's down to what the flowers on the tables look, what time your cab is coming to take you to the airport, and making sure you have the tickets in your pocket. The big stuff is long gone now - you're no longer concentrating on the big picture, but on the small details that make up the big picture. So here I am, no longer wondering about the insurance, the procedure, the day of surgery, etc. Now it's down to the rest - the stuff that happens afterward. What's food consumption supposed to look like short-term, after the surgery? And I going to be prescribed a diet that's all protein and no sugar? My cravings aren't just going to go away because my stomach's smaller. How will I need to change my menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking and consumption after the surgery? Does the diet change after a certain time period? If I couldn't do a high protein, low carb diet before, what makes me think I'll be able to magically do that after the surgery? I'll get full faster, yes. And I'll presumably lose weight from portion size reduction alone. I'm reading through peoples' stories and it's..... scary how many of them feel that their stomach isn't reduced in intake size. I realize that it's a trial and error process in putting saline into the band to tighten it / reduce the stomach size, etc. Will that greatly affect how satiated I feel? Does it take months and months to get to the right size for the saline? What's the rest of my real life look like after this surgery - the day-to-day of eating? Will I feel bereft without my old friend, food? I don't use it to comfort me - I use it because it calls to me. It's not going to stop calling to me, is it? I'm already looking for support groups in my area. I don't see any that appear to be active for years now. Will I feel all alone after this surgery, or like part of a community? Where others can help guide me on my path? I'm kinda lost right now. I realize that I can (and I will) ask my doctor all these questions.

I used Premier Protein for the ready to drink and Jay Robb for the powder.

I need help! My surgery date is August 24, i need recommendations on Protein shakes. I have tried a few and they are disgusting.. Any suggestions? Which one did you use preop? Thanks in advance!

Just found this guy at my local Heath food place. So delicious. $3.99 each, very filling. Organic, non-go, and soy free! Orgain organic Protein shake -the no sugar added fudge- be careful the other favors have added sugar!! But this one is good with just 2g sugar.

thanks everyone for the advice, I'm going to try to add another shake or a protein bar, and adding pb to shake sounds great, and would love to have 2% milk again

Well, here it is...just a little more than 48 hours since my surgery. Yesterday afternoon was a little rough, my stomach hurt as if I did 50 sit ups and getting up and down was a chore. Finally dug out the heating pad and took an Aleve. Thas has really seemed to help. I only took the prescription pain meds the first day, then I switched to liquid tylenol. Gosh, those things taste AWFUL. Plus they didn't very good at relieving the pain; hence the Aleve. Feeling pretty perky except I think that darned anestesia (sp) is still hanging around in my system. Not quite up to normal speed yet. But, today will be my first outing. Our granddaughter turns 2 today so I just have to go to her party. But will be taking my protein drink and Greek yogurt. I am doing pretty well in not experiencing hunger yet. But I am sure that will kick in shortly. Well, it is back to work tomorrow morning at 0630. I just hope I feel twice as improved as I did today. KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK, MY FELLOW AND FEMALE BANDSTERS.

Thanks for all the support. No one at work knows about my surgery so it's nice to just get some feed back from people who understand. There's no option to take more time off so I am just pacing my days the best I can. I am home now with my feet up and a cup of hot tea. Feeling much better! I'm sure it's just that muscle wall that the port is stitched to getting irritated with too much moving around. A hot shower and a good night's sleep and hopefully tomorrow will be better..

I am eating this sort of thing on a typical day: - 1 cup orange juice @7am - 1 coffee @ 9am - 40g of porridge with 1 scoop Protein powder and 1/2 cup skim milk @10am - 1cup of lasagne, or chicken Pasta or 4 peices sushi @ 1pm - same again for dinner.

Hi everyone! Im fairly new to the board, only because everything happened so quickly! I was just approved two weeks ago and immediately started my preop diet (liquid only, 800 calorie). My date is May 25th and so far only lost 12 pounds. I lost the first 12 within 4-5 days and then stopped. I've been pushing the protein and even bought protein powder (OMGosh! GAG), and even exercise a bit more but I guess my metabolism went into starvation mode. I'm really excited about surgery and hope everyone else this month who is already banded is doing well!

17 days post op. I just started soft food. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I'm only down 7 lbs and have been stalled for the last three days with my weight remaining the same. I am hungry off and on during the day, even though I am drinking Water or Protein drinks all day. I will add that I stopped taking estrogen pills 30 days before surgery and have made the decision to stay off them. The hot flashes are brutal. Could this stall me? If so I'll get back on the estrogen. Quote Edit

Hi La La, I'm still on commercial Protein shakes twice a day (I like Jay Robb whey protein with unsweetened almond milk), but Dr. Matthew Weiner makes a good case for not using them long-term. He provides a more natural recipe here: http://drmatthewweiner.com/a-better-protein-shake/ Hope that helps!

Are you allowed to put stuff into your protein drink to make them tastier? Like if you have a vanilla drink, can you put in some strawberries? Or if you have a choc shake, can you put some coffee crystals in (decaf)? I'm asking for pre surgery and post surgery.... I'm going to be starting to incorporate protein shakes into my diet (surgery probably not until jan), just want to get a handle on things now.... Any advice, suggestions are VERY VERY WELCOMED...Thanks!!

I am 6 months out and just broke a 4-6 week stall that was messing with my head! I am eating very few carbs and do Water exercises 4 days/week. Even though my weight was not changing - I was stuck at 191-192 - I could tell my body was still changing as clothes were still getting looser. Also, remember, muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are exercising and not losing, your body may be converting fat to muscle. Keep the faith, keep the Protein in, the carbs out, and the exercise going. You'll start to lose again.

As someone who's four days post-op and having a textbook/easy recovery, let me share a nugget with you: If you are not currently a Water drinker, START NOW! My body started handling fluids well a couple of days into my recovery, but it is a full time job getting in my minimum 64oz. of liquid every day. Yes, my stomach is healing. Yes, that means that my stomach is somewhat restricted in how quickly it allows things to get through. Yes, I'm being very careful and going through the post-op food phases with my NUT by my side. The habit of always having something to drink nearby, and choosing to constantly drink throughout the day, is NOT a habit I had practiced pre-op. Fortunately, I'm learning that habit now (and 30 days of doing something makes a habit, right?!). I don't mind the taste of water, nor do I mind the taste of Crystal Light, Protein shakes, iced tea, etc. I'm just not used to drinking fluids all of the time. No matter how soon or far away your surgery is, get in that habit now. The habit will be of great benefit post-op and for the rest of your life! Damn. How dehydrated was I pre-op?!

Hey!! I am a week post-op and I can start soft foods tomorrow. Honestly the first week was rough, and I originally didn't wanna go to families either because I either thought it would mess me up mentally or just make me feel weird only having fluids. But even now I can have soups and stuff and I prefer my protein shakes. For me though I could eat so much before and now I eat 3-4 bites of cheese and broccoli soup and I'm full. So honestly it doesn't bother me, and I'm 14lbs down in 1 week. So this whole journey is becoming more and more motivating and you kind of just start to blur things out that you may have thought would have made you uncomfortable. It's an amazing journey. Good luck on yours hun. Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using BariatricPal mobile app

I was sleeved Wednesday as well. I am having a horrible time getting all of my Water and Protein in. The gas pains are horrible and I feel like i have heartburn most all of the time. I can only take 2 ounces at a time before I start feeling "full". I need some opinions on the best way to get in all my protein and water. How long should I wait between the 2 ounces to drink more? And popsicles are my enemy. They make the burning worse.

I'm gonna try a different system today to see if it helps. I am already on Protonix. I'm gonna focus on getting my fluids today and try something other than just Protein shakes. I have some unjury broth. I also walk as much as I can. I feel better this morning already.