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FWIW, dehydration will cause at least half the things on your list... I know it is hard, but you really have to hit that 64oz minimum as soon as possible. Dehydration is a major complication after WLS and it will do a number on your skin, make you tired and nauseous, contribute to dizziness, and worsen head hunger... You are only a few weeks out from a major surgery, low libido can take a while to rebound and the rapid weight loss releases bursts of hormones that cause mood swings, sometimes impacts our libido, make our cycles weird, and caused a few meltdowns in our house early post op. 😂 For the constipation try stool softeners combined with Miralax. These are non-stimulants so your system won't get addicted to them like it can the stimulant laxatives. Also, try increasing your fat a little. That might help with the dry skin and dry lips too. The post-op diets are extremely low fat, which made me super fatigued too.

The empty upper slope of our breasts is so difficult to do something with. Add in the little bit of loose skin I have there as well it’s limiting. I actually stuff my proper bras with a tissue or two to fill out the excess fabric in the top. Crazy to think stuffing my bra was something I never ever had to do but now … I even looked at prosthetics but they’re not right shape. Can’t believe no one has developed something yet because many women have the same problem after breast feeding, Not everyone wants to get implants or have a reduction.

I've stuck to buying underwired bras - two at a time and only when the current bras were clearly ridiculously large - as I lost weight. I tried to buy reasonably cheap versions - sometimes that worked out and sometimes it didn't! I'm at goal now (regaining a little if anything) and buying 'forever' underwear, LOL. I've never needed anything officially compression but I know others prefer that. I don't mind a bit of saggy skin underneath my underwear. Nobody sees it!

I never go out in public without a shaping cami. I lost 200 pounds, so I have quite a bit of sagging to contain. I swear by Maidenform Flexees because they are reasonably priced, comfortable, and effective. They are long enough to cover my whole belly, firm enough to hold in the excess skin, but not uncomfortably tight. Here are the ones I wear: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UJ7YYA/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EVOO9QW/ For bras, I like Warner wire-free. I used to be a busty lady, but not so much after losing 200 pounds. I actually went to a lingerie store to get a bra fitting, and it was super frustrating because none of the bras they recommended did anything for my deflated chest. I left without buying anything because the Warner bra I wore into the store was better than anything I tried on. I also hate underwires, and these Warner bras are very comfortable while also providing shape and support (also very reasonably priced): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T7GE5NQ/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D1MFRKT/

I was the same, first week was 3kg Ive been told by a physician who I work with that no more than 2kg a week is good moving forward is a great goal as it means your body won’t go into the natural starvation mode and try to hold onto the weight. Plus your body is doing it slowly which is good re rapid weight loss problems also. I also felt sad about how slow it is going but we will get there I’m 3 weeks post op and I’ve only been loosing 1.3kg a week roughly.

I'm four-square in favor of undergarments. It's just the way I roll. The only time I did compression garments is when I started running after loosing give or take 400 pounds. Can't have all that skin going one way when I want to go another. Otherwise, I didn't bother. Since the Tummy-tuck even less need to bother. Let's see, at goal I still just wear what is comfortable, but with a risqué piece here and there. Comfortable pre-op had far fewer choices for different needs than now. I like now better. Oh, I'm a guy. Pronouns are whatever, you'd be surprised the variety that I hear. Good luck, Tek

Hi! How are you feeling now? I thought I was crazy because I had jaundice as well, and thought maybe it’s the vitamin making my skin color change. I was yellow for about 3 days. I gain 7 lbs of water retaining as well, and my stomach also was swollen, but when I had the sleeve I was fine. I felt like I was at my last trimester about to give birth. My surgery was 1/22 and the swollen is going down, but still not so comfortable. Would love to know how you are doing!

Greetings all! What are some of the side effects you have noticed on your body since VSG? I had mine on 01/18/24 and here is my list: Dry skin Dry lips Cold all the time Head hunger Dizzy in the shower if the water is too warm Hard bowel movements Tired all the time Mood swings Low sex drive

I had the 2 incisions that hurt for a couple weeks, and I was so afraid of ripping something if I wasn't positioned right. My surgeon seemed miffed when I asked about it. He said there's no way his stitches were going to come loose. "I didn't use cheap common thread," he said. Seriously?? LOL After that I just took my pain meds, slept on my side with a huge body pillow which I hugged tightly for support and quit worrying about it. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

I have an appointment with the family Dr on the 22nd and will show her what is going on to have it documented.. I honestly did not know if I would do skin removal cause I did not think it would be an issue but I am only 10 weeks Post op and still have 95lbs to lose so I am sure I am going to need it.. I will try the baby powder/ cornstarch blend..

If you plan to get skin removal surgery and want it to be covered by insurance, make sure you document with your doctor ALL problems with skin rashes, sores etc. It isn't usually covered since it is considered cosmetic but if you can show a history of problems, there's a better chance of it being covered. I have lost over 100 pounds and have some loose skin, but I am getting cryo therapy twice a week. It helps to produce collagen and tightens my skin as the weight comes off. If I had waited till I hit goal weight, I don't think it would have been as effective. I also sit in an infrared sauna which has its own list of benefits. Rebounding helps too. There are some alternatives to surgery. Being proactive is important but it also depends on the amount of weight you have to lose and DNA. When I had rashes before losing the weight, I used a baby powder/cornstarch blend to keep the area dry. Moisture can make things painful and possibly infected. Good luck!!

I found I was allergic to derma bond after having skin removal surgery. Yea - the itchiness is awful. They put me on prednisone for ten days, and it cleared it up. weight loss is always slower after a revision than it is after a "virgin" surgery. Five lbs is great, though. And actually a 20 lb loss the first week would be very unusual, even with a virgin surgery. Maybe for folks on "My 600 lb Life", but not a for an average WLS patient. I lost 16 lbs the whole first MONTH. emotions can be wild the first few weeks after surgery - and so can regrets. This will pass - just hang in there!

I am having issues with loose skin and it rubbing.. Last night it was hurting where it was rubbing... What does everyone do for this issue... I knew it was coming since I have so much to loose but I was not expecting it this soon....

Yeah, that sounds 100% within the normal range of early post-op calorie consumption. I am having gastric bypass in 3 weeks, and my program suggests 3 meals and 3 protein supplements per day for the first several weeks. In the beginning, the word "meal" is used very loosely. This is basically limited to yogurt, cream soup, cream of wheat, pudding, and applesauce. The expectation is you can maybe have a few bites. All the protein is coming from those 3 shakes (20-25g per shake). Calories are pretty much irrelevant, at least for now. Your entire metabolism has been rewired. If you follow what you're told to do, you will lose weight on a wide spectrum of calorie intakes. My program suggests no more than 200 calories per protein shake serving, with a limit of 5 grams of sugar and at least 20g protein each. So, if I had the recommended 3 shakes and went with the max calories, I would consume 600 calories in those daily supplements, plus another maybe 100-200 in "meals" depending how much of the yogurt/cream of wheat/pudding I manage to swallow. My shakes actually only have 90 calories each (23g protein), so during my pre-op liquid diet, I won't feel at all guilty if I drink 4 or 5 of them, or even 6 if needed. Post-op, I doubt that will be possible, but even then, I wouldn't see an issue with having that many if I could physically manage it. All of which is a longwinded way of saying you're doing fine! Congratulations!

Great insights. May I also add that we don't realise how much sugar is in our diets pre surgery and our bodies are really used to using this as energy. Take this away and oh boy the body slump is real. The symptoms can be extreme like the withdrawal from alcohol. Shakes, headaches, tiredness, skin irritation. I was allowed coffee and tea, I would have been a mess with out it. I just toned down the strength of it post op so that it was a little kinder to my new stomach. Doing the pre op diet can be as hard as pre op. Be kind to yourself

Preach sister preach! I've always said the exact same things. I go one step further; insurance will pay for cosmetic surgery changes for people going through transgender reassignment surgeries (removing dermal layers etc.) but not skin removal for bariatric patients! Both are surgeries to help the outside match the inside - to help people see themselves as they internally perceive themselves! What's the difference?

I was an hourglass when I was young, carrying weight in my chest and hips. Always had a relatively slim waist. Have built quite a significant amount of muscle (or retained much more than expected) through a combination of weightlifting and testosterone therapy. Definitely planning on significant skin removal, which should help unveil the few bones that aren't clearly visible due to swaths of skin.

Oh yes, your remaining weight/fat does resettle in the months after you stabilise. Initially I was very straight up & down, no waist at all. I was a little upset because I’d always had an hourglass body shape even when obese & now it was gone. A few months later, with no weight change, I noticed I had a waist again & hips &, while my breasts were empty & saggy, I still had an E cup size so breasts. Sure I don’t have a butt but I had my hour glass shape back again - just much smaller dimensions 😉. Where did you carry your weight? What body shape did you have? I wonder if you are naturally pear shaped so therefore slimmer on the top & you carried more of your weight around your waist, hips, butt & thighs. I’d say your saggy empty skin is being pulled downwards by gravity too. Are you thinking about skin removal when you’ve stabilised? I wouldn’t worry about having 30% body fat. This is a good result. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there are healthy body fat percentages based on your age. For people aged 20 to 39, women should aim for 21% to 32% of body fat. For people aged 40 to 59, women should fall between 23% to 33% and men should fall around 11% to 21%. If you’re aged 60 to 79, women should have 24% to 35% body fat and men should have 13% to 24%. (From webmd) Why do you say you’re overweight with a BMI of 25? Love it or hate it, BMI does give us a bit of an idea & it’s how we’re defined by doctors, etc. You’re just on the borderline of healthy & overweight. And if you’ve built muscle you’ll weigh more so you’re really in the healthy range. Personally I wouldn’t define myself by my BMI & certainly not at your weight.

I'm another 40 pounds down or so and it's... bad. I don't have to stretch or flex, you can just count my ribs all the way down, except for where there's a fold of loose skin (I think these are technically called breasts?). This isn't "I'm so used to my obese self I don't understand what healthy is" type skinny, this is "I can play the xylophone if I wear a low-cut shirt", tabloid speculation about drugs and anorexia type skinny. On some level, I'm stoked, my ED self is absolutely thrilled to be able to see every bone, but I just don't understand how I can have so much hanging fat on my lower body and look like a skeleton on top. I do have a small frame by wrist size, but my rib cage apparently did not get that memo. Because, again, I'm still overweight. My bodyfat percentage was assessed at over 30 a few weeks ago. Where the #%@! is it? My weight loss also hasn't plateaued, or even significantly slowed. I'm still losing around 1.5-2% of my bodyweight per week. I am absolutely not following the diet plan given to me, eating much larger portions of much more calorie dense food but I continue to diminish. On one level I'm thrilled, but on another I'm worried this won't stop and I'm going to have to wear turtlenecks to stop birds from nesting inside my torso.

Do you have any loose skin ? the hardest part for me is whenever I feel like eating something, i can't eat it, before i could eat whatever I was feeling like having in that moment. Others eating in front of me isn't a issue either. You've got this !!!

yes - obesity is a complex disease. Among other things, at some point it can cause biological changes that make it very difficult to lose weight. For example, I've read that research has shown that even gut bacteria is different in very obese individuals than it is in normal-weight individuals. your experience is very common. In fact, I took a course in obesity and weight loss at a local university (nutrition department) a year or two ago that addressed this. The usual pattern is that people lose about 5% of their weight in the first few months of dieting, then it levels off for a couple of months, and then it gradually comes back on. About a year later, they're back to where they started. That knowledge didn't surprise me at all - that happened to me over and over and over. Weight loss surgery is the only thing that ever worked for me. Surgery won't help prevent the behavior. What it does is. 1). takes away your hunger for the first few months - (for a lucky few this is permanent - for most of us, it comes back sometime during the first year post-surgery) and 2) keeps you from eating a ton of food at one sitting. What it doesn't prevent is "grazing" or mindless snacking, and that can be a really slippery slope. Take those first few months of no hunger and really work on changing that behavior. Nine years out, I struggle with that every day - the urge to eat mindlessly. It takes a lot of work and dedication to control that (although honestly, a lot of my never-been-obese friends struggle with that, too). I don't know if I'd ever eat my way back up to 373 lbs again, but I know if I let myself loose for more than a few days, my weight starts heading north...

Okay - I have a one month update! This has been a difficult month! I had my surgeries on December 15, 2023, and I got a tummy tuck with fleur-de-lys, 360 liposuction, Brazilian butt lift, breast lift / reduction with implants, and arm lift for both arms. It was a lot! I spent the first week recovering in Tijuana in the recovery house, and then flew home to Seattle on Dec. 21. I had two drains, one on either side on my groin area. The plane ride introduced the first main issue I had. The left-side drain got yanked in transit and by the time I got home it had come out. The right-side drain wasn't far behind it; it had come so far out that I accidentally tripped on it on 12/22 and that one came out as well. Now I was drainless but still had a TON of excess fluid with no easy place to drain from. So, all that excess fluid escaped out of the easiest places possible - basically all my nicely sewn up tummy along my fleur-de-lys stitches! I went to the ER; I was so scared that first night - I thought any small movement, my belly was gonna split open and spill my intestines on the ER floor, and of course I also had a cough and every coughing fit made me very scared. The ER doctor dressed my wounds that had opened up and reassured me that my belly wasn't going to split open. The next business day, I scheduled an appointment with a plastic surgeon and wound care in my doctor's office. Basically, my wounds were: Left breast: two large wounds along the vertical incision line; one wound at the T-junction under my breast (this one becomes important later) Abdomen: an 1-inch-long split along the fleur-de-lys line above my belly button; split near the bottom of my belly button Lower abdomen: 2-inch long by 2-inch wide by 1-inch deep triangular hole at the T-junction where the fleur-de-lys incision meets the tummy tuck; 2-inch long seam opening along my groin / right hip Various small wounds on my arms, tummy, and hips My back healed perfectly! I met with the plastic surgeon and he recommended ways of dressing everything until I could be seen by wound care on January 5. In the meantime, I had developed an abscess behind one of my wisdom teeth and had to have them pulled. I scheduled that for January 5 also because I'm a glutton for punishment, but I opted for just laughing gas cuz I needed to be clear-headed for my wound care appointment after. Remember that T-junction left breast wound? Well, that started to open up wider and wider in the week leading up to wisdom teeth / wound care day. It was leaking a ton of fluid, and I could see something black inside the wound, which I initially thought was some form of necrosis. January 5 came, the dentist yanked my three wisdom teeth, and me and my designated driver headed over to wound care. Well, wound care was just as stumped as I was because it felt plasticky and they could shine light through it. They had never seen it before at wound care, but turns out my left implant was deciding to be an explant... and needed to be taken out. 😞Wound care patched me up great and sent me over to my plastic surgeon to discuss the implant. Because I had literally had my wisdom teeth out that day, they couldn't do the surgery to take out my implant until the following week. I was really sad and went through all the stages of grief, including bargaining, with the plastic surgeon. I asked what my options were for saving the implant and he said it looks like it has to come out. I said "Looks like, so there's a chance it can stay in?" Nope. I also asked about my options for removing the right-side implant in the same surgery so there's at least symmetry. He said that because the right-side isn't infected or splitting open, insurance won't cover the right implant removal. This was the first time I stopped crying and grinned up at him, "So I have a week to get the right side infected, yeah?" 🤣 Nope, again. The plan was to just get both breasts (and literally EVERYTHING ELSE) healed, and address the asymmetry later. I got my left implant removed on January 11. While I was under, my plastic surgeon also removed a ton of exposed stitches from my various wounds that allowed them to heal up so much faster. My implant was small, just 285 cc's, and while there is a visible difference in my boob sizes, it's not too bad for now. I'm going to decide later whether I want to re-implant the left side or explant the right. So that's my very long one-month update! It's been a crazy wild ride. Oh!!!! I also don't regret it! Other than the whole left-breast-implant-loss-thing, that is. I feel amazing in my body; in fact, I was just telling my therapist that I finally feel like I exist in my body for the first time in my whole life! They excised about 18 pounds of excess skin in all, and I am still a little swollen and losing water and wearing my stage 2 fajas. I'm so happy I had these surgeries! With as much as I had done, it went about as well as can be expected, and one loss in what like ten surgeries? I'll take those odds. 😉 ~Kukui

Well I signed a contact twenty years ago and I wasn't informed all that much about what I signed up for... Maybe because it was so long ago.. I do now know and understand the deal but the problem is simple.. So I had a car hit me when I was crossing the street and spent six months in a hospital followed by six months of a resting home to recover followed by a heart failure and another five months in the hospital followed by multiple hospital trips and lost all my original muscle.. I was always average strength but it's another thing to be told you might have a heart attack if you don't gain muscle. So I did everything I was told to bring me to this point. I have gained ten pounds of muscle in the last two years and I gain average of a pound a month. Only in the sorta person I need advise and someone to tell me what to do so that I don't make mistake. This might be a result of brain damage from my accident or maybe I'm just a big dumb guy I dunno.. But I did my own math if I eat 4200 calories I absorb 2200. So it does make sense I can't bulk however I'm taking enzymes and my doctor said the enzymes turn your ds off so that you can absorb everything you eat with them.. Now I'm fine tuning everything. Maybe my ds is to powerful and I'll learn that I really can't bulk and yes I look more defined in the mirror I think. But because my skin is stretchy it's hard to tell. I have gone from 175 to 178 so hopefully that's going to keep going up. My only real goal of taking the enzymes is to increase my protein which is 6.1. Before I worked out I was capable of maintaining my weight but my doctor told me I lost so much muscle that to not regain it would be dangerous to my health So regardless of anything I have no choice but to gain weight. If that means eventually eating 6000 calories so be it. But I really think the enzymes alone will solve my problems. I plan to take the enzymes for 3 months then get off then for two months then back on them in a bulk cutting kinda formula however I'll admit I don't know that this will work. I've gained weight in the past getting up to 240 in the resting home but that was eating six full meals a day with no working out and tons of high fat snacks and sense then I've gotten hypoglycemia which makes gaining weight difficult because I can't just devour sugar like I used to be able to. Man I used to love pudding cups... Anyways no I didn't know what I was getting into I was 19 and all I wanted was to lose weight but to still be able to eat as much as I wanted. Which is what I got. I never understood the risks. Never. That's why I got all these problems and it's hard to dig your self out of a ditch.. I would work out more if I thought it would help but I just lift weights 3x a week and I have a trainer and a bunch of great doctors who help.. The thing is the DS shouldn't kill me.. I should be able to figure out a way to make this work and my real issue is I'm 6"3 and a man so I require 3200 calories a day is what my trainer said. I only absorb 2200 thus I'm taking enzymes I'm focusing on absorbing protein and enough calories to feed my muscle building and I'm getting blood tests and scanning my body for progress it's a really scary time for me because I know I can lose muscle fast if I forget anything.. finding this website has helped me relearn just got crazy this surgery can be... For real you all helped me so much... But I can not except life as a weakling I'm 39 and a man and people need me so I can't just except things the way they are. If a normal person can build muscle I can to. It may take more work and more intelligence on my part but that fine I'm willing to do anything to be average if that makes sense.. in fact I was debating going to the gym today because my back hurts but you just motivated me to go . 😁 Thank you. Have a nice day. Please information is key here any advise on maybe how many calories you eat or your macros would be helpful to me because I do have a little problems working stuff out in my head and so the more information I can't the better I can deal.

So i promised i would continue posting after surgery. My first post to the site was during my liquid diet. I had surgery on the morning of the 18th. Everything was going smoothly. When i woke up from surgery thats when all hell broke loose. My stomach felt like it was literally on fire im screaming and crying for help, pain medicine, etc. I blacked out after that or they gave me a sedative one or the other. I swear the pain of it felt worse than childbirth and i could never imagine anything more painful that until that day. I ended up staying 2 nights ( wouldve been 3 if i didnt choke down water) im home now and although the pain isnt as bad as the first day its still bad. This is day 2 going on 3 ill post again soon.

I have totally switched to collagen with the missing amino acid added. It isn't whey or dairy (grass fed beef collagen) and mixes best in warm liquids. I think it's tasteless, hubby says it's slightly sweet but doesn't have a "flavor" like whey protein. As a bonus, as well as being protein, it's good for joints, hair, nails and skin. 45 calories, 11g protein per scoop. 44 scoops per container. My dietitian approved it as long as I use one with the missing amino acid. I get mine from Amazon. Price just went up to $27. I get it for $24 with subscribe and save. Are we allowed to share links here? I'll just copy and paste the description. Giant Sports Collagen Peptide Powder - Hydrolyzed Complete All Essential Amino Acids with L-Tryptophan