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Oh great point! I feel great in my clothes and I've got tons of skin since I'm old and once weighed 325lbs.

the hair & skin thing are individual and not much will help either one. I had minimal hair loss - as in, if it weren't for the extra strands I noticed in my comb, I never would have noticed. Most people notice some on themselves, but no one else does. Losing clumps of hair and having bald spots is possible, but it's very uncommon. with excess skin, you may not have much since you're starting at such a low BMI. But that also varies depending on a lot of factors. For many of us, it's very easy to hide. And I think all of us looking back would say we wonder why we wasted so many brain cells worrying about it, since loose skin is a very small price to pay for what we got in exchange. I would take my loose skin ANY DAY over weighing 300 lbs again! getting too thin: first of all, not getting to goal is a MUCH more common problem than getting too thin. And you do have control over your weight loss. You can always put on the brakes if you start to worry that you're getting too thin - you just have to increase your calories until the weight loss stops.

Hi and welcome! Hair Loss: maybe? We're all different. Getting too thin: Worry about following your surgeon's plan. Good news is most of us already broke the code on how to gain weight. Worry about how to lose down to your personal goal. The rest takes care of itself regardless of starting weight. Loose skin: Probably. Also individual and depends on genetics and age usually. Dehydration: The struggle is real for many. Fluid is KING before and after surgery. If you stay fully hydrated then it's easier to eat normally and remain nausea free and losing weight. I'm 17 months out. At 4 days I was getting my 64oz of liquids in and now I have 100+oz per day every day. Congrats on making the pre-emptive changes. I've got zero regrets. Don't be anxious!

Hi everyone! I have been trolling for a while, and asked a few questions and told my story, all with positive responses. Thank you! I have the following concerns for after the surgery but have been prepping for them (I have not received my date yet). Loosing my hair - I have increased my protein intake and switched to a good multi-vitamin with B-12 biotin. Is this enough or should I get an additional B-12 with Biotin? I also eat my protein, veggies then carbs at meals. I’m still working on chewing 20 times before swallowing. Getting too thin - I have a rather small amount of weight to lose in comparison to many here. I am worried with the sleeve that I will become under weight. I’m 5’0” and currently 178 pounds. Most of my weight is in my lower belly. Loose skin - I am currently exercising to help, but cannot do stomach toning yet as I have a very large incisional hernia that cannot be repaired until after the sleeve. By then I will have lost most of the weight (I hope) and I’m not sure how this will impact my belly skin. Is the surgery to remove skin possible after hernia repair or will ab exercises be enough? Dehydration - I am currently getting the 64oz in and have cut my coffee to 1 cup a day, and no soda. Just drink water all day. I have read that many have trouble after surgery to get it all in. How can I ensure to get all my fluids? I bought a cup that helps me to be sure I’m reaching my intake goals every hour, I know everyone says sip, sip, sip but some make it seem impossible. I am I doing enough to ensure I don’t become dehydrated after surgery or is this a case by case situation. Thank you for any advice you can give. In the past I have had many complications from surgeries and I want to try to avoid any this time around. Have a great day and thanks for the inspiration! 😊

Recently passed 50 days post op & finally hit 30 pounds lost. I was firmly stuck in my exact same size 20 pants for most of that 30 pounds, not even loose. Finally, finally I moved into the "smaller 20's" and then bam, just a day or two later those smaller 20's were sliding off and I'm down to an 18. Zero issues to report. Really zero issues since a day or two post op. I'm past the first month anxiety of freaking out because I DON'T have issues. I don't think even think that hard about any of this most days. Yes, I count every calorie & log it all with my protein & water but I'm already doing that without thinking much about it. I still see yummy pastries at the coffee shop & think "that looks great" but it's not in my carb/calories/protein so my next thought is "can't have that" and that's it. And I LOVE food. I do, but being off sugar and having a reduced stomach size has made all the difference. My fingers are firmly crossed that this is working.

We r all sisters I dont know why skin color is on everyones mind. Sent from my LG-M150 using BariatricPal mobile app

I didn't have to do purees, only mushies. They had to be mashable with a fork and I had to chew like crazy. Also, my quantity was only 1/8-1/4cup volume at that time. So it was super important to keep things SIMPLE and with as little cooking as possible. So my mainstays were: Tuna Salad (pouch tuna + HB egg + cottage cheese + dijon mustard + pickle juice) Chicken Salad (canned chicken + HB egg + cottage cheese + dijon mustard + garlic powder s/p + ranch mix) Salmon Salad (canned salmon minus skin but with bones mashed up + cottage cheese + dijon mustard + tarragon vinegar) Eggface Cottage Cheese Bake (sub out cottage cheese for ricotta + parmesan + ps mozza shreds + low carb marinara) Chicken Green Bean Casserole (canned chicken + cream of mushroom soup + canned green beans + garlic powder s/p/onion powder + nuke til hot and bubbly) Soft Boiled Eggs with a tiny bit of butter Tilapia foil pouch + frozen broccoli cooked to mushy Green Smoothie (scoop of banana protein powder + 1oz frozen spinach + 1oz frozen blueberries + Silk unsweetend cashew milk + peanut butter powder) Yogurt Cottage Cheese Soup with Canned Fruit (1/4c Grk yogurt + 1/4c cottage cheese + liquid stevia drops + soft canned fruit or apple sauce unsweetened) SF Popsicles Protein Coffees and Protein Teas (decaff) And that's what I lived on until I progressed. So damn easy.

You've lost a fair amount already, so no worries. Just keep on track with eating the right food. I was in a stall for 3 months and it's finally broken loose. I only lost 10 pounds in 3 months. It's okay. The weight will come off.

I have a bulging disc that is compressing on a nerve and my muscles are weak in my back I been doing physical therapy don't help I'm in pain all day this nerve pain never go away I also need a total knee replacement but my BMI is to high for back or knee surgery pain management is not helping meds dont work no more they said I need to loose weight and it will help with the pain I'm just tired of getting no results I want to be able to sit ,stand,bend,walking more longer and lift without pain I ready to see a change I pray in 3 months I can get my life back.

I'm not worried about hair loss, my hair is super thick so if anything I'm kind of looking forward to that part. It's just that I don't want someone to assume I'm "normal average" size and then have to explain the loose skin and see them get grossed out. Just not looking forward to that part. And that may all be in my head, maybe whoever I tell will be super cool about it, I guess it's just the unknown that worries me.

Yes in October 2018. Restriction is holding out well so far (though not as restrictive as it was) and I rarely feel hungry. Like all bariatric procedures its a tool and it works well if we work it well. Compliance of post op diet guidelines particularly volume of food is important to ensure the sutures/anchor points/stomach melding/scarring heals properly to ensure the accordion effect is durable and as long term as possible. I am a member of a some esg facebook groups and some people haven't had success in different ways. Some feel they haven't lost as much weight or lose weight as fast as VSG or RNY - which is to be expected as the ESG doesn't reduce the volume of the stomach as much as the VSG and there certainly isn't any bypass. Others possibly through overeating and/or not following the post op diet guidelines in the first couple of months have lost restriction. Then there are the ones whose doctors possibly through inexperience didn't do a good job of the ESG - insufficient sutures, loose stitches etc. Finally, there are those that despite how well the ESG was done, how well they followed/continue to follow all the guidelines just don't feel the restriction and haven't had much success. Some people have already had revisions to VSG or RNY and some others are also using saxenda or other appetite reducing drugs prescribed by their doctor. Despite all the above there are plenty of success stories. I chose ESG because I liked the non surgical aspect of it, reduced complications and quicker recovery time. I knew that weight loss would be lower and slower than the surgical options but I was happy with the trade off. I continue to struggle with sugar/sweet cravings/head stuff. I am still working on replacing those mindless eating habits by replacing them with better/healthier habits. I would like to lose another 5 or so kilos by October, if I don't its not the end of the world, I am much healthier and fitter than I have been in a long time even if my BMI is not in the healthy weight range. Are you considering topping up your sleeve with an ESG to help with further restriction? I don't recall that any of the members of the ESG groups I belong to have had an ESG following a surgical weight loss procedure but a few have asked about it. Sorry for the waffling

I am considering revision surgery to gastric bypass , but its for numerous reasons , all of which i have been open about because i value the honesty of people as everyones journey is not going to be the same , just as thinking of revision surgery is not an easy decision or one that i think anyone takes lightly . I had my band fitted in nov 2012 after many years of struggling with my weight , i had tried pretty much everything on the market but continued to struggle so looked into wls , after speaking to my then dr who supported me and new how hard i had tried and the negative effect it was having on me . I had to self fund , a cost of £7000 , for which i took out a bank loan . I had the band fitted and numerous fills and defills and managed to loose in total 49lbs , but i struggled to eat protein/salad etc and my struggles were never consistant , what i managed to eat one day i wouldnt necessarily be able to eat the next . Approximately 2 yrears ago i decided i had had enough so had all my fluid taken out and try finishing my journey with the band just sitting there , it didnt work , i hit the menopause and lost a close family member and gradually put on weight so i was then only down 28lbs . After struggling again to loose i decided to find a clinic so i could have fills again and i guess start from scratch again drawing a line under what had past , my clinic is very supportive and during my first visit { in april} i told them of my weight struggles since being bullied at secondary school and how i felt like a failure , i broke down in tears and together we restarted my journey , but it hasnt been easy , i had a fill of 3mls , then 1ml and a further 1ml , but a few days after getting to the 5ml mark i couldnt even swallow liquid and the pain in the middle part of my chest was terrible , i had to wait a couple of days before my clinic could squeeze me in as my local hospitlal wouldnt touch me unless they deemed it life threatening ! Since then i have had 2 defills , each 1/2 ml so now have 4mls in , that intense pain is no more but my struggle to eat is just the same and sometimes get reflux , this morning i struggled with yoghurt , then later home made soup neither with any lumps , surely that isnt right ? , the situation gets me down and i feel meal times are a battle ground , i continually feel tired and low , yet i am trying so hard to eat healthy , since april my weight loss has only been 7lbs . MY point is my reasons why i am now considering revision to bypass is really two fold , struggling with weight loss and problems just eating and after 7 years i am fed up with it all , i new the band was only a tool but i did not expect the problems and struggles i am enduring . I see my current gp tomorrow and an adviser to chat about revision in september , if i go ahead it is a big deal as i never went in for the band ever having to consider revsion , and the cost this time will be £11,000 which is also a very big deal along with the risks any surgery bring , i hope this hasnt been too long and drawn out but i just wanted to add to the current chat , i value all posts and the support it gives which otherwise none of us would have .

Why should anyone here censor their experience or advice? This is how I feel about this site - We are adults. Take what’s useful and ignore the rest. All opinions and experiences are of value to me. Even if it’s something I don’t agree with. Some people are way too sensitive and offended by such small issues on this board. If you are one of these people offended then--- don’t read it, look away or block them. I am from a different generation. I have thick skin. It takes a lot to offend me.

Thank you so much! I really have been on a very long road and it has not been easy, and I absolutely did not want any more surgery (prior to my hysterectomy I had 15+ for my skin condition) 2 of them also resulted in infection. I had to come to terms with all this that is happening now and was very overwhelmed but I’m ready to face it all again. Thanks to reading here and other support groups on FB. I feel safe here and that is all thanks to you all. Thank you for reading my lengthy post and responding and encouraging me. I do have this and feel empowered to win this and become the best me possible. ❤️

I had 70 lbs to loose and have lost it all

Hi everyone, newbie here and reality is setting in that my surgery will be scheduled really soon. I am 50 pounds over weight and 5’0, I will be having the sleeve at the recommendation of my doctors. My story is long, but I first want to say that you all amaze me! To do what you have to do and be brave enough to go through surgery to get your lives back! In my readings here, you are all beautiful inside and out and I congratulate you all for taking care of yourselves, not only physically but mentally as well that is no easy task but you’re doing it!! I never in a million years would have opted for surgery before facing the situation I’m in. Yes, my surgeon had to convince me that this was the best option for me. My story begins back in December 2017 when I had an open hysterectomy that became severely infected and put me in wound care for 7 months, in February the wound vac was removed because it was deteriorating my skin and had wet to dry dressing changes and I was told that I needed to be careful for the rest of my life because I would be prone to hernia’s, fast forward to March 2018, my Dad was sick with pancreatic cancer and he had taken a very bad turn for the worst within a week, I helped my Mom get him to the Dr. When we got him home he was so weak he almost fell and I caught him. He passed away the next day. I was still under wound care with dressing changes. I saw pictures from when family was here and was shocked by how much weight I had put on due to my limited mobility. I decided in May to join Weight Watchers and was doing well and lost 35 pounds after being cleared in July 2018 to start walking and light exercise. In December 2018 I felt a bad burning sensation in my belly and thought it was my skin disease flaring up. My Dr ran some scans and low and behold I had a large hernia that developed. I was sent to a local surgeon who told me that I needed to lose 50 pounds fast, that WW was not good enough and that my stomach is in such delicate condition that he would not fix my hernia, that I needed a specialist and he referred me to a bariatric surgeon locally. They to refused to help me because my BMI was to low and insurance wouldn’t approve. This completely derailed me and on went 20 pounds! If they didn’t care neither did I!! My saving grace came when my husbands company told me they carry an insurance plan for situations such as mine! The heavens opened up and I began my journey to bariatric surgery. I was sent to Atlanta to consult with a specialist that will not only do the bariatric surgery but fix my hernia as well! The hernia will not be fixed until 3-6 months after the sleeve to ensure the sleeve holds without complications and no infections due to my condition and being prone to infection. Needless to say, I am having this surgery to get to having my hernia fixed, and to prevent any further hernias recurring. I am petrified of what I’m going to look like, as my belly is pretty deformed now from scar tissue, fat and the hernia. I am scared of the complications that can happen and the risk of infection. My surgeon has reassured me that the sleeve is the least risky, but there is still a risk. I am back down to only needing to lose 50 pounds to put me at 135 although my weight for my height should be 110. They would like me to maintain between 110-135 wherever I’m comfortable. I feel that I will become under weight and get sick, or look sick. I’m not sure how to address these fears because for me it is the fear of the unknown. I was given the option of continuing with WW and exercise and he will fix the hernia at 135 but there is the possibility the weight will come back and I will be right back where I started so backing out is not an option, the pain of the hernia is too much. I’m sorry this is so lengthy but this is how I got here and facing my fears have really hit me and I needed to get this out somehow. Thank you to those that read it and thank you for being an inspiration to many like me. Best wishes on your continued journey. 😊

Wow I have a bulging disc as well compressing on a nerve and I knee a total right knee replacement my team of doctors say I should get pain relief after I loose enough weight anyone else went through this.

I have 3 more months to go but these photos are encouraging I want to know how much weight you have to loose before the gastric sleeve.

Hi so how my weight they want you to loose before the sleeve surgery? Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

I wasn't told to stop losing but was told that BMI for bariatrics was different from people who didn't have the surgery because of the excess skin, so maybe that is why ? Our stats are about the same I am 5 6 and 165. Size 10 and med tops

the hair loss shouldn't be a concern. Even if you lose some (and not everyone does), it grows back - and for most of us, you're the only one who notices it. I hardly noticed mine at all - so there's no way anyone else would have. It would be rare to have it come out in big clumps and leave bald spots like it would for someone like a chemo patient. The loose skin would be more of an issue - that is, if the person cares.

Hey guys! I'm in a super weird predicament that I'd never thought I'd be in. I am in the beginning stages of weight loss surgery, scheduled to meet with the team in two weeks and then a few months until signing consent and getting a surgery appointment. Last month my common law partner of 12 years told me he is transgender. I never dated in high school, I have only ever been with him. So now at 31 and beginning this journey I find myself single. We are good friends so besides the financial and emotional stress there aren't any bad or hard feelings. But now I'm looking at making new relationships, both friendships and potentially eventually romantic ones. How do I do that during this process? Has anyone been there before? How do you explain to someone I may not always look like this, or loose skin and hair loss may be part of the process. I live in a small town, I don't even know how to begin the process of making friends as an adult, not to mention as an obese adult. Has anyone else been in a situation like this? Or have advice? Edit-- I should add that I am not looking to start dating right away, I'm not in that kind of headspace yet, but I am anxious about the day when I feel ready. Just the worries of ever being in a relationship again are on my mind.

Ha! It’s like karma is tellin me how much a 56 yr young woman with wrinkly skin has no beeswax wearin a bikini top! *snort* We r gonna slay this summer girl and I can’t wait until you wake up from surgery without GERD! That stuff is miserable and you’ve been handling it like a rockstar and with absence of whining! 🥳 (pssst that should totally be a title of a John Grisham novel!!!) 🎉🎉 Saying prayers for you my friend!!! And FYI I’m firmly on the Solidarity Train with you and your preop liquid diet. Think I have a few days of clears then move to full liquids for a week or two. Dunno the post progression plan yet. Will get that info today. ((Hugs))

I add them to my bcaas for the collagen which seems to help my skin.

Not to be a buzz kill, but collagen protein is worthless. I mean, it's not even debatable. Collagen protein is just a low-quality protein formed of only three amino acids. (glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) And those are not even essential. Meaning our body can make them out of other dietary amino acids. Any high-quality protein will have a PDCAAS score of at least 70, and often 90-100 (the maximum). Gold Standard whey for example has a PDCAAS score of 99. Collagen has a paltry score of about 14-16. If you absolutely must have collagen protein in the belief that it helps skin elasticity (which has been debunked), eat pork rinds or jell-o. They are made of the exact same thing AND have been reviewed by the FDA; which incidentally is the reason they have the disclaimer "Not a significant source of protein". Supplements are not reviewed by the FDA so they don't have to put that information on the package. Oh, and collagen protein powders can cost twice as much as whey.