Search the Community

I dealt with the same thing and honestly, it messed with my confidence at first. I looked into surgical options eventually and found Mommy Makeover Seattle, which wasn't just for moms—it included procedures like body lifts that helped tighten up things after major weight loss. That gave me a boost. Until then, being upfront with dates helped a lot—people were way more understanding than I expected.

Hi , I'm 14 months post surgery, I've lost 120lbs , I have 14lbs left to my goal, I started losing my hair at around 4months post opp , I take all my vitamins, my bloods have come back ok , my hair loss is still happening, it has slowed down, when will it stop ? I try to hit my protein goal but some days i don't hit my target, I can't lose any more hair, its making me feel so low , any advice please

I just checked and at 2 months, I was down 20.6 lbs from the day of surgery. There's really not a hard and fast rule for how much you'll lose. Everyone is different and it depends on your starting point and how much you lost pre-op, too. I had some months when I lost a lot and other months where I hardly lost anything, but overall it moved steadily downward. My weight loss has stalled for the past month or so, now that I am more than a year out. The only guidelines I was given was 60g minimum of protein per day and 64oz water. I am now almost 14 months post-op and I've gone from 225 lbs on surgery day (251 was my highest, which was 6 months pre-op) to anywhere from 162-165lbs. My exercise consists of walking and that's it. I'd like to lose another 10 lbs but I'm also pretty fine with where I am as long as I don't gain (which is why I do hope to lose a bit more). I've gone from a size 22 to a size 12. I think I could still lose a bit more if I focused on cutting out some bad habits that have crept in with sweets/simple carbs, and if I increased my daily exercise to something a little more challenging than a walk. I don't count calories and I don't really track macros at this point, either. I just try to eat reasonable meals that focus on protein and veggies, and not snack too much or eat junk food too often. A typical day is either spinach frittata, Kodiak protein oatmeal, or a Greek yogurt for breakfast, plus a serving of mixed fruit (strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, grapes. Lunch is a good size spinach salad with 3oz chicken and some black beans. Dinner might be a bowl of homemade chicken, bean, and veggie soup, chili, or maybe some grilled meat and veggies. Sometimes I eat chickpea pasta with marinara and meatballs but other types of pasta and breads don't settle well. For snacks, I like string cheese and an apple, or some mixed nuts or roasted edamame. I have to be careful of overindulging in things like popcorn, candy, and cookies because they are too easy to eat without getting full (and sadly I don't get dumping from them). Red meat fills me up very quickly. The hardest thing for me now is dealing with the head hunger that makes me want to reach for food if I am bored or stressed. Getting the stuff out of the house completely is the only strategy that really works for me with that. My only real advice is don't drive yourself crazy. Just do your best each day and pay attention to your body. That's more important than counting calories. You're not on a diet! You need to figure out what you can sustain for the rest of your life, while paying attention now to the basics (protein and water, plus vitamins) to keep up your health.

I never got information about that either. I was just told the portion size and to eat the protein first. I'm 6 months post op and to be honest, I don't even think about macros or calories except to make sure I get protein in first. That's probably not good for me in the long run, I know, but counting calories has been to much for my mental health at the moment so I've been focusing on portion size and protein.

I know nothing of Herbalife so I am half informed. I know that any gain in this early stage is of benefit. Its tough to drink enough never mind eat our protein quota. I would say - go with what works for you until you can manage something better.

I completely agree with all your points. Herbal life has had a really bad reputation for years plus for the reasons you pointed out. Plus, I too wouldn't do soy, as "Soy contains phytoestrogens, which are plant-based compounds that can mimic estrogen in the body" why add to hormones when you're trying to get protein not hormones. Especially since the release of fat our bodies are metabolizing after surgery release extra hormones as it is!

Is Herbal life still in business? Gracious. They have had a bit of a controversial history over the years so I would probably avoid them too. There’s a lot of protein shakes available including through here. Sure others will recommend ones they’ve found to be good for quality (& value).

I was never given macros or calories just portion size recommendations & it came from my surgeon not the hospital. I was told to begin with 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée stage gradually increasing to a cup at 6 months. I was also told 60g protein & keep low fat & low carbs. And I clearly remember my surgeon drawing a picture of a plate and sectioning it off to show the portion of protein, vegetables and carbs on a plate I would be consuming at a meal when I was in maintenance. If you think you’ll feel more comfortable with having more guidance, keep pushing your dietician or surgical team. It comes down to what you feel you need to be most successful.

They probably didn't give you any calorie values because they don't want you worrying about that yet. As long as you're not eating more than the recommended amounts, you'll be fine. As to macros, the absolute minimum recommended protein amount would be 60 grams, but really, shooting for 100+ would be better. It can be hard for some folks to hit that higher value early on, so as long as you're getting a minimum of 60, you should be okay for now. Just try to work up to 100+ as time goes on. Eventually, ~1 gram per pound of bodyweight would be a better target for protein, but I'd be surprised if you're able to get there at 2 months post-op. I wouldn't worry too much about carbs and fats at this point other than to say you do need a bare minimum of fats to make sure you get your essential fatty acids. In short, eat the recommended portion sizes, aspirationally shoot for 100 grams of good quality protein per day, at least 30 grams of (good), fats per day, and the rest can be carbs. Your carbs should ideally be from whole food sources like veggies, grains and fruits.

From ACS I understand it has more complications. SG also is the most convertible procedure if I ever needed a revision. I’m also concerned about too much malabsorption. I’ll talk with my surgeon, but if RYGB is my only option I’ll need to reassess my personal risks.

Thank you for point this out to me. I will do some research on other protein powders. I was just looking for a quick fix for the boredom.

Honestly Herbalife as a company has pretty a bad reputation, so I personally would steer clear. I'm also not a fan of soy protein (which I believe is what they use), so that to me is another red flag. A third red flag for me is the sheer number of ingredients in their protein powder. I'd rather have a cleaner product personally. At the end of the day, it's going to be better for you to use this and meet your protein goal vs. avoid it and not hit your protein goal. For me, I'd look elsewhere.

Good morning all... I have been getting bored with my protein shakes so for the last 2 weeks I have been going to this nutrition store to get a protein shake and tea every morning. The protein shakes and tea are made with Herbalife products. The shakes are 24 grams of protein, and the teas have a bunch of vitamins. What are your thoughts on using these as part of your plan...

I was swallowing my normal pills the next day in the hospital but I was also drinking pretty good. And when I got home I could take my tablets just fine. If you are worried, though, order some bariatric advantage chewables. They taste decent and you can get them with and without iron. I actually took them the first month just cause they are a little lower iron than my SADI specific vitamin and I wasn’t eating as much to stomach the iron. It won’t hurt to have a couple of options on hand. Even if you have auto ship (which if you don’t have that you should look into it once you know what works for you because you save money and it’s one less thing for you to remember) you can skip a shipment anytime if you end up with too many vitamins. Also the bariatric advantage calcium chews are a good alternative to tablets and they are quite tasty (like candy). I still take them because I like them. They are a bit pricey but for the first month you don’t have to worry about swallowing issues and them being individually wrapped and not needing a drink is pretty convenient. I just keep a handful in my pocketbook and they are always with me when my alarm goes off. For the multi vitamin I use the procare health They are quite complete and reasonably priced. On their site you can do authorship and save some money. My labs have alway been great. Even now while I’m in the middle of chemo and have diarrhea everyday. That is one thing to keep in mind though. What works for me may not work for you. Whatever you do decide to go with take it with you when you go over your labs. You doctor may want to see how much of a specific vitamin is in there. They all have the same stuff for the most part but they have more or less of the different vitamins. If you end up being low in something you can always add that one vitamin but if you high you may need to switch to a different multi that has less a little less of that vitamin. I did the Pro care health multi with 45 mg I believe of iron after my sleeve and post revision I do their multi for the SADI which has higher ADEK and IRON that we need after DS or SADI. Ooh and it’s not a bad idea to eventually have one multi without iron on hand for days where you need to fast like lab days or if you aren’t feeling well and can’t eat enough to take it. I mean for twice a year you can just skip it but I’m doing a lot of labs and stuff right now that require me to miss it so I ordered an iron free and I feel better than I’m not missing all the other stuff at least. Also be sure to tell you Dr you take a BARIATRIC multi because some labs can be thrown off with the higher levels of vitamins. And if something is way off just google that and vitamins and see if that could be the issue to mention to your dr. I think it was biotin and cortisol that was my most recent one that was thrown off.

Your surgeon (or their team) should provide you with a list of the liquids you can consume during the pre surgery stage. If they haven’t yet, ask for a list so you can start to prepare. There are variations between surgeons as to what you can and can’t have at this stage. For example some are three meals of protein shakes a day & that’s all. Others are four shakes. Some are two shakes plus one meal of a lean protein & vegetables. Some are not shakes but milk. Mine was keto. So you can see we can’t really tell you what your surgeon may require for this diet or require specifically for you ( your current weight, pre existing health concerns, etc.) But as a help, start weaning yourself off caffeine, carbs and sugars now because when you start the pre surgical diet the withdrawals from those foods can be pretty tough (headaches, lethargy, irritability, poor concentration, etc.) It usually passes after five or so days but that first week wasn’t called hell week for nothing by my surgeon’s patients. All the best.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am hoping it'll be a smooth recovery but I understand it's a huge procedure and costly, it's still something I believe will help me along my journey. I just feel so uncomfortable with my arms, way more than the loose skin on my belly and legs. I understand it might not be as drastic as some other cases on here and in no way did I mean to compare myself to anyone else's struggles. It's just something personally I have had trouble with and wanted to know how the recovery process is and how you view yourself after. My surgeon said there's two people that usually come into his office. The first one is someone who doesn't have enough loose skin and doesn't really qualify for a brachio (they are more looking at lipo and skin tightening procedures). The other patient is someone who has huge amounts of excess skin (people who've lost between 150/200 lbs with poorer skin elasticity) and have no other options except a brachio (less invasive procedures would not make a difference). He said I sit right on the cusp of absolutely needed a brachio to see the results I want. He said my skin elasticity is good but it won't ever bounce back to a normal size without skin removal. He said I could do skin tightening I believe they call is morpheous body but it won't get rid of the flap of skin under my arm. He suggests it to his patients who qualify who are more concerned about scarring. I personally don't care about scars. He also noticed I have a lot of loose skin folded over on my bra line so he is recommends the brachio with the bra line skin removal procedure for me. Of course I want brachio, but I am going with what my surgeon thinks is best and that is the removal of the skin. I included some other pics, sorry I don't take the best pictures but hopefully, you can see my arms a bit more if you were curious what my situation is. Again, I am in no way comparing my physical shape to anyone else. We all have different circumstances, bodies, elasticity, goals, etc. I don't have the photos from my surgeon yet (the before, clearest photos) but you can see more of my arm hangage here in these photos. No, it doesn't look super obvious when I wear long sleeves pic for reference (I am always wearing long sleeves) however I personally would like to have a brachio to feel confident in t-shirts without that arm flap wacking against my side.

Sounds like a really rough time. I hope you can be gentle with yourself. I hear people here say that going back to protein first, veg second and carbs a long way back in third can help them get back on track. I'm 3.5 years out and regained 7kg last year. I'm working at getting it back off. Have you kept going with exercise and if not can you reintroduce that too? Please let us know how you're progressing.

I try to build in my habits with protein so I don’t have to think about it. I use the bariatric hot chocolate in my coffee every morning that’s 15 g of protein. I like 5% Faye yogurt. I do like protein shakes. Costco has chicken breast strips already prepared for you in 3 1/2 ounce servings for like 15 bucks, those are great go to snack where you don’t have to think much about it. It’s like 24 g of protein 140 cal. Premier protein makes a three pancake pack with 15 g of protein. That’s another easy breakfast grab with the hot chocolate in my coffee, which is delicious and pancakes. If I try to feed my kid that I’ll at least get one that’s 5 g of protein. Often times I end up eating all three. Also from Costco Amy Lou brand mix of chicken sausage for breakfast. I like to microwave that real quick six links I think 260 cal 24 g of protein. I will not get my protein if I have to rely on myself cooking it, I know that soI’m always on the lookout for a good clean quality of protein source with minimal calories and good taste.

You just need to fuel ahead of your activities. Proper amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates spaced out through the day. a quality protein carb snack before strenuous activity.

Ooh, I'm here too, and it's been very interesting. I've started drinking a protein decaf coffee again to add a cup of fairlife skim milk to my day. I know that some of us need to be very careful about carbs, I need more carbs to support my exercise which is basic strength, walking, and the 2x weekly run. I add an extra apple, gluten free pretzels, and popcorn (which is totally ok for me in my known portions). I also add a few days of cashews, easy to eat and high nutrient density. I would say if you aren't going to track calories (and why would you if that isn't your favorite) then it would be helpful to add a specific snack/food etc and have that extra every day for a few weeks and see where that gets you. If you continue to drop weight, increase it, if not, you have likely found your maintenance diet. The thing that has been most eye opening for me is the fact that I can occasionally go over and not see any consequences for one day of overdoing it. In the past that would have been hell to take off again, now it just seems to regulate like a normal person. I had surgery 1/24 and have been at my same weight since 11/24. I'm not fighting to stay here, I'm struggling with some head hunger vs real hunger, that was to be expected, but otherwise it's been such a different reality from presurgery.

Hiya Sweetie, You could try adding an extra protein shake to your day, you could sip it in between meals. Or how about a cappuccino or latte at around 100 calories. xx

Yes this has happened to me, so I asked at the gym. Most of the folks prevent it by having a protein shake during and after a workout. I tried it and it works for me too. The shower tiredness just went away by itself as I built up momentum. I do shower mostly in the morning, after a workout in medium to cold water (1800’s house old pipes). I asked diabetics that maintain a healthy weight what they do when their glucose levels drop, and most of them said to eat or drink some fat/ protein combo so you don’t cycle up and down again. I stay away from sugar recovery because it just makes me dump immediately like a bad rollercoaster ride, like they said. I asked adult type I diabetics that grew to adulthood well, and successfully had children and grandchildren. There’s one old dude at church that’s 85 and has great-grands, but he uses a sugar recovery. So, you’ll have to do your research and see what works for you.

My snack go to is cottage cheese. But for snacks I tend to go with cheese, Greek yogurt and nuts to try to get my protein in.

Many of you know my story. Was two months shy of turning 54 in 2019 when I got my sleeve. Lost all my weight & more and was successfully maintaining that low weight. I began gaining weight from puberty: about a stone a year. Then I started my 60-75kg weight diet/regain swing from my early 20s until peri menopause & menopause hit and then seemingly overnight I was 91kg. Nothing I did moved that weight. Hence my decision to get a sleeve. I experienced some weight regain (good 2 almost 3 kgs) almost 4 yrs ago after I had my gall removed. We worked out I had an absorption issue and wasn’t absorbing protein well or it turned out my HRT tablet (hot flushes, etc. had returned). Switched to a patch and lost the weight without doing anything & no menopause symptoms. Had a hysterectomy in September 2024 & then couldn’t access the HRT patch I was using (damn supply chain issues) & this is when my body turned against me again. ALL my menopausal symptoms returned: hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep, headaches, creaky joints, acne, etc. & weight gain. Only three kgs so far but that’s in the last three months. And so here we go again. My body working against me. Since this regain began in January (used my last HRT patch in December & was my usual weight at the end of Dec) I’ve made some modifications to my eating. Dropped a snack, reduced some portions (which were still only recommended portion size or a little less). I eat pretty carefully anyway & stick closely to my plan of eating. Was eating about 1600 calories a day and now am probably at about 1300/1400. So at the very least I should have slowed the regain but nope. It’s scary & upsetting. I recognise it as being how my body & my hormones work (or don’t work!) but that doesn’t help. My doctor is trying to help me sort out alternative HRT but nothing is working yet as it all involves at least taking one tablet. I wish I was completely past all this hormone crap & I wish supply chain issues for pharmaceuticals were a thing of the past for everyone affected. I so wanted to be my maintained slim self when I turned 60 in 4 months. I always have been overweight at significant birthdays. This one was going to be different. The way I’m going I’ll be a stone heavier. Not overweight but more than I want to be & have been happy at. Very sad face.

@Mspretty86 oh that is great! My food noise came back around a month ago, basically when I halted the exercise and got my P.S. I felt really outta control, but now Im back at it, I always meal prepped but my snacking was outta control so now I do 3 whole food clean meals. 1 snack and dessert like protein ice cream. Making sure I stay in my calorie deficit but eating enough to get them gains in the gym lol