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It happened to me with BOTH surgeries. Started around month 3 after my sleeve and my once really thick hair shed so much it thinned out to the point that I needed to cut my hair and change how I styled it so you couldn't see how much it thinned out. It finally stopped at 9 months, but then at 13 months out I had my revision, and it started again at 2 months out. Here I am 11 months out from the revision and it finally stopped. I got another hair cut and this time decided no more straightening my hair, and now the shorter length and the waves and curls really help hide the additional thinning. Honestly, biotin doesn't promote hair growth or prevent shedding. It just makes the existing hair soft, shiny, and somewhat healthier. The protein is what makes the biggest difference since hair needs it but can't produce it. There really isn't anything that will prevent or lessen the shedding. It just is what it is and has to run its course. I would use volumizing hair care products, have a shorter hair length, possibly style it differently, and just wait it out. That's really all you can do.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it will make no difference how much protein you eat in terms of how much hair you lose. It's like trying to water a rose in a vase and expecting it to start growing into a big rose bush. The hair follicles have already gone dormant. Now all you can do is wait for the hair to fall out so that the follicles can re-enter a growth phase. The hair strands that have stopped won't start again. This usually happens naturally in cycles so gradual and staggered that we never notice it. But surgery makes a bunch of hair stop at once (which it already did, months ago), and it is very noticeable until it all starts back up again. What protein and vitamins will do for you now is make your regrowth strong and healthy. So definitely still take them.

I am going to try and embrace it as much as possible since I chose this surgery but Im sure I will panic as much as I did last night lol. I am going to eat as much protein as I can to try and slow it down which I am unsure of how much success i will have but I sure am gonna try

Ah why do we do this to ourselves? Mind games. OP you've just done the best thing you ever could to secure your ongoing long-term health. Please trust your procedure and please follow your plan. It's there for a reason. A week out (and I had a sleeve not bypass so maybe slightly different) I think you need to be pushing for your fluid goal first and protein goal second. It won't harm you, it'll only help if you can get close, I promise. After that everything will be good. Not drinking in particular seems a recipe for disaster and a readmission for fluids.

Hello, I'm still hanging in there, things are improving a lil each month. Still have days where I'm pretty sick, but overall I'm feeling alot better. My doc did ask if I would want to try a revision to see if it would help, but I don't think I wanna take that chance with how awful my first round was. I'm down almost 80#s overall. 47# since surgery. So my weighloss is very slow going. I'm finally averaging 500 Cals a day and 53 protein. Each month I able to increase it a lil bit. Slowly working my way up. They said my weightloss will increase as I'm able to get my intakes up. Congrats to you on your journey you're doing great. I'm sure you will hit all the goals you set. Take care.

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The jumpstart to weight loss was obviously amazing, but I was surprised how quickly my usual body pain & aches stopped bothering me. My knee problems have basically vanished, and the lower back pain I had gotten so used to living with has gotten so much better. I can breath easier when doing things that used to have me out of breath -- going up 2 flights of stairs, for example. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The pre-OP shakes -- I'm lactose intolerant and have trouble with stevia, and there were no shakes my care team could find for me that didn't have one-or-both things, so I spent a good 8-9 days barely keeping anything down. The surgery itself went off without a problem, and the pain wasn't as bad as I thought -- other than the car ride home! If you get WLS, bring a pillow to clutch to you afterwards!! 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing during, nor after -- but I'm only 10wks post-OP tomorrow. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I too am on SSRIs for long-time depression & anxiety. Most days have been awesome and cheery. Even during the initial aches and pains of recovery, just knowing that things were going to start changing for the better improved my mental state. I still have bad moments / days but once I started seeing all the improvements to my life it makes it easier to push through. It certainly helps to have a good support system -- people in my life, but also honestly this forum. TBH I was in a #$%& mood all day and feeling lethargic, but logging in here I know that everyone here understands and it just makes me feel more settled. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? I am currently having a ton of problems with chicken breast. I hate 'dark meat' poultry, but tried chicken thighs recently and it's not too bad but still leaves me with a heavy feeling in my stomach -- still better than the stuck feeling in my chest that the white meat gave. I feel like no matter what I put on it or how I cook it, it's just clearly a No for now. That said, for the most part everything else has gone down well as long as I eat slowly, and make choices consistent with my care team's plan / schedule. Going from puree to soft foods was probably the hardest for me physically, because it felt so different in my stomach. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? It's early on for me, but the changes in my body's hormones seems to have stopped most of my cravings. When I'm having a rough time emotionally, I still have momentary yearnings for old 'comfort foods' but honestly just the thought of some of them will turn me off within a few minutes. (For some reason if I think about fatty oils too long, I just get nauseated). And many of my old comfort foods have just updated into healthier things I can eat. Instead of my mum's Dutch mashed potatoes, I have a smaller bowl of healthier mashed potatoes (or cauliflower, or heart of palm) with a scoop of bone broth powder to up the protein. Instead of spaghetti and meatballs, I have homemade meatballs and extra sauce -- or a ricotta bake instead of lasagna. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I've had one instance of dumping syndrome so far, and it was 100% my own fault. I knew what the culprit was immediately (white-flour leftover tortilla and more difficult chicken breast). I won't lie, I seriously wanted to die for probably an hour, and then slept the rest of the day away. It's horrid. I'm hoping that I've learned enough to take better care / caution and avoid any more instances. Other than that, recovery has been pretty smooth. All my incisions healed up without issue, the gas pain only lasted a few weeks and then there was just a strange tightness / mild soreness on one side of my body for the first 5-6 weeks. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I want to say 2-3 weeks. Around the time I started eating puree (week 3), my energy levels started bouncing back much more rapidly -- which let me walk more easily. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? 100% yes. NGL, sometimes I feel like skipping even though it's not suitable for someone my age, LOL. I feel like I've been more efficient at work post-OP just because of the energy improvement, and physically I notice the increased stamina every time I go on an errand or for a walk with my dog. (I tire her out now!) 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? For the better. Some of it is because the energy and the physical improvements make me feel better about myself in general, but part of it is kind of a trickle-down effect. I spend more time making good, healthy choices for myself, spend more time being mindful whether it's while I'm eating, or making a grocery list, cooking, etc. It's so much time spent on self-improvement and self-care. So I have less time to worry about what other people's secret thoughts or judgments might be and take people more at face value. I have less time to waste on people that bring toxicity to my life or can't respect my boundaries. It's like this microcosm of self-care made by investing my energy in my current journey has expanded it's hooks into the rest of my life. I feel like for the first time in my life, I am actually one of my top priorities. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I had moments of regret during dumping syndrome, for sure. But as soon as I recovered from that one bout, I was still happy I'd done the surgery. I think it definitely forces us to take ownership of our own health and making the best decisions we can towards that. I would recommend it to anyone who has struggled with weight loss and can honestly look at their life and see themselves living in this framework for the rest of their lives. By all accounts it seems to be incredibly important to keep it all up -- the vitamins and supplements, the healthy choices and portion sizes, etc. I would NOT recommend it for anyone looking for a magic pill. This takes work, will continue to take work.

Yeah I have a bunch of unflavored collagen powders that are good, I just cant count collagen protein towards total protein according to my plan since its not a complete protein. I still use it because its good for the body but it doesn’t count for me🤷🏻‍♀️

I was warned too but I figured no way it would happen to me! I really keep up with the protein and supplements, alas here we are I wish I had the confidence to rock a short do, I am pretty sad just looking up styles for when I get my hair done again in August. I know I am dramatic and pretty vain butttttt ya know LOL

Let me preface by saying I wash my hair 1x a week, I do bleach my hair (have been for yearssss), I eat over 100g of protein per day, take all my vitamins daily even extra biotin which has helped ( I think if not my lashes are longer) lol I did change my shampoo to Oplalex 2months ago, which after I looked it up had a law suit from women saying the product caused hair loss? My hair does shed and has since surgery but nothing crazy. I had my surgery about 4 months ago, and yesterday a very alarming amount of hair come out yesterday! I had my hair up in a bun didn't brush it, pure laziness on my part, but when I took it down and brushed my hair a ton came out...figured okay probably because of not washing my hair yet and not brushing/ putting it in a bun. After I brushed my hair and braided it because I took the kids swimming. Came home and washed my hair and put a hair mask in my hair which I do every week. And HOLY ISH! So much more hair! I yelled for my boyfriend and he was even taken back with how much it was. I am not sure if I need to prepare for the worst or if THAT WAS THE WORST. I brushed my this morning and the normal amount came out. Am I going to go bald?!

I am 6 days post op and down 15 pounds!! I feel great, just sore when I turn or bend a certain way. Getting excited for protein drinks starting Thursday.

I had sleeve surgery July 2023; 1. What was the best part of surgery for you? Everyday things, like my backside no longer taking up more than one seat on the bus, being able to comfortably close belt on plane seat, being able to walk with a bounce in my step, I now love clothes shopping etc. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? Severe complications from the day after the surgery which went on for months 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Yes, suffered from severe pancreatitis, had a leak in my stomach (twice), allergic reaction to medication given to me in hospital, blood infection. Ended up spending three months in hospital over a period of four months. Had to have another procedure last month also. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Life after so many months in hospital meant it took a few months to get energy back and was on a sick cert so not able to do anything but rest. Now almost 11 months later I feel great for the most part. Have found it difficult at times to cope with the food choices but now that I am on regular food I just have to try and stick to the smaller portions, eating slower and only an occasional alcoholic drink. I don't let anything stop me now, always carry a protein bar with me just in case I end up some place where the food isn't suitable. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? Months as I was on a feeding tube in the hospital and then the times they took me off it I had to go back to liquids and start the reintroduction phase all over again. Since February really that I am comfortable and now I am even trying foods I never ate before (I had homemade egg muffins today - used to hate eggs). 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? I used to consider popcorn a food group in its own right and ate way way too much of it so now just have had it a couple of times. I love potatoes but try to stay away from them. But these are my choices, not a case that I can't tolerate them anymore 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? Vomiting a lot when ill, couldn't even hold down water, but as part of eating only a few times and I know that it was because I ate too quickly. No dumping syndrome. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? 10 months 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? Yes but only now 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I fully believe I suffered PTSD as a result of the complications 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I regretted it for approx 9 months post op and was very annoyed with myself for deciding to have the op but that was only because of the complications and crap-fest I went through. Now I am through the worst of it I am starting to feel better about it all, I no longer blame myself (but haven't really forgiven the doctor yet) and I would recommend it if it is something you need in order to achieve a healthy long life.

Hello, I had surgery on 05/20, so just about a week out. Surgery went well, but Hospital stay was horrible as I was in so much pain and couldn’t even fathom drinking water. First day home was rough. The protein shake grossed me out and I struggled to get enough water. Not meeting the fluid goal, I think I’m averaging 40-50 oz per day but it is a struggle. it’s been 8 days, and I’m getting stronger everyday. I’m so surprised at how tired I am after showering and walking. I’m dreaming of pureed foods though. incisions are doing good, so far no issues with nausea but I wake up with heartburn. Down 26 lbs total. 20 from liver diet and 6 post op.

Soup making weather here in Australia. Bbrrr! My old faithful chicken & vegetable. Added a soup mix of barley, green & red lentils & green & yellow dried peas to bulk up the soup & the protein. Had a bowl last night, froze 5 serves & this pasta bowl is dinner for probably another 3 or 4 nights.

Yes, you are worrying too much, and if you are not hitting your protein and fluid targets because of this fear, you also risk endangering your health and recovery. Your stomach is stiff and swollen right now. It can't stretch out by having an extra sip of water or an extra ounce of food, though you might not feel well. On the other hand, spacing out food into small portions is appropriate. Just make sure you are consuming enough throughout the day and doing what your dietician recommends. I highly recommend you watch this video to put your mind at ease:

Isopure is nasty it does taste and smell like baby formula! And super expensive. I looked at some protein shots but there were so many that were collagen based protein and since its not a complete protein I just gave up looking. A truly flavorless protein would be great

I took it prior to surgery while I was still considering options. It did absolutely nothing except made my hair fall out. After about 90days. I didn’t go bald but it was definitely noticeable and I did find out that was a weird side effect. max dose for weight-loss and I lost zero pounds. It gave me headaches the first 2-3 weeks but other than that it was not worth it

Same here my guidelines are focus on protein and fluids. Calories are mute at this point because I am not really eating a whole lot of anything and its better to just focus on the basics. I was told that later on discussions around calories may happen if I need the help from my nutritional team but somedays I get like 600 calories and somedays I struggle to get 300. I am having a bit of trouble eating more than a few bites at a time of some foods. But I am about a month post op

There are times I look in the mirror and I love what I see. And there are other times I still see 421 pounds. I struggle so much with that. And clothing shopping just makes it all weird lol I have so many more really cute options now, but I never remember that. I just head to the plus size section until I'm corrected.

Did you ever have your procedure? If so, how did it go? I never knew there was a revision for the bypass. I had a revision from the sleeve to the bypass, so it's nice to know if I ever need another revision down the line, there's an option.

Meat here too. If we're not vegetarian or vegan (i'm not) then we have the luxury of mixing it up a bit. I do do lots of veggie soups with pulses or cheese as protein though - vegetable soup with barley and lentils, hot and sour lentil soup, broccoli and stilton soup, etc. Basically everything we eat post op has to pack a protein punch. If you build your meals around that then you won't go too far wrong OP. I also avoid ultra processed foods as much as I can. Basically anything with an ingredient that you don't have in your pantry you shouldn't put in your mouth - that's what made us obese in the first place. I do realise that I have the luxury of being able to cook pretty much everything I put into my mouth from scratch. Not easy if you don't.

Surgery was on May 1. Deep into the puree diet. 2 protein shakes a day and I mix up the meals with scrambled eggs, zero sugar yogurt, tuna fish, chicken salad, broth, cream soups, refried beans. Anywhere from a 1/4 to 1/2 cup, I'm learning how to listen to my body and when I feel full. Going back to work the first week of June. Hydration is still a chore but if I focus I can keep the right amount flowing. Once or twice I've had an urge to nap after my noon meal but no pain, nausea or anything like that. Feeling great!

Things are really swell. I'm on a regular diet and doing great with it. I am suffering from flavor fatigue from the protein shakes though. Also, I can finally get my seatbelt to fit me in the car! So happy.

I’m meat all the way. Big carnivore. Big dairy eater. (Not eggs over the last year as my tummy decided it now doesn’t like eggs for some reason). Though at times I supplement meat with plant based proteins like lentils or beans. Like I’m making chicken soup tomorrow & I’ll add lentils to boost the protein content. One issue I have with plant protein (specifically the faux meat) is it’s a processed food. So I’d rather eat real beef, chicken, lamb, etc. than a plant based version. I have tried a couple of vegan dairy options but there’s something about the taste & texture though it could just be me 🙂. We all find what works best for us in regards to food choices & nutrient sources & that’s the most important thing. It may be all plant or all animal or a mix of both. Any way is good.

Hi Tynisha! I don’t focus much on carbs, but I try to not go overboard. I eat crackers or a tiny PB&J as a snack most days and may have some oven roasted potatoes with protein for dinner. And I drink whole milk. What has been really important for me is making sure to eat three balanced meals a day, hitting my protein goal (around 110-120 grams daily). I have to have a protein shake or two with milk to get there. If you find you are eating too many carbs, it’s probably because you are snacking too much. If you focus on balanced meals and up your protein goal, you won’t be hungry/want to snack. Veggies and milk aren’t a big impact on carb intake, and help you feel full. Another good way to sneak in more protein is Greek yogurt. I like Oikos mixed berry. Fairly low on carbs/sugars and 15 grams of protein. Basically make sure you are getting enough protein, focus on feeling full from good food, and try to limit snacking. Has worked for me, and I’m still slowly losing weight almost 9 months later. Oh, and work out with weights. Since working out 3 days a week, my body composition has changed quite a bit. Best of luck! Dave

I tried the following recently: Truely Cereal - Fruit flavor. It wasn't bad, but it has a weird texture. It's made to look like fake fruit loops. Catalina Crunch - Keto friendly- Honey Graham. It's a very hard cereal so it required a long soak in my (oat) milk. Tasted fine, a little too sweet but not excessively so. Quaker High Protein instant oatmeals. I've tried a few flavors. Luckily my father likes them so he took sll the leftovers. Consistency and texture were fine, but they taste salty? Also they have actual (if reduced) sugars so I was hesitant to begin with. Didn't find it worth it. I've got an unopened box of Premier Protein - Mixed Berry cereal that looks promising. Fingers crossed. But that multigrain Special K looks right up my alley -- will be seeking that out.