My Journey began May 14, 2013 at 216 pounds

After waiting for a year to have insurance I was finally able to get my journey started. I did everything that I needed to do so I could have this surgery. My doctor is Ernest Cudjo, his staff and the other doctors with him are very good at what they do. One of the scheduling staff said that I went through all of the tests needed so fast that my surgery was set up for May 14.

I started the pre-surgery diet with no problem and I lost 15 pounds before the surgery. Then the big day came and I was ready, the surgery was a success and I healed up quicker than I thought I would. I am feeling better about myself and I'm looking at food differently. It has not been easy but I am trying to stay on the straight and narrow.

But lately I have been having a lot of issues and haven't been on the straight and narrow. I have gained three pounds and I am totally disgusted with myself and I don't know what to do. I have no will to stay away from sweets and carbs. I am an emotional-stress eater. I go in May for my 1 year post-op visit and I hope and pray I don't gain any more weight.

​I haven't been able to do my walking because I have fallen on the ice 5 times and the fifth time was a killer. My hip was dislocated and it still isn't right. It really hurts if I walk for any length of time. I really want to do some sort of exercising but it hurts. I feel that if I don't get my life in check I'm going to be a failure with this surgery. And it makes me wonder if I should have had the Bypass Surgery instead of The Sleeve. I was doing so good........I'm feeling hopeless

You are stressed over 3 pounds? That could very easily be water weight. You know how the diet works and what you should and should not eat. Get back on the program and lose what ever you have gained. You've done it before and you can do it again. Is there any way you can ride an incumbent bike for exercise? It will do just as much good as walking and is less stress on your hips. Address what is stressing you and make changes. Only you can decide what you want to do. Eat and gain weight vs. sticking to the diet and keeping weight off. You choose.

The diet works! I also could not exercise for 8 weeks due to a broke foot. I consistently lost 1-2 pounds a week for those 8 weeks. I have been given the green light for exercise. I'm restricted to 30 minutes on the bike every other day but it works! Since i've started exercising again I have dropped 6 pounds this week.

Thank you for the boost I needed and now I am back on the diet. But I don't feel any different I feel fat and bloated. Maybe I should get some Water pills to get rid of the excess water in my system. I may get some and try it out and see if it does help. I'll keep you posted.

I have one more question, why would I be losing my hair? My hair has always been thick for the most part but now it is really thinning out. I don't want to lose all of it. My daughter told me of some stuff to buy to stimulate the growth of hair. At this point I'm ready to try anything.

Hair loss might be due to not getting enough protein (70-100 grams daily). Hair loss is quite common with weight loss surgery.