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! ?

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!

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.

3 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

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.

Oh great point!

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

HAIR LOSS: I haven't lost any more since having the surgery. I already had thyroid problems and thin/fine hair, so I was worried about losing anymore. I've been taking Biotin pills and using Nioxin and Minoxidil and have actually gained some hair.

TOO THIN: Probably not anything to worry about. Our bodies self-regulate.

LOOSE SKIN: So far mine has stayed elastic, even at my age (54). There are plastic surgeries to take care of that after you lose the weight if it's a problem for you.

DEHYDRATION: I've never had a problem getting in way more than 64 oz of fluid each day. I sip, sip, sip all day long.

On 07/17/2019 at 09:48, catwoman7 said:

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.

Whew! Thank you! I feel ready just these little tidbits are worrying me. Congratulations on your journey and for helping me to understand these little things. ?

On 07/17/2019 at 09:38, FluffyChix said:

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!

Thank you! Awesome advice and I do feel much better about things now. Congratulations on your weight loss journey! ?

On 07/17/2019 at 10:19, GradyCat said:

HAIR LOSS: I haven't lost any more since having the surgery. I already had thyroid problems and thin/fine hair, so I was worried about losing anymore. I've been taking Biotin pills and using Nioxin and Minoxidil and have actually gained some hair.



TOO THIN: Probably not anything to worry about. Our bodies self-regulate.



LOOSE SKIN: So far mine has stayed elastic, even at my age (54). There are plastic surgeries to take care of that after you lose the weight if it's a problem for you.



DEHYDRATION: I've never had a problem getting in way more than 64 oz of Fluid each day. I sip, sip, sip all day long.

Thank you! There is hope for me! My final appearance is such a concern for me. Maybe because I’m a “little disfigured” now. I’m 49 and will turn 50 on 8/31. My surgeon is also aware of my concerns and he completely understands them also. Which is a great feeling. He encouraged me to start all this “training”. He said it’s like training for a triathlon, train till your ready! I just more concerned after reading some of the concerns here and other support groups on Facebook. You all helped me to refocus on the prize. Thank you. Congratulations on your weight loss journey. ?