Hey everyone. My name is Claire and I'm 29, I recently had my lap-band removed and converted to the gastric sleeve. I had my surgery on 12/4/2019 so I'm almost 2 full weeks out. I've experienced a number of emotions since the surgery but most prevalent at the moment is depression. I feel so sad and so overwhelmed with how much weight I have to lose. After the lap-band I lost over 100lbs, my lowest weight was 154. I managed to gain over 200lbs within the last 5 years, where my alcoholism and addiction became increasingly problematic until I got sober 2 years ago.

I'm impatient and I want the weight to "fall off" like everyone told me it would. All of the comments from friends and family like "you're going to lose weight so fast, you'll look so great" were nice before the surgery, but now I find myself feeling pressure and unsatisfied with my progress in 2 weeks. I've lost 22lbs since surgery. I'll have my 2 week post-op appointment tomorrow.

I'm following my post-op diet and have been drinking plenty of water, protein shakes, some yogurt, and some thinned soups. I eat less than 400 calories a day.

Logically, I know that 22lbs in 2 weeks is great but I still feel so depressed and discouraged. I'm not sure what's going on with me. I know I have to make lifestyle changes to lose weight and keep it off, I've done it before and I know I can do it again but for whatever reason my brain is telling me that I'm going to fail this time. It's scary. Just looking for some support or advice from others.

Thanks,

Claire

9 minutes ago, despacit0w0 said:

I had my surgery the 2nd and I have been weepy a couple of days just mourning life in general and being overwhelmed at my new normal/abnormal.

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It is a rough transition. I remember 2 days after my surgery I was laying in bed and thinking "why did I do this to myself?". It's getting better everyday. Please feel free to reach out if you need to talk! I had a lap-band put in when I was 17 and just converted to the sleeve, so I've been dealing with this weird life for a while. Hoping you can find your way out of that funk soon. It's going to get easier.

22 pounds in two weeks is awesome! Make sure that you are getting enough calories... talk to your doctor about that since not getting enough can stall weight loss. Also, when we (ladies) lose a lot of weight, especially quickly, our bodies release estrogen which was stored in our fat. That can make us have PMS type symptoms for a while. Lastly, try taking some vitamin D. That may help perk up your mood. It does wonders for me. You’ve come so far, be proud of yourself! You’ll get to where you want to be as long as you keep making progress, even if it’s in baby steps. ❤️

Just now, Jenny867 said:

22 pounds in two weeks is awesome! Make sure that you are getting enough calories... talk to your doctor about that since not getting enough can stall weight loss. Also, when we (ladies) lose a lot of weight, especially quickly, our bodies release estrogen which was stored in our fat. That can make us have PMS type symptoms for a while. Lastly, try taking some Vitamin D. That may help perk up your mood. It does wonders for me. You’ve come so far, be proud of yourself! You’ll get to where you want to be as long as you keep making progress, even if it’s in baby steps. ❤️

Wow, I didn't even think about PMS or anything in that regard. Mmm, my medical team didn't highlight this topic either. I have endometriosis and fibroids, hopefully this isn't going to be an issue for me. I'm not going to change my mind however, surgery is a must.

4 minutes ago, Krimsonbutterflies said:

Wow, I didn't even think about PMS or anything in that regard. Mmm, my medical team didn't highlight this topic either. I have endometriosis and fibroids, hopefully this isn't going to be an issue for me. I'm not going to change my mind however, surgery is a must.

Talk to your team about it. It might help with the endo and fibroids. Also, talk to your OB too. I don’t think I’ve been overly emotional yet, but I’ve had very active dreams, which I was told was another side effect of the hormones release. And it’s only temporary, so don’t let it deter you. We’ve got this!!

18 minutes ago, Jenny867 said:

Talk to your team about it. It might help with the endo and fibroids. Also, talk to your OB too. I don’t think I’ve been overly emotional yet, but I’ve had very active dreams, which I was told was another side effect of the hormones release. And it’s only temporary, so don’t let it deter you. We’ve got this!!

When I shared with the OB team about my journey to wls and etc., they looked totally confused. I'm finding out that lots of doctors have an inadequate understanding of Bariatric medicine. All doctors should have to go to training and learn how Bariatric medicine affects their patient's health and preexisting conditions.

I'm 3 weeks out and only 14 lbs down since surgery. I've been struggling with constipation and have only gone once "on my own" since I've been home. 22 lbs is a lot! I also heard that once you start soft solids it starts to come off quicker. Not sure if that's true but I think you need to reign in your expectations. I've had to myself because I don't see a difference and have felt frustrated but I've lost 30 lbs since I started my liquid diet pre-op. That's a lot. So I need to stop expecting to hit goal by 6 weeks lol keep doing what you're doing. It seems to be working just fine.

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Claire, I blame shows like My 600LB Life and Fat Doctor for these expectations. The average weight loss is 2-4lbs per WEEK. So you losing 11lbs per week is OUTSTANDING and something to shout about, not to be depressed about. ((hugs))

But I will tell you, that as you rapidly lose weight, the fat will give off some serious hormones that will lead you into and out of cyclical isolated spots of depression. But the important thing to know is that they usually pass. If you see your's are not passing, please contact your surgeon and RD and ask for vitamin testing and also for a referral to a bariatric counselor?

I felt alternately joyful, depressed, angry, super energized, optimistic--the whole gamut of emotions. LOL. Then my fat liberated and the hormone storms dissipated.

And I only lost something like 12-14lbs the first month? I'm now at goal #3. I'm 131.4 today.

1 hour ago, FluffyChix said:

Claire, I blame shows like My 600LB Life and Fat Doctor for these expectations. The average weight loss is 2-4lbs per WEEK. So you losing 11lbs per week is OUTSTANDING and something to shout about, not to be depressed about. ((hugs))

But I will tell you, that as you rapidly lose weight, the fat will give off some serious hormones that will lead you into and out of cyclical isolated spots of depression. But the important thing to know is that they usually pass. If you see your's are not passing, please contact your surgeon and RD and ask for Vitamin testing and also for a referral to a bariatric counselor?

I felt alternately joyful, depressed, angry, super energized, optimistic--the whole gamut of emotions. LOL. Then my fat liberated and the hormone storms dissipated.

And I only lost something like 12-14lbs the first month? I'm now at goal #3. I'm 131.4 today.

Wow, that's amazing! Congratulations and thank you for your feedback. I am starting to feel better about my progress and have moved to mushy foods. I'm very thankful to be able to get down some good protein. Hoping the scale will start moving!

Here's a great article from one of my favorite bariatric counselors!

http://theshrinkonyourcouch.com/feelingsarentfacts/?fbclid=IwAR3T75ATJhyXq39vJN-OybIa0yNIwAe9mq4lgxrQ6vACf6wgrz7xUhWOAnk

Claire,

I think a LARGE majority of us here have gone through a period of "buyers remorse" where we have thought, "Why the HELL did I do this to myself???", usually in the first few weeks after surgery. You've done remarkably well! Just hang in there--as you recover more and more it will get easier, and you'll look back and laugh that you ever regretted your decision!

9 minutes ago, clairegabr said:

Wow, that's amazing! Congratulations and thank you for your feedback. I am starting to feel better about my progress and have moved to mushy foods. I'm very thankful to be able to get down some good Protein. Hoping the scale will start moving!

Make sure you are following your surgical team's progression timeline. Don't advance your diet ahead of time.

Congratulations on your sobriety Claire! You’re doing great! I can only hope I lose 22lbs by my 2 week mark. It’s all a mind game but all will be well! You got this!!

On 12/17/2019 at 1:29 PM, clairegabr said:

Hey everyone. My name is Claire and I'm 29, I recently had my lap-band removed and converted to the gastric sleeve. I had my surgery on 12/4/2019 so I'm almost 2 full weeks out. I've experienced a number of emotions since the surgery but most prevalent at the moment is depression. I feel so sad and so overwhelmed with how much weight I have to lose. After the lap-band I lost over 100lbs, my lowest weight was 154. I managed to gain over 200lbs within the last 5 years, where my alcoholism and addiction became increasingly problematic until I got sober 2 years ago.

I'm impatient and I want the weight to "fall off" like everyone told me it would. All of the comments from friends and family like "you're going to lose weight so fast, you'll look so great" were nice before the surgery, but now I find myself feeling pressure and unsatisfied with my progress in 2 weeks. I've lost 22lbs since surgery. I'll have my 2 week post-op appointment tomorrow.

I'm following my post-op diet and have been drinking plenty of Water, Protein Shakes, some yogurt, and some thinned Soups. I eat less than 400 calories a day.

Logically, I know that 22lbs in 2 weeks is great but I still feel so depressed and discouraged. I'm not sure what's going on with me. I know I have to make lifestyle changes to lose weight and keep it off, I've done it before and I know I can do it again but for whatever reason my brain is telling me that I'm going to fail this time. It's scary. Just looking for some support or advice from others.

Thanks,

Claire

Claire, are you born-again? I.e. Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? You could rely on Him to help you!

On 12/17/2019 at 3:29 PM, clairegabr said:

Hey everyone. My name is Claire and I'm 29, I recently had my lap-band removed and converted to the gastric sleeve. I had my surgery on 12/4/2019 so I'm almost 2 full weeks out. I've experienced a number of emotions since the surgery but most prevalent at the moment is depression. I feel so sad and so overwhelmed with how much weight I have to lose. After the lap-band I lost over 100lbs, my lowest weight was 154. I managed to gain over 200lbs within the last 5 years, where my alcoholism and addiction became increasingly problematic until I got sober 2 years ago.

I'm impatient and I want the weight to "fall off" like everyone told me it would. All of the comments from friends and family like "you're going to lose weight so fast, you'll look so great" were nice before the surgery, but now I find myself feeling pressure and unsatisfied with my progress in 2 weeks. I've lost 22lbs since surgery. I'll have my 2 week post-op appointment tomorrow.

I'm following my post-op diet and have been drinking plenty of Water, Protein Shakes, some yogurt, and some thinned Soups. I eat less than 400 calories a day.

Logically, I know that 22lbs in 2 weeks is great but I still feel so depressed and discouraged. I'm not sure what's going on with me. I know I have to make lifestyle changes to lose weight and keep it off, I've done it before and I know I can do it again but for whatever reason my brain is telling me that I'm going to fail this time. It's scary. Just looking for some support or advice from others.

Thanks,

Claire

Tuesday will be 3 weeks since surgery. I have lost 32 pounds. I felt GREAT until maybe last Wednesday and I started feeling very tired and grouchy. The weight loss stopped which I know its still soon. This weekend has been bad, I feel very depressed for some reason. I know it will get better, just gotta get through this dry spell

This is called hormones. You are actually losing a tremendous amount of weight in a very short time. Fat tissue stores up all kinds of things, like hormones and inflammatory chemicals. These get released as the fat is broken down. Your liver is working very hard to do this job, and it is rough and rocky for a while. The emotions really will settle down as the hormones settle down. Your body has a lot of healing to do. All you have to worry about right now is sticking to the plan each day. The rest will take care of itself. Congratulations on 2 years of sobriety! There will be temptations to slip back into former addictions as you give up your food addictions, but again... nothing to stress about now. Just get through the next couple of months, one day at a time. This is a lifelong journey and it happens just one step at a time. You have just as much chance of being successful as anyone else - just stick to the plan. You got this!