Hi everyone! I am scheduled for my gastric sleeve for August 17th. I am 5'3" and 230 lbs so the doctor said I need to lose 100 lbs. Honestly I am super nervous and keep having thoughts of excitement but then I think well maybe I will just cancel it. Is it normal to feel this way? I would love to meet other people that are scheduled on the same month or around so we can somewhat do this process together.

Hey August Buddies! I finally broke through my last stall - I hovered at 203 forever... but it finally broke through with more exercise. I have been doing a regular regimen for my hair and **knock-on-wood** it's working. So I wanted to share with you what I'm doing.

1. Daily take high-quality grass-fed collagen in my water. This is what I currently use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074T8HKGF It has no flavor and dissolves great!

2. Collagen works best with a REAL FOOD vitamin C. It helps the body absorb and utilize collagen better. Not just a regular Vitamin C Ascorbic acid. Here is the link to what I use, and I swear by it. Here is the link: https://shop.drberg.com/vitamin-c-complex

3. I take 2 supplements a day of Dr. Bergs hair supplements. Here is the link: https://shop.drberg.com/hair-formula-capsules

4. Three times a week I massage my head to bring blood flow to the roots of my hair. Even pull and tug on my hair to give it circulation.

5. I use Morrocan oil on my hair after a shower. I try to only wash my hair twice a week to help keep its moisture.

So overall, I am trying to hydrate from the inside and from the outside, and so far it's working!! I've seen a little increase in hair loss, but nothing compared to when I was on Keto full-time.

I'm also doing intermittent fasting for 16:8. I eat for 8 hours a day and then I'm done for 16. It really helped me get over my stall too.

Hope this helps!

On 11/12/2022 at 5:57 AM, heartofmercury said:

Also losing my hair much faster than normal. When i see the amount coming out in the brush or shower it makes me sad. Has anyone tried collagen gummies?

I don't use the collagen gummies because they have too many carbs in them for me. But I will write out what I have been doing for my hair and its making a huge difference in keeping it. My hair dresser is pretty amazed and I'm happy about it I'll add it to another post!

I have, but I ended up liking my collagen powder better, I put it in my coffee.

Thanks, I drink coffee so that would definitely work for me too.

I don't use the collagen gummies because they have too many carbs in them for me. But I will write out what I have been doing for my hair and its making a huge difference in keeping it. My hair dresser is pretty amazed and I'm happy about it [emoji4] I'll add it to another post!

There are a lot of carbs...like 2g per gummy! Thanks for sharing what you're doing.

Hi all fellow bariatric buddies.
Sorry to hear about everyone’s hair loss.
I started Collagen powder 2 days after surgery as it was suggest by the nurse as one of many supplements I have to take. I wouldn’t know if I loose hair as I never brush it. Short curly shoulder length hair. But I do use a lot of hair products in hair.
I am still on soft/liquid foods. And can’t eat eggs on their own. Nor can I still stomach coffee(haven’t had it in 12yrs). Is there any foods you loved and can’t eat now?
I have become sensitive to eczema.

I have been able to stop my 5yr medication for reflux.
I tried a sip of hubbies coke no sugar 4 days ago. That was a mistake?

Im still loosing 1kg (2.2 pounds) a week. And can now get 3 of 4 wedding rings on.

On 11/14/2022 at 6:29 PM, I Am Enough! said:

Hey August Buddies! I finally broke through my last stall - I hovered at 203 forever... but it finally broke through with more exercise. I have been doing a regular regimen for my hair and **knock-on-wood** it's working. So I wanted to share with you what I'm doing.

1. Daily take high-quality grass-fed collagen in my Water. This is what I currently use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074T8HKGF It has no flavor and dissolves great!

2. Collagen works best with a REAL food Vitamin C. It helps the body absorb and utilize collagen better. Not just a regular Vitamin C Ascorbic acid. Here is the link to what I use, and I swear by it. Here is the link: https://shop.drberg.com/vitamin-c-complex

3. I take 2 supplements a day of Dr. Bergs hair supplements. Here is the link: https://shop.drberg.com/hair-formula-capsules

4. Three times a week I massage my head to bring blood flow to the roots of my hair. Even pull and tug on my hair to give it circulation.

5. I use Morrocan oil on my hair after a shower. I try to only wash my hair twice a week to help keep its moisture.

So overall, I am trying to hydrate from the inside and from the outside, and so far it's working!! I've seen a little increase in Hair loss, but nothing compared to when I was on Keto full-time.

I'm also doing intermittent fasting for 16:8. I eat for 8 hours a day and then I'm done for 16. It really helped me get over my stall too.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for sharing what you are doing.

You mention grass fed collagen. Since we don't have Amazon in my country, it's expensive to order here. Do you think marine collagen is as good? There are several local products with marine collagen, very popular but expensive, albeit not as expensive as ordering from overseas.

I didn't know there were different kinds of vitamin C, will definitely look into that.

Are the dr. Berg hair supplements large? I have serious trouble still taking large pills and supplements, due to nausea and gag reflex. I looked into gummy supplements that my hairdresser recommends, but they have a lot of carbs.

On 11/14/2022 at 2:36 PM, SuziDavis said:

I am 3 pounds for being under 300 for the first time in years, But I hit my second stall since September... ?

It's so frustrating!!!

The stalls are a bit frustrating. I'm having one too, but I'm not as desperate now as I was during my last stall.

I have passed my initial goal or getting under 100 kilos (220 pounds). My next two goals are 93 kilos (205 pounds) because then I will have lost an even 20 kilos from my highest weight, and then 91 kilos (200 pounds) which was what I weighed a decade ago after I had my son. Also, 91 kilos / 200 pounds for my height is the cutoff for obesity according to BMI, so once I'm below that I'm considered overweight but no longer obese.

I know BMI is not an exact science, but it still makes a difference to me psychologically. Initially, I wanted to be 91 kilos / 200 pounds at the end of this year, but maybe 93 kilos is a more realistic goal. Still, I'm thinking of taking up more exercise to help me reach my goals. I have 7 weeks to go until January 1st, so I should be able to lose at least 3 kilos, and maybe more. Fingers crossed.

9 hours ago, Sunnyer said:

Thank you for sharing what you are doing.

You mention grass fed collagen. Since we don't have Amazon in my country, it's expensive to order here. Do you think marine collagen is as good? There are several local products with marine collagen, very popular but expensive, albeit not as expensive as ordering from overseas.

I didn't know there were different kinds of Vitamin C, will definitely look into that.

Are the dr. Berg hair supplements large? I have serious trouble still taking large pills and supplements, due to nausea and gag reflex. I looked into Gummy supplements that my hairdresser recommends, but they have a lot of carbs.

Howdy! I've heard of Marine collagen and it is supposed to be very good as well. The product I get is from New Zealand and they might be able to ship directly. Here is a link to their blog - https://antlerfarms.com/blogs/articles/antler-farms-new-zealand-collagen

The Dr. Berg vitamin C is a chewable tablet so works looks just fine. The other supplements are standard-sized capsules. You could break them open and mix them into a pudding. I did that before I was able to swallow them again.

Some companies are coming out with sugar-free gummies, which is great, but it has not caught on for quite a few manufacturers. So until then, I want to stay with the sugarless options.

I hope this helps you

Today is month 3 since surgery. All together I have lost 55 lbs and 36 inches. I need to start an exercise routine. I think that’s my biggest growth area. But I am definitely happy with my progress. Very excited about this. This is a revision for me and this time it feels very different. My surgeon said my weight loss will be slow but I don’t find that to be the case. I think I’m progressing just fine?.

39 minutes ago, karakent said:

Today is month 3 since surgery. All together I have lost 55 lbs and 36 inches. I need to start an exercise routine. I think that’s my biggest growth area. But I am definitely happy with my progress. Very excited about this. This is a revision for me and this time it feels very different. My surgeon said my weight loss will be slow but I don’t find that to be the case. I think I’m progressing just fine?.

55 lbs is fabulous! Congratulations!

So far I've lost 47 at my 3 month mark. My weight loss has slowed down and I panic sometimes thinking I'm eating too much but it's coming along. Exercise is hard for me too. It's cold outside and I don't want to take walks ?.

I'm so happy for all of us! The first couple of weeks after surgery were hard but worth it.

Good for you! That's quite a milestone. I've lost nearly 40, it seems to follow 5 pounds, then a stall, repeat. I'd like to have lost more, but I don't have as much to lose as many people, so I have to factor that in.

On 11/22/2022 at 2:12 PM, AliceFD said:

Good for you! That's quite a milestone. I've lost nearly 40, it seems to follow 5 pounds, then a stall, repeat. I'd like to have lost more, but I don't have as much to lose as many people, so I have to factor that in.

You've still lost 40 pounds, which is a lot.

I did feel a bit bad, reading all the posts here from people who have lost 40+ and 50+ pounds, when I've only lost 36.

Still, I've never lost more than 10-15 pounds in the last ten years or more, and always ended up gaining them back. Normally, I'd lose the 10 pounds or so in a few weeks, then stall no matter what I did, and then regain. Sometimes slowly, sometimes more quickly. Sometimes I'd manage to keep 10 pounds off for a while, but it always ended the same way.

So, in that context, 36 is not too shabby. I hope I too will get to the 40+ pounds lost soon, maybe even this year.

On 11/22/2022 at 9:25 AM, LibbyAbby said:

55 lbs is fabulous! Congratulations!

So far I've lost 47 at my 3 month mark. My weight loss has slowed down and I panic sometimes thinking I'm eating too much but it's coming along. Exercise is hard for me too. It's cold outside and I don't want to take walks ?.

I'm so happy for all of us! The first couple of weeks after surgery were hard but worth it.

Congrats Libby! Felicidades @karakent. Lost 61.2 pounds since my surgery, feel amazing, have drop two sizes of clothes (maybe more from a size 28-30 to 26-24 comfortably, 22 snuggly). The surgeon cleared me for exercise, but haven't started yet, for me that's the difficult part. Hospital where I work has a 50% discount for employees in a Wellness Center, I will contact human resources for them to do the enrollment thing, after that comes from my paycheck I´ll force myself to go and think in the other amenities they have, like the sauna.

One of the things that hurts the most is losing hair, so I dye it and cut it, been drinking a lot of s... for hair loss and applying a lot of hair products, but I know it is part of the process and that hair grows back. I can´t believe those pictures are 4 months apart, my eyes have been always big, now they are like look like big big, my face is losing "the fat", I was afraid to look older, but I like what I see in the mirror.

2 minutes ago, KikyL said:

Congrats Libby! Felicidades @karakent. Lost 61.2 pounds since my surgery, feel amazing, have drop two sizes of clothes (maybe more from a size 28-30 to 26-24 comfortably, 22 snuggly). The surgeon cleared me for exercise, but haven't started yet, for me that's the difficult part. Hospital where I work has a 50% discount for employees in a Wellness Center, I will contact human resources for them to do the enrollment thing, after that comes from my paycheck I´ll force myself to go and think in the other amenities they have, like the sauna.

One of the things that hurts the most is losing hair, so I dye it and cut it, been drinking a lot of s... for Hair loss and applying a lot of hair products, but I know it is part of the process and that hair grows back. I can´t believe those pictures are 4 months apart, my eyes have been always big, now they are like look like big big, my face is losing "the fat", I was afraid to look older, but I like what I see in the mirror.

You look fabulous!! Keep up the great work!

20 hours ago, KikyL said:

Congrats Libby! Felicidades @karakent. Lost 61.2 pounds since my surgery, feel amazing, have drop two sizes of clothes (maybe more from a size 28-30 to 26-24 comfortably, 22 snuggly). The surgeon cleared me for exercise, but haven't started yet, for me that's the difficult part. Hospital where I work has a 50% discount for employees in a Wellness Center, I will contact human resources for them to do the enrollment thing, after that comes from my paycheck I´ll force myself to go and think in the other amenities they have, like the sauna.

One of the things that hurts the most is losing hair, so I dye it and cut it, been drinking a lot of s... for Hair loss and applying a lot of hair products, but I know it is part of the process and that hair grows back. I can´t believe those pictures are 4 months apart, my eyes have been always big, now they are like look like big big, my face is losing "the fat", I was afraid to look older, but I like what I see in the mirror.

You look great, and not at all older. That haircut and color also looks good on you.

I'm thinking of cutting my hair too, and maybe getting some highlights. I too worry about looking older and since I have wavy hair, I also worry that shorter hair will look like an old lady perm. But hopefully my results will be as good as yours.