MichiganChic

Great job and congratulations!

Great job, and congratulations on such a wonderful success! You look great, and you must feel great, too

At 4 days post op, things are really swollen and sore, so I'd say it's normal to notice it. The swelling will go down over the next couple of months.

Great job! It's an accomplishment!

I know it's hard not to think somehow you have the one body that does not respond the same, that you are never going to lose weight, etc. We all thought/think that. You just have to allow your rational mind to be in charge - there is no way a person can gain WEIGHT eating 800 calories a day. It's water weight, and will come off in a day or two. I'm not going to tell you not to weigh every day, because I never miss a day. I do try to watch the trend week to week to see how I'm progressing, rather than day to day. Everyone fluctuates, and particularly obese people do. Think about it like this - you are losing fat even though your tissues are hanging on to water, so when you shed the water, the scale will show it.

Wow, your loss is impressive, and that's a total transformation! And, not only do you have good skin, you also have good hair!! Fiddle my friend, you are thin and fit, you got it ALL!!

I don't worry about it for me. I just hope I can get to goal!

Mine started thinning at 3.5 months and is still falling out, though it seems to have slowed. I went to a dermatologist and they gave me injections and a topical ointment. My hair wasn't very thick to begin with so I couldn't afford to lose much. I've been taking biotin since before surgery and always get my protein in.

I will do it!

I wanted to see a 3 digit loss by 6 months, and it's not going to happen. And I usually get what I want, particularly if I have any control over it. That should tell you something - that it does not happen for everyone. I follow all the rules and eat right. I don't eat sliders or junk. I don't think the fact that I'm not losing 100 pounds in 6 months negates the fact that I've lost nearly 80 in 5 months, feel a million times better, and think the amount I've lost is pretty great. I have about 80 to go, and I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen in the next 6 months. I've come to terms with it, and as long as I continue to feel great and slowly lose, I'm still way better off than I was. I think if you set your expectations realistically, you will be OK. There is no way to know in advance how it will go for you, except it is certain that if you have unrealistic expectations that your body can't produce, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you can take it as it comes, you will be able to enjoy the loss as it comes. Good luck.

I DON'T have rheumatoid or fibromyalgia, and I didn't do much better at first. I had to rest after I showered, and while I wasn't in the bed, I was in a chair, a lot. It does get better, and the aches and pains I had are gone. It's so much easier doing everything when you weigh less.

Thanks for the pep talk Not to worry, I'm not giving up, not giving in, not quitting. I do think I've done well, and wasn't really whining. Just to clarify, I said some people don't lose much, but I'm NOT one of them. However, I'm a little stuck right now, since I've lost about 3.5 pounds during the month of May. I just think that people expect to lose weight steadily, and while some people do, many don't, and it doesn't matter that they are doing all the right things. It's just the way our bodies work. If people have unrealistic expecations about WLS, they will be disappointed, so I think it helps to share this type of experience, too. Again, that was a very nice pep talk. I think I will kick fat in the ass

The first few weeks are really rough. It got a little better each day, but it was very slow progress. Eathing and drinking were a chore, and yet, it's frustrating to be able to eat nothing. Nothing tastes right, and you have no energy. By the end of the first 8 weeks, I felt pretty good. Each person is different, but don't read all those "I feel so great 1 week out" posts and think that's the norm. You had major surgery, so feeling a little rough is normal. It will get better.

I don't have any regrets at 5 months out. I don't know if I'll ever lose another pound, but with 78 pounds gone, I feel so much better. The first couple of months I wasn't so sure because I felt pretty bad, and worried all the time about potential complications. I had an infection for the first 7 weeks post op, and leaks and DVTs (blood clots) can occur during that time, too. I was fortunate, my infection healed with no lasting issues, and I had no other complications. Now I live a pretty normal life. My advice to you is to read the complications forum threads. You'll get a pretty good idea of what can and does happen to real people. If you can live with the possibility of those things happening, then at least you'll have made an informed decsion. While the risks are low, when you are the one with the complication, it's 100% all you. There are people who had serious complications and lived to tell about it, and still don't regret thier decision, but some do. It's all about knowing YOUR risk tolerance

I wish I had known it would be several weeks before I felt good again or had any energy. You read about people posting how easy it is and how they had so much energy so quick - not my experience at all. I also wish I had known that some people do everything right and still don't lose weight, or lose much. I am not one of them, but now at month 5, I am still doing everything right, and I'm not losing much, and I have a lot to go. The surgery is a risk in many ways, and there is no way to know the outcome and how your body will respond.

I also started higher, and am 5 months out today. I've lost quite a bit, so it can be done. Sorry to hear you had issues. How are you, and what type of complications have you had?

You are super cute and look great iin yours. Some things are not meant to be shared, and me dressed like that is one of them, lol! Too scary for general public = Still fat + 50 years old + road worn! Anyway, good for you and anyone else who can! I'm impressed

Cake? Did someone say cake? I heart cake.

There's no way to predict. Most likely, you'll be fine. I felt pretty bad for the first month, but after that, so much better. If you have a serious complication, you won't be going on a honeymoon at 2 months out. If you don't have a complication, you are probably going to feel better than you do today. A benefit is that the long flight to Ireland will be much easier to tolerate if you 30-60 pounds thinner, but a potential risk is DVT - deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots. Risk goes up after surgery for as much as 90 days, and being overweight increases the risk, as does long flights. I would discuss this with my surgeon because he/she can advise you on your risk. Also, the potential for shedding a lot of weight in that time frame is high, so you would probably need some last minute dress alterations. It's a big dilemma for sure, and I wish you luck whatever you decide.

It really depends on your insurance policy, give them a call.

You look wonderful!

Congratulations, that's awesome

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the odds are not in your favor. Not saying it's 100% certain you will lose hair or how much, but it's better to not to waste energy fretting over something you can't do much to prevent. I took biotin since before surgery, got all my protein in every day, and still started losing at 3.5 months. I went to a dermatologist last week, and they gave me some injections and a topical steroid to slow the loss and speed growth. I sure hope it works! I also started with hair on the thin side, so I couldn't afford to lose it at the rate I am. Hope it works out better for you.

Wow, great accomplisment! You look wonderful!

I'm a pear at my thinnest and also at my heaviest. I don't think your basic shape changes.You lose weight all over, but your proportions stay about the same. My waist is currrently about 10 inches smaller than my bust, and 15 inches smaller than my hips. I've lost about 24 inches from all over my body, and I'm pretty much the same ratio as I was at the start, with the only difference being my abdomen is thinner/flatter. I was never big busted, and those puppies are deflating!! Still, it's better than the alternative