Madam Reverie

Hey Loobylou. I'm actually 2/4 Irish, 1/4 Scottish and the remaining 1/4 - I'm a English mutt. But yes, I have the pale (prone to stretch marks) skin and fine, can't do anything with it hair! I may well give consideration to a wig if the sides of my head disappear any more quickly than they already are. I fancy a bright red bob... Hmm.. that's an idea actually! Roo - you're right, your wig is absolutely fantastic! I wouldn't know it was a wig at all! Is it real hair? LOL It is really interesting you said that, PdxMan. Although being dark and having a bit of a tache - its my legs which are starting to look like they belong to a baby gorilla! Weird. I didn't think it could have been the Biotin that caused me to go this way. Did the excess hair stop for you once Biotin had left your system? I'm thinking it might be worth continuing on with the Biotin and suffering the ape-legs so that it promotes the growth on my head... I think blondes do have more fun. Just need to look at my sister to confirm that. She's flaxen blonde and I am dark! Genetics are weird! Be afraid - be very afraid! lol Not really.. Everyone suffers it in different ways and at different levels. You may be one of the lucky few. I hope you are

Or is that GHD... D'oh...

I'll take 'cotton-candy'!! No, I will, seriously! That's what GDH were created for!!!!!

Thank you, darling xx xx

I've lost so much, pony tails are just not viable. I look bald to the temples... It sucks... and no lotions or potions are helping. Before anyone else messages me with the 'are you taking' question? Yes, I'm taking the works. It HASN'T worked. On that basis, no more suggestions please. I know you mean well - but I'm an intelligent (sometimes) girl and I have done significant research of which, NOTHING has worked. It is, what it is. My hair is still falling. It is genetics and my physical reaction to the surgery. There ain't nothing that can be done about it. Any questions in this regard are getting on my mammories. I really don't need any 'helpful' reminders that the hair, 'potentially', could not have fallen so much if I'd been taking x, y, z...shoving my head up a camels backside, or given **** to a horse! Know what I'm saying? I have tried it all. I'm bright enough to know that each individual has a different fall rate. No one knows until they spin the barrel for themselves. Come talk to me when you're bald and you've been doing xyz in endless quantities and its still not worked. 50, 60, 70, 150 grm of Protein? It's all balderdash! You fall at the rate that the surgery impacts upon you. Everything you ingest/apply just helps with the re-growth. I'm losing hair like nothing anyone has seen and frankly; I'm tired of it. I'm trying my best to minimise it. Its not working. I'm doing my best to disguise it in the meantime. Best I can do. Now.. Please, a little less of the shoulda, woulda, coulda? I have, I did, and it DIDN'T work! I'm still going bald with another (at least) 3 months to go. 'Nuff said? <sanitised appropriately>

I bought some of those fibers which disguise baldness/thinning and electro magnetically adhere to your hair this morning. I have visions of me moving my head and my disappearing into a cloud of fibers. What a great look that will be!

Be prepared to spend most of the moments, until you get used to it saying in your head and out loud... "Oooh, look at my hip bones sticking out'. 'Oooh! Look how bendy I am now!' 'Hmm...Do you think that chandelier will support my weight now? I think I'm going to swing off of it'.

Burning pain, mixed with hunger - could be excess acid. Take a PPI. As for eating - I can't see why, after you've replaced some of your fluids and you've relaxed a bit, you can't eat something very smooth like soup? As long as you stay away from the really lumpy stuff and have it little and often, you should be fine. Best to avoid regular up=chucking.

Thank you, all. Just felt like showing the world for information purposes what I'm personally dealing with. I am doing absolutely everything within my power. Biotin, Water, Protein, standing on my head - prayer It is what it is.. What else can I do? Nothing. I'm just hoping that it stops soon. I cannot sustain loss like this any more. The hair at my forehead and temples is getting thread bare If ever there was a reason to turn to drink - this would be it!

I have slowed down to a crawl since starting to work out the past 6 weeks. Before that I went down and up and down since thanksgiving so I guess I still averaged 1 pound a week since then but since working out it is highly variable. I was in Onederland for about 2 seconds till going back up. I think 0.5 a week will be the new normal. And that is if I am lucky enough to get to the 180s. But as I said my goal is fat percentage now < 30% and whoever that puts me. Did you say what your goal is? On this iPad I can't see your previous post when I type! I feel kinda bad that would need to lose 30lbs to have normal BMI. That's why I hate BMI. I will just watch the fat percentage. Maybe I'll still need to lose 30lbs but at least I know and accept that fat% can take a while to change at this later stage. I, too, hit onederland for 5 minutes. For some reason, that benchmark is a bloomin' hard one to go past. My goal is 175 to be 'normal' (20lbs to lose for BMI 24.8) , I'd have to lose another 13.5lbs on top of that to get to BMI 23.5. My current fat percentage at BMI 28.3 is 38.12%. It is depressing. For my prides sake though, I do want a normal BMI for the first time, in like, ever... I think this is going to be a long hard slog.. And there was my nutritionist telling me I'd lose more quickly, because I was taller. Bunkem!

If you don't mind me asking.. What exactly is it about the surgery you regret?

I've bounced up and down by a couple of pounds?

You go girl! You can do this! x

Not wanting to be a spoil sport, but I won't complete it without a declaration at the start of the research as to what it is being used for.. and not just 'market research'. For the UK the code of conduct is: https://www.mrs.org.uk/pdf/2012-02-23%20Regulations%20for%20Non%20Research%20Purposes.pdf And for the USA... http://www.casro.org/?page=TheCASROCode The company doing the research - here's a list of their clients... http://barimark.com/services/clients-partners-and-projects/ I'm sure this is all innocent and above board. But please, Alex, ask your 'good friends' to do it the right way, if they're going to do it at all....

Guys, I am in EXACTLY the same boat. I am approaching 6 months out and the EXACT same thing happened to me. IndiAllie/Boogiebabe, it is like you reached into my head and pulled out my very experience. I have started logging things on MyFitnessPal to improve my accountability. I don;t think there's much more we can do - other than be mindful that from this point we're going to have to now 'work' at getting our last bits of weight off. Its all about our accountability. As I have said before - if I cock this up? I absolutely have only myself to blame. So lets agree to not let it happen to us? Whaddya say?

Where this article falls down... (and I'm not getting into the weeds of surgery efficacy/complication rates) 'Birch says no one knows how many Canadians are travelling to Mexico for weight-loss surgery, but he estimates the cost to the Alberta health system of addressing complications to be in the millions.' - Yep, this is based on estimates. No one has clearly assimilated all the data of the number of repairs which have been conducted. That is a fault on the part of Canada in not joining the procedural and organisational dots. So it's a pretty broad brush to be painting the whole of Mexico's bariatric surgery establishments with. '“There isn’t enough information out there; there aren’t enough warnings about the significance of these procedures,“ he said.' - Information available where? There's plenty available in the patients' home country. I can't believe people are on a whim waking up and thinking 'Oh, I know. I'll just jump a flight to Mexico without doing any research and have most of my stomach removed'... Oh, wait... someone clearly did! “We’ve seen patients really suffer and struggle, spend a lot of money and in some cases spend years trying to get better. And not everyone does.” And this is based on their 'experience' of patients, with no metrics provided, of which they don't know the true number or are unwilling to disclose in the article, whom definitely had sub-standard bariatric surgery or complications after surgery, directly relating to the procedure and aftercare or lack thereof, specifically in Mexico? 'is one of more than 60 people being treated at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for complications from weight-loss stomach surgery, many of which were performed in Mexico.' 'More than 60 people' - okay, that's a start on the metrics - 'Many of which were performed in Mexico'. Close, but no cigar! Just how many of these people went to Mexico and of these, how many follow-up procedures were directly related to the procedure itself or the lack of aftercare? 'Birch and Wong said relying on testimonials from satisfied customers is not the same as an assessment from a team of medical professionals, including a surgeon, psychologist and dietitian.' - Yes, this is absolutely true. However, we're back to that personal accountability issue when originally researching the surgery and making the decision to go to Mexico and signing those papers that absolve the clinic of ALL post operative responsibility! 'Birch said Medical Tourism agencies should be regulated in line with Canadian health-care standards of practice for assessment, followup and informed consent.' - Lovely ideal, as they are indeed operating in Canada and it should happen. However, it would never happen due to the actual hospitals themselves then requiring to adhere to Canadian operating procedures. They'll just shift their operations out of the jurisdiction and become entirely web based. I feel for the lady who has suffered greatly.. But this is rather sensationalist journalism. Caveat emptor is not just a latin phrase solely applicable to bariatric surgeons in Mexico..... But then, why would they publish the other side of the coin for failings in bariatric procedures in Canada, too? 'Cause it just wouldn't sell the paper and push people through fear to pursue 'better' state-based options.... I have a thorough disliking of the media, me....

I like 'em! And you look fabulous! x

I am 37, I started at 250 and my goal is the 175lb mark - ish. I have 20lbs to go and as it stands, I'm quite chuffed with how my skin is going back. This does come with a caveat, however. I think with regards to 'the flap' and all of the body, really - it is about your body type. Belly - If you had the overhang (and I mean real overhang) when heavier - you are definitely going to have a flap when you've lost the weight. This is particularly pertinent to those women who have had children. I have not had children, but I did have the flap. That biatch is gonna be gone as soon as practicably possible. If you're one of those people who carry their weight in a fairly even distribution, so you have a 'flat' stomach of sorts, but you're just big all over - then you may be very lucky and just shrink, and shrink in proportion. As for every other area? My arms - they have a bit of bag (bingo wing syndrome), but they are improving. I will not require an arm lift. Again, this is also dependent on the fat distribution of your arms. If you carry your weight on your arms and they're a little bit disproportionate to the rest of you - expect to have some element of 'bag' there. I have bag, (i had it from gaining and losing before) but it is getting better and I think when my skin finishes doing its thing, I'll be okay. Legs - Same with my legs. I have been left with some flexible pads in between my thighs. They, too, however, are receding. Again, as with the arms, it depends on your proportions prior to surgery. I had big legs, but they were kinda even in their fat distribution and I didn't have any stretch marks. Consequently, they're going back okay. Would I revert to my youth and try and wear a thigh-high skirt? No. 2-3 inches above the knee will be quite sufficient! So I guess the only time my thighs might come into play is when I wear a swimsuit and frankly, if they continue to do they're thing, I'll be happy. Boobs - My boobs have taken a battering. I have gone from an UK E cup, to a D cup.. They're definitely looking empty and droopy. This is an area I will consider having work on at the same time as my belly. Exercise? I walk like a trooper and have natural muscles. I'm not gyming it up as of yet. I want to see what my body does with itself before I say 'okay, I need to do this'. As far as I understand it, drinking lots of Water is the only thing that can help your skin. Moisturizer is a topical preparation which will help with suppleness; but if you want to hydrate the skin and improve your chances, you do it from the inside. No one can really tell what's going to happen to their bodies in the long term.. Its age and genetics. I think the best gauge would be to potentially look at some before and after plastic surgery photos. If you see something that looks like your body type, thickness, cellulite, physical construction - then it should give you the best idea. What I would say though, is that don't let the skin thing put you off. This is singularly the best thing I've ever done for myself and whether or not my boobs are cleaning my shoes without the application of some serious upholstery - I do look and feel much better than I ever had before. Nothing is insurmountable. Skin? Its a worry, but it is by no means a deal-breaker.

If it makes you feel any better, I have gone through 3 significant 'stalls'. 3 weeks, 3 months and now, although not technically a 'stall' month 5-6. I, like everyone else, has obsessed about it. Even got myself on MyFitnessPal in the belief I was caning the calories. However and as of yesterday, I measured my body and took my weight. Although imperceptible to my tiny brain, I had in fact lost some weight; 4lbs in 7 weeks (which is a bit slow). However and more significantly, I'd lost 7 inches on my body. That's quite a lot when I only have 20 odd pounds left to go... Hold tight. Keep doing what you're doing and all will be well.. We all hope!

Don't be frightened, Lala. We all get the jitters as the date approaches. I had a lot going on in my life approaching my surgery date - so I pushed it back by three weeks and went on holiday to get some sunshine and reflect. The time gave me the space I needed to weigh up all the pros and cons. On reflection, the pros dwarfed any cons I could identify. Nearly 6 months out and apart from the stall frustration - I am a very happy camper. I suggest you write yourself your own list of pros and cons and see where that takes you. You might be in for a surprise. The best of luck with whatever you decide

Way to go! You look amazing!

You wait.. I have PCOS and am on pills to stop my periods. Guess what?! I've had 5 periods, two of which lasted over 17 days each! Our reproductive systems are fighting back!

At approaching 6 months out, I can eat 1200 calories plus without a second thought. It really is scary. I have resorted to using MyFitnessPal to make sure I hold myself accountable.

For me and at the start, it was how little I could eat. Consequences - nutritional deficiencies, hair loss, tablet taking for the rest of my days. Basically irrational fear. 3 months out, mourning one of my biggest pleasures - which was eating like a pig, effectively. Consequences - feeling like I had been cheated. This of course is ridiculous, because when you see the weight coming off, you start to feel like a new human being and know how much good you have done yourself, because you have removed the ability to gorge yourself. 6 months out, realising my stomach has relaxed a bit and I can eat far more now. Knowing that the last 20lbs are going to be hard bloody work to get off and that to maintain this for the rest of my life, I am going to have to be REALLY careful that I don't graze, don't max out on my calories - because it is now easy to do. For me, the biggest challenge across the board has been accountability. I was and am highly accountable in every area of my life. food, I had no accountability. Now, I have full accountability, because I actively chose to have half my stomach cut away. If I cock this up? The only person I have to blame is myself.

'this isn't the first time'... Texting a woman or cheating? My heart goes out to you, honey. x