JamieLogical

Really try to focus on one day (even one minute) at a time and be VERY VERY patient. It may seem impossible in the moment, but you really will get better, feel normal, and reach your goal weight someday. Have faith and be patient.

I'm surprised your NUT or surgeon didn't tell you this from the very beginning. I was told early on that it was one of the reasons I needed to take extra calcium, despite eating a lot of dairy.

I wasn't getting headaches, but was getting very dizzy after working out. Someone initially recommended those little GU gel pouches that runners use to refuel. But then someone else pointed out that those contain the exact same kind of sugar as gummy bears. So I just started buying gummy bears from the bulk food section of my grocery store and eat 5-7 of them after every workout. It seems to have helped some.

I went through a phase where I added a little Kashi cereal (the highest protein option) to my Greek yogurt in the afternoons before I worked out. The little burst of carbs helped me get through my run, but it was still a high protein snack. A bowl of cereal with milk? Seems like a big waste of space with not enough protein.

Every surgeon in Tijuana has patients fly into San Diego and provides a shuttle across the border. It's a very standard practice.

How far out from surgery are you?

thank you so much for this, very encouraging, I'm 3 months post op and lost only 20 pounds, everyone keeps downing me and saying it should be more, I rather it be 20 off then on ,so again thank you As long as you stick to your program: get your Water, Proteins, Vitamins, and activity in and the scale is trending down overall, then you will get where you are going eventually.

If it's any consolation, barring any complications, you really don't need to see/speak to your surgeon again post-op. I never spoke to my surgeon again after my surgery. I had a little scare with a potential infection at my drain site (turned out not to be infected) that another doctor in my surgeon's office handled. I got follow-up physicals and blood work from my PCP. And I corresponded directly with my nutritionist for all my post-op diet and vitamin questions.

If you are still early out, fatigue is a real issue and if you want to start introducing more intense exercising, you will have to increase your calorie intake. As counter intuitive as it might be, not eating enough calories to sustain your level of activity can actually stall your weight loss. That being said, you should absolutely increase your activity level, because regular exercise will be critical to losing and maintaining down the road. If your knees are a concern, you should look into low-impact options like biking (stationary is fine for the winter), elliptical, or swimming.

Hahaha. Posts like this... you'd think I'd work up an immunity to them after over a year, but somehow they just suck me in every time! First of all, 26 pounds in 6 weeks? That's an average of over 4 pounds a week! That is VERY fast by any standard. So I don't even know why you are complaining. That being said, there is literally NOTHING you can do to control your rate of loss, beyond just sticking to your plan. Some people lose quickly, some people lose slowly, some people lose quickly then it slows down, some people lose slowly then it speeds up. You know what ALL of those people have in common? They lose weight! I wish there was some way to impress upon you (and I know there's not because I actually was a slow loser and it took me a long time to figure out how to accept that) that rate of loss doesn't matter. It really really doesn't matter. You will get where you are going. This is not a "diet" and you will never be "done" so what does it matter whether it takes you 6 months or 16 months to get to your goal? Ten years from now will you look back and say "I really wish I'd reached goal 2 months faster"? Nope. It won't matter AT ALL. You will be happy and healthy and maintaining your weight. I really was a slow loser. WAY slower than you. I "only" lost 14 pounds my first month. I "only" lost 8 pounds my second month. I "only" averaged 6 pounds a month for several months after that. And I "only" lost 2-4 pounds a month as I approached my one year surgiversary. And you know what? All of those "only"s still got me to my goal weight where I've been maintaining for almost 4 months.

It seems pretty crazy that there is only one hour a week that he does follow-up appointments. I mean how many surgeries has he performed? How could he possibly follow-up with everyone in a one-hour window? Definitely seems like something they should have disclosed to you prior to surgery. That being said, I had my VSG in Mexico and I did my follow-up physicals and blood work with my PCP. So you might want to meet with your PCP and ask if he/she would be willing to order blood work for you to ensure you aren't developing any deficiencies.

This is an important step that I forgot to mention in my earlier post. Definitely talk to your PCP about your plans and ensure they are willing to do follow-up blood work. You will want to monitor your blood work for the first year post-op to make sure you aren't developing any deficiencies. My surgeon provided a nutritionist who I was able to consult with via phone and email both pre and post-op (and I met with her in person when I had my surgery). She has been amazing in answering all of my questions promptly and thoroughly and she provided exhaustive pre and post-op diet instructions. She also contacts me regularly to check in and make sure I am still on track with my nutrition. You should definitely make sure that your surgeon provides similar resources.

1. First question may be a bit silly and I know everyone has their own unique experience, but I'm wondering what to expect on the actual day of surgery. For some reason the surgery itself doesn't make me nervous because I know I have an excellent doctor, but being put to sleep makes me a little nervous. Also, I'm nervous that I'll wake up into excruciating pain.. Is this the case ? Either way I know eventually it will all be a minor detail but I'm just curious to see how others have reacted to surgery. For me, there wasn't much pain when I first woke up from surgery. Honestly, not a lot of pain even in the days following surgery, other than gas pain. My main problems immediately upon waking were disorientation and feeling very thirsty. I remember feeling like I wasn't in control of my body and not really knowing what was going on. I was moaning a lot and I didn't know why. It was unpleasant, but not painful. 2. My second question has to do with hair loss. Is there anything I can do from now to prevent my hair from falling out/ thinning. I know getting in my Protein is key, but is there anything else I can do? I know not everyone experiences hair loss but for those of you who have.. What did you do to tackle this problem? How long before it began to grow back ? There is likely nothing you can do to prevent hair loss. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. If it makes you feel better to feel like you have some level of control, you can start taking Biotin (really only strengthens hair, doesn't prevent loss or cause regrowth) and make sure to get as much protein in as early as you can post-op. There are three main things that cause hair loss in bariatric patients: anesthesia, protein/mineral deficiencies, and rapid weight loss. Any one of those things can cause hair loss in ANYONE, bariatric patients just get the triple whammie. My hair loss started in month three and only lasted about a month and a half. It began growing back immediately. 3. My third question has to do with excess skin. Again I know each person is different and there are many factors to this. My question is did anyone find that toning exercises or any kind of body butters/lotions help at all? This is a lot like the hair loss question. There are some things you can do to potentially minimize it, but if it's going to happen it's probably going to happen. Also, no one can tell you if anything they did actually helped, because there is no control study to know what would have happened if they HADN'T taken the steps they did. Here are the things you can do to maybe minimize loose skin: Stay well hydrated. Drink lots and lots of Water. You should be doing that anyway, but it's great for your skin. Moisturize daily. There are a LOT of products on the market, but most seem to recommend products with shae butter for improving skin elasticity. Take your supplements. Studies have shown Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beef Gelatin to improve skin elasticity. Tone with strength training. This will at least help "fill out" some of your loose skin with muscle where you've lost fat. I have done all of these things and I still ended up with loose skin. Is there LESS loose skin than if I hadn't done these things? Only God knows. 4. My fourth and final question has to do with pregnancy after being sleeved. I don't plan on starting a family for another 4-5 years but I'm curious if the sleeve has affected anyone's pregnancy.. Did anyone find it hard to take in the proper nutrients ? Was it hard to bounce back from pregnancy? Did any complications that may not be obvious arise due to the sleeve? Having never been pregnant and not having any intention of getting pregnant, I can't help you with this one.

If you are self-pay and open to the possibility of traveling to Mexico, then I HIGHLY recommend you do so. There are excellent surgeons in Mexico and you will receive excellent care for a fraction of the price you'd pay in the US. Although, you shouldn't base your decision solely on price. You should look at the surgeon's accreditations, how many years of experience they have, patient reviews and testimonials, and the facility the surgery would actually be performed at. You might also want to look at the accommodations you will be provided pre and post-op when you are not staying in the hospital/clinic. Do your research. Talk to patients of the surgeons you are considering. Really consider whether your preference is to have your surgery in a hospital or surgical center (there are pros and cons to both).

If you had a high starting weight and no pre-op diet, 24 pounds isn't outside the realm of "normal", but as everyone else has said, there really is no way to say for sure. If you are concerned, you should call your surgeon's office.

You only mentioned lactose intolerance in your post. If there are other barriers to getting your Protein in, then that's one thing. But if it's just lactose intolerance, by three months post-op, there are plenty of non-dairy protein sources available. What other issues are you having besides the lactose intolerance? Are you having problems with nausea and vomiting? I know that can be a real issue for many post-op. My surgery-buddy, who had her sleeve the same day as me at the same place, had problems with nausea and vomiting for months after surgery and it affected her ability to get in ANY food, much less her required protein.

I checked out the website you link and love it! Thank you! And thank you everyone who is commenting! That baked ricotta is so amazing. You feel like you are getting to eat REAL FOOD!

If you are self-pay and already living in San Diego, then you'd almost be crazy NOT to go to TJ for the surgery. The price difference between the US and Mexico is huge, Mexico has amazing surgeons, and you don't even have to worry about travel the way most of us do. Glad that your US doctor will handle your follow-ups. My PCP here in the States was great about that as well. I think it's a huge help to know you have doctors backing you up at home.

I was sleeved September of this year and I wasn't able to drink premier shakes or milk(prior to surgery I could drink both). I hope it changes so I can drink them too.. Have never hit my Protein goal since surgery Now that you are three months out, you should be able to get protein from lots of other sources besides shakes and milk. You should be able to eat solid foods now, which means meat, Beans, nuts.... There are also lactose-free protein supplements if the surgery has made you lactose intolerant.... No reason not to be meeting your minimum protein requirement by now.

I would say some sort of pudding, mouse, or jello? There are a lot of sugar-free options available.

@@pr_pitbullgrl You're still only 2 months out, so you have a long way to go. At two months, I definitely couldn't eat anything I wanted either, and I was kind of where you are now with the whole eating because I had to, but not enjoying it thing. I assure you that it continues to get easier and easier and you will be able to eat pretty much anything you want to eventually. The problem there is making sure you continue to eat the RIGHT things and get enough Protein in. If you start swapping out protein for carbs, just because you CAN eat carbs at that point, that will lead you down a bad path. I am 15 months out now and I still ALWAYS put protein first. I eat a LOT of "bad" things now compared to what I did a couple months post-op, but I still always make sure I get my protein in beforehand. So, for better or worse, the ability to eat a large variety of food does come back. You just have to make sure you are really in control by then.

Yikes. Dairy was a big staple for me in those early weeks especially. I relied heavily in cottage cheese and yogurt. Without those options, I think you may have to do a lot of Protein shakes and things like Unjury's protein chicken broth. It'll probably be a ittle while before you can actually handle meat of any sort. I remember the first time I tried tuna once I was allowed and it sounds like your experience with the chicken. It was like lead in my stomach after only a couple of bites. Hang in there! Once you are onto solid foods, you will have a lot more options. But do try your best to get in your Protein Shakes at least for now.

I didn't progress through any of my food stages early. Even though I "felt" fine, who knows what was really going on on the inside. It wasn't worth risking my healing or causing a leak just so I could chew food one day sooner, you know? I actually never once pureed anything during my pureed phase. I drank my Protein shakes, had strained cream soups a LOT, and used the recipes on Shelly's page (mostly the baked ricotta) here: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html I did a lot of cottage cheese and yogurt. And once I was allowed soft foods, a lot of scrambled eggs and soft cheeses.

That is no lie about plastics being the real challenge! Compared to my plastics, VSG was soooooooo easy.

First of all, are you on a PPI? Some of what you are describing as "hunger" and stomach grumbling could just be excess stomach acid. If your surgeon didn't prescribe you a PPI post-op, you can buy them over the counter (Prilosec or Nexium) at just about any drug or grocery store. How are you eating chicken already at a week post-op? Are you at least pureeing it? There is NO WAY I could have handled food like that so early on. A week post-op, the most "solid" food I was allowed was drinkable yogurt and I think maybe cottage cheese? I was mostly on Protein shakes and strained Soups at that point. But as for your bigger question about whether you will ever feel normal again, I promise you will! That was my biggest question and concern in my early weeks post-op too. I must have asked that question a thousand times. I dreaded that I would always feel uncomfortable and irritable and tired! I was worried I would never be able to eat like a normal person again or go out with friends. But, I promise, you WILL get there. Just be patient and focus on the day-to-day for now. Get your protein and Water in. Walk as much as you can. And make sure you take all your meds and Vitamins. Day-by-day it will get a little easier and easier and one day you will wake up and you will feel like a human again.