JamieLogical

Do you have this same problem with other full liquids like strained cream soups? What about yogurt?

Glad to hear you are doing so well and congrats on all of your progress!

What a sad story. I think I'll send up a little prayer that she doesn't give up and finds her way back to that pool or another more accommodating one and doesn't get discouraged about improving her health.

I think it's great you've come back here. I find that participating on the forums really helps me feel motivated and accountable. Not that I am always perfect, by ANY stretch, but I think I would be far worse if I lost touch with these forums. Being active here helps keep my WLS and goals at the top of my mind more of the time.

@@CanyonBaby The vast majority of WLS patients lose some hair between months three and six at least. I wouldn't worry about other potential causes of hair loss until past that six month mark if you are continuing to lose it at an alarming rate.

"Working out" at this early stage just means walking. You are pushing way too hard too fast for the amount of calories you can consume right now. Babbs is 100% right that you will quickly put yourself in starvation mode at this rate (if you haven't already). I'd also like to point out that burning more calories through exercise than you eat is a form of anorexia called "anorexia athletica". While it's true that you need to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight, you need to remember that the majority of the calories you burn are just through basic bodily functions. If you add excessive exercise on top of that, your metabolism will slow drastically and your body will resort to burning muscle stores for energy. EDIT: Just want to say that exercise is very important and you should ABSOLUTELY include it, but be mindful to not push your body beyond what it can sustain right now. As you are able to increase your calorie intake, you can work on increasing your intensity.

My drastic hair loss lasted about a month and a half. But it's different for everyone. Are you getting all your protein and vitamins in? That should help reduce it somewhat.

I think the real question here is why are you still experiencing such extreme restriction 2 months out. By now your swelling should have gone down. Have you spoken to your surgical team?

How many calories are you eating?

Are you 100% set on having your surgery in a hospital?

First off, 13 pounds in two weeks is amazing. I "only" lost less than 15 pounds my first full month. Second of all, if you aren't getting in all your Protein and aren't getting many calories, your weight loss WILL slow WAY down as your body goes into self-preservation mode. Don't worry. Once you are able to get in more protein and calories, the weight loss should start back up again.

Hthr are you at the hotel tonight? I will be there in the morning to see Dr Medina for my second attempt at my plastics consult . Maybe our paths will cross. If you see me say hi!! I'm going to try to get an after pic with Dr Ortiz (I'm going to be so sad if I don't). I'm not staying at the hotel. I'm just coming for the appointment at the Ariel Center and going back. If I don't see you good luck!! Hey, Barb. Great to see you here! Would love to see your after pic with Dr. Ortiz, so I hope you can make that happen!

I did. I had mine back on Sept 1, 2014. I am just over 8 months out and feeling great! As far as cheating goes, it takes a LOT of strength to be perfect all the time. I tried to be really really strict during my pre-op diet and the post-op food phases, because I knew how medically important it was. For the pre-op, the goal is to shrink your liver to make it safer and easier to access your stomach. That was pretty important to me, as I wanted to do everything in MY power to minimize the risk of complications. Same with the post-op food phases. I stuck to the plan and didn't jump ahead, because I wanted to make sure my stomach had a chance to fully heal. I won't say I've been perfect SINCE then. Far from it sometimes! But I have kept working and I have kept losing. I'm down over 80 pounds since my pre-op. Just like everything else in life, you just take it one day at a time and try to do your best. If you slip up, it's important not to dwell on it. Learn from it and just try to do better the next day!

Many many many people have posted to these forums about cheating on their pre-op. You are not alone. However, I would strongly encourage you to stick to it from this point forward. You can't change what you've done, but you can change what you DO.

I was allowed to swallow pills at 7 days post-op. I never did chewables. You should ask about whether or not you can go ahead and just start taking normal pills.

How far out are you from surgery. For me, for the first two weeks or so, I had a LOT of gurgling with every single sip of anything. It was due to the swelling, I think and once I was more healed up, it went away.

Do you have a GNC or Vitamin Shoppe in your area? They will have a lot of protein powder options, many of them in individual serving packets so you can try out several. It isn't cheap, but it's cheaper than buying a big tub of powder and ending up hating it!

@@Edavidson I wasn't offended by your posts. Concerns over follow-up care and post-op complications are completely valid. Before having my sleeve in Mexico, I met with my PCP here in the states, had blood work done to make sure I was fit for surgery, and contacted my insurance provider to make sure I'd be covered in the event of any post-op hospital visits. I would STRONGLY encourage anyone having surgery abroad to do the same things. I am extremely lucky and grateful to have not had any post-op issues, but being prepared for them gave me the peace of mind I needed to proceed with my surgery. As for deaths and specifically the deaths mentioned in this thread, I agree with others who have pointed out that there are risks associated with any surgery. I am always quick to point out that the mortality rate for gastric sleeve is lower than the mortality rate for knee replacement, but the truth is that US studies show a 0.08% 30-day mortality rate. That's 8 in 1000 people. Now, most of those people probably had health issues or comorbidities that put them at higher risk of complication and we do NOT know the circumstances surrounding the alleged deaths in this thread. It could be that those patients who died were at significantly higher risk and it might have nothing at all to do with the skill level of the surgeon or the medical resources of the facility. We have almost NO information on which to base assumptions about these deaths. So to immediately dismiss Elias Ortiz as a surgeon or Mexican surgeons and/of facilities as a whole is pretty presumptuous.

Try other protein shake options. There are literally HUNDREDS available. You can even use unflavored protein powder and make your own flavors with sugar-free syrups and flavorings. I wasn't allowed any solid foods until 40 days post-op. The idea of eating bacon at 5 days is completely terrifying to me. You didn't have any ill consequences, thank God, but why would you continue to press your luck? Even if you feel you absolutely MUST move beyond liquids (which I don't buy), why not go for soft foods and purees. Why would you immediately jump to not only solid foods, but one of the more challenging solid foods, pork? I don't get it. Why have the surgery in the first place?

Pre-op diet IS a bitch. You're right about that. Hang in there. I'd love to tell you it gets "easier" soon, but between the surgery and the post-op diet, you have trying times ahead. The most important virtue during these next few months will be patience. It's a long road ahead, but it will be worth it in the end.

I am so sorry for everything you've had to go through. It's terrible enough that you've had to endure all of the physical complications, but to now have the love and support of your family through this challenging time is so much worse. Why are they keeping their distance and not offering you the emotional support you need? Were they opposed to the surgery from the beginning?

I can't help you with personal experience at TJ hospitals, since both time I've been to TJ for surgery, it was at surgical centers. But, I just wanted to welcome you to the forums and wish you the best of luck in your research and choosing a surgeon.

What about a protein bar? On a long workout like that, some carbs would actually be a good thing.

That feeling of accomplishment at the end of a race is pretty addictive. Especially when you better your time from race to race.

Amazing! Congrats! How did you feel afterward?