JamieLogical

I think for a lot of us, it's a hard concept to grasp. Getting rid of those old clothes instead of tucking them away somewhere until we "need" them again. It's scary, but also very liberating to truly let them go.

It's not your surgeon's decision. It's yours. Certainly, your surgeon should have an opinion and advice to offer, but ultimately you get to make the choice. Is there any reason to believe your surgeon would strongly push you towards bypass over sleeve?

That must have been incredibly disappointing. I am sure your surgeon did what he thought was best for your health and safety, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. Please don't give up, though. Hang tough and work to lose the weight by sticking to a post-op style diet of high protein and low carbs. Use this time to practice and develop the good habits that will make you successful once you really are able to have the surgery.

Most of us get protein in the early days post-op from our protein shakes. Depending on what kind you are drinking, you should be trying to get in 2-3 of those a day. Yes, they are filling. Everything is at that stage. VERY surprised you are on Weetabix so soon post-op, but every plan is different. If you are doing okay with the eggs, those are also a very good source of protein. Another is Greek yogurt if you are allowed that at this point.

It's very early for your hair to be falling out due to the surgery. More likely it is because of something you did/started doing several months ago/ Typically, post-op hair loss starts around 3 months out. Since hair loss is due to things that occurred months ago, there is little you can do RIGHT NOW to stop it. The best things you can do are to get your protein and vitamins every day. That will help it start regrowing sooner.

Comparison is a recipe for disaster and disappointment. I feel like a broken record saying this on these forums, but everbody and every BODY is different. If you are doing everything you are supposed to do and following your plan, you will lose weight. How quickly you do so is unbelievably irrelevant in the long run. I promise! I "only" lost 15 pounds my first month. I "only" lost 8 pounds my second month. I "only lost 5-6 pounds a month for several months after that. I "only" lost 2 pounds a month for several months after that. You know where all those "only"s got me? To goal where I've been maintaining for almost 16 months. I promise you that I have never once looked back and thought to myself "too bad I didn't reach goal a month earlier like so-and-so did." It genuinely makes ZERO difference if you lose all the weight in 6 months or in 16 months. What matters is that you stick to the plan, get to goal, and then spend YEARS and YEARS living your happier, healthier life. This isn't a diet. You will never be "done" with your sleeve. So there is no race to the "finish" line. This is the rest of your life!

That wasn't really explained to me, though I didn't really have as clearly defined food stages. I was allowed to introduce specific new foods at specific days post-op. I had true "clear liquids" days 1-3. On day 4 I was allowed drinkable yogurt. Day 5 I was allowed to start protein shakes. Day 10 was when I was allowed other full liquids like strained cream soups.

If you are on clear liquids, you can only have broth, but if you are on full liquids, you should be able to have strained cream soups. Might want to stay away from tomato soup this early, though. It's very acidic.

I'd say about 95% of WLS patients experience the "Dreaded Week 3 Stall" right around 3 weeks post-op. For some people it's a little sooner, for others it's a little later, but we ALL go through it!

It's definitely possible to lose again. Your sleeve is still there, ready for you to start using it again. A lot of people have success with the "5 Day Pouch Test" to use as a "reset" to help get them back on track. The key is to get back to basics. Put protein first. Make sure you are getting 100 grams of protein a day. Make sure you are drinking at least 64 oz. of WATER a day and not drinking your calories. Make sure you take all of your vitamins. And make sure you are moving as much as possible.

I am sooooo sooooo glad I had my TT. It's definitely one of the best things I ever did for myself. I actually had pretty significant complications and I still don't regret it, because now I am years out from it and still enjoying my results. The complications are a distant memory. Here are some pictures of my scars and a side-view pic. These photos were taken maybe 5 years post-op?

Actually, the main reason the scale stops moving or you see a gain immediately after you start a new, intense exercise routine is waster retention. Sore muscles store Water to heal. It's true that muscle weighs more than fat and gaining muscle will slow your weight loss overall, it doesn't happen immediately. That's just water retention. Anyway, in the long run, it is SOOOOO worth the slow down in weight loss. You have to remember that this isn't a race. There is no reason you need to lose all the weight RIGHT NOW. I did intense cardio and strength training through all of my weight loss phase. It meant I lost more slowly than a lot of my peers. But by the time I reached goal, I had GAINED seven pounds of muscle. And my metabolism is great. I see people on these forums posting that they gain if they eat more than 1000 calories a day in maintenance. Whereas, I can safely eat 1900-2000 on non-cardio days and 2400-2600 on cardio days and not gain. If you lose quickly without keeping Protein up and exercising, you lose a lot of muscle along with that fat. It will mess with your metabolism and you will end up skinny, but not healthy. You are doing the right thing by stepping up your exercise. The scale might slow down, but in the end, you will NOT regret it!

That is terrible! You should have reported him for his incredibly unprofessional behavior!

My ex-husband's doctor used to say "are you hungry enough to eat an apple?" If not, you aren't really hungry. I wouldn't recommend apples for WLS patients, since fruits are high in sugar (though apples ARE a pretty low-sugar option), but the idea is that if you aren't hungry enough to eat something nutritious, it's not hunger, it's a craving. So if you are "hungry" and, lets say a container of Greek yogurt won't satisfy that hunger, then you aren't hungry. If Greek yogurt would satisfy the hunger, then maybe go ahead and have it, since it's low calorie/high protein and will keep you from making a worse choice if the hunger becomes overwhelming.

Your surgeon never told you to take vitamins? That's insane! Mine had me on calcium +d3, probiotic, vitamin b12, and a bariatric multivitamin since i was 7 days post-op and allowed to swallow pills.

You could start working on putting Protein first with meals and eating protein-only Snacks. You can also start working on getting into an exercise routine. And as @@Newme17 said, try to stop eating and drinking at the same time. It's hard!

Lots of people have difficulty eating only 3 weeks post-op. I would imagine it's actually MOST people. You are still healing and probably still have internal swelling. What food stage are you on? Do you eat VERY slowly and chew very thoroughly? What symptoms are you experiencing when eating (pain, nausea, etc.)?

I definitely eat more than three bites of everything at 2 years out. A "bite" isn't a unit of measurement, so it's pretty hard to accurately guess what someone means when they say that. I can usually eat about 4-5 oz. of meat like chicken breast or a hamburger patty with some cheese or sauce or whatever. I can eat probably closer to 6-8 oz. of something liquidy, like chili. I can eat probably half a bag of chips... so I don't eat chips!

I eat six times a day usually. Always Protein first. Never fall short of my protein goal (100 grams), Water, or taking my Vitamins. I think we need a lot more information about your situation before we can help you.

Great question, I don't know. Maybe skin grows around them but what if one got loose. Now u have me thinking. sonkat5355 Skin definitely doesn't grow around them! Scar tissue does and they are encased. I have never once heard a story of a staple causing complications years down the road. They have been doing gastric bypass with titanium staples for decades.

You should receive instructions if your surgeon requires a pre-op diet. Usually the pre-op diet is 1-4 weeks (depending on your surgeon) and is meant to help shrink the liver prior to surgery to make it easier for your surgeon to access your stomach during the operation.

You may not feel restriction with liquids at all, but if you do, it will only be due to swelling and shouldn't last more than a couple of weeks. Once you are healed up, you should be able to guzzle as much water as you want. I found that, post-op, I need my water to be ICE cold (with ice literally floating in it), otherwise it does kind of sit heavy in my stomach. Other people have better experiences with room temp water or with hot liquids, so you might need to do some experimenting.

I did. Turned out to be low blood pressure. You should have yours checked and talk to your doctor about how to deal with it if that is your problem. Mine had me "liberally increase" my intake of salt and that helped for the most part.

There's going to be trial and error. There is no avoiding that. When you are immediately post-op, you should weigh/measure your food and eat on a schedule. The surgery will damage the nerves in your stomach, so you will not have any true indication of "full" or "hungry" until you are healed up. Once you are on solid foods, you are going to probably overeat a few times or eat too quickly. You will figure it out though. I would say it took me maybe a month or two once I was on solids to be able to eyeball foods and know how much I could safely eat.

You should definitely not be wasting room on carbs at this early stage. You should be focusing on getting all your Protein in. Also, if you are only a month out, are you cleared to go back to the gym already? I wasn't cleared for any activity more intense than "brisk walking" until 60 days post-op. 20 pounds in the first month is not slow. It's critical not to compare yourself to others. Everyone's body responds differently to surgery, especially in the first month or two. You should focus on sticking to your plan, getting your protein in, getting your Water in, taking your Vitamins, and walking as much as possible.