glitter eyes

You could play it by ear and see how you feel. Many people on here seem to have bounced back very quickly after surgery. After my surgery if someone had asked me to go fishing I would have put a fish hook in their lip- but I am a major wimp and it took me two weeks to feel human again. Good luck to you!!

I had pain eating and drinking post op and what worked for me was using toddler spoons and taking super tiny bites even if it was something as soft as yogurt. I also drank from a medicine cup the first few weeks and made each little cup last three tiny sips. Eating and drinking that small amounts and that slow got rid of my discomfort. If it makes you feel better it goes away for most of us. I am two years post op and can eat normal bites and eat at a normal speed. Hang in there and congrats on your surgery. The first weeks are rough.

Drinking plain water post op was difficult and painful for me too! It felt like I was drinking liquid glass. Like you, I loved water pre op!! I experimented with different temperatures and that helped a little- ice cold worked best for me. However, water was still uncomfortable. I began to experiment with different flavor drops and brands to add to water, I tried multiple vitamin waters, etc. Finally I found that propel water worked great for me. Every few weeks I would try plain water again with no luck. Funny thing is this week at over two years post op I tried water again and it went down much easier. Yesterday was my first day with all plain water!! It was exciting. I get a little tired always having to make sure I had plenty of propel (plus there was only three flavors I liked). So keep experimenting and hang in there until you find what works for you. This journey is kinda like one big experiment. Good luck!!

I have had a dry mouth since surgery. Mine isn't related to hydration as I am well over two years post op and stay well hydrated. It's strange. It's worse at night. Things I do to help mine is use biotene moisturizing mouth wash and or breath spray. I brush my teeth frequently. Also, keep a bottle of water by my bed and if the dry mouth wakes me up I can sip on that.'

I had a food funeral of a homemade German chocolate cake. It did not set me up for failure either. I am 26 months post op and have been maintaining my goal weight since about month nine.

You can tell her you have to have a hiatal hernia repaired. Very similar recovery time and can give you a reason why you need to be on liquids for a few weeks. Also it is surgery some people have to have done again so you are covered if it ever actually happens to you.!

Great job!! Love your pics tracking your fantastic progress.

@Cdominguez. When was your surgery? Was it this August?

I don't feel that "weighing yourself everyday is terrible and should be stopped immediately". Everyone is different so what works for some may not work for others. When I was newly post op I only weighed a few times a month because I liked seeing a larger weight loss. Plus weighing infrequently I didn't notice the stalls nor did I stress about numbers. Now that I am over two years post op and have been at goal and in maintenance for the last 16 months I weigh almost everyday- this approach helps me maintain my weight loss within a few pounds. For me maintaining is trickier than losing and I have to fine tune my activity and intake. Without the scale at this stage in my process the pounds could easily slip back on, especially as I can eat more and I am more hungry than I was during my weight loss phase. Everyone has to find what works best for them.

Before my surgery I drank a lot of water. Post op I can't tolerate plain water- even over two years post op. I have to drink propel or flavored water. Plus I have to keep a close eye on my water consumption and make an effort to stay hydrated. Seems like I am never thirsty, so i always measure out my fluid for the day.

I get a six inch turkey sub with extra meat and just eat the meat and veggies- no bread.

Marine collagen helped my hair tremendously. I ordered a powdered version from Amazon and added it to a bottle of flavored water everyday. I also drink bamboo tea (high in silica) daily and that has helped my hair too. Hair loss has slowed way down to almost normal and it is softer, shinier, and stronger with less breakage.

What helped my hair the most was powdered marine collagen added to a bottle of water. This helped cut my hair loss in about half if not more. I also drink a cup of bamboo tea (high in silica) everyday and that has helped a lot too. It has made my hair softer, shiny and stronger and slowed down the loss also. I tried biotin, but for me it didn't work except for areas I really don't want extra hair- LOL.

What helped me with my hair loss was I started taking powdered marine collagen which I added to a bottle of water. That slowed my hair loss down considerably. Took about a month and half to see results. I also started drinking a cup of bamboo tea (high in silica). That helped make my hair shiny and soft again and stopped the dryness and breakage I was having. My hair started falling out about month six.

I am an administrator at a hospital in Florida and we absolutely allow service dogs. Having your dog with you is your right. I am sure if you call ahead and speak with administration you will find that it will be fine to have your dog. One time we even had a patient that had a service monkey- he was cute little thing and even had on clothes. Brought a smile to everyone's face!!

Most people either don't lose or even gain the first few weeks. I was nine pounds heavier the first week. I didnt really start losing until about week three. Just try and ignore the scale for a few weeks and focus on hydration, protein, walking, and getting plenty of rest while you heal. Good luck!!

When I start wanting to eat out of boredom I give myself a manicure/pedicure. You can't eat with wet nails. The bonus is wonderful nails. I even experiment with different ideas from Pinterest and have nail brushes for drawing designs. I also give myself facials. I have invested in some nice face masks. That keeps me busy and it's hard to snack when you have skin care products drying on your face.

You are still in the early stages of healing and adjusting to your new stomach. Everything will probably get easier as your healing progresses. My husband and I still go out to eat and I always find something on the menu that fits my meal plan, or I will just eat off his plate. The exciting thing about weight loss is it can open up the door for so many new adventures and you can do them together as a couple. My husband and I have so many new hobbies; kayaking, camping, hiking, working out at the gym together, jogging. It had been so much fun to explore new activities. I am even gonna try to learn to play golf so I can go when he plays. Good luck to you both and I hope everything settles in to a new normal and y'all can begin new adventures together! Keep us posted

I make my own protein pancakes. One scoop of vanilla protein powder, one egg beaten, dash of vanilla and cinnamon and a splash of milk. I use sugar free syrup. They taste ok. It gives me a high protein meal and the sugar free syrup feels like a treat!

So happy for you- nothing better than finding someone who you love spending time with!!

I was one of the unlucky ones who lost hair and my hair became brittle, dry, and had tons of breakage. This happened even though I always got my protein and vitamins in and my labs were great. I tried biotin and it did not do anything for me. It continued to fall out and look horrible even after my weight loss stopped and I was a goal. I began to add powdered marine collagen to my water and I drank a cup of bamboo tea everyday (high in silica). These two changes have made a world of difference. Hair loss is a minimum and my hair is shiny and soft again. It probably took about two months of doing this consistency to see the changes. I am a little over two years post op. Good luck

I am a nursing administrator and I took off four weeks and I am so glad I did. I can sit down in my office if I get tired, but I also have to respond to code clues and rapid responses so I can be busy and walk a lot. When I went back after the four weeks I felt healed and had a little more energy. I was also able to have my food routine down and more comfortable drinking and eating. I was so glad I took the time. I have a friend who is an RN in the ICU and she only took off three weeks and said she felt fine.

Awesome!!

I want to have @@Kindle plans!! I have to work on the fourth so I am going on a hike on Saturday and depending on the weather maybe the beach on Sunday!

I agree with @@jess9395 -the young people should have a much better chance of their skin snapping back. I lost a lot of weight in my early thirties and my skin snapped back beautifully. Now at 44 after losing all my weight what has helped me is to lay on my back and tuck all the loose skin behind me- instantly fixed. LOL. Seriously plastics will be my only cure for the saggy state of my skin. Hey- I look good with clothes on.