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Here is the thing, Biotin will help with hair regrowth but it is likely some of us will still lose a significant amount of hair. There are a few reasons why: 1. Having major surgery is traumatic and cause hair loss 2. Rapid weight loss can cause a person to lose a good amount of hair 3. If your Protein levels are not what they need to be, it can cause hair loss 4. For those of us going through menopause, hair loss can also happen. 5. If you happen to have a thyroid condition the weight loss can cause your levels to fluctuate and you may require a hormone replacement adjustment I have been the lucky person to have a lot of this happen much at the same time. Here is the good news, I have been told that it starts between month 3/4 and should improve by the end of month 5. I was also told by multiple doctors that it will come back. And the better news, I have lots of new short hairs growing in, but I am still losing. I am just getting to my 5th month. I take Biotin everyday and it is definitely helping with hair, skin and nails. I am lucky to be one of those people with a very thick head of hair. Now, it takes me less time to blow dry. The hair I do have is very healthy and I use salon products called surface.

I am really glad you asked this question. I swear everyday my butt gets a little flatter. I know I have a ways to go but am definitely going to require some plastics. I hope all goes well with your surgery!

I think this resetting process you guys are referring to seems to work great. The next time I stall for more than a week, I am going to reset back to liquid protein for a few days and see what happens.

I am also the stall queen. The good news is, it does seem to catch up. I lose for about a week to 10 days and then hit a stall that can last up to 3 weeks. I simply stay positive and try to stay away from the scale when I am frustrated. I see it coming off in inches. I had to go buy new jeans again! I have gone from a 26 to a 16. And that size 16 is comfortable. Woot woot! I keep thinking that my exercise is building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat so I may not actually be stalled. Last week I was on a cruise and although I cannot eat much, I found myself trying a bite here and there of things I probably shouldn't. I expected not to lose at all last week given the cruise. I jumped on the scale when I got home and was down 2 lbs! I was very very active and assume even though I had a bite of dessert here and there that I worked it off. Anyway, stalls can be very frustrating. I find staying positive and sticking to the plan helps (with the exception of my few bites of sweets last week).

Honestly, I would not worry so much about the hunger issue. I did not feel hungry until I was about 10 weeks post op and the good news is, I just need to eat a small portion of Protein heavy food and I am full again for hours. The thing you really have to pay attention to is eating the right foods. If you eat heavier carbs you will find it does not stay with you very long. Having weight loss surgery takes a lot of work and requires you to change the way you eat. The good news is the surgery helps you to be able to build those habits as it restricts your intake. If you follow the eating plan with either surgery you will be successful. The surgery definitely assists with hunger and portion control but it is up to you to make sure you eat the right foods to curb that hunger, give you the right nutrients. Also no drinking 30 minutes before and after makes a huge difference. It allows you to eat the right portion size so you are full. Not drinking for at least 30 minutes or more ensures you do not flush your meal through before you absorb all the nutrients and of course get hungry again. Also, milk becomes important. It is a great healthy snack, has plenty of protein and turns to solid making you full. Good luck in whatever your choice is!

This is my absolute favorite place to shop for food. I buy a lot of the items already mentioned but there are a few others: Tilamook cheddar cheese block - I always have one of these in my fridge Pre-cooked shrimp platter - these are great for a quick meal or snack, I freeze them in smaller batches using my vacumn sealer (another purchase I made after someone suggested it on this site) Wonderful shelled pistachios - one of my favorites Fresh chicken breasts that are packaged in two per. I eat a lot of chicken in recipes Fresh cauliflower Premier Protein - chocolate ( I stock up when on sale) Organic chicken stock and beef stock when they have it

I know this is crazy but I hardly touched zucchini before my surgery, now it is one of my favorite vegetables to eat. It was also one of He first. All the above recipes will definitely be something I try! Thanks everyone for the fantastic ideas. One of my absolute favorites is to simply sauté zucchini slices in a small amount of olive oil, pepper. As soon as you get them slightly golden on both sides but still somewhat first, add a couple tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon or two of soy sauce. It is outstanding! Also I love adding them to my chicken souvlaki skewers and grilling them on my indoor grill.

Don't completely rule out RNY without doing your research. There is a reason why most insurance companies approve this surgery for obesity. I was very concerned myself when it was recommended for me to have RNY instead of the sleeve. I had diabetes, reflux, high blood pressure and apnea. I went with RNY because the research told me it was very likely that it would resolve my reflux where the sleeve could/would make refluz worse. All of my comorbidities have resolved and I feel great. Before you decide please do your research. I would hate to see you end up having one surgery only to have a revision later.

I think most people gain from IV fluids. It goes away in the first week.

@@SimplySam2015, congratulations at your tremendous progress! I bet you feel so much better already. Definitely eating more Protein will help you satisfy that hungry feeling and will assist in breaking your stall. Good luck!

@@Lisa1171, as you meet with your surgeon make sure you talk about your reflux issue. The sleeve can make your reflux worse. I was going to have that surgery and did a ton of research with doctors and on line. Once completing research it was very clear which surgery would resolve my comorbidities. At first I was disappointed and was not bought in so I saw a gastroenterologist who confirmed that it would be a mistake for me to go with the sleeve and would likely end up having to have it revised to RNY down the road. I wanted one surgery and to be done. I have not regretted my decision to have RNY for even one second. Good luck to you!

Honestly Protein is no problem. There are great options for Protein shakes which have 30grams in one serving. There are also good solutions for Protein Bars that don't cause tummy problems however I use bars very rarely. I drink one shake every morning and then my food makes up the difference. You don't have much room for other stuff so protein becomes the priority. Also not sure if part of your problem is caused by reflux but if so, depending on which surgery you go with, this may get resolved. I chose RNY for this very reason and I have not had any reflux or even basic heartburn since surgery. There are foods I stay away from because I simply don't tolerate it. Mostly they have to do with lactose. Since surgery I have a slight case of lactose intolerance. I cannot drink a glass of regular milk but I can eat as much cheese as I want.

@@Dibaby44, hi there! I am glad to hear you are thinking about a different weight loss surgery considering your health. I suffer from psoriatic arthritis and have a lot of damage to my joints, my spine being the worst. I ended up selecting RNY because I also had terrible reflux, diabetes, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. I was told that the lap band would not be as successful for me because it does require more exercise than some of the other surgeries. Since having RNY the above co morbidities are gone. Most importantly my joints have improved so much that I exercise every other day vigorously. Knee pain and ankle pain is basically gone. Unfortunately there is so much damage to my spine that I am not sure that will ever improve but getting the weight off has to be an improvement for future damage. Hopefully they have you on a good biological for your rheumatoid arthritis. My mom had it and she simply stopped moving at 55, she passed away at 66. Not moving caused her to gain weight and develop diabetes. Within 5 years she had her leg amputated and was gone a few years after that. If she could have only got herself moving. I am 51 and prior to my surgery there were many times when I simply did not want to get out of bed because of the pain. Then I remembered what it would be like for my children if I was gone at such a young age. I promised I would not give up. It sounds like you are taking the right steps to better health. I wish you all the best and hope you are able to get your body moving again. It is the best feeling in the world!

Definitely on my wish list. I was wearing a swimsuit all week while in Hawaii and although I was celebrating my weight loss both my legs and arm skin was making me feel like everyone was looking at me. I just kept telling myself that none of these people will ever see me again and as soon as I lose to my goal and keep it off for a bit, I will start with arms and go from there.

I was cleared at 4 weeks for everything but only after my one month check in. I had no complications what so ever. I have been exercising ever since.

I have no experience having kidney stones however it is definitely one of the concerns of my surgical team. You should talk to your nephrologist before proceeding, they will guide you through this. My nephrologist is the person who actually asked me to consider RNY and helped me get the ball rolling. I was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease and my function has definitely improved since surgery. If you have a good one, they will help you through it. Good luck!

Congratulations! There are so many big ones that it is hard to pick one. This week I have been in beautiful Hawaii with my family. In fact, I am sitting out on my balcony on the ship in Kauai listening to my music via headphones while the rest of my family is sleeping. This vacation was the first in so many years that I was actually able to keep up with everyone every single day. I would call that one of the biggest wins for me outside some of very improved health. I am blessed with a whole new life!

I am so excited. We are headed to Hawaii on Friday with my hubby, son and granddaughter. We are taking a seven day cruise. I am 5 sizes smaller than my last vacation which was in August. That was the vacation where I could not keep up with my family and they would not go do things without me. I felt so terrible that I could barely walk off the cruise ship in to town and could maybe make in an hour, two at the most. By the end of that trip I was exhausted, had swollen ankles and could barely make it home. Now, I can RUN up the stairs, walk for miles and have more energy than I have in the last 20 years! We have a hike through the national volcano park scheduled along with many other excursions. I absolutely cannot wait. And yes, I will even put on a bathing suit even though I still have along way to go. These were all the things I dreamed about when I started this journey. I just wanted better health so I would be able to enjoy life and my family to it fullest. 4 short months and my dreams are coming true. How about you, what do you dream about?

I used fair life milk during my pre op liquid diet and for 2 months post op. It works great in helping you get your protein in and it tastes good too. It is also lactose free. I ended up switching to lactaid because out super market stopped carrying it and I would have to go out of my way to find it. Lactaid does not have nearly the protein but it is very good too.

I rewarded myself with new clothes. I have also incentivized myself by purchasing some new bras from Victoria's Secret. They fit barely now but in another 10 to 15 lbs those gorgeous bras will be comfortable. I cannot wait!

Welcome and good luck! It sounds like you are ready to make the commitment to changing your life. You are right, this very far from the easy way out. It requires hard work and a lot of will power. Keep us posted on your progress.

For me it took nine months to get through the process but my insurance required 6 months supervised diet/weigh in with a physician prior to approving.

It is very common. It is called the three week stall. As long as you follow the plan (protein, liquids and exercise when u are able), the stall will break. It can be frustrating so if it really bothers you, stay off the scale for a week or two. There will be many more stalls along the way. Good luck!

This is a tough one but I know exactly what you are talking about. my husband who is not sabotaging me will go get something like dairy queen and then will ask if I want anything. He does this because he feels bad for me and somewhat guilty about having it himself not because he wants to undo the progress I have made. He himself is a food addict and needs to do something about his weight. He however is a big chicken when it comes to having surgery. Sometimes I actually will get mad at him and state the obvious: I don't need that and honestly neither do you. Then I feel bad so recently I just had a very straight forward conversation with him and told him that even though I don't crave that stuff now, I sometimes will look at it like it is something I could try. That temptation just does not need to be there. The good news is I have an extraordinary amount of will power to refrain. The bad news is, I am more worried about him having it than me going off track. So I then feel like a nag, I have actually had to watch myself a few times now. I believe he will come to his own decision to do something about his weight when he is ready. As far as your Mom goes, maybe sit down with her and share your feelings. Tell her it feels like sabotage and you need her support instead. You may find that there is an underlying reason she is doing this which has nothing to do with sabotage. Just my two cents....

Welcome to the site! Good luck on your next steps. It is a very exciting time!