BLERDgirl

Are we talking about Biotin and/or so called "hair vitamins" or actual Protein pills? I've never heard of protein pills but supplements like biotin, and collagen taken in conjunction with a multi-vitamin can help strengthen your hair. It will not make it grow, but it may make your hair healthier and lessen the effects of hair loss. I was taking biotin before WLS because I am menopausal and have dreadlocks. Pos-op WLS around month 5 I saw some thinning mostly around my temples. I just make sure to get at least 70+ gms of protein a day, eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of Water. I also reduced the amount of manipulation I put my hair through each day. For me that means decreasing the retwisting maintenance and styling I would typically do. If you are a person who wash and blow dries daily, perhaps switch to letting your hair air dry, using dry shampoo and only doing a regular wash every other day. Biotin and similar products are not a miracle cure and there is no way to guarantee whether or not you will experience hair loss.

How far along are you? Why are you only eating 2 meals a day? I do 3 meals and an afternoon snack if needed. I get 70 -100 gms of protein a day. I am 9 mths. When I was first sleeved it took a week or 2 until I was able to hit 60gms regularly. Once I hit that I worked on increasing to at least 70. I work out 4 -6 days a week and need that much to maintain my energy level.

I'm 9 mths out. I am also vegetarian so my meals are different from most people. I eat Beans, quinoa, seitan, FAGE 0% greek yogurt, and eggs for my Protein. I typically have protien shake that I make with greek yogurt, Protein powder and whatever I have on hand for breakfast. That can be fruit, almond butter, leftover coffee that I freeze into ice cubes, spinach or cacao powder to name just a few. I also eat small amounts for fresh veg, particularly dark green veg since they are the most protein rich. Favorites are broccoli, kale, and spinach. My dinners are are often light; low sodium vegetable broth, vegetable soup or a small salad with egg,a bit of shredded cheese and black beans. I don't eat foods with food dyes or artificial sweeteners since I am allergic to nearly all of them. That means my coffee is usually sweetened with raw honey or sugar. I limit the amount of white, processed carbs and rarely eat breads or crackers. Overall I am mostly eating what I ate pre-op but in much smaller portions. I keep my protein at 70 +. I typically eat Breakfast, lunch, snack & dinner. In between I try to focus on drinking plenty of Water.

I think it's part mental/personality as well. Even if you do become single digits slim, if you feel unworthy that's the attention you will get. Even at my highest, over 400 pounds I was always outgoing and confident. I had no problem getting attention from men because I liked me and always thought I was cute. of course I kept myself groomed, well dressed, etc.... People are just as attracted to happy, outgoing people as they are tight bodies. My advice is while you are working on the physical, work on the mental as well. Tell yourself daily you are worth love/attention and groom yourself accordingly.

@ - Medicare coverage can vary state to state. Call your policy holder and verify. I was 50 when I had my WLS and I am on Medicare. My carrier is Keystone 65. Other than my copays my out of pocket expense was around $400. My other piece of advice would be to skip the Weight Watcher's program and seek counseling. Fad diets don't work. You need to learn how to eat. Preferably learn how to eat real food. You've lost and regained and by your accounts tried every program available. Counseling may help you get to the bottom of why you overeat and help you develop a lifestyle change. Developing a new relationship with food is the thing that will make you successful, no matter what WLS you decide on. I hope you attend the informational session. Ask questions and do your research. Once I did those things I was able to go into surgery with complete confidence. I knew what I was getting into, and took every step possible to be a compliant patient. My surgery and post op have been a breeze. This has been the easier and best thing I could have done for myself.

Learn the art of redirection and subject changing. A simple "I guess" or "Thank you" and then move onto the next subject. Don't feel obligated to further discuss anything you aren't comfortable with.

You need your vitamins and supplements. Especially early on. We are eating much smaller amounts of food than we used to, our healing bellies need Protein and our bodies need the extra nutrients we are no longer getting from food. I wouldn't wait until a follow up appointment. I would call and get an answer to this immediately.

I don't think OP eating an egg is a big deal. Different doctors progress their patients to real food at different rates. I had my first egg at 3 weeks post op. because my doctors protocol was 2 weeks full liquids, 2 weeks purees, 2 weeks soft food, then everything as tolerated. My hope is that OP find a way to communicate with her medical team.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding this but it sounds a bit like maybe you're being overly sensitive. It's not uncommon to be uncomfortable eating and drinking the first week. It's also not uncommon for people to not feel any restriction on liquids. However there are just as many who do. I don't think they (the doctors) were trying to be discouraging as much as advise you to be more cognizant of this. Perhaps next time ask them for specific guidelines such as the ones @@liannatx listed. You don't want to over eat, but you do want to meet your Protein goals.

Yeah. I sometimes have to set alarms on my phone. I fill my bottle first thing and make sure it's in eye sight. Even then if it's not an active day I'm barely getting in 4 -6 glasses. When I feel myself slipping like that I also make it a rule that I have to drink at least 8 ounce before a meal.

@@MauiGirl5555 - You need to go back and speak with the doctor. You need to express your fears and concerns with him. He may offer a compromise. If he doesn't then you can decide if this is the surgeon for you or if you want to tough it out and try it. I'm assuming all liquids is predominately Protein Shakes. If you are willing to try then I advise you to start sampling now. You will need both sweet and savory Protein Drinks or you palette will get fatigued. Whatever you decide, I wish you well.

I would even go slow. Walking in the pool might be easier on you than walking on land. I would recommend getting a good supportive water shoe and just do that for starters. As you loose and can hopefully move a little easier, then move up to water aerobics .

Word of warning: if you use real stevia a little goes a long way. Use too much and it can take on a bitte, metallic taste. The stevia plant is also in the ragweed family. If you are allergic to ragweeds it can cause allergic reactions. I use raw honey when I need a sweetener. If there is a choice between real good and chemicals, I will always choose real food. With the aid of my sleeve I've simply learned to use less.

I see it as more of an internal thing. For me how I feel about myself has always been more important. I have always liked myself and I think that attitude shows. A confident person attracts people. Even though I have lost a significant amount I am still very much in the morbidly obese range. I get attention from guys all the time. However for the most part I've never concerned myself with what people think of me. Especially not random strangers. Sure, I have people that know me complimenting me on my weight loss, but the people who count, those people in my inner circle still treat me like they always have. Other than being able to shop in stores instead of online, I really don't expect things to change significantly for me. I know who I am as a person and I don't foresee that changing because the numbers on the scale are different.

Try making ginger tea instead. Simply buy fresh ginger root, peel, slice off a few pieces and boil. There are also premeasured honey ginger crystals you can buy and drink either hot or cold. Peppermint tea may help as well.

True honey does not have actual sugar in it. Honey comes from bees. Sugar come from sugar cane. However the effect of it may have the same effect on your body. I still use honey because I am allergic to artificial sweeteners, but I watch how much I use. Just start cutting back and adjusting your palette to less sugary foods.

@@Shakti - It's a matter of knowing your body. Acknowledging what your limitations are, doing your research to find a good doctor. For me I knew chances were my body would not react well to the re-routing and dumping syndrome that comes with bypass. I also knew I was ready and committed to eating better and exercising regularly, not a diet, but a change in my relationship with food. I needed a tool like the sleeve that would give me a boost to get on track. I never did a bunch of fad diets. I did weight watchers and had some limited success. I lost weight and kept it off for about a year. My love for healthy foods and fresh veg was just as strong as my love for all things chocolate. I just needed a way to stay balanced. The sleeve was perfect for me. On the other hand my surgeon did bypass for a friend of mine a year before he did my surgery. That was also perfect for her and she remains successful 3 years out.

Just spit balling here. Does she usually take her meds on an empty stomach? Perhaps try waiting until she's had a little bit of food/drink. I know she's had a rough time of it, but sometimes that helps. Either way hoping this is just a one off event.

I am thankful I didn't have to do a pre-op diet. I did purposely eat lighter the days leading up to my surgery. I was told liquids only after 9 pm the day before. I simply drank herbal tea, diluted apple juice and water.

Nope. I'll be 8 mths next week and I still eat about 3/4 of a cup. If it's something like soup I might be able to eat an entire cup.

No worry at all. I didn't have a pre-op diet or 3mth medically supervised diet.

You can try a variety of ways of cutting back One way might be 2 Protein shakes a day and one meal consisting of protein and veg only. In between drink Water until you float.

Still a moot point since I never saw it in any of the local markets here, the company failed to provide this info when I wrote directly to them AND I cant eat it anyway since it contains chicken

I would ask the dietitian at the bariatric program. I don't think most programs are looking for major weight loss, just documented evidence of the attempt. 7lbs is a good start.

For some until the food is out of the system either by puking or BM the discomfort is there. I don't know how far post-op you are, but spicy foods like salsa may be something you'll need to hold off on for a while.