Zzzombrie

I had plication in Mexico on 1/7/15. I made my doctor's goal 9 mo post-op. HW 247 SW 230 CW 160 5'6"/31/f I suffered from severe muscle cramping in my transverse abdominals on my right side following surgery which stunted my exercise routine. Cramping has slowly subsided indicating that it was nerve damage. A friend of mine with similar stats got gastric sleeve a day before me and our weight loss is identical. I do not restrict food types but can no longer eat high sugary foods, though my intolerance is weakening over time. I'm very satisfied with this surgery and am happy with my intact stomach. When I stall, I find that eating more diverse calories jump starts weight loss. Feel free to ask any questions you have.

The best thing a woman can do is eat 5-6 small meals a day. This means 2-4oz protein, and whatever space you have left should be a carb (fruit, veggies, or complex carb). This lessens a risk of a drop in blood sugar, which causes cravings for the bad stuff. An ideal world: Brkfst: egg white omelette with spinach and tomatoes Snack: Greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom Lunch: chicken and broccoli Snack: handful of nuts Dinner: salmon and asparagus Dessert: flavored protein bar/shake (opt) Basically if what you're doing is working and your blood nutrition looks good, keep it up. NUTs don't know everything. Not even close.

Been MIA for awhile. Device switch. So at just over 7 months post-op: HW 247 SW 230 CW 170 GW 160/140 Feeling way more comfortable and confident. Had wicked side pain from surgical nerve damage for 6 months, so not much intentional exercise. Pain is gone so far and I've started strength training to minimize extra skin. Not much, a little upper arms and inner thighs. It seems I stall for a month or so and then drop 10#s in a week. Diet needs work. I eat tacos and chicken nuggets a lot, sometimes pizza. Absolutely cannot eat sweets. Cakes, candy, and ice cream were my go-to items, but now they make me want to throw up. I don't, but that's the feeling. I did have hair loss, now I've got lots of baby hairs. Hopefully that's over but it still seems like I'm shedding more than normal. I don't want to cut my hair but it feels really thinned out. No one noticed it but me. My boyfriend is considering surgery. He's 15#s under the minimum BMI to get it done (only 50#s to lose) and is planning on gaining weight to qualify with Dr. Ortiz. Has no co-morbidities or eating disorder like I did. I find myself judging his intentions. Any thoughts? I don't want him to lose too much and I've said as much.

Nm I found. Do you have to get your gallbladder out?

That is awesome! I would say I envy you but you busted butt for your success. I haven't put nearly as much effort for various reasons (complications included). When was your surgery and DoS weight?

The majority of Protein bars are Meal Replacements. Therefore they're balanced nutritionally and not of unreasonable calorie content. I have the Pure Protein bars right now. 30g of protein, 250 calories. I've never seen a Protein Bar high in fat or calories that wasn't made for body builders. My calorie intake is averaging 1000-1200 and I'm still losing steadily at 2-4# a week. I don't count calories. I count protein. I rarely eat anything without it or high in sugar. I'd rather have a bar a little high on the calories/fat/carbs than cake. The fats are likely healthy and the carbs are likely complex. I used to eat Balance bars with similar success. Just focus on protein first and you will rarely go wrong. If I eat anything it must have at least 10g of protein. Ideally, 15-20g. I even eat a lot of fast food. College diet. Lots of crunchy tacos, chicken nuggets, and orange chicken. I can fit 1 taco sans lettuce, 4 chicken nuggets, or half a small entree of Panda Express. I worry about my macronutrients and take my Vitamins. I've got very little stress about what I'm eating and I think that pays off more than stressing about every little detail. Stress hormones are killer and keep people fat.

I def eat Protein Bars on occasion. They're small and an easy way to get protein in. Good for if I need a chocolate fix too. Not the same but close enough. My intolerance list is small. I just feel gross on ice cream. Actually anything with useless carbs and without protein is not accepted well by my brain. It's being rewired for sure. I had a goal of losing 45# by the end of the semester (1/07/15 surgery) and I'm there with a week left. Lost 62# since starting this. I'm now in a misses' large. (185#, 66")

I don't limit anymore. I also drink soda with no issues. I believe in science, not propaganda. Doctors often forget their scientific minds once their degree is final.

@@winter1023 Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try. At this point, I'm considering Accutane.

If the acne is hormonal, then so must be the hair loss. Testosterone can be blamed for acne and hair loss among men and women. I'm not a doctor but that's my logic.

Oh yes women! I've got the sleeve acne too. Before maybe one or two annoyances here and there, now full on WTF! And on my scalp too which is the worst. It's been like this since surgery. If increased sebum production is a post WLS issue, I wonder is this is what contributes to hair loss? Sebum comes out through the hair pore so maybe it's just suffocating the follicle. Face gets greasy while my body is a desert. Ugh. @@bewell I'll never see those signs for a few reasons... Shower: I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week. I only get 1 day of awesomeness, then it goes poof! And into a bun so less likely to see a true release. When I wash there is always a few chunks released. Pillow: I sleep in a high bun on satin pillows cause long, curly hair is a pain to sleep with. Can't look to that. Brush: A clean brush makes for frizz city so I only clean it once every few weeks. Sink & Floor: Again, I've always been a shedder. I joke that it's how I claim territory. Plus loose hair gets trapped in my curly hair. I guess I'll just have to wait till I can see my scalp to know? Thanks anyway. Been thinking of putting coochi cream on my scalp to keep my pores open. Miconizole nitrate or something. Got the idea from hair growth forums.

What vitamins do y'all use? I can't do horse pills anymore.

I can't tell if my hair is getting thinner. It's curly so hides imperfections quite well. Do you see bald spots or something? I don't really know what to look for. I heard month 3-6 is the danger zone for hair loss.

@@Veronica Page Sounds to me like you're having water weight fluctuations. I hate trainers that do that, work youtill you can't move It's horrible for morale and almost guarantees a break in motivation. My stomach is also a slow loser. I'm usually an all over gainer/loser but this time my tummy has been stubborn. Has to do with it being a surgery site. Closet the scale. It's the only way.

@@Veronica Page Trust me when I say that you'll be the last to notice how much your body has changed. Body dysmorphia is common. One day you'll be 100 lbs lighter and finally say "That totally happened!" Last time I was at this weight I felt fat. Now I feel smaller which is great. Also swimming in my clothes. I'm still wearing them though so my brain hasn't quite caught up. I look at shirts that actually fit me now and it doesn't compute.

HW 247, SW 230, CW 200

Oh but I am having new issues with acne. Went from mild to moderate these past few weeks. Nodules on face and scalp. Never had scalp issues before. Ick. Looking at Accutane for treatment.

So close to onederland! Weighed in at 200# on the dot. Was stalled for 3 weeks then dropped 5 lbs in a weekend. Surgery was 1/7. I just upped my walking time from 30 min to an hour+ a day. I can eat anything I want. Usually 3-4 meals a day, protein shakes in between. I try to think of meat/protein rich sources first. I've got a college diet. Yogurt, tacos, chicken nuggets, etc. Cafeteria food = fast food. I try for a portion of protein and some carbs. Probably up to 900 Cal a day. I weight train maybe 2-3 days/week. No issues with hair or skin yet. Knock on wood. Good with liquids, bad with vitamins. Either they're horse pills or taste like hay.

I'm having issues with acne myself. Went from mild to moderate this month. Try Vit C for that. I need to take my own advice.bleh

I had massive cramping in my right obliques. I woke from surgery with a killer back ache so I assume the inflation caused a pinched nerve or the nerve was damaged during surgery. It took 6 weeks for the cramps to finally subside. I couldn't lay on my right side and was immobilized when they occurred. My doc tried to tell me it might be my gallbladder, but logically that didn't make sense since the liquid diet would've given it a long rest. And it felt muscular.

Nutrients are not absorbed in the stomach. They are absorbed in the small intestine mostly with some extra in the large intestine. The stomachs job is to churn and store, not absorb. Have at it with the protein! & collagen as a primary source of protein? That sounds like junk science to me. Read the label.

Oh man I went 2 weeks and it was dizzying. I almost passed out when I finally had a BM. Do the tea, anything. Just get to stay regular!

So I finally did it! Yesterday I went to the gym and lifted weights. I even did crunches and survived! Cardio is all well and good but muscle burns calories. I get my 10,000 steps/day just walking around campus, but I need my strength back.

where oh where do I see those fabulous pics?

@@mduffield You can get silicone strips for scars most anywhere w/ a pharmacy. They're about $20 but last forever. Advice from a mother with a barely visible c-section scar. Dermarolling is for later when you still deal with stretch marks and white incisions. It's a wheel with rows of tiny needles that penetrate the top layer of skin to produce collagen, elastin, and new keratin cells.