catwoman7

I agree with summerseeker. I was already post-menopausal when I had my surgery so the period changes didn't affect me, but I read on here all the time about screwed up periods and mood swings during the first few weeks or months after surgery. It eventually all settles back down and regulates. But yes - it's supposedly due to the estrogen in your fat cells being released during the rapid weight loss phase. I had very little hair loss (not enough for anyone to notice) which occurred during months 5-9. It does happen to most of us. It can range from none at all to lots of shedding - although not like it does to chemo patients. It may or may not be noticeable to others. I almost never hear about people having to get wigs. At most, those with noticeable loss usually get short cuts so it's not as noticeable. Although again, you may not lose any at all or lose very little. And there's really nothing you can do about it. As mentioned above, it's already dead, and the shock of surgery (plus the fact we take in very few calories the first few weeks and months) is just speeding up the normal growth/shedding cycle. your weight loss is going to naturally slow as you get closer and closer to your goal. In fact, those last few pounds can be a BEAR to get off. For some of us, the loss stops naturally. But if you're wanting yours to stop and it doesn't seem to be doing it on its own, you can always increase your calorie intake to stop it. Keep in mind that it's very common to gain 10-20 lbs after hitting your lowest weight, so you might want to factor that in. I intentionally went below my goal a bit to account for that. And also, it's more common to not quite reach your goal than to lose too much, so stopping the loss usually isn't an issue for many of us. But again - if you're in the situation where you need to stop it, it's just a matter of increasing your calorie intake.

I used to think all broth was bone broth (since I always thought you made broth by boiling (and then simmering) bones and vegetables in a big pot for a long time, and then straining off the liquid (i.e., the broth)), but now I guess that's called "bone broth", because there's marrow left in the broth after you remove the veggies and bones. So evidently with "not-bone-broth", they don't throw the bones in the pot with it? I didn't even know you could make broth that way, but apparently so. But anyway, yes - that would be bone broth. Your grandmother's homemade broth would have been called "bone broth" today, but evidently the broth you get in the store is not unless it specifically says "bone broth" on the box or can. and yes on the Jello question, although we could only have the sugar free kind.

yea B1 really stinks. I get mine in capsule form because of that - I couldn't deal with the tablets. The capsules don't really smell. (I take B-complex since the brand I take has all the vitamin B1 we were required to take. This is the brand I take (see link below), but there are undoubtedly others that come in capsule form (this one says "serving size" is 2 capsules, but one capsule has everything we need, so that's all I take. Any extra vitamin B you take comes out a few hours later in your urine, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to take more than you need https://tinyurl.com/245a59nu

P.S. I just realized that by "accident" you mean #2. I don't think that's very common. We hear about it occasionally on here, but I don't think that happens to most people. Or at least, I rarely see any posts about that. Chronic constipation is a lot. more common.

OP - 1) the above commenter is correct about nerves not being healed yet. 2). liquids go right through you, so you're not going to feel full on those, healed or not. You'll start feeling some restriction once you move to solid foods.

It's been several years for me. I've never had an "accident" (either during the pre-surgery diet - or after), but I'm sure I was probably using the bathroom more than usual since I was drinking a lot. I would just get enough shakes for a week or so for now, because a lot of people's tastes change and shakes they were OK with before surgery they can't tolerate after. You don't want to be stuck with a bunch of protein powder or shakes (because you're right, they're not cheap) that you can't tolerate after your surgery. we had to drink only shakes that were 100% whey protein isolate the first couple of months - I don't know if they sell powders like that at Walmart or Target, but you can probably get them through Amazon (there are no pre-made shakes that are 100% whey protein isolate). However, not all surgeons require 100% whey protein isolate shakes - some are fine with blends. So if yours is OK with blends, then you should be able to find them at any of those places you mentioned.

it's hard to say how much you're actually burning that doesn't include sedentary/resting etc. I think Fitbits (and other trackers) give you a general idea, but they're not super accurate. And how many calories you burn in an hour depend on how much you weigh, your metabolic rate, what you're doing, and your intensity. I've been tracking my calories like a hawk for years, so I think the 300 kcal an hour I seem to be getting from fairly intense cardio is probably in the right ballpark. It takes about 1600 kcal a day for me to maintain my current weight, but if I'm exercising a lot during any given week (about an hour a day), I can eat up to 1900-ish without my weight starting to head up (of course, you have to take into account normal weight fluctuations, too - but at any rate, I do seem to be able to increase my calories by up to 300 or so if I'm doing a lot of cardio). also, the person who said that over the long run, strength training will increase your metabolism is correct. The more muscular you are, the more calories. you'll burn even at rest. So strength training by itself doesn't burn all that many calories, but over time, it'll boost your metabolic rate.

SomeBigGuy is absolutely correct. I remember sitting in Weight Watchers meetings before I had surgery, rolling my eyes (at least to myself) at these barely overweight women moan and complain about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. And here I was, 200+ lbs overweight. But now I totally get it!! The closer you are to normal weight, the harder it gets to lose even 10 lbs - when pre-surgery I probably could have dropped that in a week or two! But it all comes down to percentages - and how close your normal calorie intake is to your normal calorie expenditure (which at normal weight, is pretty much even). You still have a ways to go, but those percentages have changed - so you'll lose the weight as long as you stick to your plan, but it's going to take longer to lose the same number of pounds that you could have lost when you weighed 300+ lbs. But keep at it - it WILL come off!!

WOW!! A huge congratulations!! Your life has really taken off these last few months - this is fantastic!!!

just wanted to add that strength training doesn't burn many calories (although it's great for your muscles!). Cardio does burn calories, but you have to do a lot of it to really torch them. At my current weight, it takes about an hour of fairly intense cardio (biking, Zumba) for me to burn just 300 calories (although I agree with the others that the calorie counters and machines as well as fitness "watches" are really just estimates)

weight loss does slow down the further out you go. There were some months after the one year mark that I only lost one or two pounds. BUT...it kept going, and finally stopped at 20 months out. So it's likely you're not done losing yet.

there may be no info on it because it could be that no one has researched it. However, I've never had an issue with prescriptions. I know we're not supposed to take extended release versions of pills, and I know some people have to switch or increase their dosage of some meds (e.g. antidepressants), but I've never run into any of this with any of the prescriptions I've had. I've just taken them using the general instructions.. Also, you're far enough out that you shouldn't have to crush pills. I haven't crushed pills in years - I've been able to take everything whole ever since about my third week post-op.

they may want you to have 100% whey protein isolate (no pre-made shakes are 100% whey protein isolate - it has something to do with they can't get the texture right if they try to make them with 100% WPI, so they're always a blend), but not sure why they're limiting you to theirs or Unjury's (I really like Unjury protein, though). However, Unjury isn't the only commercial brand that makes 100% WPI - Syntrax comes to mind, and I'm sure there are others. So not sure what's going on here - unless you're right that they just want you to buy theirs.

I would be shocked if you had to start the whole process over if it hasn't even been submitted to insurance yet. Even if it HAD been submitted to insurance, probably the worst that could happen would be a slight delay (although even that would surprise me...)

I loved it when my hunger left - it was so liberating!! Mine did come back (which it does for most of us - at least eventually) - but I really wish it never had. It was wonderful!!

I didn't stop losing until I was 20 months out. But after the first year it was S-L-O-W going - like 1-2 lbs a month some months. 800-1000 calories sounds fine. I don't think I'd cut any more than that unless you're under medical supervision, like we are the first few weeks after surgery.

I agree with Rick. Should be fine unless you have complications.

I've never counted carbs - whole or net. My program stressed eating balanced meals (not low-carb, like many of them do), and also, I'm not very carb-sensitive (I know a lot of people ARE). two weeks isn't that long for a stall. They usually last 1-3 weeks, and sometimes they can go ever longer as you get closer to goal. (the last few months I kept thinking, "well, this must be it...", but then I'd drop a couple of pounds). You can't really break a stall - it's part of losing weight. Your body has to stop and recalibrate every once in a while. The best thing to do is make 100% sure you're sticking to your program, and only weigh yourself once a week or so until it breaks. you may be far from over. I kept losing weight until month 20. But those last few pounds were a bear to get off...

must be an individual thing. I can eat corn with no issues. P.S. I didn't eat it the first couple years post-op, though. Not sure what my body's reaction would have been at that stage since I never tried it until I was out a ways from surgery

the first stall out of the gate at around the three-week mark (although it comes earlier for some, later for others) is extremely common. We even have a name for it "the three-week stall". Almost everyone has that. In fact, if you do a search on this site for it, you'll find over 17,000 posts on it. And I am NOT kidding. Just stick to your plan and stay off the scale for a few days, and the stall will break. Usually takes 1-3 weeks. And know that it's likely the first of many stalls. It's a natural part of losing weight. I think your body just has to stop and recalibrate once in a while. constipation is also a very common issue after weight loss surgery. It's probably due to the high protein diet plus some of the supplements (iron and calcium supplements are the usual culprits). A lot of us have to take daily Miralax or stool softeners to keep on top of it. Other things that might help - magnesium tablets, prunes, Smooth Move tea. You might have to experiment to see what works for you. I take a capful of Miralax every morning and have been doing it for eight years. does the dizziness occur when you stand up? If so, it's probably orthostatic hypotension - also very common early after surgery - and it eventually goes away. Until then, just stand up SLOWLY. Protein shakes also count as liquids, so it may not be as difficult as you think to hit your fluid goals. the first few weeks are a challenge, but. you'll soon have all this behind you!!

the first couple of months are hard and a lot of people have "buyer's remorse", but you'll eventually reach the point where you'll be really happy with your decision. You'll be able to eat more types of food, will tolerate things better, etc. I can eat anything now except for really fatty meals. Before surgery my husband and I used to go out for fish fries on Friday nights, which usually consisted of fried fish, French fries, coleslaw made with mayo, and a roll with butter. I could maybe eat ONE of those things right now. Eating a plate with all the things I mentioned would land me in the bathroom, even at 8.5 years out. (I meant I could handle one fatty thing. If the rest of the things I had on the plate didn't contain much - if any - fat - like broiled fish - I would be fine. Although at restaurants I usually just eat half of what's on the plate these days, and take the rest home)

yes. I can't remember how soon it happened, but earlier than I would have expected if it was due to loss of "insulation". Maybe a few weeks out? (maybe even sooner than that - it's been a while). I think in addition to insulation loss, there's something about the surgery that throws off your internal thermostat. The cold thing only lasted a year or so for me, but for some it seems to be a permanent "feature".

about a week - and that's pretty common. There's not much in there yet. You might want to start taking stool softeners because that first one post-surgery can be a doozy.

is it true dumping or just vomiting? Dumping involves sweats or chills, cramps, diarrhea, rapid heartbeat. Vomiting can happen, but it's not as common because the "action" is in your intestines. I at first thought it might be a stricture since you originally said you had bypass, and those can definitely make you vomit pretty much everything you eat, but then underneath your post you said it was sleeve - strictures are pretty rare in sleevers, so I'm not sure. what are you exact symptoms?

I'm kind of surprised you found a surgeon that still places lap bands, too. That surgery has largely been replaced by the sleeve as the non-RNY option. My clinic quit doing lap bands even before I had my surgery eight years ago. There are definitely some people who love their lap bands and have been successful with them - but there are also a lot who've ended up having them removed and went with a sleeve or bypass.