catwoman7

I lost over 200 lbs and had a ton of it. It was very easy to hide in clothes, so no one knew it was there except of me (well, other than my husband and doctor). I eventually had it removed, but even if I hadn't, I would have taken thet saggy skin any day of the week over weighing almost 400 lbs again. ANY DAY! Here's a picture of me BEFORE I had my skin removed. See all that saggy skin? I didn't think so. Honestly, being severely obese vs having some saggy skin that no one can see? It was a no brainer for me.

I've never counted carbs. I track calories. The dietitians at my clinic don't like us doing either, but counting calories works for me. I think a lot of it is personal preference and what works for you.

losing your appetite is common - chronic nausea is not. There's a chance you could have a stricture developing - I had two of them during the first three months post-op (when they almost always occur, if they're going to occur). It started with nausea after eating - then vomiting after eating. As it progresses, you can't even keep fluids down. Check with a doctor - that may not be what it is, but if it is, you need to get that fixed (and it's a very easy fix). You can live for awhile without food, but not without fluids.

if it is, it's not a common one. I don't recall anyone writing about that.... Sorry you're going through that - I've heard pancreatitis can be very painful!

I was at first but not by two months out. Definitely see your doctor. It could be you need to beef up on some vitamins/supplements - but labs will tell you that. Also, your protein level seems really low for being that far out. We were supposed to get at least 60 grams - but then, I know different clinics have different requirements, so if yours says you just need 30-50 grams, then there's that... being low in iron or B12 can cause tiredness - but again, see a doctor before increasing supplements - getting too much of some of them can be problematic, too.

you've just had major surgery, and your body is in massive healing mode. Plus it takes some people longer to get over the anesthesia effects than others. I can't remember how long I had brain fog (it's been over eight years since my surgery), but I do know I seemed to get better and better every day. It took about two months before I felt completely back to normal (I remember wanting to take naps in the afternoon for quite awhile..), but again, you're in the worst part of it, so you won't have brain fog that whole time, fortunately. I'd give it a few more days, though....

could be water retention from your period or it could also be the infamous "three-week stall" that most of us experience (it's not always the third week - it could be week 2 or 4 or 5 - but most of us have our first stall pretty early after surgery. It usually lasts 1-3 weeks. Best thing to do is stick to your program and stay off the scale for awhile...it'll break and you'll be on your way again...)

I'm sure I've accidentally swallowed a big seed sometime in the eight years since my bypass. If it's too big too pass through, it'll either sit there until your stomach acid dissolves some or all of it, or your stomach will toss it back up. I've been on bariatric forums for about nine years, and I've never heard/read about issues with cantaloupe seeds mucking things up, so I'm guessing you'll be fine.

I think most of us have to get clearance from a therapist before having the surgery, and I'm sure you're far from the only person with BED who's had surgery. I would think at most it might delay the surgery until you've had a few appts with a therapist. You do need to get that under control, or the surgery isn't likely to "work". It's just a tool, so you have to do your part of it to lose the weight - which would be tough if you continue to binge eat.

most of us lose somewhere in the `15-25 lb range the whole first MONTH, so yes, seven lbs after one week is fine. In fact, some don't even lose that much because they "gain" weight from the IV fluids they give you in the hospital, and it can take few days for that to work its way out of your system.

there are definitely people who continue to be intolerant of certain items even months or years out - and/or people who continue to avoid things like pasta and rice because those can sit like a brick in some people's stomachs = and people who have to limit fat or sugar because of dumping or RH - but as far as having restrictions dictated by their clinics, I'm not aware of anyone who still has them once they're a few months out, but then, I haven't taken a survey or anything, so you may be right. We had none once we reached the six-month mark.

your surgeon should know better. Although I can relate - one of my early follow up appts was with a resident who pointed out I was behind where I needed to be. But he was just a stupid resident - he should have known better. I wish I could have seen his face once I'd lost over 200 lbs - 100% of my excess weight.

I lost the same amount (16 lbs) the first month and ended up losing 235 lbs (I've gained back a few since then). Most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month post-op, so you're in the right range. If you're getting your expectations from "My 600 lb Life", remember that those people start at over 600 lbs - that's way above where the average WLS patient starts from, and starting BMI is one of the factors that determines what your rate of weight loss is (other factors are age, gender, how much of your body weight is muscle, whether or not you lost a lot of weight prior to surgery, metabolism rate, other genetic factors, etc). The only two factors that play into the rate of weight loss that you have much control over are how closely you're sticking to your clinic's food plan, and how active you are. If you're doing well with those, you'll lose the weight, whether fast or slow. the other thing you may be dealing with is the "three-week stall" that most of us experience. It's not always the third week post-op - sometimes it's the second or fourth or fifth week post-op, but it's most commonly during the third week, hence the name. It's basically the first major stall after WLS. Most of us go through this. It generally lasts 1-3 weeks. I had mine during weeks 2 and 3 (so two weeks). I lost virtually nothing during this time, but once week 4 started, I dropped like 6-8 lbs within just a couple of days. so anyway, long way of saying, there's no reason to feel defeated. Sounds like everything is pretty normal...

honestly, there are more people who never make it all the way to their goal than there are those who lose too much, but that said, you can always increase your calories to either stop your weight loss or gain a few pounds if you think you're getting too thin. So I wouldn't worry about that at all. I lost 100% of my excess weight and yes, for a time I was "too thin", but I was also aware that a majority of us have a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain during year 3. And I did. In addition, even before the rebound gain, things (fat, I guess?) tends to re-distribute itself after a big loss, so even though I weighed the same for awhile, I started looking a lot better. My face filled out, etc - even before that gain. as far as it being hard - the first year, it wasn't too bad - esp before my hunger and appetite came back at month 5. For those first few months, for the first time in my life, I wasn't thinking about food at all the time. In fact, I didn't think about it much at all - and at times didn't even want any. Even though it was weird not to ever be hungry and to not give a flip about food, I found it very liberating! But things changed at month 5 when suddenly my hunger came back (and it does for most of us sometime during the first year). Then you're dealing with the hunger beast again, although it's not as strong as it was before surgery. But I wanted more than anything to lose this weight once and for all, so I really stuck to my program and lost it all (weight loss didn't stop until I was almost two years out, though - I had A LOT to lose!) it does get harder after the first year because diet fatigue sets in, as well as some old habits. You really, really have to watch yourself. And eight years out, I have to continue to watch myself. It's so easy to slip into old habits. But I have a "drop dead weight" limit - I weigh myself once a week now, and if I hit that limit - or come close to it - I cut back until my weight is safely within the limit again. But this really isn't any different from most of my never-been-obese friends. So many of us have to monitor our weight and to cut back when it starts getting too high. anyway, yes, it can be hard - esp when your hunger comes back and your motivation starts to wane, but unlike before, your effort actually pays off. You put in the work, and the weight comes off (or stays off). Before, the most I could ever lose is about 50 lbs (and even that was rare - most of my dieting ended up with a 10 or 20 lb loss). And inevitably, it will all come back. Happened every time. BUt this time, it worked!

at over eight years out, no one would be able to tell I had bypass surgery by looking at what I ate. At most they'd think I'm a "light eater". I'll usually order a salad - or an appetizer - or else an entree and have them box up half of it to take home. Same as most of my female friends who've never had a weight issue. I do, however, order "bariatric friendly" meals - entrees with protein and vegetables. I very rarely order things like pasta or dishes that feature heavy cheese or cream sauces (well, pretty much never). Although again, that's what my non-obese friends typically order, too. Like summerseeker, I check out online menus (most places have them) and decide what I'll order before I go. the first few weeks you'll be eating microscopic amounts, but that doesn't last forever.

I drink a ton of water - and have been able to for a long time. It's really just the first few weeks that it can be an issue.

oh - and yes - ChunkCat is correct - bypass is more effective at resolving metabolic issues than sleeve. I don't know how SADI does with this - SADI wasn't done when I had my surgery, so I didn't research it.

another comment re: dumping. About 30% of bypassers dump. I never have, and I know plenty of others who don't, but about 30% do. It's caused by eating too much sugar or fat at one sitting - so the way to control it is to, of course, limit the amount of sugar or fat you have at one sitting (which we should be doing regardless, even if we don't dump!) I don't know much about SADI so I can't really comment on it, although generally speaking, the more powerful the surgery, the higher the risk of complications. But that being said, none of these surgeries have a particularly high risk of complications - and most are minor and preventable (or "fixable", like strictures) I lost over 200 lbs with my bypass, so it can be done - but the average person tends to lose more weight with the DS (not sure about SADI, again, I'm not familiar with it, but since it's a modified DS, and given your surgeon's comment, I'm assuming that's true of the SADI, too).

a couple of corrections and comments on bypass. Strictures only happen to about 5% of bypass patients and they're very easy to fix (I had two of them). If they happen, it'll be during the first three months after surgery. They almost never occur after that. there are no food restrictions with bypass after about the first six months. Zero. Fruit with seeds and/or skins, dry meat, etc - all fine. Those are only restricted during the first few weeks or months after surgery.

totally understand your struggles with weight loss. I tried for literally decades to get my weight off. The most I could ever lose is about 50 lbs (and those losses were rare - it was usually more like 10 or 20 lbs). And I could never keep it off for long. Within months, I was back up to almost 400 lbs. Weight loss surgery was the only thing that ever worked for me. Not saying it's easy - it's work. A lot of work. But the difference is, your efforts actually pay off.

I'd be a lot more afraid of NOT having the surgery than having it. I hesitate to say this, but you're more likely to die from obesity complications than you are from the surgery. These surgeries are much safer than they were years ago - mortality rate is very low - even lower than hip replacement surgeries, which they do all the time. I was heavier than you are (although fortunately, I didn't have any co-morbidities), but I knew it for me it was either have the surgery or die from my massive weight (I was well over 300 lbs). Having that surgery probably gave me an extra 10 years of life. I'm much healthier today in my 60s than I ever was in my 30s and 40s.

no - mine completely went away. But...do they have you on a PPI, like pantaprazole (SP?). My surgeon had us all on one, regardless of surgery, for a year - but that was back when they didn't know the side effects of long-term use of those. Most surgeons nowadays have people on them for 3-6 months, which is supposedly safe.. I would definitely let your clinic know. If you're not on a PPI now, they'll probably put you one on for at least a couple of months, until you heal. And if you ARE on one, they may increase your dosage for awhile. It may go away after you're healed up, but in any case, you should be on something for it. For one, that acid can't be good for healing - and for another, no one wants to deal with severe heartburn, and you don't have to!

right away. But some people are told to wait for a couple of weeks. I'd check with my clinic to see what they recommend.

pretty common - and take full advantage of this "feature", because for almost all of us, hunger and appetite come roaring back sometime within the first year post-op. I know this may sound strange to you, but...I wish my hunger and appetite had never come back. It came back at five months post op. It was so much easier to lose weight when I was never hungry and didn't give a flip about food. So, I know it sounds weird to say, but enjoy it while it lasts!

stalls became more frequent the further out I got. And they tended to last longer, too. Every time I'd hit one, I'd think "well, this must be it...", but then my weight loss would eventually start up again. I kept losing until about the two year mark. It was slow going after the first year, though.