catwoman7

you definitely didn't gain a pound of true weight if you only ate 800 calories. It's got to be water or constipation. It takes 3500 calories to gain a pound of true weight.

there are a lot of us out there who don't lose every day. I didn't. I was a very slow loser from the get-go, but I did end up losing 100% of my excess weight.

it's because of the swelling. You'll have pretty significant swelling off & on for the first three months or so. I agree with your surgeon - hide your tape measure!

I know this wasn't directed at me, but I've had two skin removal surgeries (8/18 and 3/19). LBL was rough - but worth it. The recovery on my upper body procedures wasn't as bad (had some issues with the incisions on my upper body procedures, so it wasn't as smooth as it could have been - but it wasn't as painful as the LBL recovery)

based on your photos, we look like we're roughly in the same age category. There are a number of physicians now who think their "older adult" patients (I assume they mean 50+ or 60+) should be in the 23-27 BMI range. So basically at the higher end of their BMI range to maybe 5-10 lbs overweight. Supposedly it's the healthiest range for us as it gives us a little cushion in case we get sick. My PCP freaked out when I got down below a 22 BMI. I now sit right around a 25 and she's happy as a clam. So anyway, what I'm trying to say is, you're probably at an optimal weight right now (and you look it!) - and yes, you may actually be a bit lighter if you factor in the excess skin. I think you look perfect!

yes - you'll hit stalls along the way. I had several of them on my journey. Also, weight loss slows down considerably after the first month or two. If you stick to your program, though, the weight WILL continue to come off..

I think it's pretty common to start regaining starting in about year 3 post-op. I've gained almost 20 lbs and am sick about it, although I still look OK. I'd like to lose 10 lbs of it, though. And I should add it's a real bear to get off. I never should have let myself gain it in the first place! At least I caught it before it got out of control, but still... I'm just trying to do what I was doing during year 1 and 2. Protein first, then veggies, then if I have room, a serving of fruit or "good" carbs, like whole grains. Admittedly I don't always do this, though (I do get all my protein in every day, however - and I have protein at every meal). I'm also trying to stay within my maintenance calorie range (1500-1700). I do weigh and measure things like meat and yogurt and cottage cheese, and I log everything that goes into my mouth. If I don't, I take in WAY too many calories. I think the trick is to monitor yourself closely - both your weight and your food intake - for the rest of your life. It's a pain, but it's the only way to keep it off. My weight starts heading north pretty fast if I don't stay on top of it all the time.

I think you look fine. You don't look like you need to lose any more weight.

No - I can't see it at all unless I'm standing in front of a mirror and lifting my arms. If my arms are down, you can't see them at all.

I had pretty significant swelling for the first three months or so. After that, it was off & on and not as bad...

you will wake up. Mortality rate on these surgeries is ridiculously low. It's one of the safest surgeries out there. Pain - some people do have it, but I would say a majority of us have very little. If you have it, let your team know. They'll give you something for it. complications aren't very common. Many of us have never had any.

that being cold thing is really common. I'm OK most of the time now, but the first year or so out I was freezing all the time

yes - I was completely numb from navel to pubic bone for the first year post-surgery. My sensation started to come back after 12 months, but definitely not all of it (yet). I'm probably still a good 50-75% numb. I understand that some people never get their sensation back - and for others they do mostly, but it's not uncommon for the numbness to stay permanently along the incision lines.

I could have probably handled the liquid. The acid in the tomato is another story, though.

I don't think any surgeons would recommend you drink them in the first few weeks or months while you're healing. But some are OK with them when you're out a ways as long as they don't bother your stomach. And others ban them for life. My surgeon is one of the latter, but I tried them when I was at least year out since some surgeons seem to be OK with them. They irritated my stomach too much - and they still do (have tried them a handful of times since then), so I gave up. Some people can tolerate them, though.

I had a hard time with my compression garment the first couple of weeks, too (actually, even longer since I had some issues off & on with my incisions), so I wrapped my arms up in ace bandages instead.

I'm 4.5 years out and can eat pretty much anything except for super fatty meals (e.g., my husband and I used to go to Friday night fish fries a lot - can't do that anymore - I'd be in the bathroom vomiting up a storm!). Other than that, I can tolerate everything. I just eat treats occasionally, though, because my weight heads north really fast if I"m not watching it all the time. that said, I really stuck to my plan the first year and almost never cheated. Once I hit maintenance, though, yes - I let myself have treats occasionally. Still do. edited to add that no, sugar won't stretch your stomach, but consistent overeating (of anything - not just sugar) will. And some people do have soda again once they're a few months out. I can't handle carbonated beverages anymore - they bother my stomach - but some people don't have a problem with them. (some surgeons don't want you to ever have carbonated beverages again, but some are OK with it once you're a few months out IF they don't bother your stomach)

I agree. I've been on here for three or four years and I've seen harsh. This isn't at all - people are just warning you.

that one is pretty popular - as is MyFitnessPal

with the amount of excess skin I had, I'm pretty sure only traditional plastic surgery would have worked (which I had...). Maybe if you just had a tiny bit of excess skin it might work, but I'm not sure. I'm not all that familiar with it.

absolutely!

go back to what you did the first year or two post-surgery (NOT all the way back to liquids, but protein first, then veggies, and then, if you have room left, a small serving of fruit or "good" carb (like whole grains)). Measure and weigh things so you know exactly how much you're eating. And track everything. Regular exercise is good, too, if you're not doing that already. I still weigh myself every day and track everything that goes into my mouth (I'm 4.5 years out). When I stop monitoring for more than a few days, my weight starts heading north. It's a constant battle, but do-able..

I kept losing until I was about 20 months out. I lost about 40 lbs during year 2, I think. It was much slower going during year 2 and the stalls were longer, but I kept sticking to my plan and the weight slowly kept dropping...

did your surgeon prescribe an antacid? Many of them do for the first 3-6 months after surgery. Stomach acid can sometimes mimic hunger. if you're still on a liquid or pureed diet, you're not going to feel "full". Those things go right through you. Plus your nerves were likely cut during surgery, and it takes awhile for them to regenerate. You should start feeling restriction once you move to solid food. I would not start food early. Follow your surgeon's plan.

could be - starting BMI is one of the factors that affects rate of weight loss. So are age, gender, metabolic rate, activity level, whether or not you lost a lot of weight prior to surgery, etc. That's why it's sort of pointless for people to compare themselves to other. People are all over the board with this depending on so many things...