catwoman7

if you get to the point that you can't keep liquids down, either, then it's definitely a stricture, and they HAVE to deal with it then. You can survive for awhile without food, but not fluids. So if you get to that point, don't wait for your appt - call them or better yet - go to the ER!

which surgery did you have? If it was gastric bypass, if this doesn't clear up soon, in spite of taking really small bites and chewing them to death, call your surgeon. It could be a stricture. That said, it does take some people longer to advance than others..

I think most people freak out before surgery - ANY surgery! So you're in good company! I'm RNY, not VSG, but the feelings are the same. Loose skin - yes, you will probably have it. Most people worry about this - I worried about it incessantly when I was pre-op. But from where I am now (almost four years out), and from most other vets I know, at some point you will realize that you wasted a lot of brain cells worrying about this. The weight loss is SO much more important than the loose skin. I've since had mine removed (within the last year, actually), but I would take the loose skin any day over weighing 373 lbs again. ANY DAY!! It's a total no-brainer. Hair loss - no, it's not a definite thing. Many people do lose hair, but for most, they're really the only ones who notice it. I didn't lose any. Some people don't. This is another thing I worried about incessantly, and it never happened. Regrets - there are probably a small minority of people who regret it, but for the vast majority, our only regret is that we didn't do this years earlier.

I had my first drink (champagne on my 20th anniversary) about two years after surgery. I had my second (wine) about two months ago, almost four years out of surgery. I was never much of a drinker before surgery either, though. Having to wait a year is pretty standard advice from surgeons. Keep in mind you're likely to get drunk way faster than before- I could really feel it after one glass of wine/champagne and was pretty bombed after two.

my first stall lasted two weeks. A friend of mine's lasted 3.5 weeks. Just stick to your program and the the weight loss will start up again. If I had a nickle for everyone who got into a stall and thought they'd be the first person whom WLS didn't work for I'd be rich! It'll work - just stick to your plan. Stay off the scale if you have to - but rest assured the surgery will work!

I just take Centrum (or the generic equivalent) as my multi. as far as hair loss, if it's going to happen, it's going to happen. I don't know that much helps. Getting adequate protein and keeping on top of your vitamins can keep it from getting any worse than it otherwise would, though. The good news is, it grows back - and the other good news is, not everyone experiences hair loss. I had some = although it certainly wasn't noticeable by anyone but me (and even then, if it weren't for those extra strands of hair in my comb for a few months, I don't think I would have noticed it, either.

I lost 16 lbs the first month and I started at over 300 lbs. I've been hanging out on bariatric surgery boards for 5-6 years, and I'd say most people lose in the 15-25 lb range the first month (some more - some less - but I'd say most lose within that range). At 10 days out, you're still coming off those first few days when your weight would have been higher than you went in for surgery because of all the IV fluids they pumped into you... as long as you stick to your program, the weight will come off...

I gradually weaned myself off caffeine and carbonated beverages (I can drink caffeine again - but in limited amounts, but four years later, I still don't drink carbonated beverages). I gradually increased my protein and decreased my carbs, and I gradually decreased my calories. As the above poster said, I wanted to start doing some of things I'd have to do post-surgery so the change wouldn't seem so drastic.

if I did that, I'd weigh 300 lbs again. I HAVE to weigh and measure.

yep. I've had several surgeries in my lifetime, and I still get freaked out about them beforehand! I think it's pretty normal!

my insurance only covered surgery if I went with one clinic, and luckily, that clinic has four surgeons. They take turns doing the evening orientation sessions (or at least did at the time - I'm guessing they still do), so I attended three or four orientation sessions so I'd be exposed to more than one of the surgeons. I picked the one I thought I'd be most likely to "click" with, as I knew from reviews that they're all really good surgeons.

the first few weeks can be tough and buyers' remorse is common. Just hang in there - the rough part will soon be behind you, and you'll be really glad you did this!!

I really only needed my husband around the first couple of days. I had almost zero pain and don't have children - but it was a bit of a challenge to get out of bed (sore abs). I probably could have done it myself if necessary, but it was nice having him around to bring me things so I wouldn't have to get out of bed so often. if you're on liquids the first couple of weeks you probably don't need to worry about cooking (well, except if you have to cook for family - in that case, the suggestion above about making things in a crockpot before you go off to surgery is a good one). I jumped right into purees when I got home from the hospital (my plan allowed for that), so I was eating mostly things like Greek yogurt and hummus, so cooking really wasn't an issue for me the first couple of weeks.

you're in a stall. Almost everyone has their first stall during the first month or so after surgery. I had mine during weeks 2 and 3. It finally broke during week 4, and I dropped like 6-8 lbs practically overnight. Do a search on "three week stall" - it happens to almost everyone! You are fine - stop worrying! I started out where you are weight-wise, and I lost 16 lbs the first month. I thought I was never going to lose weight, but I lost over 200 lbs! Stick to your program and the weight WILL come off! Your surgeon is going to be delighted with your loss so far!

If I only had a nickel for every time I've heard that! I, too, felt the same thing during my first stall (weeks 2 and 3 post-surgery for me). Just follow your plan. The weight WILL come off if you stick to your plan.

yes - it's normal to have the capacity to eat more the farther out you go. That's when you have to really put to use everything you learned during the honeymoon phase - weighing, measuring, only eating what you've measured out, protein first, etc. These things are way easier to do when you have little - or no - hunger - and less stomach capacity. Things do get harder...

I agree with the above poster. Go back to basics - dense protein first, then veggies. Maybe an occasional piece of fruit or whole-grain carb. Lots of people have regain - better 27 lbs than 100 lbs!! It'll take awhile to get it off, but it WILL come off. I'm fighting a 10 lb gain myself... I'm sure your tool still works - you just need to rein in your eating

I don't like drinking water anymore, either, unless I"m at a restaurant. I drink Crystal Light, Bai water, and those 5-calorie diet cranberry and cranberry-combo "juices", mostly. I think in my case it was the surgery, too, since I used to drink water like crazy, even at home.

people lose at all kinds of rates for lots of different reasons - gender, age, metabolic rate, starting BMI, whether or not they lost a lot of weight before surgery, etc. You are female - and you are starting at a low BMI (for a WLS patient), so right there that tells me that you're most likely not going to lose nearly as fast as some male who starts off at over 300 lbs. I was a slow loser from the get-go - I lost a total of 16 lbs my first month, and I started out WAY heavier than you. Yet I lost all of my excess weight. Just stick to your plan and the weight will come off - whether fast or slow...

it was my highest weight - before my (insurance mandated) six-month supervised diet and two-week pre-op liquid diet. I weighed 316 the morning I was rolled into surgery.

2020 calories a day is WAY too much for now. If you're lucky (or male), you may be able to eat that much once you're in maintenance (I can eat 1700 kcal/day and maintain, but some people aren't so lucky). A lot of people eat in the 600-800 range during the weight loss phase. I ate more than that, but I don't think I went over 1000 until I was almost a year out.

Unless you're drinking a lot of calories (e.g., milkshakes), then yes. Your stomach capacity is pretty small at this point, and with the huge emphasis on getting all your protein in, it's going to be a challenge to get too many calories. I don't know if they know why stalls happen, but they happen to pretty much everyone. I think your body just needs to re-calibrate once in awhile.

I didn't worry about calories for the first several months. With as little as you eat the first few months, calories aren't going to be an issue - but protein IS. I switched over to calorie counting (although I still count protein) when I was close to a year out, I think.

Premier shakes are popular, but I never liked them - I can taste the protein in them. Everyone's tastes are different, so you're likely to get a lot of different answers, but my favorite brands are Unjury (available only on Unjury's Web site) and Syntrax (available at lots of places - both stores and online - including Bariatric Pal's store). Get single packets if you can in case you don't like them - it'd be awful being stuck with some $30 (or more) tub of something that you hate.

surgeons are all across the board on the caffeine issue. Some forbid it forever, some are fine with you drinking it from the get-go. Some allow it but limit it to one or two cups a day. Some are OK with it after a certain amount of time (e.g. three months after surgery - or six months after surgery). I'd ask. But my guess is, since there doesn't seem to be a consensus on this, it's not the worst thing you can do...