catwoman7

I agree - call your surgeon. It could be something simple, like progressing too fast in your diet, or it could be the beginning of a stricture. Just monitor it and also let your surgeon know what's going on.

stalls happen (most of us get our first one at about three week post-op), and rates of weight loss are all over the place depending on so many things - age, gender, starting BMI, whether or not you lost a lot of weight prior to surgery, metabolic rate, etc. Your commitment to your program will be a MUCH more significant factor in your eventual success than your rate of weight loss will. I lost 16 lbs the first month, and was a slow loser from the get-go. Yet I lost all of my excess weight, over 200 lbs. Just follow your plan and the weight will come off, whether fast or slow.

chili has a lot of liquid that just slides right through. Only eat what you're supposed to eat, even if you don't feel "full".

your nerves were cut during surgery. It might be awhile before you start feeling "full" again. I agree with the other posters - weigh and measure your food and only eat what you're supposed to eat. You don't want to mess anything up.

lots of us have had it in our 50s and 60s and have been very successful with it

I stayed at around 800 calories most of the first year. I don't think I went up over 1000 until I was about a year out. Once I hit maintenance, I gradually increased my calories until I got to the point where my weight remained stable, which for me is 1500-1700 calories a day. Some people require fewer to maintain, some more - you have to experiment with it. But at any rate, I don't think my metabolism was wrecked by my eating 800-ish kcal a day for a few months. Although I can't speak for everyone.

your diet is pretty heavy on carbohydrates. I suspect you might be one of those people who are carb sensitive (a lot of us on here are). Eating carbs just makes carb sensitive people crave more carbs- thus, hunger. Try swapping some of those carbs out for proteins - eggs, meat, cheese, yogurt (I know you already do eat some of these). Many of us are told to eat protein first, then non-starchy vegetables, and then if we have room left, a piece of fruit or a small amount of whole grains. I'm not particularly carb sensitive, but I rarely have more than one fruit serving a day, and maybe a small serving or two of whole grains. I try to focus on mostly proteins and vegetables. And for snacks, I always pick a protein or else pair a protein with a carb (like apple slices with peanut butter). I rarely eat a carb by itself.

he should feel OK after a month. He probably won't be able to do any heavy lifting, but other than that...

my surgery was about 90 minutes. But of course, if you factor in prep time and recovery, then yes, probably 3-4 hours. But the surgery itself is pretty quick.

not unusual at all to have hunger come back six months after surgery. Mine came back at five months. Two months is too long to be a stall. It sounds like you're in maintenance. You may have to cut back on calories - the less we weigh, the fewer calories we need. Do you know what your average calorie level is now? If not, figure it out based on a week or so worth of eating - then cut back by 100. If after a week you're not seeing results on the scale, then cut back by another 100...

I lost hardly any. At about six months out, I noticed a few more strands of hair in my comb (after I washed it) than usual. This went on for probably three months. Had it not been for the extra strands in my comb, I would have never noticed.

there's a lot of sodium in those fluid bags, and you're getting a *ton* of fluids while in the hospital. I didn't weigh myself right away after my RNY or my first plastic surgery because I knew my weight would be way up, and it was just water. I had my second round of plastic surgery this past Friday. I *did* weigh myself this morning, and I'm 4 lbs up from the morning of my (plastic) surgery, and i've been eating much less than usual the last few days. Since I've done a lot of urinating the last couple of days (getting rid of all those hospital fluids), I'm sure I was up 10+ lbs when I was released from the hospital. I'd give it week and then weigh yourself again. You'll probably be fine.

do a search for the "three week stall". You'll find hundreds of posts on it. Happens to almost everyone.

yikes - that doctor sounds like a jerk!! my LBL scar goes all the way around me (360 degrees). It's a really thin scar though. My surgeon actually glued me (didn't realize they could do this with large incisions), so it's very thin and it never opened anywhere at all. Most people are sutured - but some surgeons (who suture) do a really good job of stitching - their scars are pretty thin, too...

with plastic surgery, you'll definitely have scars, but they try to put them in inconspicuous places. With my lower body lift, the scar is below the bikini line, so if I have underwear on (I'm way too old to be wearing a bikini!), you'd never be able to tell it was there. I look like a completely normal person - with no scar.

no regrets at all. I'd go back and have it done every year if I had to. Best decision ever!

mine said Flintstones but I'd read quite a bit about them not having everything we need. I asked the nutritionist about Centrum (or the generic equivalent), and she said those were even better. Not sure why they just don't recommend Centrum instead. Although my surgery was almost four years ago - maybe they do recommend Centrum now (??). At any rate, I've been taking them this whole time. Chewables for the first few months, regular tablets now.

I think i had five. I can't see the scars at all anymore.

horror stories are very rare. They seem more common than they are because people post about them, seeking advice. Pretty much no one seeks advice when they're six months - or a year - or three years = out and everything is hunky-dorey. Just for the record, I'm almost four years out, and everything has been hunky-dorey. No complications, no complaints, absolutely no regrets. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

like the above poster said, some policies will cover it - or part of it - if you have documented medical issues with the loose skin, like chronic rashes. So see your doctor whenever you have these kinds of issues so you have a paper trail. outside of this, it's very difficult to get insurance coverage for plastic surgery since it's considered cosmetic (and elective).

people lose at all different rates for all different reasons - starting BMI, gender, age, metabolism rate, whether or not you lost a lot of weight before surgery, etc. I was a slow-loser from the get-go, and I lost all of my excess weight. Your commitment to your program is going to be a MUCH better predictor of your eventual success than your rate of weight loss will. Are you following your plan to a T? Are you weighing/measuring/tracking your food so you know for sure? If so, don't worry - the weight will come off, whether fast or slow. If you aren't doing that, then get back to it. The farther out you get, the easier it is to stray - we have to be diligent - both now and once we hit maintenance.

I like the stronger-flavored ones, like the BBQ and cheddar cheese ones. Those stronger flavors cover up the protein taste.

being nervous before a surgery - any surgery - is completely normal! I agree with the others - take pictures (from all four sides!) and measurements - I took both the day before surgery and every month on my surgery date until I hit maintenance. I am SO glad I have all this now! It was a great way to document my journey and to see my results of my efforts!

surgeons really are all across the board on this one. Mine said only decaf for the first six months, then I could drink 1-2 cups of regular per day (I often drink more than that, though). It does cause acid reflux for me, though - I've had to find a low-acid one. I think it's probably good to avoid it while you're healing - after that, I'm not sure. There does seem to be a big difference of opinion, even among professionals.

yes. I seemed to have them all the time pre-surgery - at least a couple times a week. I rarely have them anymore