catwoman7

just wanted to say that a lot of SSRI's are known for that - and I think Paxil is one of the worst. It's too bad your doctor won't switch to you another SSRI - some aren't as notorious for weight gain as others.

yes - not all surgeons require the two-week liquid diet. Consider yourself lucky...

unfortunately, 1300-1400 calories a day IS maintenance level for some women. We're all over the board - some women can eat 2000 to maintain, others can only have 1200. It's dependent on so many factors (age, how much of your body weight is muscle, metabolic level, how active you are, etc). My TDEE says about the same (I'm 5'6" and fairly active (strength training or cardio every day)), but I would gain weight on 2300 calories. My maintenance range is 1500-1700. You'll have to kind of experiment with different ranges to see where you maintain, and at what point you start losing again. And of course, decide if you're willing to struggle long term to maintain a weight that's lower than what your body seems to prefer. Unfortunately, my new set point seems to be about 160 - which I don't like - but I know if I want to get or stay below that, I'm going to need to fight my biology. and yes - the body weight your body likes might be higher than what your mind likes - AND - given you lift weights, you may already be leaner than you think. I had a DEXA scan when I weighed 146 lbs, because I wanted to see how much more weight I needed to lose. Turns out I only had 22% body fat, which is pretty lean for a woman - so both the scan technician - and my PCP - said I was already at an ideal weight and did not need to lose anymore (if you want to do a DEXA scan, those that you do at a medical facility will not give you the info you want. Those will only give you your bone density. You need to go to one of those commercial places, like DEXAfit, or something like a sports lab at a university for one that gives you info on body composition (percentage of fat/muscle/bone you have). They cost somewhere in the $100-150 range)

those kinds of thoughts are pretty normal the first few weeks - and, it gets better. I felt that way the first month, too, but having WLS turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made - I'd do it again in a heartbeat! And yes, the first few weeks are tough - but you will live a normal life again. Other than my stomach not being able to hold as much food as before, my life is completely normal, and has been for a long time (I'm almost seven years out). and others are right, this is NOT easy! This is just a tool - you really have to work at it to get the weight off - and then you have to keep working at it to keep it off. It's a lifelong struggle - albeit made do-able thanks to the surgery. There's no way on earth I could have lost over 200 lbs and kept it off without surgery.

everyone is different because people start at different BMIs, are different heights, some people have a higher percentage of muscle, some people have higher metabolism rates, some people are more active, etc etc etc. It took me almost two years to lose all my weight because I had over 200 lbs to lose, but I CAN tell you that those last 20 lbs or so are a b***ch to get off. It takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R! basically, the closer you are to a normal BMI, the slower it goes...my last few months I lost like 2 lbs a month.

I've heard conflicting opinions, so who knows. My dietitian urges us to eat within an hour after getting up - but I know some of her patients just have a protein shake since they can't stomach solid food that early (although she's OK with that - it's SOMETHING). I do eat breakfast, but I'm rarely hungry - so it's usually just a thing of Greek yogurt (well, and coffee beforehand). I could never stomach one of those huge breakfasts some people eat - like bacon & eggs or stack of pancakes. Ugh. Not that it tastes bad, I just don't want that much food in the morning.

when I'm having an uncontrollable craving for dessert, I'll sometimes take a thing of vanilla Greek yogurt (usually one of the lower calorie ones - like Light & Fit, Carbmaster, or the 100-calorie one they have at Aldi's), stir in a couple teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, and top with a dollop of light Cool Whip and a few raspberries. sugar free Jello with a dollop of light Cool Whip can hit the spot as well. although not caving in any way and just getting out of the house sometimes helps as well - although that's harder to do in the winter (depending on where you live). My worst time for cravings is late afternoon, so in the summer I'd often get out and ride my bike for an hour. I try to keep my hands busy, too (like doing jigsaw puzzles) - that'll sometimes work, too. it's a constant battle, isn't it? UGH.

it does become old hat after awhile, and honestly, other than the vitamin regimen, these are all just healthy habits that everyone should strive to follow, not just WLS patients. But yes - it does take time to get into the swing of things! Like others have mentioned, some of these things you can double up on to hit two goals at once - like making sure your meals are high in protein. And counting protein shakes (if you're still on them) as part of your fluids goal.

yep - it's hard to make a choice. Some people have medical issues that make one choice more appropriate than others, but if you have no such issues, then it can be tough. generally the more powerful the surgery, the greater the potential for complications, although none of the surgeries done today really have a huge percentage of complications. Most complications are minor, and a lot of people really don't have any at all. The most common issue with malabsortion surgeries like the Loop DS is nutrient deficiency, but then you said you'd be really good at keeping on top of the the vitamin regimen, so that's not likely to be a problem for you. Most of the people (not all, but most) who have issues with that aren't diligent about keeping on top of their vitamins. Note I'm using words like "most" and "unlikely". Of course, there's always a chance of serious issues with any surgery (even having your tonsils out!), but if you follow the rules, the chances aren't likely. my choices were VSG or RNY, because those are the only two my insurance covers, and my surgeon doesn't do any form of DS. I chose RNY mostly because I had GERD (and RNY is recommended for GERD sufferers), but also, I was over 200 lbs overweight, so I wanted to have the more powerful surgery. I was willing to take the slight risk to get that benefit. I know none of this helps you with your decision, but these are some of things *I* considered when I was going through this. Good luck making your decision - and keep reading as it might make it easier to decide...

it took me 20 months to lose all my weight, and the last three or four months were slow as molasses. I was eating more than 680 calories, though. I was eating more like 1200. the closer you are to a normal BMI, the harder and slower it is to lose weight. Three to five lbs a month is actually pretty good. There were some months near the end when I only lost about 2 lbs the whole month. ever go to Weight Watchers meetings and listen to these barely overweight people scream and moan about how hard it is to lose 10 lbs? I used to (mentally) roll my eyes when I overheard such conversations. Now I totally get it. just stick to your plan. It'll be slow, but you'll get there.

a lot of women post about screwed up cycles the first few months after surgery - estrogen is stored in fat cells, and the theory is that it's released due to the rapid weight loss. It does stabilize after a few months. Maybe that's what's going on??

I'd check with my PCP or surgeon. Hair loss that far out from surgery usually isn't telogen effluvium, the loss that is common after bariatric surgery (and can be a side effect of any major surgery, actually). It may be related to a nutrient deficiency or something. At any rate, I'd certainly mention it to my doctor.

soup - unless it has a lot of solids in it - is pure liquid and will go right through you. It's not the same as eating 8 oz of real food.

it's pretty common. Usually not as extreme as the article GradyCat posted, but yes - I think a lot of us have unrealistic perceptions of our size. I'm almost seven years out. I had about a 20 lb regain in year 3 (which unfortunately is very common), and I'm constantly thinking I look "fat". I'm always shocked when I see a photo of myself and realize I'm not fat - I look just fine. Or I'll see a photo of myself from a couple of years ago in "Facebook memory" and think - wow - I looked great then - and then I'll check my weight spreadsheet (which I've kept since my surgery) and realize I weigh exactly the same now - or maybe 2 or 3 lbs more - than I did in that photo. if it's causing you anxiety or depression, then yes - I'd agree counseling may be a good idea. But if it's not - then know that you're certainly not alone!!

they usually don't do reversals unless you're having serious medical issues that can't be resolved any other way. talk to your surgeon. They may be able to suggest or prescribe things that help. Plus like others have said, you're still very early out. A lot of this will clear up in the near future. The first few weeks can be tough, but then it gets a lot easier. I honestly don't notice a difference anymore - other than my stomach doesn't hold nearly as much food as it used to.

unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it. Some people claim to have luck with biotin and/or special shampoo products, but others say they did nothing for them (I think if biotin "works", it's more effective once the hair starts growing back - rather than stopping it from falling out). Just know that it "will" stop and will grow back!! Some people get a shorter cut or wear scarves or something to make it less noticeable....

yes - lower body lifts are pretty painful. My arm lift and breast lift were much easier - but I think it has to do with the liposuction and muscle tightening they do with a lower body lift. I had to use a walker and a toilet seat riser for several days - and those first couple of nights were AWFUL. But....it does end, and in the end, the results were worth it (I had my LBL three years ago - and the arm & breast lift two years ago)

I was told to wait at least 24 hours after I stopped taking pain pills, but I never took any pain pills (I had almost zero pain from the surgery). I think I waited about a week to drive, though. I didn't have much energy and slept a lot the first few days - plus I had my husband here to run errands for me.

I went to water aerobics a lot that first year (I still do once or twice a week, but I went a lot more than that the first year. I have a bad hip so walking fast enough or far enough to get much benefit out of it is tough - and I was too heavy at the time to do much else). I think I "rode" the stationary bikes and seated ellipticals at the gym, too. Once I was about eight weeks out, I was cleared to do weights, so I added in the weight machines at the gym, too.

I like "Reps to the Rhythm" videos on youtube. It's my favorite "walking" type of video (although it's more intense and "dance-y" then some - so more of a cross between a walking video and something like Zumba). He has a bunch of different lengths of videos - and they're rated by color (I think the red ones are the most intense - but there's at least one blue one that I know of that's pretty intense - and my favorite one to boot). Anyway, the longer ones would give you 10,000 steps. Or you could do two or three of the shorter ones (he does include the step counts on his videos)

weight loss slows down a lot the farther out you get. My first month I lost 16 lbs. Then for the next six months or so, I lost 8-12 lbs a month. After that, I dropped down to about 5-8 lbs a month. And after the first year, it was like two lbs a month. This happens to almost everyone. The closer you get to normal weight, the slower and harder it is to lose. I remember going to Weight Watchers meetings before I had weight loss surgery. I used to mentally roll my eyes at these women who were only slightly overweight moaning about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. Yea - right. Try losing 100+ lbs. But now I totally get it!! btw - I agree with the above poster. If you're straying too far from your clinic's plan, then get back on it. Track everything. If you're committed, you WILL continue to lose weight. I lost for 20 months.

it's not really cosmetic - I don't think they attempt to make you look "pretty" - but they do remove the excess skin. I might have been OK with it because I'm in my 60s and have been married forever, so I really didn't care what I looked like under my clothes - I did it more so my clothes would fit better and my skin didn't slap up against my body while I was exercising. But I decided to go for the whole lower body lift, not just the panniculectomy. if you want something that looks more natural, then go for a whole lower body lift (also called a 360, I believe). They do front and back, pull up the mons area, reposition your belly button and create a new, natural-looking opening for it (so it looks like a normal belly button), etc. And as the above poster said, they usually do liposuction and muscle tightening, too. Appearance-wise, it's going to look a lot better. That is, if you care... if your insurance covers panniculectomies (and if so, you're lucky!) but you want to do a full lower body lift, many of them will at least cover the panniculectomy part of it.

here - I just did the search for you (on the three week stall). 17,501 posts at the moment: https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=three week stall

23 lbs in two weeks is actually phenomenal. You are ahead of the curve. It was probably six weeks before I'd lost that much. you're probably in a stall right now. Most of us have our first major stall during the first month or so after surgery. It's called the "three week stall" because it's usually the third week, but not always. Typically lasts 1-3 weeks. Just stick to your plan and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you follow your plan the stall the break and you'll be on your way again. if you want to read more about this, search this site for "three week stall". Last time I checked, there were over 17,000 posts on it. And no, I am NOT kidding. It happens to almost all of us.

no one loses 15 lbs a week for the first 2-3 months. There might be *one* week out of that 2-3 month period where a few people might lose that much (although I've been hanging out on bariatric boards for about seven years and have never heard of anyone losing that much in a week - so if so, they'd be outliers - unless, of course, they started out the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life"). It's really pretty unusual for us "normal" WLS patients to lose more than 25 or 30 lbs the first month, and then it drops after that. It seems like most of us are somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month - but again, there are always a few who lose more than that (maybe 30 or so lbs). But 15 lbs a week, no - or at least I've never heard or read about anyone who's lost that much. someone else quoted that MIchigan study on here a year or so ago, and those of us who have been hanging out here for a few years found it pretty unbelievable. I think the five lbs a week they quoted isn't unusual at all - but 15 is a huge stretch. Maybe it's just the wording they used (??). If so, too bad - because that can - and probably does - get misinterpreted. to the OP: I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I started out at almost 400 lbs. I'm not sure how much you've lost or what your expectations are, but I do think a lot of people's perceptions and expectations are based on shows like "My 600 lb Life". But you have to keep in mind that those people start out MUCH heavier than your average WLS patient.