catwoman7

yes - you just had major surgery, esp since you had hernia repair done at the same time. I remember feeling tired for the first couple of months - although it was the worst the first two or three weeks. After that, it gradually got better.

on the liquid diet, no. But I think I ate them occasionally starting a few weeks after surgery.

the pre-op diet is DEFINITELY the worst part of it! I was actually relieved the morning I checked into the hospital for surgery! weird that you're not allowed to have protein shakes, though. Even the strictest ones (like the one I was on) seem to allow protein shakes. I was allowed to drink 4-5 of them a day.

I haven't tried that particular one, but the unflavored ones I've tried do have a taste to them - they just don't have any flavor added. But they do have a slight taste. I can't taste it when I bake with them, but drinking them, yes.

your butt shape will change after all the weight loss. Mine was pretty saggy - but I had a lower body lift which tightened it up. Usually lower body exercises like squats and lunges will help with glutes - but again, your shape will change pretty fast, and there's not a lot you can do to help the sagginess with the amount of weight we typically lose. immediately after surgery, all I was cleared for was walking. After four weeks, I was allowed to do everything except for weights. At eight weeks out, I was cleared for weights. The first few months I did mostly water fitness classes - and walking. I also did the stationary bikes at my gym. Now I do dance cardio (like Zumba) and biking, but I was too heavy to do those when I first started on my journey.

it's not very common. I think it might have been more common back in the days when they did open surgeries, but now that most are done laproscopically, it's not commonly done. I did have them for my plastic surgeries, though.

it's very common to have a 10-20 lb regain in year 3 without much effort. I was convinced it would never happen to me - BUT...it did. That said, since you're dealing with too much muscle loss, then yes -it'd be good to stop the weight loss since you need to maintain your health. I started gradually adding calories when I got down into the 130s (too low for me) ("gradually adding" since it would have been too hard to suddenly add 500 or so calories a day to my diet - it took a few weeks to get up there).

^^ agree with summerseeker. Most of us don't feel restriction until we move on to solid food. In the meantime, keep measuring out however much you're supposed to eat and just eat that...

pain is all across the board, but the majority of us seem to experience very little (or none - just discomfort). Sorry to hear that you are one of the unfortunate minority - although I wonder if some of the pain is coming from the hernia repair (??). Did they send you home with pain meds? If so, take those to stay on top of it. It shouldn't last more than a few days.

I would guess that bariatric surgeons are used to dealing with people with diabetes and can accommodate that - but I'd contact them with your concerns just in case.

you're only a few days out of surgery - I'd give it some time. Sleep apnea usually improves (if not disappears) after significant weight loss.

I was able to take all but two pills the day I left the hospital (the two I couldn't were really big - I had to wait a couple of weeks on those). I'm pretty sure Colace was one of the ones I took right from the get-go. If they don't bother you going down, then you should be OK.

I had a desk job. I took three weeks off but probably could have gone back after two.

it doesn't really matter because that 60% of excess weight is just an average. As with any average, there are going to be people who fall on either side of that. People who really stick to their programs tend to do a lot better than that - and then, of course, there are people who aren't as committed and either don't lose much or gain their weight back.

that's not normal. Does your surgeon know what's going on?

like some others, I wouldn't worry too much about the bedside manner reviews. Surgeons jobs are to cut. After they're done, you'll likely be dealing with other clinic staff for your follow-up appts (dietitian, likely a PA or ANP, etc). It's hard to say whether the complications comments are due to her skill or would have happened anyway.

GERD is a possible complication of VSG, but like others have said, there could be something else causing it, too - like an ulcer or hiatal hernia. If it's GERD, it can usually be managed medically. In severe cases, converting a bypass will often cure it.

^^^ agree with Sunnyway - common but usually temporary

strictures, when they happen, are almost always during the first three months post-surgery - although I agree I'd probably let my clinic know what's going on just in case (they CAN happen later, but it's pretty rare - and you really can't keep anything down at all - not just meats (I had two of them - I couldn't even keep fluids down after about a week))

it probably varies between people. The only taste difference I noticed after surgery is that my sense of taste intensified - sweet things tasted sweeter, spicy things tasted spicier. I don't notice it anymore, though. I don't know if it went back to the way it was before, or if I just got used to it.

weight loss slows down a lot the further you go. Are you still following your program to a "T"? Measuring and logging your food? I didn't quit losing until I was 20 months out, but it was slow going after the first few months..

only about 5% of people are able to lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off. Unfortunately, I was not one of the 5%. I always gained back every pound of it. Surgery is the only thing that ever worked for me.

^^^^^ agreed.

if you're eating 800 calories a day, you'd be losing weight. I know you said you hate logging, but it sounds like that's what you need to do, unfortunately...

yes - a minority never loses their hunger. And another minority loses theirs permanently (I wish I was one of those!!!), but for most of us, we do lose it temporarily. It usually comes back sometime during the first year. and yes - I can satisfy my hunger. My biggest problem pre-op, and now - isn't really eating when I'm hungry - it's eating when I'm NOT hungry - (which for me is when I'm bored. For some people, it's eating when they're stressed). So it's mental rather than physical. It's a constant battle. But I'll do whatever I can to keep all that weight from coming back!!!