catwoman7

the Syntrax one? I like chocolate and vanilla powders (regardless of brand) mixed with almond milk (or any kind of milk) rather than water.

your surgeon would have said something if they were worried about your iron-binding level. Usually if something is just a little above or below the normal range, they don't really get too excited about it. how is your ferritin level? if that's normal, your tiredness is probably just normal. I think I was more tired than usual for the first 3-4 months.

pre-op diet is the worst part. I was actually relieved the morning I reported to the hospital for surgery! for most of us, anyway, our hunger is suppressed for a few months, so no, we don't feel the same way after surgery. Tired, yes - but I'm exhausted after any surgery (maybe moreso with this one since we're taking in so few calories the first few weeks). But fortunately, most of us at least don't feel hungry. For about the first five months, I was never hungry and didn't give a flip about food.

I always mix the fruit-flavored Syntrax powders with Crystal Light lemonade. I think they taste better that way - but then, not everyone loves Syntrax products.

P.S. they do have about 30 years of data on the RNY - although even over that time period, the technique has been changed a bit (and improved). Not as much data on the sleeve since that is a newer surgery. The sleeve is phase 1 of the duodenal switch surgery, and it wasn't offered as a standalone surgery until a few years ago (because many patients lost enough weight with the sleeve part of the DS (before having phase 2 - the intestinal bypass part of the DS) that they decided to offer it as a standalone surgery. It wasn't really until it started replacing the lapband ten or so years ago that it really took off in popularity.

the bright yellow urine is due to Vitamin B. It's a water soluble vitamin, so your body uses what it needs and excretes the rest. Bright yellow urine is very common for people taking vitamin B supplements and is not a concern.

Someone asked about long-term complications in the elderly who had surgery decades ago. You can't really compare, because weight loss surgeries back in the 60s and 70s were very different than they are today. They were very risky and some people (including a former co-worker of mine) had them reversed - and some people died from them. But again, there's no comparison to the surgeries they do today. Plus the ones they do now are much safer and much less likely to have severe complications. you should be fine as long as you follow your plan, keep on top of your supplements, and have regular blood work done to check for deficiencies. Most deficiencies can be reversed if they're caught early. I do have osteoporosis, but I have no idea if that's due to my weight loss surgery or not, since we didn't do a baseline before my surgery. But I'm also in my 60s and osteoporosis runs rampant on both sides of my family, so it could have been that as well. I'm on a drug now that maintains bone, though - and there are other drugs that actually build bone. Honestly, at my starting weight (almost 400 lbs), I was much more concerned about complications from being severely obese (like premature death, for one) than I was about complications from my RNY.

if you're on one like mine was (4-5 protein shakes + zero (or almost zero) calorie liquids (includes SF popsicles and SF Jello) plus a limited amount of tomato juice and broth) - then you may just want to ease into it, like some of the other posters suggested. That type of two-week diet can be brutal - I just as heck wouldn't want to extend it. On the other hand, if your two-week diet allows more food (like a low-cal, low-carb dinner or something), then it'd probably be do-able.

being nervous before surgeries is pretty common - and - you won't die. RNY has a 0.3% mortality rate - VSG is even lower (don't remember that one right off hand since I had the RNY). So you will have at least a 99.7% chance of making it through just fine. And you will. Those are outstanding odds -- better than hip surgeries, which they do all the time. weight loss surgeries have become very routine and are much safer than they were 20 or 30 years ago. You'll be fine!

it's the infamous three-week stall (this early stall happens to probably 90% of us. It's usually the third week after surgery (hence the name), but not always. It can happen any time within the first 4-6 weeks after surgery). If you do a search on it on this site, you will find over 17,000 posts on it (and not, I am NOT kidding). Just stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days. It usually takes 1-3 weeks to break, but it WILL break and you'll be on your way again.

nice to see you on here again! You're going to have to change your name to "LittleSue" - congrats on that huge loss!

I used to experience that the first few months when I got up too quickly (happens to a lot of people) - that's blood pressure related, too. But yes - dizziness can definitely be related to low blood pressure.

my clinic told us a year - but it was three years before I had any alcohol. But then, I was never a big drinker before surgery, either. It seems like most clinics recommend waiting six months to a year, as you said..

check with your surgeon (actually, he/she will probably let you know at your follow-up appts). I was walking right away. At four weeks out, I was cleared to do everything except for weights. At eight weeks out, I was cleared for weights.

P.S. Just wanted to add that some people don't even see a big drop during month 1. Most of that big initial drop is water weight - so for people that lost a lot of weight prior to surgery, that "water weight" is long gone. I lost 16 lbs the first month, 12 lbs the second, and then I averaged around 10 for a few months after that (give or take). I ended up losing over 200 lbs, so in the long run, it's how committed you are to your program rather than your rate of weight loss that matters.

that averages out to 4 lbs a week - so yes, that's normal. You normally see the biggest drop the first month (maybe two), after that, 2 or 3 lbs a week is pretty average. I'd also lost 39 lbs when I was where you're at, and I started out much heavier than you. I think a lot of people's expectations are shaped by shows like "My 600 lb Life", but you have to keep in mind that people on that show start out A LOT heavier than your average bariatric patient - so you can't compare yourself to them. If you're sticking to your plan, staying active, and your overall weight trend is done, you're good.

good job! I don't know your gender, but if you're female, 15% body fat is crazy low. When I got down to 22% body fat, I was told I should stop trying to lose weight (by both the DEXA technician and my PCP). I think 15% might be OK for males, though - low, but OK (I should add that I'm in my 60s - that might make a difference. Doctors tend to like us with a little more fat than younger people. We need it in case we get sick..)

three-week stall for sure. Happens to probably 90% of us. Just stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days. It'll eventually break (usually takes 1-3 weeks) and you'll be on your merry way again...

yes - I agree - most likely ketosis

same as Waterwoman. I take a small handful of vitamins at breakfast and another at dinner. I don't take calcium anymore (per endocrinologist's order), but I take iron before I go to bed. And....that's it!

I just checked the ingredient list on amazon. They feature corn syrup solids and soy protein isolate - we were told to only use shakes that were made with whey protein isolate when were early out. Also, corn syrup isn't very healthy.

definitely get on top of that ASAP. It'll be a lot easier to lose 10 lbs than 50! If you're not still weighing, measuring, and logging your food, I'd start there. do keep in mind, though, that a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain is very common in year 3. It's just your body settling into whatever weight it wants to be. That's not to say you're stuck there - you CAN lose it - but if this your body's new "set point", just be aware that it's going to take some work to get down to - and maintain - a lower weight.

plans are all different. Many are low carb, but some are balanced. Your clinic will give you their preferred plan.

if you're following your program and your overall weight is trending down, then don't worry about it. People lose at all different rates depending on several different factors, many of which you have little to no control over (age, gender, starting BMI, metabolic rate, whether or not you lost a lot of weight pre-surgery, body composition (what percentage of your body weight is muscle), etc). The two things you DO have a lot of control over is how closely you follow your program and your activity level. If you do well with those, then you'll be fine. I was a slow loser from the get-go, and I lost 100% of my excess weight. Took almost two years, but I did it. In the end, your commitment to your plan is what determines your success, not your rate of weight loss.

it's pretty normal to have cold feet before a major surgery... I can just tell you my own experience. I spent literally decades trying to lose my excess weight (I'm in my 60s). At my highest, I was well over 300 lbs. I tried over and over and over again to lose it. During my more successful attempts, I'd lose 50 or 60 lbs. And invariably, a couple of months later, the weight would start piling on again until I was back to where I started. During my less successful attempts, I'd lose maybe 20 lbs. Same thing - it was only a matter of time before I'd put it all back on. I had over 200 lbs to lose. I finally accepted the fact that I'd never get that off if I couldn't even keep 50 lbs off. Fewer than 5% of people with a significant weight problem can take off their excess weight and keep it off. Maybe you are one of those lucky few. I was not. Weight loss surgery was the only thing that ever worked for me. as for complications - yes - there's a risk of them, as there is with any surgery. There are even risks associated with having your wisdom teeth removed....or your tonsils. But many of us never have complications - and of those who do, most are minor and "fixable". Major complications are pretty uncommon. You're much more likely to suffer complications from obesity than you are from weight loss surgery.