StefanieSparklePants

Im ten months out and 7 pounds away from my goal weight. You're only a month out. My appetite didn't come back until month 5-6. Then it came back with a vengeance. If youre concerned with caloric intake, try making your own shakes and, if you can tolerate it, add a bit of real fruit to your shake for more calories/fiber/natural sugars. Careful though, moderation is the key- some people cant handle fruit (even blended) at that stage. Are you allergic to the whey in shakes? Although it's inferior protein, you could try plant based protein powder. Its better than no shakes at all. Shakes will help you keep your hair too. Protein deficiency is no fun.

Put alcohol out of your mind until you're fully healed. Lotsa dangerous ground here. Early out, alcohol can cause severe stomach inflammation, gastritis and ulcers. It will hinder your weight loss as alcohol is calorie heavy and you get drunk SUPER fast. I had champagne at nine months out and had 3 sips and was drunk. Alcohol poisoning is very real for us as it's basically hitting your intestines right away. Also, you might want to read up on transfer addiction if you're at risk for that. Very bluntly put, this surgery is hard enough when you follow the rules 100%. You dont want to throw monkey wrenches in this process. Most surgeons will tell you to wait 1 year before drinking, some will say 6 months and others will tell you to avoid it completely. Use caution.

Keep in mind, left-ish- middle of tummy a few inches above your belly button is your colon. Are you constipated? I used to call it my "pinchy pains," then I knew it was constipation. Also, even if you are going everyday you can still be backed up.

Super surprised your bariatric team hasn't addressed this with you. If you haven't gone in 6 days you should be taking more than a stool softener. Try a gentle laxative first, like Miralax as soon as possible. If that doesnt work, go for Milk of Magnesia-- it's intense, but you should go.You dont want an impacted bowel. Try adding probiotics to your vitamin routine. They keep the flora healthy in your gut and should help regulate you. Fiber supplements and probiotics (and colace and miralax) were lifesavers. Now, because I take fiber and probiotics, I never need laxatives anymore. Im 10 months out RNY.

I have PCOS. Im 10 months out and get my period twice a month! Our hormones are wacky for quite sometime after surgery, but its very common for women's periods to regulate themselves. I havent noticed the RNY help my PCOS yet, which is a bummer.

Also, changing my relationship with food has helped me not be consumed by thoughts of it. It's easy to think food is running your life early out because it is. The surgery is driving and you're basically in the backseat. At 10 months out, Im pretty much at the maintenance stage where I am super mindful of what I eat. But I dont beat myself up if I go over 100 calories. These days, I get about 800-1000 calories a day.

At this stage, you want to focus on liquids and protein. Dehydration was a real problem for me around week 3. Keep sipping. Food, for me, was basically kept to peanut butter, soft scrambled eggs and refried beans. I lived on cottage cheese and yogurt forever too.

Are you consuming sugar alcohols? Im 10 months out and dont really have that issue anymore unless I have sugar alcohols like malitol and sorbitol.

Stay away from adding fruit like bananas until you are way further out. Bananas can make up dump.

Thanks Daisee!

800-1000 calories a day and you are over a year out? That's still crazy low. Im 10 months out and am at 800-1000 calories a day. Sorry, but people have a right to be a little shocked at such low a calorie count.

Just a heads up: unjury and celebrate were recommended to you because it is 100% pure whey isolate protein-- it's basically a super clean and pure protein without the fillers. While Premier is a great, quick ready to drink go-to, I'd never use it as my main protein shake (but that's just me). it's a protein blend full of fillers and while it boasts 30 grams of protein, you're not really absorbing 30 grams of protein, b/c its not pure whey isolate. My NUT told me you're probably absorbing about 15 grams of it. Just letting you know, in the long run, you're better off with the dr. recommended protein.

I have pretty intense dumping symptoms at 10 months out. Keep in mind, it doesnt matter if you're eating small amounts of healthy food-- merely eating too quickly can make me dump, or not chewing well enough. Sugar alcohols in sugar free items make me dump, and taking one bite too many can make me dump. It's a learning process. I prepared the same way, still got dumping syndrome, while others never claim to experience it. My Mom had RNY too, and she eats all the foods we're told not too: candy, pasta and bread, and never dumps. Meanwhile, I'm following the rules to a "T" and dump fairly often.

Pretty much lived on cottage cheese, refried beans, yogurt, applesauce, scrambled eggs and peanut butter for a couple months.

10 months out RNY. I'd say I've lost over 1/2 hair, and I had SUPER thick hair to start with. No amount of vitamins, shampoos or protein will stop it. I was told it slows around month 6, but it hasnt. I also hear it can keep falling out until your weight loss levels out. One lady I knew said it took two years for it to grow back. The hair loss is real, it's devastating and i've done every single thing by the book. I wish I was to the point in my journey where I can tell you it comes back, but I'm still losing a lot at ten months out.

I had left side pain too. It passes!

At 11 months post op you really should be getting more calories. I get about 800-1,000 a day. Im 10 months post op. Your body thinks it's starving, so it's holding on to what you got.

I had severe gastritis to the point I had to take 3 prilosec a day plus tums. Sugar alcohols from sugar free gum and mints was the culprit. It took over two weeks to completely heal it. Now I only have SF gum once in a great while. Also, it's weird, because my surgeon told me SF gum was safe, but I completely over did it. Like I binged out on it. Im 10 months out, so I feel comfortable chewing gum but most places will tell you absolutely under no circumstances: NO GUM. Dont want to get it stuck if swallowed. My bariatric team kinda shrugged when I told them I was chewing gum. I had a barium xray of my pouch and everything is good now, but my stomach lining was seriously irritated for a long time because of it. Constant burping, gas, almost a heart burn sensation and my pouch BURNED and hurt when I ate or drank anything- thought I had an ulcer, but no, gastritis and too many sugar alcohols.

Yikes. Did you see a doctor?

So, anyone else have an abnormally long period after surgery? Im definitely going through hormonal changes with the rapid weight loss. Has anyone else experienced this? It's very odd and quite the annoyance.

Hi! So I'm almost 8 months out and my hair is still falling out. Any idea on when it should stop? I get over 80 ounces of Water a day. 70-90 grams of Protein a day, use Nioxin, and take all my Vitamins with extra Biotin, and a soecial hair Vitamin. So, im doing everything right. Sigh.

Fiber

I'm 6- 7 months out and I feel like I can eat a lot more. I still measure food out. But I'm sure I can eat more than 1/2 cup of food. Is it possible to stretch your pouch at this point? Or does it stretch a bit after 6 months. I can gulp Water too. Dont know how to feel about this. I have very little restriction.

I got my first round of blood tests back and I have a high Vitamin D level?! That's got to be a first. As a country we are usually Vitamin D deficient, and my vitamin D level was at 83! 3 points over the normal 80 level. That's crazy! I only take 3,500 mg a day! And that's in my Calcium citrate and multi vitamin, so I cant cut the dosage in half. Grrrr. Anyone else have high vitamin D level?

Thanks for the replies. Just for some points of clarification. Do I habitually eat more than a 1/2 cup? No. It depends on the textures. Certain foods seem to pass through more easily. For example, yogurt doesnt give me the same feeling of fullness that it did at 5 months out. I'm pretty diligent about measuring out everything. The pouch seems more pliable, and that scares me to an extent. i'm well educated about my own surgery and I realize the honeymoon period is almost over for me. i'm still making good choices. Three, you made me feel a lot better knowing someone is feeling the same way around month six! Thanks again!