Sajijoma

Um, seriously if someone told me I may need adult diapers after WLS that probably would have been enough for me to say "thanks, but no thanks". It's not normal to need a diaper post op. If you do, either you need to change what you're doing i.e. Buy some lactose free shakes, or call your doctor or take some probiotics or something. That is not normal.

I went shopping today because I desperately needed pants that fit. I wasn't sure what would fit so I tried on 16's and they were too big. Then I tried on 14's and they were kinda loose. I thought just for jiggles I'd try on some 12's and they fit! I was so shocked I actually broke down crying in the changing room. I have always been good at keeping my emotions locked down tight, but in there at that moment, I totally lost it and started bawling and LOUD. The changing room attendant knocked on the door and asked if I was ok. It took me awhile, but I managed to get the words out that I was ok and that I had found out I was a smaller size than I thought I was. I'M sure she thought I had lost my ever loving mind, but for me, this is a monumental thing. I had been an overweight kid and an obese adult, my entire life! The size I put on and zipped up, I NEVER had been that size. The closest I had to being that size was a size 11 juniors in 4th grade, so here I am, over 30yrs later and I am finally smaller than I was in 4th grade. It was monumental. I also discovered why it's important to check the price tag before falling in love with a pair of pants because $115 for a pair of pants I probably won't get more than a couple months wear out of was just too much, so I had to put them back. Broke my heart, but I did go on to find other 12's and some 14's that worked and I am officially not plus sized anymore. I can shop in the regular section with all the cute clothes!❤️ From 32/34 and some 36 down to a size 12 in less than a year...all I can say is wow! Thanks RNY for giving me a life I didn't know was attainable!

I had my first sashimi at around 6-8wks out I think. I had just been promoted to solids at Christmas time and we traditionally have Chinese food on Christmas Eve so it was one of the better choices at the restaurant we go to. I had no problems and sashimi grade fish is actually a lot safer than many cooked foods as far as bacteria. Just don't get the rice with it and you should be fine.

I am 11 months out and still can't eat chicken. I just physically cannot. I get violently ill. I love chicken and miss it so much, but no matter how much sauce, brining, or marinating I do, it's still a no go. Same with pork. It's funny though because I live on a steady diet of beef jerky and cheese sticks which I never would have eaten before or thought was a safe choice post op. LOL

35lbs at 5wks out is an amazing result. I didn't lose nearly that much in the beginning. You have to be patient and just follow your program and your body will do the rest. It takes awhile. You didn't gain it overnight and you can't lose it overnight. As far as feeling thirsty, just keep on sip, sip, sipping. Your body needs the water to flush out the waste from the melting fat. The more you can get in, the more you will lose. If water alone isn't cutting it, work in sugar free Popsicles or sugar free jello or broth to help get the liquids numbers up.

I'm 11 months out now and my feelings of hunger are different. There isn't that feeling like if I don't eat(and a lot) that I'm going to die of starvation. Now, it's more like "oh, I need to eat" vs "I have to eat now, Now, NOW!!!!!!" It also takes a lot less to satisfy that hunger. It floors me sometimes how little I can eat and feel satisfied. The worst part post op was the desire to want to eat or even just to taste things when you can't. I remember my second day home I was cooking brats for my kids and thinking "God I just want to lick one!" But I powered through and left the room til the feelings passed. Chewing ice chips helped a lot to get that desire to chew out of the way. As far as gas pains, I didn't have any. My surgeon does his best to get all the gas out after the surgery and I never had any gas pains this time. When I had my gall bladder out 14yrs ago, the gas pains were insane so I was expecting to suffer through that, but was grateful I didn't. The most important thing to prepare yourself for IMO is the vast changes that will happen and FAST. There were days and still are sometimes that I would look in the mirror and not know who the face was looking back at me. It can be very scary sometimes especially if you've been overweight your whole life like I was. I honestly didn't know what I looked like under all the extra weight. ItMs like meeting yourself for the first time and it can be scary. Also, don't compare your progress to anyone else's. We all have our own starting points, mitigating factors, and biochemistry that play into how our results turn out. Just judge against yourself and take lots of pics along the way. It's easier to see your progress through photos than looking in the mirror.

I had severe migraines before surgery. I was averaging about 6 a week even with medication. Now I am 11 months post op, and until recently, I hadn't had any at all. This last couple of weeks though I've had 3-4 cluster migraines. I have lupus though so it might be different for normal folks, but for me, generally they did decrease.

thank you! It's amazing how better I feel with 200lbs removed.

I'm almost 11 months out and my diet has completely changed from before. Even now, I still eat mostly proteins-steak, fish, nuts, cheese, jerky, eggs and then a few vegetables. Once or twice I've had a bite of pumpkin bite(literally 1 bite not like a whole slice) at the end of a meal and it was nice and just made me not think about wanting pie. I don't eat pasta, potatoes, bread(except on the rarest occasion I may take a bite), rice, or desserts in general. It's just too risky a slope when you know what you have to lose if you fall back on bad habits. I plan to stay in this mindset always and not slowly creep the crap back in.

Biochem makes a great protein powder that has no artificial sweeteners in it. The sugar count is at 6 g so be aware so may dump on it, some won't. It does contain stevia though, but it's not as strong as it is in other protein shakes I've had.

It sounds to me that you aren't completely following your plan or that they didn't advise you well. You mentioned that you had chicken and you went back to eat it later over time. Is this outside the realm of meals? If so, that is definitely not conducive to weightloss, because you are eating around the restriction of the pouch by just waiting til it will fit and eating it. Also starting solids early can be really dangerous and has the potential to stretch your swollen pouch and cause damage including leaks and a pouch that will not be your best tool for the journey. Your body needs to heal. I know the liquids get so boring, but you really should have stayed on them for the full time and then waited to be advanced by your nutritionist to the puréed and then soft foods and on to proper solids. You also need to think of your pouch like a funnel. Eating soups or whatever will slide right on through the bottom of your pouch(which is why it's referred to as slider foods) they also contain almost no protein. To keep your muscles and hair in it's best shape, you need to focus on protein and protein and more protein. Don't waste real estate in your pouch on noodles and empty calories. I'm almost 11 months out now and I still don't eat soup or noodles or anything like that. I focus on my proteins first and if I have room after my weighed and measured portions of protein I will have veggies or occasionally some fruit and that's it. You don't need the other stuff and it takes time, but you will learn to love not eating them if you give yourself the chance to develop the new habits.

I was 38yrs old and 386lbs the day of surgery and I am 11months out now and 230lbs. I've had lots of stalls though.

@@Gordita81 congratulations on the start of your journey! It is so worth it!

Update from me. It's been a few month since the last pic. Hw:429 sw:386 cw: 230

I just wanted to add something new to this thread. I've bought a lot of super cute, stylish clothes lately at Macy's. I love Mod clothes and have found 4 gorgeous Mod dresses there and even buying a pricey dress still costs less than buying a frumpy tent that I hated back in the day. So money well spent if only for a few months of pleasure! [emoji6]

@@gowalking thank you! It's so true! If I never lost another pound from this day forward, this surgery was still a success. I can do everything I set out to do. Play with my kids, fit on the swings/slide at the park with them, go places I couldn't physically go before like on mountain hikes, and buy normal people clothes in the normal people stores and never be forced to buy online only ever again. [emoji4]

My guilty pleasure is going to the mall and buying clothes without having to worry that they don't carry my size. I march my happy butt into Macy's and Nordstroms and Gap and American Eagle and know I am walking out with something new to enjoy that fits. Yes, it's probably an utter waste of money, but I love shopping and I can go with my daughter and not feel like I'm embarrassing her with her fat mom who can't even fit between the racks much less buy anything in the entire mall. I've been to the mall 3 times in 2wks and am planning To go again next weekend. Previously I hadn't been to the mall for 11yrs because of my size and condition.

I was fine to do everything I needed to do even before 2wks had passed, BUT those extra weeks off are great because you will have a lot of fatigue and you are still trying to learn your new body and routines. Ideally, just for that, I'd say take 6wks if you've got it to use, but you likely will be back up doing it all in much less time than that.

For me, I lost the majority of my excess hair around 3 months up to about 5 or 6 months. Then it stopped. My hair hasn't grown back as thick all over yet(mainly because my hair has always grown slowly), but it is growing back and my brilliant plan to get a volumizing hair cut has left me with mushroom head [emoji38] I actually have to flat iron it down a bit to live with it. When my hair started falling out, my NUT had me increase my protein and as long as I keep up on my protein, it has stayed put. There have been a few times where I fell short too long and dealt with a couple weeks of she'd in til I upped my protein again. I know I'm one of the lucky ones though.

I take the bariatric advantage calcium chewy bites 500's and BA EA chewable multi in mixed fruit flavor. I like it. I also use patch Md iron, and vitamin D/calcium, and glucosamine chondroitin(because since wls my joints have all gone to hell...actually they already were hell I just couldn't hear them screaming from all the pain of being overweight. Now I hear them!)

I've got 3 months til my 1yr surgiversary. I'm hoping I can hit 199 by then if I work hard enough. It's my fantasy goal. If I don't make it, Imm not gonna cry, but I'm aiming for it to see if I can make it happen. [emoji6]

@@Cervidae how far out are you now? I'm on my phone and can't see the timeline or stats.

you will get there! I didn't really believe I would even though everyone was like "oh yeah, you'll make it". I had failed so many diets I had to actually staple extra pages to my survey at the surgeon's office documenting my efforts to qualify for surgery. To actually be "normal sized" it's like a dream. Now I can't stop shopping! this is a dress I bought yesterday. Still a little tight and it was a L, but in a month or so it'll be falling off. Ignore the pants, I was too lazy to take them off. Haha

I tried on 3-4 brands just to be sure. All but one fit, so that's as good as it gets for me.