Barry W

Try for example: - unsweetened iced green tea from Trader Joe's or Pure Leaf - bulk spring water in a pitcher with thin-sliced lemon or lime and left to steep in the fridge for at least a couple of hours

13,000 steps??? Wow, nice! If you average step is 2 feet, you're walking about 5 miles a day!

Yes - diarrhea is watery stool and constipation comes from hard, dry stool. Some medications for relieving constipation work by increasing the water content of stool.

Awesome, keep up the good work!

In addition to shakes, I also use protein bars, like Think Thin and Pure Protein - they don't taste great, but are edible, and they are low sugar and roughly 20g of protein each.

I ate some of these Lean Cuisine Marketplace meals, can't get any easier than that, and they are very modest in calories. Stuff like the vegetable raviolis in particular are soft and easy on the tummy to start with. https://www.leancuisine.com/products/search?productFilters=SubBrand_492 Also ate some of these Red's organic bean and cheese burritos, again, easy: http://www.redsallnatural.com/products/organic/bean.php#main Trader Joe's shredded chicken breast in bbq sauce (there are other brands too): http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/1184

There are indeed some risks, but there are also risks, likely greater risks, of staying overweight - that was my reckoning, is that you're actually taking the safer path overall. One thing that could help to calm nerves and is good for you too, is a daily walk. Start small and slowly work your way up If it's a hot day, taking them at like 6-7am when it's still cool. This is something you'll be doing after surgery as well, so it doesn't hurt to start early, and multiple clinical trials have shown the mood benefits of walking.

Dammit! I had my surgery on Feb 28 so am exactly 5 months out, and I have been noticing loose hairs hanging in my eyes and on my desk, etc, and although it doesn't really look thin yet, I am definitely losing hair at more than the normal rate. I have actually been eating very healthy - getting a lot of fruits and veggies, lean meats, sensible portions and taking a daily Multivitamin pill. I did slack off some on my Protein in the past month, but have still been having a Protein Bar or shake on most days. I read what they had to say about hair loss after bariatric surgery here: Patches (cost be damned) to minimize the hair exodus. For the rest it sounds like it's just be patient and keep doing the right things.

The first week was a little challenging, but not such that I couldn't cope or anything. I didn't have a drain, I did have a good deal of pain getting in and out of bed, and my stomach was a little unsettled with gas and some nausea, also had a little diarrhea, things were noticeably better the second week and I began to feel myself again in the third week. It wasn't until maybe the 6th week or so that I'd say I felt pretty normal all around...

If you're on a stall, and especially if you have a lot of salt so as to pick up water weight, you can see some minor temporary weight gain.

I still like all the same foods... I don't think healthier eating as a vegetarian is automatic - chips, Cookies, candybars, pizza, full fat cheese, white bread, rice, potatoes, white Pasta, cake and pie for example have no meat in them but aren't real healthy. But so long as you do your research so as to make healthy choices and get a balanced diet, vegetarian eating can be healthier than omnivore eating. I still eat the flesh of animals, but really try to emphasize eating finfish, shellfish, chicken and turkey for my "meat", and to sample from beef and pork only occasionally.

In terms of healthy choices, for me, it's much easier to do that at the supermarket by not buying anything I shouldn't have a lot of (or any of), rather than trying to avoid that pie or those chips or have "just a little" once they are in the pantry - never works for me! Try to look at everything in the supermarket with new eyes and to hunt for foods, maybe new things you haven't tried before, that are healthy and yet you can enjoy as well. If you cook, as far as recipes, there are a lot of good ones in the Cooking Light series of books and magazines and most of them aren't overly complicated or time-consuming to carry out.

No, no, no - you are never defeated unless you give up :-) You may just be experiencing a stall. I would just counsel you to be patient and keep doing the right things - eat healthy foods in reasonable portion sizes and stay active. Your body has to go through huge adjustments and this takes time. Don't give up, and don't try to starve yourself or exercise the daylights out of yourself to beat this either. Just keep doing sensible diet and exercise and in time, progress will come.

If you look at the recommendations on the American Diabetes Association website, you will see fruits are recommended even for diabetics. Some people, even some nutritionists and doctors, think they are a problem - that's wrong. The reasons that fruits are different are that the dose of sugar in a piece of fruit is low soluble Fiber in fruit slows absorption of the modest dose of sugar that is there ....and of course fruits have lots of great Vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytochemicals. And summer is the best time to seek out fruits!

Leg cramps can be electrolyte deficiency - make sure you're getting enough sodium and potassium

Even if you're taking vitamins, try to get a variety of soft fruits - like peaches, strawberries, blueberries, oranges and veggies - either shredded like cole slaw or cooked until soft...

At first I think that comes from some mild hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and after I lost a good deal of weight I also feel (thankfully) cooler, and now I think it's because my body doesn't have as much insulating fat on it. Much easier in summertime now!

Here is a link to a recent meta-analysis (a study combining the results of past studies) on BMI and all-cause mortality published in the prestigious journal The Lancet. Over 10 million people from 239 subsidiary studies were included. All-cause mortality was minimal within the BMI range 20-25. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30175-1/abstract

I am a scientist in a healthcare company and I read a lot on lifestyle factors and their connections to chronic disease and mortality in the scientific and medical journals. Goals are of course entirely a personal choice. In terms of mortality and morbidity though, slimmer is better down to pretty low levels - not suggesting anorexia is good, mind you. For my own part, I don't know what will be possible, but I'd ideally like to get back down to around 170lb on my 6 foot frame eventually. That was where I was until about age 30, and that's just where I felt and performed best physically. Looks like that will be about BMI=23 if I get there. Still have a ways to go at this point before anyone will say I am too skinny , but I am not going to worry too much about what someone else says is my ideal weight. To me the #1 thing is to be happy with yourself.

The backbone of my exercise routine is actually walking. It's simple, efficient to do - don't need to drive anywhere or set up equipment or put on special gear to do it, which saves time. Also, the injury potential is low, it gets you out in the fresh air, the view is ever-changing so I don't get bored. I can do it right in my neighborhood, at the office over lunch hour, or at one of our beautiful local parks - this gives me options for times of day as well as settings to do it in. I also have done some work in the gym before summer came, and continue to do some calisthenics and mat work at home, and have been doing some cycling and a little bit of kayaking too. So far I have been happy with the results I have been getting in terms of muscle tone and well being.

I have to say that there is nothing wrong with veggies, fruit, or Beans, and yes, mainstream nutritional advice from the medical and scientific community, which I accept, is that there is no need to restrict any of these - they about as healthy as food gets, and being low in caloric density, measuring them out isn't necessary like it might be for healthy foods like nuts that have high caloric density. The profile of Vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytochemicals is different for each, so you want to get a wide variety in your veggies, fruit, and beans, so just keep switching up what you are eating. Summer is prime time for local fresh fruits and veggies so now is the time to take advantage! Other top notch nutritional choices would be fin-fish, shell-fish, and turkey and chicken, especially the skinless breast meat of the birds. Also good for some variety are whole grains and lowfat dairy items. I like the free information here, it's science-based and simple to follow. This is a nutritional website from the Harvard School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/

I believe the reason is the gas bubbles can cause bloating/pain more easily in the tiny tummy. I am not much of a soda person, and diet sugars have been found to have some adverse effects on appetite, but, if you're two months post-op, and want to try something fizzy, one idea try sparkling Water / seltzer that is unsweetened and lightly flavored with natural lemon or lime, like the stuff sold by Poland Spring or Polar. They are tasty and a refreshing way to beat the heat

I am just shy of 5 months post-op, and have lost 65 pounds in total (2 mos pre-op dieting and post-op weightloss)! Things are going very slowly now, but that is okay so long as I am not going backwards. Moving much better now and have better cardio-fitness, beginning to get a little core fitness. I have begun riding my bike again for the first time in years now that I have slimmed down some and can feel a little more comfortable/safe on the bike. Little by little my body is getting fitter and I am feeling more physically confident. Have lost 8 inches off my waistline. The best was getting a compliment from a relative who hadn't seen me in some time, she said "Barry, I can't tell you how much younger you look!" ...at 57, those are welcome words to hear.

Try protein bars, like Think Thin or Pure Protein.

That is amazing, you da woman! :-)