crazyplantlady

you guys I bought so many clothes....

I'll probably donate some of my clothes and sell others, depending on their condition, where I bought them, etc. So excited for a new wardrobe!

Doing good, losing steadily, and no issues!

I was Feb 2nd!

How long was your hair?? mine is past my boobs... almost to my waist. Not sure how long it'll take to get full length back.

I didn't have a lot of motivation at that time too. I tried to find things I enjoyed eating and reminded myself that Protein would help me lose faster and healthier. one of my favorite things at that stage (and today) was refried black Beans, salsa, and cheese Heated up in the microwave so the cheese gets melty I can even add GENEPRO Protein powder to it in, and it tastes so good! A good source of Fiber, protein, and healthy carbs. Just try to find things that you enjoy! try to have fun with it. We're all here because we enjoy food, and there's no reason you can't do so still! Just in a healthier way, and in moderation.

Yes I think that's the route I'll take... I can always sell my clothes for some money back or donate them for good karma. Excited! (my wallet is not... it was enjoying the break these last few months)

When did you start??? I see from your bio you're at your goal, congrats!! I have no idea how to judge what my body will look at goal and what sizes I would be comfortable wearing.

Oh yea I'll have to work out an allowance for shopping... I just don't even know if I should be shopping yet. I have no idea what my final weight/size would be and don't need to spend money on things I won't be able to wear later anyways. I don't have a credit card either! I think it would be dangerous... don't need to accumulate loans.

I don't regret it! My mental state is fine, just had to adjust to the new lifestyle. There was a period of depression that happens when your body is burning a ton of fat, and the hormones that are stored in that far are released, but that's a common thing and it passed. If anything, my life revolves more around food than it did before! lol it's an adjustment but I do not regret it.

My highest weight is on my profile, 207. That was after I had decided to get surgery and before pre-op diet, and I had kind of gone on a, I'm going to eat whatever I like and not worry about weight gain, rampage, and gained probably 8-10 lbs. I lost that weight and then some on my pre-op diet. I did have my surgery in the US, I'm from alabama and I had my surgery with dr schmitt in birmingham. I did have issues with adjusting to the right portion sizes and learning what I could tolerate. Before surgery, I don't think I had massive issues with overeating, or eating unhealthy foods. I probably ate more than I should have, but I have a very slow metabolism and thyroid issues, so the sleeve has helped me be satisfied with much smaller portions and control my cravings. Before surgery I didn't really eat many processed foods, I cooked my own meals and didn't snack a lot, but I did have rice pretty much every day with my dinner, and some sort of carb for lunch. After surgery, I barely eat carbs. I can hardly fit them in with all the Protein and Water requirements! I have tried to eat a little rice, and protein Pasta but they didn't settle right with me. I'll probably try again closer to my goal weight. I live by myself, and my family is states away, so for me the hardest part of life after surgery was feeling alone and without support. I told one friend who lives states away that I was having surgery, and my parents. No one else, not even my siblings, know I've had surgery. Adjusting to the restriction was hard, but I quickly figured out that I could have yogurt for lunch, add protein to my coffee in the mornings, eat chicken for dinner, and beans/cheese/salsa as a snack. I follow the same routine pretty much every day, and I'm really comfortable with it. I track all my food, I bought a kitchen scale (HIGHLY recommend, helped me with portions a LOT). So I might have "given up" rice, and carby lunches on a daily basis, but if I am out socially then I don't feel too bad about indulging in a few fries or bread. I can still eat anything I want. I just don't feel the need to, and some things settle better than others. I no longer feel the need to finish the whole plate of fries (I physically can't), I'm good after having 2 or 3. Not feeling hunger is great. I do get "head hungry" at times but usually it passes. I no longer feel like the whale in the room. I might still be the biggest in the room at times, but I don't feel unhealthy, and I know that in time I'll be out of the overweight BMI category.

I was the same! I started with a relatively low BMI. I decided to have surgery after my weight was consistently over 200 lbs. I had been slowly gaining weight since adolescence, and figured the best time to have surgery would be now, since I didn't want to gain any more and I wanted to enjoy my 20s. I don't have any comorbidities. I did pay for my surgery since my insurance wasn't going to cover it. I don't regret it at all! Life after surgery is great! I'm 4 months out and I feel much better overall, my clothes fit better, I don't feel like the "fat person" anymore. Eating is difficult when I'm socializing but I just say that I don't eat that much to begin with and I'm watching what I eat. Being a low BMI patient, you have less to lose to get to a healthy BMI, and the likelihood of loose skin is decreased. The likelihood of having complications is less! One plus for me was that my weight loss, while dramatic, wasn't commented on by people I saw every day, and I felt like I could explain it by saying I was making changes to my diet and exercise routine. I chose not to tell anyone about my surgery.

I was scared about the sleeve because of the permanence too, but the idea of constant doctor's visits and adjustments, and a foreign object in my body wasn't appealing. My doctor explained to me that the sleeve is more natural, because the food travels the same way, there's just a smaller stomach. Also, since you don't make the hunger hormone, people have an easier time adjusting to the sleeve. Since the band is adjustable, there are a lot more failures because people will "cheat" and ask for less restriction. 4 months out, and I'm loving my sleeve!

My friend is starting to treat me differently. I chose not to tell anyone about my WLS but instead saying that I am making good food choices, changing the way I eat, and working out (all true). Now whenever I see her I see her look me up and down and wrinkle her nose. I hope I don't lose her but if I do then it's probably for the best.

I just HAD to share Looked at myself in the mirror, side profile last few weeks I had noticed it receding but today marks the day they're actually gone I even straightened my posture and felt but they're truly gone... My back rolls are GOOOONE! Don't get me wrong, there's still some fat there, but it doesn't fold over anymore pretty soon it'll be my love handles that now only show when I sit my muffin top I'm so happy!!! Sorry (not sorry) for the enthusiasm but this is extra exciting since I've been stalled the last month or so!

I feel pressure on my chest and I get burpy... and I feel like my throat closes up a little bit? I'm almost 4 months out and I still have to be sure to chew my meat very thoroughly to not feel restricted after one bite. Softer foods like refried Beans will go down easy so it's important to be keeping track of portion sizes. Something that really helped me was getting a food scale! At first I was hesitant because I thought it would take up my limited counter space but the one I got is sleek and is SOOOO useful. I can measure out exactly a certain amount so I know how much I should be eating and not overserve myself, or underserve myself. Then I know if it takes me a long time to eat something, it's okay, because it's the right portion, and I'll know exactly how much Protein I'm getting. This is the scale I got: http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Digital-Multifunction-Stainless-Kitchen/dp/B0113UZJE2/ref=zg_bs_678508011_2 I've also seen scales for sale at some grocery stores!

Mine did not set a goal for me. I wasn't asked about my goal weight until my 3 month post-op appointment, and was told that I'd likely go past it. My nurse felt my wrist, told me I was "medium boned" and told me what weight she thought I would get to based on my height and age. There are a lot of factors that go into the number that shows up on the scale. Someone that is 140 lbs and muscular would likely look similar and fit into the same sizes as someone who has less muscle content and is 120 lbs. And then there are the things we can not change, such as our bone density. If I were you I would set an attainable goal, based on the average weight at a healthy BMI for someone of your height. If you work hard, you will likely get to it, or past it. It is likely that you will be happy with how you feel and look at a weight that is different than your current goal weight. Your doctor is trying to manage your expectations and keep you from being dissappointed, and is probably overestimating your goal weight so that you surpass it and feel more proud of your progress. Best of luck to you!

Once your stomach has healed up some, you can try using a straw. I had the hardest time sipping and I wasn't able to get to 64oz until I started using a straw. Somehow it made it so much easier! Good luck!

Hello! I'm 3.5 months post op, and am now experiencing the dreaded telogen effluvium, AKA when a large amount of your hair falls out and makes you sad. It's not even been a month since my hair has started falling out, but I can see a major difference in how visible my scalp is and as far as I can tell by perusing these forums, the web, and talking to my doctor/nurse practitioner, it's going to continue at this rate for a couple months more... at which I imagine I will be near bald. So I thought I would take control and start taking some Vitamins to kickstart the regrowth of my hair so at least my scalp won't be super visible and I can regain the thickness of my hair a little sooner I take all me recommended vitamins, and 5000 mcg Biotin (I tried 10000 but I was breaking out really badly). I've read that vivascal is good for growing your hair, and rogaine for women. I'm worried about using rogaine because I read that when you stop taking it your hair will fall out again. Has anyone had any experience with vivascal or any other type of Vitamin to speed up hair regrowth and saw favorable results? Thanks!

Oh nice! I think biologically it makes sense it wouldn't make the hair fall out after discontinued use. Thank you so much for your help!

It says if you stop using the serum, the new hair growth will fall out Is this true in the case of hair loss due to surgery rather than aging? Thanks for the link!

Right, I have no illusions that I can keep my hair from falling out, I just want to get growth to happen as much as possible. What else have you tried?

I can't stomach eggs and I'd rather spend time eating Protein I can keep down thank you for the suggestioN!

Hello! I was sleeved Feb 2, and now that I am more than 3 months out, my hair has been falling out like crazy and I have done my research and googling and understand that what I am experiencing is telogen effluvium and there is nothing I can do about it but sit tight and be patient. I do take my Vitamins every day, which includes 5000 mcg Biotin and zinc to promote hair growth. I also get all my Water and more than the minimum 60g Protein every day. I have experienced major hair loss before, when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 15. That was also a case of telogen effluvium, unfortunately, my hair never came back after that loss, so I'm worried it might not come back this time either. My question for you all is when did you notice your hair come back? when I had my 3 month checkup, the nurse practitioner told me if I felt my scalp I would feel the hair coming back, but I can't feel it and I can't see it either. When did those of you that experienced the 3 month hair loss start to notice it coming back?

Hello! I'm gonna go ahead and start out by saying yes I know stalls happen and yes I should embrace it and be patient and stick with my program etc etc etc I'm not here to complain about it, I'm here to ask if this is normal. I am 3.5 months post-op, and have been in a stall for the last couple of weeks or so. The scale has literally not moved one bit. The last few days I have had some constipation as well, even though I have been getting all my Protein in, as well as my Water. Before this I was pretty regular. I would be able to poop every morning, whether or not it was a satisfactory poop is a different story I can't help but wonder if the random constipation is related to the stall, and if anyone else experienced this as well? Oddly enough, I did not really experience much of a 3 week stall... so I guess this is my turn!