KimTriesRNY

I’m over nine months out now, almost ten. Hair loss has most definitely slowed down to more of what it was pre op for me. I lost a good bit in the front and sides of my hair and seems that some growth has started. Luckily my hair was super thick to start with but I can notice where it has thinned out even though no one else seems to. I did cut off about eight inches last month in preparation for having to go even shorter for regrowing hair.

I agree I think it is somewhat normal, especially for those of us that were obese for our adult lives, and never really remember being at a more normal body weight. I have noticed a difference in the way people treat me out in the world. Now whether that has to do with the fact that I look more normal, or maybe I’m not as self conscious, or it’s a combination who knows. Things are definitely different now than they were 150 pounds ago though. You are not alone. It is a strange feeling.

Every surgeon has their preference on if they like to have a drain placed or not. It does seem to be a dying trend for laparoscopic operations but if your surgeon places one there is not much you can do. You will be fine, they are not difficult to maintain.

Sounds like you are doing fantastic! Congrats on hitting goal. Good to get an update from you!

I discussed my intent to have surgery with my primary doctor and he was supportive as I was morbidly obese with a BMI of 55. I have struggled with my weight my entire life. If your insurance covers the surgery, but your primary doctor is against weight loss surgery, then that doctor is forcing his or her personal opinion on the patient, not a professional one that is in the patient’s best interest. It would be time for a new doctor in my opinion.

Be careful with the biotin. Too much biotin has been shown to encourage facial hair growth in women...I do not know if you are female but this is usually not a desirable side effect. The hair loss stinks but most of us go through it and will grow our hair back.

Absolutely it’s easier. Ask anyone that has lost a significant amount of weight if they want to strap that weight on and just go about their daily business let alone go for a run or get on an elliptical or do a five mile hike. Do not worry, once you start to lose weight you will notice everyday activities become easier, and it just slowly becomes easier to be active and exercise.

My stomach gurgles and growls in a silmilar way as it did preoperatively. I get hungry but it is not the gnawing type of hunger I used to experience where I felt I needed to eat and eat. I am satisfied with so much less food, and it takes me longer to feel really hungry.

The issue with diet soda seems to be the artificial sweeteners trick your body into thinking you are eating something sweet, but you are not, and this can make you crave something that is sweet. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/ https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-04-23/study-artificial-sweeteners-linked-to-diabetes-obesity The chemicals in soda also leach calcium from your bones which is horrible for women, and especially anyone that has had weight loss surgery. There are a lot of reasons to give up diet soda. I drank Diet Coke for years, over 25! I hope to stay quit of the stuff for good!

Don’t forget, you absolutely can make healthy choices eating out as well. Fish, steak, chicken, veggies, salads, sushi, all kinds of healthy items are available in a city like Vegas, and prepared deliciously as well. I like Seafood myself, it is very easy to eat healthy with seafood if you stay away from fried preparations. I have also ordered appetizers as my entree since my surgery. I don’t eat out a lot, but it is possible to be mindful and request your food be prepared in a healthy way.

I couldn’t have accomplished that feat three days out from surgery but I agree with The Fluff here....speak to your team about what you should be consuming at this point.

It’s a wild ride. I can totally relate to feeling like crying after being able to shop in normal sizes after I don’t know how many years...it is a surreal feeling. You look at a shirt or a pair of jeans and you think, that’s not going to fit me...that looks small...but you are in the darn store to buy smaller clothes because what you have is too big! I am the same in that I seem to be able to eat whatever I want in moderation and tolerate it, even sweets...but this does allow me to taste homemade goodies very rarely and I am okay with that. I hope you continue to be successful, I hope we all do. I feel like my surgery saved my life in so many ways. Congrats!

https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/everything-you-know-about-obesity-is-wrong/ I couldn’t click on the OP link.

https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-misconceptions In which risk of death is listed as 0.13 percent, or 1 in 1000 the 30 days post op after surgery.

I think it’s normal to be hungry, we are human beings meant to chew and eat solid food after all. Most of us, by the time we are post op at full liquids have been weeks or even a month or more on a liquid diet. Once you are moved to a soft diet you may feel more full and feel less hungry. Some of us just don’t get full from liquids, and I think that’s normal.

I think another thing to remember is if you are “snacking” in order to give in to “temptation”, then finding a way to make those foods more healthy and acceptable to your new way of living is a good idea. There are tons of bariatric recipes for pizza, pasta type dishes, many food craving type dishes. You may find a way to make something you are craving that is healthier and almost as appealing. Now in some cases this is just not possible, and only a taste of the original will do and we are all human. Every now and again if it’s something special I will indulge...a homemade cookie, mom’s lasagna, etc. The more weight you lose, the more positive effects you see by making healthy choices...the less you may crave unhealthy diet choices. It may increase your ability to make a healthy choice at any rate, I have found this to be true.

Wow! Great job! You must be feeling awesome!

I took six weeks off. I’m a nurse as well working over 12 hours on a busy and physically demanding medical surgical unit. Surprised your surgeon is in a rush to send you back.

I tried taking colace and senokot. Was not effective for me. I switched to miralax every other day and has been fine since. See how you do but keep in mind it can take a bit of trial and error to get a regimen that works for you down pat.

I have not yet. I hope you feel better soon though.

Stalls can happen at any point, but that’s a long one since May. My longest was a bit over three weeks in July. I have been stalled this month as well for the last two weeks. It is common to stall at points where your weight was stable in the past, or after losing a good amount of weight for sure. Definitely after more than a month to six weeks it would be time to closely evaluate diet and exercise to see if it is a stall or are you inadvertently in maintenance phase. It certainly is possible for you to start losing again, but what are you eating? Are you tracking? Have you started snacking? Are you exercising?

But what are you eating? Are you hesitant to post? If you truly feel you are getting off track but do not want to post, be honest with yourself. Track your intake on a app like MyFitnessPal and I mean track every bite that passes your lips. Are you letting some snacking creep back in? Are some slider foods finding their way back into your diet? Are you drinking with meals now or have you followed the no drinking before and after eating rule? Are you exercising at all? If you feel you have stretched your sleeve it’s normally a concern of someone that has been overeating. Reach out to your bariatric nutritionist if possible. You are not yet a year out from surgery so you can definitely recover if you seek the proper help ASAP. Best of luck.

It is true, we all have different tolerances to pain. What may be excruciating for one person, may feel uncomfortable for the next person and there is no way to gauge how you will react if you have never had surgery. It is okay to feel uncomfortable and you will survive it. The human body has processes in place to cope with discomfort, along with medications you will receive. Most of us are up walking mere hours after surgery. Sure we aren’t skipping for joy, but we are able to move, use the restroom, etc.

That’s awesome! I never thought I would do this, but I joined a gym for the first time in my life this past month. It really is amazing what changes this journey can spark beyond weight loss. Congrats! Looking beautiful!

This was interesting. Others may find it informative. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/can-vitamin-patches-help-you-gain-focus-lose-weight-or-sleep-experts-are-skeptical/2018/09/03/250cdc7c-aa36-11e8-b1da-ff7faa680710_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2aea76e5bfbc