Christina J.

After surgery my periods were normal for a couple of months then I went on the Depo-provera shot BC and that was the worst decision I have ever made. I have pretty much been bleeding non-stop since March 2021. There have been about two months recently when it would stop for 3-4 weeks which I assume means it's going back to normal but then when the period comes it lasts for 3 weeks minimum. It was at least like spotting level but this last one has been full out heavy the whole time. Doctor has checked everything, hormone levels, everything and it's all fine. Everything healthy just obviously a low iron level. I started taking a different iron supplement and it seemed to help for a while but I am at a loss. I've heard it can take a year for your body to recover from the Depo shot and that on top of the weightless I imagine my body is panicking. I would just sincerely love for it to go back to normal. This one I'm on right now has been brutal, full on symptoms and just no respite.

I actually very recently started to figure out that I had to adjust my eating because of the intensity of my workouts. My surgery team has kind of abandoned me at this point and haven't been helpful so I've done a lot of research on my own. I was hitting stalls very often despite not changing my eating from the plan and I was starting to get super depressed. My original guidelines said to get 70-100g of protein a day and I started researching nutrition for the workouts I'm doing which are largely CrossFit based. What I discovered personally is that I wasn't eating enough to fuel my muscles for the workouts and for recovery. I bumped my protein up to 100-125g a day and BAM the weight started moving again, I felt better and had more energy for my workouts. I also increased my water intake from 64oz to 100 oz. I eat three meals a day with small snacks in between. Granted they are tiny meals and tiny snacks but all of the focus is on protein, veggies/fruits, and complex carbs. It has made a huge difference and my weight and inches are moving again. I also had to remind myself that muscle weighs more than fat so that even when the scale wasn't moving, things were happening in the right way. Restricting your food will cause so many more issues, just make sure you're eating the right things and get that protein right. I also started a recovery routine of foam rolling, muscle massage after the workouts to decrease the inflammation and soreness which caused me to bloat up and retain water like crazy and it's made a big difference for me personally. I think this entire endeavor is about finding what works for you and your body. Most nutritionists I've contacted have come to the same thing: up your protein, spread your meals out, and up your water. Hope this helps.

I recently was diagnosed and had to do some trial and error. I am on Adderall but it comes out listed as D-Amphetamine and I take 10mg twice a day. Once when I wake up and then around 2pm. So far it's helped immensely to just have the two at that dosage. I have been curious about Vyvanse but actually had a nurse practitioner say that it's absorption would probably not work out very well for me. Before when I took just one table of Adderall in the morning I had these awful energy dips at 2pm thus why we split it up. I have tried 3 times a day but it was too much and made me either very tired or very jittery, never a consistent effect though.

My surgeon never even brought up the possibility of a binder and I was instructed to take Tylenol. It wasn't very helpful and I actually went to the ER about a month after surgery because of pain in my abdomen. They offered no help, so I researched and learned about the abdominal binders. Mine was a soft one purchased off of Amazon that's typically given to women following a C-Section and it made all the difference. I wore it for about a month and it helped so much! As my body was adjusting it just needed a little extra support to keep me from overworking muscles that needed to rest. https://www.amazon.com/NYOrtho-Abdominal-Binder-Lower-Support/dp/B005DLL0CS/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=abdominal+surgery+binder&qid=1634917219&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&smid=A3ODF15IF8C9XS&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyQk8wWFdBRDdEOUlZJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjIxMjU0MkY3VjIxMDFMNEdUUSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTUzMTAyTVRWVjhYVUlZM1dUJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I’ve recently been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and have started taking Adderall XR. My doctor was concerned with my absorption that it may not work so well and I am inclined to agree. It makes me very tired all day and I’ve lost all motivation to do ANYTHING. The first week of it I was hyper focused and accomplished so much but then as I got used to it it quit working. Also I have a hell of an energy dip between 2:30-5:00pm consistently despite all the right vitamins, water and protein. Has anyone else dealt with this? Or tried a different medication with success?

It started with discussing my sleep medication with my counselor. I had expressed that it was difficult to fall asleep because of how busy my mind is. This led to some more questioning and then research on my part because ADHD in females is often much harder to notice because we learn masking at an earlier age than males do. Then I was officially tested through a psychiatrists office. Now I know that things like my rejection sensitive dysphoria, inability to stick to routines, and many other issues were all related to this.

I’ve been consistently hitting stalls over the past two months and I’m at the 6 month mark. I think part of my issue has been having trouble with a birth control shot. However, I’ve tried a few things like carb confusion where for one day I have more carbs than normal (nothing crazy) and bump my protein intake up and that seems to shake loose a stall. Or I drink 80-120 ounces of water instead of 64. The stalls still keep coming though.

My doctor switched me to 5mg of D-Amphetamine/ Salt twice a day and it eliminated the energy dip completely. I’ve also tried to make sure that I am not missing my high protein snacks. So far so good.

It’s only been about five months since my surgery and I’ve been having consistent stalls. I am nowhere near my goal weight. I have had some issues with birth control shots messing up my hormones but now I’ve been dancing around the same 6lbs gaining and losing them for two weeks. I’m getting my protein, drinking my water, and eating around 1000-1200 calories a day. I slowed down a bit on exercise due to another procedure I had to have but overall I’m still active. I just always feel bloated but probiotics are keeping my digestion on track. Any advice? Or has anyone else faced this?

I have found if I do a slight bit of carb cycling (having a few more carbs for a couple of days than I normally would) seems to jumpstart it a bit. The depo shot affects on my hormones were crazy and finally seem to be sorting themselves out but now I am facing issues with bloating. I think my body genuinely can't figure out when my period should be so it's just PMS all the time. I have upped my water intake and am hitting all of my necessary intakes so I'm really just trying to trust the process at this point but am still getting frustrated. I think I am going to switch up my workouts for the next couple of weeks just to see if changing it up might kick start my body some. I also recently started being consistent with adding Miralax and Metamucil to the mix so here's hoping! Thank you all for your input!

-Not worrying about the weight limit on my hammock -My bathrobe fully closing -Not having to be restricted to plus size only clothing -My leggings have become too loose -Not worrying about sitting on wicker furniture lol

Yeah sneezes are pretty juicy lol but offer some relief for a little while

First off, I understand that it is the changing of the seasons and I recognize my normal snottiness from that. I am on allergy medications due to the typical severity of my symptoms but this is about this consistent mucus build up at the back of my throat. Ever since my surgery in January 2021 I have noticed that it feels like thick gunk at the back of my throat when I swallow. It can hinder eating because it makes me feel a bit nauseous and it makes me even less hungry. When I clear my throat I feel it move a bit but it never truly goes away. Even when my allergy meds are full blast and everything is dried out that mucus is still sitting at the back of my throat. I have told my surgeon about it and she just told me to gargle saltwater...which does not help. She also said to take Benadryl, which does not help. Has anyone else had this problem? How do you get past it? What even is it? It's making it really difficult for me to eat some days. I drink more than enough water and follow all of my dietary guidelines but it's still there. I use a nasal rinse everyday as well. I've tried coughing it up, spitting, hacking...everything. It's led to so much frothing! I am miserable and would appreciate any advice since my doctors are dominantly just shrugging their shoulders and telling me to deal with it.

It is so much worse at night!

I am so glad to hear that others are having difficulty really seeing their progress. It's only been a few months and I've dropped about 52lbs. My clothes fit differently but even when I look at my progress photos I barely see it. Then sometimes I'll look in the mirror and notice something new. What's been getting me down a little is that no one around me is saying anything. I know they see my clothes becoming so baggy lol maybe they're afraid it will sound rude? I know I'm losing multiple lbs a week but I can't shake the feeling that it should be coming off faster. It's actually really frustrating in general. I was at 290 for forever then slammed up to 310 while working with the nutritionist and everything. It was like no matter what I ate or did it just kept going up. No thyroid problems or anything else. Now, it's a struggle to eat at all because I just don't want to. I have found some joy in exercise because the results are actually visible a bit quicker but some days are definitely harder than others.

When I was 18 I took the depo shot and gained 50 lbs in 3 months which absolutely spiraled my obesity. My current doctor said that pill birth control was no longer a good option because my absorption has changed and therefore it would not be as effective. After speaking with my ob-gyn I opted to try depo one more time. I have still been losing weight but I can tell that my body is trying to adjust because my period is almost non-existent, though my body is still reacting as if it's happening normally, i.e. bloating/acne/etc. I had an IUD at one point in my life and it caused me to develop an ovarian cyst that burst. Many friends are on the patch or have the mirena insert and they love those options.

I used to have to pee ALL THE TIME. I peed before we left the house and usually still ended up going wherever we went. I woke up numerous times a night. After the surgery though it was one of the first things I noticed that changed. I make it all the way through the night, though about dawn I do have to go. I can make it through plane trips and car rides without needing to go. I will say that when I have to go it comes on kind of suddenly and it's difficult to hold it for very long. My husband and I have a theory (he is diabetic) that prior to the weightless/eating changes my blood sugar must have been a factor in why I had to go so often. Also, the decreased pressure in my abdomen with all the loss must be helping.

Bacon is really fatty and I have found that any fatty meat does not go well. Also, chicken is OUT, no matter how it is cooked. I've had really good luck with seafood and steak of all things. My entire palette changed though, everything tastes different. Especially after having to chew it so much! I tried flame grilled oysters the other day for the first time and they went really well. It's been a lot of trial and error, some things are starting to taste/go down better as I get further out so I figure I will work on the chicken in another few months. Just keep trying things, even foods you didn't like before, you might be surprised.

I have had some good luck with the Leslie Sanson Walk Away the Pounds workouts on YouTube. It's low impact and you can do it in the comfort of your home. They have various videos for various levels. I suffer from a lot of lower back pain and sometimes the thing that helps the most is exercising because it builds up your supporting muscles. I also lay on a stability ball every morning to stretch my back out just a little. A little each day has led to a major difference. I am 5'7" and came in a little under what I was projected to lose but my doctor said as long as I feel good, am consistently losing a little and am following the diet there's nothing to worry about yet. She said it would take 6 weeks just for all the gas from surgery to be completely out of my system and for the swelling to go down.

Something that has helped me with this problem is I break open a capsule of ginger (you can get the supplement ones or just use like a teaspoon of powdered ginger) and stir it into 6 ounces of chicken bone broth. Both are known for combatting nausea and the bone broth provides you with more protein than regular chicken broth. Also, I started to stretch myself gently over a stability ball each morning and it has made a huge difference in that pain I was having in my abdomen from sipping/eating.

I've been having some serious problems with nausea and food tasting disgusting. I have a script for nausea medicine but it only partially works and it doesn't solve the problem of needing to eat. What I have found that helps is Chicken Bone Broth with a teaspoon of powdered ginger. Ginger naturally helps with nausea and digestion. Bone broth also helps and actually has an okay amount of protein in it compared to regular chicken broth.

I work with clothing and let me tell you all sizes are not created equal. Lay the pants that are loose on top of the other ones and see if they are actually the same width. Different brands, different styles will fit differently. I can completely understand your frustration! I am down 40 lbs and some things fit looser but other things fit relatively the same and I am noticing losses in weird spots like the side boob chub. Taking photos has been a huge help but I would recommend taking them every couple of weeks or you will start to overanalyze them and make sure you are wearing the same thing each time. I have a swimsuit for mine but I also have a dress I have always wanted to fit into...these last times I can't see the difference in the swimsuit but I can see the difference in the dress because now I can actually zip it up some.

I had my surgery for hiatal hernia repair and resolution with Barrett's esophagus brought on by GERD. Also, the weightless lol They still have me on my omeprazole for now but I have had absolutely no break through heartburn and am looking forward to finally coming off the medicine after 6 months of recovery.

Oddly what has helped me the most is stretching over a stability ball. I think that all of my muscles in my stomach tightened from me trying to protect it and keep still during early recovery but I started to just lay on my stability ball for a few moments in the morning and it also helped!

I hate that you're going through this but I feel better knowing others have had the same issue! Nothing tastes good anymore except maybe cheese. I'm about 7 weeks out from surgery and am really hoping this goes away. I get so excited to try something other than broth or a shake but it never makes it past a couple of bites. I feel like the vitamins also always leave a weird taste in my mouth.