lizonaplane

You're not helpful. Most people do not find being told they're doing everything wrong helpful in any way shape or form. Most people find supportive comments more helpful in changing their behavior then "tough love". And... YOU ARE NOT HER DOCTOR.

I am on metformin and topamax because I have been hungry since right after surgery. I think they work pretty well and they're really cheap. But if you order some random thing off the internet you might end up with something incredibly unsafe. There are many medications, like phentermine, that are very effective and reasonably safe. But there are also scams and poisons out there. Good luck!

You should reach out to your doctor about your progress and your concerns, and ask them what their suggestions are. Should you maybe try a medication? Eat more? Exercise more? Do weight lifting? Drink more fluids? Etc.

That surgeon you posted the video on - he's interested in shocking people and being contrarian. He's not YOUR surgeon, he's never met or examined YOU and he doesn't know YOUR history. I think people here have posted a lot of excellent points. I was not cleared for lifting weights until 4 weeks out, when I was cleared for everything. However, I had not been doing much besides walking and swimming until that point. As @Arabesque said, exercise will not reduce your loose skin. It's just basically something you will or will not have to deal with, but most likely, you will have loose skin. Exercise is great for overall health, and weight lifting is good to reduce the amount of muscle mass you lose after surgery, but it's a minor part of your weight loss. it's better for keeping weight off long term.

I just re-read your first post: I'm eating less in general. I really do think I'm making my calorie counts. So, you said that you are eating 1200 calories, but here you say you "think" you're making your calorie counts, which to me seems to indicate you're not actually TRACKING your calories. Try for just a week to enter every single thing you eat and drink into a calorie counting program like myfitnesspal or baritastic. Then, see what you're actually eating each day. That will also help you when you meet with a nutritionist, which I strongly recommend

That internalized fat-phobia is difficult to deal with. I struggle with it too. But I'm really confused by your timeline. You had surgery in March 2021? And you've lost 36lb? So, how much weight did your surgery center expect you to lose in that time? I don't know about ESG, but with sleeve, I was told I would lose most of the weight in the first year, and that I could expect to lose about 60-70 lbs, give or take. Were you weighing yourself every week/day at home? I really think you need to reach out to your surgery center (virtually is fine!) and see if you are on target, and if not, if they have any recommendations. There are medications that you can take, and there might be a role for a nutritionist to see what food changes they might recommend. Maybe you're not eating enough? We are just guessing here. You need to talk to a professional.

If you weight 215 lbs, 1200 calories IS a deficit. You're doing what you can. You can be pretty at any weight, and October is a LONG way off. Try to focus on how your clothes are fitting and not a number on the scale. Try not to panic, and if people here are being unhelpful, take a break. Try to reach out to a bariatric therapist if your surgery center has one - I am seeing mine tomorrow virtually and it really helps. The actual weight isn't so important.

Don't worry about @Tony B - NJ. He just likes to be unhelpful and mean. Get back in touch with your surgery center and see what they say.

I never had a problem losing weight - I lost, 50, 80, 100 lbs before, but I always gained it back. I've lost 115 lbs so far (50 before surgery, 65 since) and I can't say for sure that I will be able to keep it off, but the odds are definitely better because surgery is supposed to lower you metabolic set point, i.e., the weight your body is comfortable at. I know that I CAN'T eat a lot right now, as long as I'm eating the RIGHT foods. It hurts to eat too much, so it's a big disincentive to overeat. Of course, it's up to me to choose healthy foods, and right now, I'm doing that most of the time (the goal isn't to be perfect!).

You often gain up to 10 lbs in the hospital from all the fluids they pump you full of, so it can take up to two weeks to start seeing any weight loss. You WILL lose weight - you just need to be patient. There are lots of "stalls" along your journey where you won't lose weight for a few weeks and may even gain a pound or two for a few days. Hang in there!

Most people will find that they feel better once they go onto solid foods. However, a small number of people (like me!) never lose their hunger. Probably you will feel better once you start eating even soft food. If not, you can try drinking more thing like coffee/tea, stuff with milk, etc. I ended up going on metformin and topamax to reduce my hunger, but I don't think that's usually the case. Even if you do lose your hunger, it usually comes back in 6-12 months.

The nausea is likely from both the multivitamin and dehydration. The stomach noises/gurgles and pain when you drink too much at once are all normal. Try keeping a bottle of water/sugar free liquids in your hand or by your side at all times and sip, sip, sip every few minutes (some people set timers on their phones). It took me a few months before food was comfortable. You still have to eat, even if it's no fun... Always call your surgery center when something doesn't feel right!

You're definitely not eating too much. Were you given a plan to follow?

What does your bariatric surgery center say? Their nutritionist? If you haven't discussed your concerns with them, that's where you need to start. Of course you're upset! But I'm a little confused about all this about the scales. Were you 215 one day at home and then 238 the next day at work? Or was there a gap in weighing? 5'5" is actually NOT short. And 1200 calories doesn't seem like a lot to me; I'm 5'3" and I eat about 1100-1500 calories a day at 8 months out. BUT YOU NEED TO TALK TO YOUR SURGERY CENTER! If you are eating 1200 calories a day, what are those calories? Are they protein, fruits, and veggies? Or is it snacks and processed junk? Are you hungry eating 1200 calories a day? Are you exercising? Again, these are all things you need to discuss with actual medical professionals. Hang in there!

You're 7 days post op!!! You just had major surgery. You can't expect to be a ball of energy LOL! Go easy on yourself, and definitely make sure you're getting in your fluids. I didn't go back to work for two weeks, and I was working at home. When I went back to work at 2 weeks I still needed a lie down in the afternoons. By week five I was back on the road flying cross country for work. You'll get there. BTW, I'm 8 months out and I never have felt MORE energy than before surgery.

I weight first thing in the morning after I pee buck naked every morning that I have a scale available to me. Having said that, I travel more than half of the time, so I only end up weighing myself maybe two days a week - Friday and Saturday, or Sunday and Monday, often. But this week I'm at my parents' house and I've weighed every day for almost a week!

I have the same issues. I keep thinking when I put my size 10/12 clothes on that they're so small there's no way they will fit, but they do. I alternate between seeing myself as really a lot different and seeing myself as huge in the mirror. I still have a lot of fat in my tummy (and a lot of loose skin) so it's hard to imagine I am actually SMALLER than the average person now!

I think you can't expect everyone in your life to change everything in THEIR lives because you are having surgery. He was trying to give you a day off from cooking, but it felt more stressful to you. If you're going to start resenting his way of handling food, you're going to have a hard time moving forward, especially if you know he doesn't appreciate your responses (snarky comments - no one likes those!). FWIW, I eat out like 90% of my meals because I travel for work most of the week and sometimes for 2 weeks in a row. You can eat out, you just have to think about what you're going to eat. I eat fish and veggies, or chili, or pulled pork, or a burger minus the bun. Or basically anything I want - even pizza if nothing else is available. I just don't eat very much of it and I try to limit the carbs (pizza is very rare, but sometimes it's what everyone else is having and I don't like being left out or being a party pooper). Don't worry about every single meal being perfect - that's a way to set yourself for failure. Just aim to eat well 80-90% of the time, and you'll do great!

I drink so much, and yes it helps a LOT, and I recommend it too. I find drinking milky tea and coffee is great. I start off my day with a large hot tea and a large iced coffee and often I'm not hungry till 11. It's the hours from 11-6 that I'm hungry pretty much the whole time. And I have to eat, so I have to stop drinking sometimes.

Yeah, I've tried three different brands. They said I could take the flinstones, but I only find the chewables, and I want a pill

Welcome! It is a big deal to get to solid foods. Crunchy foods are still a ways off. Eat slowly and chew well!

I'm going to ask my surgery center. I still can't eat a ton of produce, and I'm not eating enough iron. I already don't take the extra calcium because I get plenty from the ridiculous amount of cheese and milk I eat.

From what I've read, only about 30% of bypass patients and very few sleeve patients dump. Usually on sugar but also on high fat foods, for some people. From what I can tell, it's best to eat "new" foods at home the first time in case they don't agree with your new tiny tummy (this is true even if you don't dump - some things can make you throw up: I ate some dry chicken a few weeks after surgery and threw up!). If I were you, I'd be very careful with what I ate when out of the house, and "experiment" more when I was near my own bathroom!

I could drink bigger sips, but I couldn't guzzle a whole 16 oz bottle of water like before surgery. I still can't, but I can drink about half a glass of water in one gulp now. Everyone is different.

I don't think it's the iron because I used to take iron before surgery on an empty stomach with no issues. But, I can try getting it without the iron, just for giggles... I've tried everything else.