pintsizedmallrat

I am six months out and have lost probably 60% of my hair, and it was thin before. I am at a point where if I leave the house I have to wear a hat. I’m starting to get the little “chicken hairs” but it’s really frustrating that I waited my whole adult life to feel cute and now I’m practically bald. I’ve been taking collagen, a supplement for hair growth (vital proteins hair boost), calcium, iron, and zinc…all of which is supposed to help. I guess we will find out!

After my surgery I used a tincture that went under my tongue because I didn’t want to ingest anything solid. It definitely took the edge off what pain I had left and helped me get some rest.

You’re going to be really hungry, unfortunately. I had to do it for three weeks and was pretty miserable the whole time. Try to fill up on sugar free beverages which will make you feel more full and keep things moving.

Mine have. I’m six months out and have lost 75% of my goal. I had high blood pressure and mild sleep apnea, both of which are completely gone (I don’t even have to take medication for the HBP anymore, and the improvement happened at around the 3 month mark).

I am six months out. I don’t typically have any snacks of any kind but this is what I have in a normal day: Breakfast-1/2 serving of yogurt or cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of fruit such as blueberries or strawberries, 1/4 oz pumpkin or sunflower seeds Lunch: dark greens salad with 2 oz grilled chicken and 1 oz chickpeas, 1 T salad dressing, usually some tomatoes or other low carb veggies mixed in Mid-afternoon: a cup of tea with two scoops of collagen peptides mixed in Dinner: 3 oz of grilled chicken, fish, or lean pork. About half a cup of vegetable or other high fiber side. After dinner: one square of dark chocolate, usually more tea. I tolerate raw vegetables and fibrous stuff better than some others at this point, so YMMV.

I have had to take a total of five links out of the band to my watch since Christmas when I got it…I had surgery in September. I’ve lost almost two inches off my WRISTS since December :)

3 months. I can’t believe how much I was craving raw vegetables by then.

I don’t like protein shakes either. I use an unflavored collagen powder from Vital Proteins in my tea or coffee once a day. It’s barely noticeable and it’s an easy way to get another 18g of protein

Mine wasn’t too bad but I did have some patches of what you’re talking about—on the back of my neck and under my arms mostly. I’m almost six months out from my procedure (sleeve) and have lost 87 pounds and the spots are GONE. I was truly shocked but I even had my fiancé take photos of the back of my neck and it just looks like a neck now!

My primary issue after my sleeve wasn’t actually throwing up but feeling like I was going to…if you do start to feel that way try your best to not let your body “fight” the urge and just try to let it exit as gently as it can. Fighting the inevitable will only make you sore inside and out, unfortunately. I found that out the hard way so now I just try to relax…which luckily hasn’t happened much

I haven’t gone back to energy drinks (carbonation) but I drink a bottle of water with caffeinated Mio in it most work days, I started about two months after my surgery and haven’t had any problems because of it however some of the flavors are pretty tart and that could cause issues for people with acid reflux so proceed at your own risk

I know Splenda makes a “baking blend” that was a 1-1 conversion but since Splenda doesn’t caramelize or add as much mouthfeel and bulk as sugar, I’m not sure how well it works in practice

Not to mention there are people who identify as male or non-binary who menstruate

I really don’t care for most protein shakes, I’ve been using Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides powder and putting it in a cup of tea in the afternoon…it dissolves better in something warm and the taste of the tea covers up what little smell it has. It’s unflavored so it agrees with me more…I felt like a lot of the protein shakes were just cloyingly sweet and fake tasting.

Be careful with long term use of anything containing the sleep ingredient in Tylenol PM (diphenhydramine)…it can mess with your neurotransmitters and makes some people depressed. There’s also some evidence it raises your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

It is so weird and frustrating going clothes shopping. For a couple years, I avoided shopping for clothes like the plague, ESPECIALLY trying them on because, as probably a lot of morbidly obese people feel, it was exhausting to have to dress and undress and have to strain to take my shoes off, nothing fit, and walking out of there feeling like a defeated fata$$, etc. Even worse, because I am short, even at my heaviest I was in that dreaded "gap" between plus sizes and straight sizes so I never quite knew which department I should be shopping in, and that would change depending on the store. I still have a lot of anxiety about trying on clothes because my brain's concept of what size I am and what my "new" body is capable of doing has not caught up with reality (I am about 50 pounds heavier in my head than I actually am.). I ordered a hoodie online and guessed at the size and I am SWIMMING in it. I am terrified to shop for jeans and have been living in leggings and track pants since I shrank my way out of my old clothes. I'm sure this will resolve over time; it's just such a weird feeling to walk through the mall and look in the windows of all those cute-girl juniors' stores and still get that wistful "Must be nice to get to shop there" thought, then realize I actually CAN wear clothes from that store...I still feel like an impostor even going in there.

Why is it that it seems like every plus sized clothing line assumes in addition to being heavy we’re also all 5’10”?

Up until this point I had been revelling in how my formerly tight clothes had become loose and oversized because I hadn't HAD the luxury of getting my clothes "oversized" in so long...but I'm now getting to a point where those clothes have gone from "stylishly flowy" to "looks like I'm a child wearing my mom's clothes" so I HAVE to get some new stuff and I'm just...dreading it. My favorite place to shop right now no joke is a leggings store that only sells two sizes: One Size Fits Most and One Size Fits Most Plus.

I tried the Banza pasta and based on you fine folks' recommendations cooked it for a little over half the time on the package (I think I cooked it for 7 min and the package says 11)...it turned out great. I only made myself an ounce of it, half a serving, and the rest of the bowl was about half sautéed veggies to bring down the carb count (zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, garlic, and red bell peppers)...it was delicious and filling and a nice change of pace. I probably wouldn't eat it every night and I made adjustment elsewhere in my day to accomodate for the extra carbs.

I have had 3 surgeries on my abdomen (two exploratory laparoscopies for endometriosis in 2007 and 2011 and gallbladder removal in 2014) and no issues were raised about my suitability for a sleeve. As I recall it was barely discussed when I was doing my pre-op program.

My pre-op diet was packaged protein-based foods (mostly soups, drinks, bars, and there was an egg thing that you mixed a seasoning and protein packet into), and it was SO HARD--a lot of it didn't taste very good and I was sooooooo hungry. I cheated on the diet a few times and ate "real" food and still managed to lose 11 pounds in 3 weeks and there were no issues with getting the procedure done...don't beat yourself up about it, get back on the horse and try your best to stick with it until your surgery. I think every one of us who has been through it sympathizes with your situation though, that pre-op diet sucks.

I am so sorry you're going through this; I had different issues but was in an out of the ER and hospital for a couple months and it gets so exhausting and demoralizing--I felt like I had crossed the line between "losing weight" and "wasting away". I was so tired and depleted. I hope they're able to figure out a solution that helps you feel better and end the pain and suffering you're experiencing. I'm rooting for you; stay strong!

I'm about 4 months out from my sleeve--and I've had a lot of bumps along the way (really bad acid reflux about a month in that caused me to aspirate and develop bacterial pneumonia that landed me in the hospital for a week). It's only been in the last few weeks that my diet has resembled my plan, and I still fall short of my protein goals without planning--I'm supposed to be getting 60 grams and the only way I seem to be able to accomplish that is by supplementing with drinkable protein. I mix Vital Proteins Collagen with Mio (18g of protein) and make myself drink it between breakfast and lunch. Whey protein doesn't seem to agree with me, but the collagen supplement is basically tasteless and kind of disappears into the drink. Establishing a routine and analyzing what will best facilitate it being "easy" for you is key (for instance, I work at home, and I leave my vitamins/meds on my desk so they're in my face in the morning after I eat breakfast). The 30 minutes to drink gets shorter the more accustomed you become to it, and I've gotten in the habit of setting a timer on my phone or Apple Watch immediately after I start to feel full.

You can make "wings" with cauliflower! Roast florets in the oven until they have some color and toss them in sauce (if you can handle spicy do buffalo style or there are low sugar bbq sauces out there). I was extremely skeptical but they absolutely have that "meaty" texture and scratches that bar food itch!

I have to eat breakfast or my vitamins and meds will make me sick to my stomach. I don't eat a whole lot though; I pretty much always have 1/2 a serving of cottage cheese and 1/2 a serving of some kind of fruit mixed together (usually mango, papaya, or pineapple), which is about 100 calories and probably is more of a snack than a meal.