Midnightwitc6

Hello all! Just have a question here, and I havent seen it on another thread. Has anyone else hit a never ending (or it feels like it) plateau? I havent lost a thing in 3 1/2 weeks after loosing about 47 pounds so far. I'm certainly not complaining about how much I've lost, pretty happy about that, but this stand still is killing me! If I had cheated even once I could chock it up to that but I havent. I've tried up'ing my Protein intake, staying away from anything white, and hell, this week I'm exercising less. I've only gone to the gym once as opposed to 3-4 times. If anyone else has had this happen, and I'm sure someone has, what did you do to get that scale moving down again? My mini goal was to loose 50 by the end of May...dammit May is gone, so 50 by the end of June? I hope! Thanks!

Hello All! I've been looking through the forums, I may have missed a thread on hair loss so if I'm being redundant I apologize... It started this weekend, huge amounts of my hair (ok seems like a HUGE amount but it covers the hair brush so much you cant see the bristles) are falling out. Needless to say I am freaking out! I know this is expected with weight loss surgery, I thought more so with gastric bipass, and was one of my main reasons for choosing lap-band over bipass. If someone asked me if I would rather have a fat ass and beautiful hair, or bald and a small ass I would have said "fat ass please!" If this has happened to others, when did it stop? Does it grow back? I'm very much in the beginning of this journey with the band and being so good with my Vitamins and Protein intake, so what the heck is going on? Thanks so much for any advice. Soon to be not so sexy bald Gina. :omg:

I went to the doctors today, my normal 6 week check up usually for a fill, but I've been pretty darn tight. I opted for no fill today and will go back in 6 weeks when things loosen up. However, my news is this. I've lost 68 pounds so far putting me....in the OBESE catagory!!! No longer morbidly obese!! Who would have thought someone could be so happy to be obese? LMAO!!! I cant imagine how I'll feel when I move into the "just overweight" catagory. hee hee Thanks all! This was something I couldnt go to work and yell about. hehe Can you imagine "I'm OBESE!!! ha ha hee hee ho ho!!!" :biggrin1:

Soooo glad someone started this thread. I call this band a gas factory!! Never in my life have I been so damn gasey all the time, I can freakin fart on command. Morning, noon, night it doesnt matter. After I eat anything its like doomsville. I'm in the bathroom a million times a day. I just tell my co-workers its all the water I drink and I have to pee! lol But alas it is not. I've tried Beano, Gas X, and tried laying off salad for a bit. Nothing helps. There are times I feel like I could fly around the world with one huge PFFFFFFFT!!! hahahaha Gross but you get my point. If anything helps anyone, please share. hehehe

Since I started this here thread I guess I will give yet another update. My hair has stopped falling out in clumps and is coming back slowly. Cutting it has made it so much better and it all seems to be coming back. I dont know if the Biotin/Nioxin made the falling out process shorter than it would have been, but I would buy it all again in a heart beat. As for the question, would I rather have hair or be fat? Well if I have super gorgeous long hair it would cover all my fat and no one would know! hahaha Just kidding!

Drinking is bad because that one time when something is really stuck and then you grab that drink the liquid just sits on top of what was stuck to begin with and WHAMO, both food and drink come flying up. Not a pretty picture I know. I've just entered the PBing land with this last fill and its not fun. Chicken and eggs are my enemy now. hehe

WOW! Awesome tattoo! I wish I was that brave. hehe

Hello again! Yep the Protein theory is a load of crap. I asked my surgeon when I went in for a fill, he at least had consulted with his nutritionist as to why his patients were losing their hair. His best theory, and I guess mine as well, is that our bodies go in shock mode and trying to adjust to our new eating habits and loosing weight, the hair simply goes bye bye. There are 6 of use where I work that are at various stages of the banding process, and we all have gone thru this hair stage. It starts about 3 months post op, hair falls out, and slows about 2 months later with regrowth about 6 months out. I had lost about half of my hair, but I started with a ton of it. I helped my head out a bit and cut it just below my ears. I've noticed a definate slow down in my loss and regrowth is a comin! Thank goodness! Thanks everyone for all your advise and comments. I hope my whining about it doesnt scare anyone, the only thing I would have done differently if I had known was start taking the Biotin even before the surgery.

I dont know about anyone else, but I too had to got to 2 support group meetings because of the insurance prerequisites. I found them to be extremely negative and clicky. Amazing how the long term bandsters were not supportive of the newly banded or the people still trying to make the decision to be banded or not. I use this website as my support group. I come here everyday and though I dont post much I get so much from everyone here. One of the speakers at the support group meeting I attended was obviously frustrated with her own weight loss, standing up there with her fribble milkshake telling everyone how easy ice cream and M&M's go thru the band. I'm not as easy to sway as some people but what a horrible role model for the people who really needed the support. I did my 2 meeting quota and I dont plan on going back...well maybe if I ever get to my goal...hehe. So I guess my point is, dont let those people in the support group meetings get you frustrated about the band. Read the many posts here, good and bad, do your research and if it feels right for YOU, then dont let anything stop you. The band isnt a cure all, but I love it! I was banded 3/3/06 and I'm down 66lbs....thought I'd mention that since I cant get a ticker...I'm a computer moron and cant figure it out.

Hello All! Well I couldnt wait for August 5th for my hair appointment so I moved it up to yesterday. After one plus months of using that nioxin stuff I have to report my hair dresser found small baby hairs poking thru! Yeah! So I did the scary and chopped quit a bit off so it wont look so stupid when its growing back. All stringy at the ends. Also proud to report I did not cry, thought I would though. hehe I'm going to continue to use the nioxin until I run out, which will be a while since I found some on clearance and bought a ton. Any exciting updates I will be sure to post. :bananapartyhat:

Leo here...ROAR When I used to do astrology charts for people, once upon a time ago when I was smart, hehe. You have to convert the time and day you were bron to Greenwich, England time if I remember right. Thats how you know what sign you really are when your born on the cusp. Of course thats just your sun sign, I find to give a pretty good idea of a person you need sun, moon, and rising signs. My sun is Leo, rising is Leo (pretty much loud, and more loud) and my moon is Pisces. (which means I'm loud, but pretty sensitive about it...hehe just kidding...but it does make me a bit more emotional) Whether or not you believe it all, I always found astrology just plan fun.

"You get what you settle for." Love that one, its from Thelma and Louise, but hell I dont care! Loved that movie too.

Hello All! I havent been to the dermatologist yet, talking to all the people I work with that have had this surgery they said the hair loss has happened to them all, its temporary and lasts for about 2 months. UGH I'm still taking the Biotin, and the nioxin shapoo/conditioner/treatment and supplements. I have spent a fortune on my hair! What I am going to do is have a consultation with my hair dresser on August 5th, if there is any new growth then I'm probably going to cut a lot off to keep it even. I'd say about half of my hair is gone. Thank goodness for super hairspray and thickening products. Man how I love big ass hair. :eek:

If you have access to a gym that offers it water aerobic's is great. I've had back surgery and have bilateral tarsal coalition. Nothing hurts me in a pool, I love it! Basically it means it hurts for me to walk a lot. I try to hit the class twice a week, and the gym 3 times a week for the treadmill when the feet arent feeling so bad.

I honestly dont care what you weigh or what you look like. Do the best with what you have!!! I've been the same size, before the banding, forever. I'm the chick with 35 pairs of pants, 20 of them black. lol I always loved clothes, make-up, jewelry...you name it. Pick the right colors, hold your head high, and strut! Get your hair done, try a new color. Always wanted to be a red head...do it! Its amazing how much better you feel when your wearing a nice fitting flattering outfit no matter what size than my oh so favorite outfit, the dreaded jogging pants and huge T-shirt look. BLECK!! UGH I've never owned a pair of jogging pants in my life! lol

I'm 32, and raising my neice, but no children of my own. I'm more or less commenting on the not meeting the right person to have the kids. Yep I am single, however the freakest things are happening to me. So far on this band journey I've lost 56lbs. Yeah! The weird thing...men are freakin coming out of the wood work!! Scary! They are everywhere, the gym, at work, on the street. Funny how I looked at all these places before and there werent any. hehe (OK not the gym, you got me on that one, that's a post band hang out) Anyone else getting attention they hadnt gotten before, and how are you handling it? :confused:

Yes I completely understand how you feel! I went to Universal Island of Adventure where they have a few "demo" seats available with a sign that states that these new and improved seats cannot hold large people. Seeing that sign, well I just told everyone I was to scared to ride. However anyone who's flown anywhere and cant buckle the seat belt has extra special humiliation when you have to ask the pencil thin and often snotty flight attendent for an extention...ugh. Or my hell moment when I got stuck in that turn-style 3 pronged thingy. I hate those! That is my goal, to be able to ride on a plane and buckle that damn seat belt...or not get bruises on my sides from the arm rests. /sigh

Hello All! Yes another update from the soon to be bald. hehe I finally got my Nioxin supplements a couple of days ago. I had ordered them online. These suckers are huge! I was scared to down the first pill, but became brave for the love of hair. Thankfully it went down. One more fill and I think I'm going to cut those suckers in half. I've been using the shampoo and conditioner from Nioxin and still taking the Biotin. I cant tell whether or not its slowing down or I'm just running out of hair. :grouphug: But no regrowth right now, and yes I know that would be too soon. I estimate I've lost about half my hair right now. Very freakin depressing let me tell ya! When I get some regrowth, I will update here. I hope this can help someone too. Oh! Before I forget, I'm waiting for my PCP to schedule the dermatologist appt. Have a great day all!

OK, update number 3. I recieved the results from my blood work. All Vitamins are just fine. Wasnt to shocked there, frankly how could it be otherwise with the multi-vitamins/calcium I've been taking. Not to mention the daily salads. So my primary care is refering me to a dermatologist. Shall I go? Is it worth my time when we all really know the reason I'm going to look like Captain Picard in a couple of months? hehe I've even starting saving my hair in a bag so I can really see how much I'm loosing. I'm still taking the Biotin, and I went and bought the Nioxin starter kit. I havent noticed a change yet, but its not even been a week with the Nioxin. The salon said that might take about a month. Yipee. I'll call the dermatologist tommorow. What can it hurt right? UGH.

Very good thread, as I always wondered what made everyone else do this. I went to Las Vegas last year, my favorite place on the planet! I could barely fit into the airplane seat and discreatly grabbed the seat belt extension when the flight attendent wasnt looking. Think thats bad? The same trip coming out of the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay I got stuck in the turn-style. (those evil metal contraptions, not sure how you spell it) Yep there I was stuck while my friend and her son were laughing there ass off. I might have been ok with it except that later my neice told me she felt sorry for me. That hurt. So I decided I could either smash her teeth in for that comment, or really try to do something. It was about that time that someone I work with had been banded, with great success. She has since inspired 6 others where I work to have the procedure. Oh! And the picture of me standing next to George Clooney's wax figure didnt help either. Fat Chick next to Hot Man! Someday I'll post them. That one is my before pic. hehe

Hello All! Update number 2....I went in yesterday for another fill. (down 50 pounds yeah!) Told The doctor I was having a complication, he got all serious on me untill I told him it was hair loss. Might as well said it was a hang nail for all he cared. He was much more thrilled with the weight loss. Frankly I could have lost 50 pounds of HAIR! haha OK not really but thats what it feels like. By coincidence today I had a follow up appointment for my sugars at my primary care Dr. (I was pre Diabetes/PCOS but not anymore...another yeah!) Thank Goddess that my primary is a woman. She took the hair loss as a serious problem and I went into the lab to test for all Vitamin difficencies. If there is one, and it contributes to the hair loss I will certainly share the info in case it can help someone else. The Biotin doesnt seem to be doing much of anything and after a week I decided to up my dosage a wee bit. Keeping my fingers crossed, oh and I'm ordering the Nioxin online.

Hello All! Just an update. Its been about a week now and clumps of hair are still falling out. However, last Thursday I ran to CVS and bought a bottle of Biotin. I'll take this for a week and see if it helps. I will let people know either way. If it doesnt, then I will try the shampoo/treatment. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Thank you so much for all the replies they have been really helpful :girl_hug: I will not give up, and I will definatley look on that plateau website. Hell, anything can help. I will also add it to my favorites. I do need to seriously measure myself, cause of I'm loosing inches I dont know it. Though people at work telling me to stop wearing tents is a pretty good indication that I am. :rose:

Thanks for responding! :girl_hug: I have a 10cc band, and going in for my 3rd fill on the 13th. I think right now I have 5cc's in. Not to much restriction but I do get full much much faster. I'm just as determined as I was in the beginning even with this plateau, I was just curious if our bodies give us the big NO-NO and without switching things up weight loss wont happen. Maybe I think my fat is smarter than my brain. hehe

As a newbie to this site, I'm more of a lurker-gatherer of information then a poster. I really do apprieciate this thread. I was banded in March, and luckily have a doctor that made us go through many many steps before we signed up for the surgery. So no, I wasnt misinformed. I work with 5 women at work who have had this surgery done with great results. So far so good for me, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I do feel sorry for the people here that feel the need to make newbies feel inferior, or their questions stupid. To try to set people up for the failure that they themselves are experiencing, or afraid to experience, is just plain sad. I figure they didnt have as good of a doctor as I did. What I would like to add to this is just an opinion. People need to get rid of the good/bad fat/thin mentality. The size of my ass does NOT measure my self worth! Nor does the size of anyone elses measure theirs. The second people start to find themselves worthy to themselves they may treat others with a little more respect. To bad they cant invent a band that will give people higher self esteem eh? So I guess with all my rambling I'm trying to say that I hate that word failure. No one here is a failure no matter how you do, and the person who lost 100 pounds is no better or wiser than the one who only lost 10. Eating a bag of potato chips doesnt make you BAD, it makes you full. Just like eating salad everyday for 4 months doesnt give me a halo. (just really freakin sick of salad! hehe) Hope that made sense, I'm a MUCH better speaker than I am a writer. :eek: Oh, and I dont have a picture, or a ticker because I cant figure out how to do it!