vsgcriminal

Hello! I had the sleeve gastrectomy 9.5 months ago. I've been working on exercising and eating right, but I've been in a bit of a stall these past 5 weeks. I went down from 290 to 170 pounds, but I've been stuck at 170 for 5 weeks. I've been eating 1200-1500 calories a day and still not losing weight. I've done some research, and apparently, your body adjusts to low calories after a while of eating at that rate. At the beginning of my post-op phase, there were some complications on my end. I didn't eat ANYTHING for two months straight, not even protein shakes, and I was only hitting about 20oz of water daily (which landed me in the ER, but I'm fine now lol). I've looked online, and it says for my height, age, and weight, a good maintenance level would be 2100 calories. I'm eating well under that in a deficit and heavy weight lifting, so I don't know why my body won't drop anything. I'm worried that my body adjusted to the 0-calorie few months I had, then the 500-1000 calories three months after that. I've only started hitting my 1200-1500 calories in March when I joined the gym. I know the stall is not due to "muscle gain" because I'm not eating in a surplus, and I'm only eating 65-80 grams of protein in hopes of simply maintaining while I drop fat. I also read online that apparently people who go through rapid weight loss have even lower calorie maintenance than the average person, and that makes sense, but surely it cannot be under 1200, right? The majority of bodies need 1500 to operate. I'm so confused! When I ask my surgeon about calories, he says not to worry about them and eat healthy, which I'm doing. It's just frustrating because I want to work on building muscle, but I want to lose some more fat before that. I guess my question is, does anyone know anything about calories after surgery, and/or how many calories are you eating after surgery to help lose weight?

I am 9.5 months post OP, so my stomach is a little further in the healing process/I'm working on introducing unrefined carbs back into my diet, but SWEET POTATO FRIES! All you do is cut up some sweet potatoes, spray them with some 0-cal cooking spray, coat them in whatever seasonings you prefer, and throw them in there at like 400 for 12-15 minutes or so. ITS SO GOOD!

Hair loss is a super common concern with being post-op! and I hear you on not wanting to continue to lose hair, because it was quite distressing for me too lol. This type of hair loss, known as telogen effluvium, typically begins around 3-6 months post-op and can last for several months. Make sure you're staying well-hydrated and eating a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Iron, zinc, and other nutrients play a role in hair health. Hair loss after surgery is usually temporary. It might take a few more months before you see improvement, even after you address nutritional deficiencies. Keep up with your protein and supplement regimen, and be patient with the process. With all of that being said, it is something that you just need to ride out unfortunately. A big part of it is also because of the "delayed response" of not getting enough protein earlier on in your journey, so even though you're hitting your protein/vitamin goals now, it's still going to take a minute to kick in. It typically resolves with time and proper nutrition. Keep focusing on meeting your nutritional needs, and your hair should start to recover. Wishing you all the best on your journey!