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Unfortunately, those heady weeks of large weight loss after surgery don’t last. Sigh! We all eventually slow to what is considered a healthy rate of loss: about 2lbs a week +/-which is about where you are now. And even worse, those last few pounds can be a b**ch to lose. I’m talking grams/ounces a week & seemingly more fluctuations. But as long as your general trend is still downwards you’re doing fine (even if seems to be almost flatlining it 😉).

Congratulations. You look fantastic. The hair loss usually lasts about 3 months +/- so you are likely nearing the end of it. Yay! I cut mine to just above my shoulders so a year or so later it was back to what it as in regard to thickness. Our starting stats are very much the same - I’m just an inch taller & weighed 5lbs more. I reached my goal at 6 months - BMI of 23 too. (And it seems we had our surgeries at about the sane age - 53??) Yes, I lost more than my goal but it was what my body wanted - my new set point. I’m 4 years out & pretty much maintained my weight (apart from a med glitch which caused a 2kg gain of which I’ve lost half of that so am about 1kg heavier than my initial stabilised weight). To maintain, I really just kept up with most of the eating habits I established while losing. My portions are larger now of course but are what are considered recommended portion sizes of what I eat. Lowish carbs (about 2 serves of whole/multi grains), lowish fat, low sugar (avoid a lot of it & sweeteners too), predominately low processed foods, average 60g protein & average 2L fluids. I eat about 1500 calories a day which is about right for some one my age, height, weight & activity level according to BMR calculators. I don’t consider this a diet, this is just how & what I eat which changed how I look at my eating. I’m not punishing myself or restricting what I eat with a diet. I don’t exercise as such but started to use resistance bands & do stretches about 10 months ago I think - 4 short sessions each day 5 or 6 times a week. I didn’t want muscles as such just definition in my arms & legs which I am achieving quite nicely. Also wanted to keep flexible & to support my back & oozing discs. Am jealous your back pain is gone. Unfortunately, weight loss hasn’t improved my back issues 😩.

Your hair is dead so all the biotin & collagen may help is any new growth. So you won’t see any improvement with your hair for some months & your new growth has some length. I understood it takes 4-12 weeks to see any benefits to your skin. I took a collagen supplement & silica for months & months but really saw no improvement - was pretty disappointed. My beauty therapist gave me a liquid marine collagen serum ($100 a bottle - yikes!) to apply to my face. I used it religiously for 6+ months & didn’t get results with that either. Just depends on our skin I think. Hope it works for you. Personally I really like Vitamin C & retinol - texture, tone, brightening, etc. I get good results. I use a 15% Vitamin C & 2% retinol (1% retinol & 1% bakuchiol). I also did 4 derma needling RF sessions over 4 months & it’s amazing. I have defined cheek bones again, no more lip stick bleed, & my jowly bits have decreased a lot. It takes three months to see the benefits of each session. Good luck. PS - Neither will stop the hair loss we almost experience after surgery. Our normal hair loss cycle is temporarily accelerated so the extra hair you lose during this time, would have been shed anyway (as all our hair eventually is) just over a longer time frame. Those who swear by it experience their hair loss for about 3 months +/- but so do those who don’t take it so … 🙂

Hey, so I'm on a hunt for a good collagen supplement that won't break the bank? Right now I'm using Spring Valley Collagen and Biotin. I'd say I've been using it for two weeks so far. I feel like it's probably helping my skin, but I'm not noticing anything really with my hair which is what I want it for and because my team recommended it. Anybody using collagen?

So I found out I have a uterine fibroid the size of an avocado and one the size of a jumbo egg (12cm and 6.5cm), and my uterus is apparently huge (the size of a 14 week pregnancy, I'm told). Well today was my follow up appt and I was told that my fibroids are so big, the only option I have is an abdominal hysterectomy (they are causing issues with really heavy bleeding all through the month, not at specific times for my period). We're looking at about 5 weeks out for the surgery. Apparently this is going to be a MAJOR surgery, and my doctor said I will have to do nothing, just at home, for 2 weeks at minimum but prefers me to take 6 weeks. WHAT??? 6 weeks??? She said since it'll be abdominal and not laparoscopic, it'll be 2 days in the hospital, a lot of pain, inability to sit up or do much walking during the first 2 weeks, then very slow going for the next few weeks after that. I mean...what??? ALSO... there's a part of my stomach, just above my belly button, that has always kind of stuck out. No matter what I do, it doesn't go down or get smaller. There's not really any pain, but I always thought it was because I was fat. But I've lost a lot of weight and it's still there. The gyn said it might be a hernia, but my bariatric surgeon never mentioned it during the surgery. If I have a hernia that was never found, I'd like to get it fixed. If it's not a hernia, I'd like to figure out what it is. It makes me look pregnant, and it really bugs me. The part below my belly button is my (apparently) huge uterus and fibroids. The part above my belly button is....who knows..... I'm just mentally worn out. I really thought I was done. I thought everything was going well. I don't have pain, I work out all the time, I'm thrilled with everything. And then.....boom. More crap. UGH..... This isn't a bariatric complication, so I'm very thankful for that. But I mean, SERIOUSLY??? More crap??? Sigh.... By the time I finish all this, I'm practically gonna have a brand new body. So at least there's that....

Hey guys! I'm currently 5 weeks out and had a question about how much I should be able to eat in one sitting. I'm technically in the soft food stage and I had missed some of my meals today. I ate 2 small lobster tails and half a small sweet potato in one sitting today and don't feel nauseous or anything. I definitely feel full. Also earlier, I was able to eat two bacon and egg bites from Starbucks no issue. Still felt full afterwards. Have I stretched my stomach already?? I used to not be able to eat that much. Obviously, I probably shouldn't be eating that much but wouldn't my body absolutely object if I overdid it? Any helpful advice would be appreciated!

Same. I have about 30 lbs left. It's definitely slow going right now for me, too. For me, I'm just sticking with the plan and adding more exercise. I still average about 1-3 lbs a week, which I'm okay with.

I definitely had a rough patch for about 6-8 weeks after surgery. I wasn’t able to eat enough food and I became very lethargic and weak. It did subside though. The anti-nausea meds were a godsend. I don’t think it’s too uncommon for you to still be feeling this way. Hang in there!

I woke up in severe pain, 9 out of 10 on the pain scale. (I don't believe that it's possible to experience a 10; I define that as "passing out due to the pain".) Within an hour or so, that was controlled with patient-controlled analgesic (I think it was Dilaudid) and I did a lot of hall walking throughout the rest of the day. But when they took me off the PCA, the pain was back up to severe. The hospital staff worked with me and took the pain seriously. I almost stayed an extra night in the hospital for pain control, but managed to get it down enough to get home with oxycodone, acetaminophen, and heat/cold packs. I continued to take oxycodone and acetaminophen for another 6 days and timed doses of acetaminophen for another few days after that. Most people on here and elsewhere seem to report little to no significant pain, but that might not be the case. That being said, it sucked but it only lasted a little while and I felt pretty much okay within a week. Worth it. Don't let the pain sneak up on you. If you are having significant pain, take analgesics on a schedule, before you absolutely need them. For the first few days at home, I even set alarms at night to wake up, walk around a bit, have some water and have a dose of acetaminophen. Like a lot of things (hydration, nutrition), it's much easier to stay ahead of pain than to control it after you have fallen behind.

I had my VSG back on 3/3/23, with a heavy weight of 195. (Im 5’2”). Surgery day, I weighed in at 184 after a two week liver shrinking diet- two shakes a day/one meal. Yesterday I had my 6 month check up, an things are going really well. Weighed in at 129- and BMI in healthy range. Hair loss has been significant, but hoping that turns around soon… fingers crossed. Since I had my surgery in Mexico, this was my first meeting with Bariatrician and he says that im having really nice success- and that 8-10 months is about how long someone would expect to see results from VSG. (I’d heard longer). He also took labs, and all seems to be in good range- saw the results this morning. First two pics from today, last pic is before (I hated having picture made and can’t find one really near that time except this one. My goal this next few months is to take up a more structured exercise routine to build some muscle— so much of the pain I was having pre-surgery is gone. So glad to have taken this step for my health!

I'm 7+ weeks post-op from Gastric Bypass/RNY. I have zero appetite. I've spent over a month in the hospital because of infections, dehydration, etc. Since I wasn't getting results from the surgeon's facility post op, I decided to see my PCP for help. Best decision! Small changes (doubling my nausea meds, etc.). I may even receive IV fluids when necessary, maybe even from home, if possible. I realize the part of my stomach that communicates with the brain has been removed. I don't see an end in sight. I was told by nurses at the hospital that this aversion to food and drink is not unusual; for some it lasts months, or even years (I'm going on 8 weeks). It sounds like this improves with the sleeve, but has anyone else experienced this long term after a gastric bypass?

Sooo happy to hear. I'm a baby when it comes to pain. Appreciate your post!! I was called in August for surgery and the 1 time I miss a call on my phone, in literally years, and missed my opportunity. Right now I have no idea when the surgery will be. Completed the 10 week course 'last' Aug., 2022. Sill waiting. How are you doing now? I hope recovery is going well for you.

I worked with a dietitian for six months. She had me gradually make changes so my eating looked more and more like how I would be eating post-surgery (not like you're eating the first couple of months post-surgery, but after that, when you can eat more types of food). We started off with having me stick to 2300 calories a day (that in itself was kind of a challenge since I'd probably been eating 3000 or more to maintain my weight). I gradually moved to eating more protein and fewer carbs. Three meals a day, plus two snacks. More fruits and vegetables. Less processed stuff and low-nutrient stuff. More fluids. Getting some exercise most days of the week - even walking was fine - but I also did water aerobics a couple of times a week. I lost about 40 lbs in that six months (knowing I'd have to meet with her once a month and get weighed (by her) helped, too - accountability!). Then I lost another 17 lbs in my two-week pre-surgery liquid diet (although that would have been mostly water, of course) . So down 57 lbs by the time they rolled me into surgery. the point of this is that they want to see if you can stick to a diet long-term, not so much how much weight you can lose (although they may be giving you the 10% goal since that's the only way they can objectively tell if you've been sticking to a diet or not). And unfortunately you WILL have to monitor your eating after surgery, too - as people say, it's just a tool. You do your part, the surgery does its part, and you'll succeed. It's not much different than being on a diet (although having a smaller stomach and losing your hunger (as most of us do) for a few months definitely helps!). The difference is, this time your effort will pay off. I could never lose more than 50 or 60 lbs on my own. This time I lost over 200, and have managed to keep most of it off for eight years. Never would have happened without surgery. P.S. and you will have to monitor your eating for the rest of your life. If I slack off for more than a handful of days, it shows up on the scale. But honestly, this is no different than a lot of my never-been-obese women friends. A lot of them have to watch what they eat, too, unfortunately. There aren't many people who can eat what they want and as much as they want and never gain weight.

TL;DR - more cardio, no snacking, eat on schedule 3 times a day. I had to do this, I have not had my surgery, I am just waiting to be scheduled. The surgeon has gone over all my labs and tests and approved me for surgery. I had to lose 5% of my body weight and keep it off while I wait for everything. I struggled like no other to do this, which was wild because in the past, and as recently as the last fall I had dropped at least 30lbs super quick. Basically, I changed my eating, but this time I wanted to learn how to eat food without being on some kind of restriction, like no carbs, or low fat, no sweets ever, cabbage only, two shakes a day, and a sandwich for dinner, type thing. I knew I did not want to live the rest of my life after surgery struggling with continued "diets". I started seeing a nutritionist, who was not much help, but she did get me on scheduled eating, having a meal within one hour of waking and then eating every 4 hours for a total of 3 times a day. I was already drinking 96 oz of water a day, but I bumped it up to 150oz a day. I lost 10lbs in 2 weeks doing that. Then it stopped losing and I still had not met the 5% goal. So I added exercise, I started weightlifting and swimming, 1 hour of weights, 1-hour swim and my weight did not change. However, my clothes started getting loose, but I needed to meet that weight goal. So I stopped swimming and just focused on weights for 45 min and 20 minutes of walking. still my weight stalled, but my clothes got looser. I had a week before my final weigh-in and I stopped exercising, drank less water, took laxatives and water pills, and basically ate air. I made the weight goal. After that I was like okay what is going on? I started back with weights and eating my weight went up 5 lbs. Finally, I learned that I was more than likely gaining muscle ( I was getting stronger) The muscle gain weight-wise was canceling out the fat loss, so my weight remained the same but my clothing was loose. This is great, but not so much when you need to be at a certain number in a certain time frame. I switched things up to 30 minutes of elliptical x mode and 30 minutes of stationary bike, put 30 min. dumbells for arms and my weight started dropping again. I am currently 10lbs below the approval goal I needed to be at and I have kept it off during the 2 months the incompetent office lady lost my paperwork, I would have already had surgery two months ago if it wasn't for her. So I have lost 9% of my starting weight. After surgery, I plan on resuming weightlifting since muscle creates a metabolism change.

Mine certainly changed but for the better. We are now able to do many things that we couldn't do before. Finding and trying new fun activities, being able to join our kids while they play outdoors etc. has certainly brought us closer than ever. My wife was inspired to make some changes as well and she is now more active, eating healthier and going to the gym a few times a week.

My partner had anxiety about my face pre-op. They were afraid that I would look like someone that they didn't know once I lost a lot of weight, and they even shed tears. Was this a subtle way to try to talk me out of surgery? I'm not sure; they really weren't behind my decision at first, but they at least saw that I was not going to be deterred by their nor anyone else's opinion. This is about ME. We haven't spent a lot of time together since one week post-op, because of travel commitments that they had. I do wonder if the relationship will change once we spend more time together.

Congrats that's a solid loss in 4 weeks. Too bad about the nausea, but that should continue to dissipate with time. What stage are you currently on? I am still losing, though the numbers fluctuate from week to week, it's still in a downward trend. The restriction also varies on what I can eat or not eat. Today so far all I've managed are liquids and I'm feeling full. I'll try for something solid for dinner when I'm home if I'm up for it. All we can do is take it day by day, sometimes just meal by meal.

Hi All, I new to the forum and this is my first message of any sorts on this site. I am getting ready to have Gastric Bypass procedure on Oct 2 and I am currently on 4 week liquid diet. I have completed 1 week and 3 days of the 4 week diet so far. My questions for you all :- 1. Is eating pickle slices or cucumber slices considered cheating? I am asking this as the protein shakes I am taking are super sweet because of the artificial sweeteners. 2. Can I have tomato soup or tomato based broth ? In my pre-op instruction it doesn't mention anything related to it. 3. Will my doctor know that If I cheated with a pickle slices or 4-5 mini pretzels ? I need all the advice and help... I am crossed over that stage of not having food is fine... but I just want to chew on something that is not sweet and not protein until I am in the mush stage. Thank you all in Advance.

I think this is me too. About twice a week I am waking with that dreadful scary dry mouth. I

Update 4 weeks post op: I am not eating much just drinking my protein and hitting fluid goals. Weight lose down 34 pounds. Pain none. Still get nauseous when drinking but it not to bad. How everyone else doing? Still losing or stalled?

This started happening to my knees last week! I've been using a pillow to help cushion them at night. Nothing in all of my pre-op education classes prepared me for this.

I've had a few days of 4-5 BMs a day but on the average 2-3. Thankfully I've never had problems with constipation post-op except during week one. That usually comes with weight stalls. I was told pale stools was caused from the fat loss especially if it floats so.... I'm happy to go often. I figure I'm flushing fat and pounds down the toilet. 😌 Downside, I sometimes worry about being out somewhere and too far away from a bathroom. So I plan carefully. But I know at some point it will slow down. GL

This is so true about starvation mode. I too was afraid to up my calories and in effect put myself into starvation mode and my weight loss stalled. As soon as i upped the calories, the weight started coming off again!!!

That is excellent, Summerseeker! I honestly think we're just so hard-wired from years of obesity to expect the worst when it comes to scales, even when there's no need. And I agree with Catwoman, I think on holiday the activity portion is way higher than our day-to-day activity, and because it's on holiday, you don't notice because you're so distracted by fun stuff. I know I came back from a week at an interstate festival that felt like I'd eaten loads and was prepared for the scales to show it... and yeah, rather than gaining I'd lost a little more. It's wild!