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I have short hair - had a pixie cut at the time of surgery, grew it into a pixie shag around Christmas time. Started losing hair around month 4. I have fine hair anyway, so my hair over the last three months has noticeably thinned. I had been trying to grow it into a modern mullet shag, but uggghhh... As I told my hairdresser "It's gone to seed!". So nope, no growing it while this nonsense is going on. So last week I had it cut back into a short pixie and I'll be keeping it that way until it grows back. Even super short, it's noticeably thin. I've also stopped bleaching it for now. If you have thick hair, you might not suffer quite as noticeable thinning. I'd advise getting it trimmed, and seeing how you go. If it starts really coming out after surgery, you can get a shorter cut.

I plan on getting my hair cut in the next week or so. Right now it's almost down to my butt and I plan to get it cut to just barely past my shoulders.

Shorter hair often looks thicker & bouncier (less weight of the length to pull the hair down) so it can lessen how noticeable any hair loss is. Even though I had long thick hair I started to get that straggly thin look in the bottom 4 inches so I had that cut off about a month into the hair loss. Then I cut it to just above my shoulders after around three months of losing which is when it actually slowed & then stopped. I’ve kept the shorter length - much easier to look after. It doesn’t matter if your hair is long or short if your natural hair loss cycle is accelerated post surgery & with your weight loss, you’ll lose hair.

So many us us don’t have such regular & thorough health checks as we do during this process. And because some health issues manifest slowly we don’t notice the changes as symptoms or we just blame something else - oh it’s just age or my weight or …, etc. Even though your results have been a set back, aren’t you glad the issues have been identified & your doctor wants to help you get better & healthier. Though you have to wait longer, you’ll be in a much healthier & stronger place to have the surgery. I’m very happy my surgeon & doctor were vigilant all through my weight loss & would monitor or order further tests aberrations & still are. I still have three monthly blood tests & check ups at almost three years post surgery. And generally I’m very healthy.

Ask your surgeon & dietician for more specific guidelines around food choices, portion sizes, protein & fluid goals especially if what they gave you was not detailed enough. Once on soIid foods, many follow a low carb, low fat, high protein diet & reduce sugar intake. Eat your protein first & then any (cooked to begin) vegetables you are able too. You’ll find you won’t have room for much else after your protein to begin. Only eat until you’ve had what you need not until you are full. Eat slowly. Take small bites. Keep food moist & tender. Dry, coarse food can cause discomfort, feel like it’s got ‘stuck’ in your throat or cause your restriction to kick in quickly. I always weight differently on my doctor’s scale so I let them keep their records & I keep track of my own weight loss. You’ll also discover your own natural fluctuations - fluid retention, constipation, etc., even stall cycles, as long as your weight loss trend is going down you’re golden.

Hi V! Glad you were seen by your GI doc. Perhaps some coconut water or milk for a gentle replenish of electrolytes. Some Pro biotic, Yakult or a supplement. There really is more to gain from compliance than there is that we lose in the temporary limitations. Yes I re gained 100% of my wt loss from a RNY 23 yr ago.. I followed everything the first year or two, then over time started snacking, having one more bite, a cpl cocktails, sparkling water and so on. I normalized the incremental weight gain and then it just all got to overwhelming to get off. I was eating everything just like everyone around me was eating. I went through several hoops over the last few years to get my revision. I wanted a surgeon with experience because my first RNY was open so I have a ton of scar tissue. I put aside cocktails years ago. Just a bad habit and empty calories. But changing my comfort foods, grazing, and sugar has been a struggle. The last 6mo have been a Re commitment to myself. The last 3 I have been completely off the grazing behavior, no more carbonated water, sugar very limited. Now I just need to push through to Tue to my Post Op where my diet will be advanced. Be Well! Tina

Hi I’m just starting looks like July for me. My last dietician appt is mid June all the rest be done before end of this month. I’m 4’11” 206. This is a great forum for questions and honest answers. Good luck with the surgery, how’s the pre- weight loss going so far .

If your hair is that long it might be a good idea to get at least some length cut off before surgery. It will be easier on your drains at least if you loose some hairs in the months after.

So I am doing a sleeve to bypass on 5/6/22. I remember when I had my sleeve I did have some hair loss. I can’t remember how bad it was though. Wondering if anyone with short hair post op had issues with hair loss? Wished you had more hair to avoid signs of hair loss? My hair is down to my mid back and it’s truly time for a hair cut in general, but I’m wondering if I shouldn’t just because hair loss is probably coming 🤣

Vivas, Stay the course sis! All of our doctors have different protocols. I am doing a 2 Wk clear post op. I see others on purée by now. I will tell you my surgery was a revision. I wish I could turn back the clock and follow my doctors instructions to the T. Over the last 23 yr I managed to regain all my wt loss. My current dietitian asked if I was driving an expensive luxury car if I would use the cheapest gas to fuel it. Wow! I would not put sugar in that tank!! Yes there are cost associated with the pre and post. I am trying to cut costs as I go ie the Gatorade packets vs the bottles. We have to recognize our worth to make the changes we need to become and remain healthy. Every sacrifice will be worth it. The rewards around the corner are amazing! Enjoy the journey it is as important as the destination. Tina 2.0

Hey everyone, Hope you're all doing well! So, I kind of just need to vent for a bit. I know everyone's experience is different and only my Doctor and Surgeon can give medical insight, but I'm hoping someone may have been in a similar situation as I am. So, before I could schedule a surgery date I had to do all the tests. The last step (which I now wish was the first step), was my blood panel. All results came back good, except the blood panel. The results returned showing that my Vitamin D, B12 and folic acid are all low. Easy enough to fix with a supplement. It also showed the my cholesterol was low, so my Doctor said to make sure I am eating healthy fats (avocados, nuts, fish, etc). *Possible TMI --> She also wants me to get an intravaginal ultrasound as she found heightened testosterone levels and yeast in my urine. Ultimately, she wants to rule out PCOS (which was ruled out in my teens, but that was roughly 20 years ago) But then she went on to explain that my A1C test (blood sugar test that shows my average over 3 months) was at a 10, while normal is 5.6 or less. With this number, it constitutes as Type 2 Diabetes. Because I have never had issues with this before, she is requesting that I wear a glucose monitoring device (in arm) for 2 weeks and begin a weekly injection called Trulicity. Apparently Trulicity will help lower my blood sugar levels, but also could bring on weight loss as it decreases overall appetite. She is hoping to see improvements in the next 3 months, but until then will not issue the clearance. I understand it is important for me to be healthy as my body will need all it can to heal post-surgery, but I am truly discouraged. 1. I'm angry at myself that I let things get this bad. 2. I'm worried that all my other tests will become null and void, since I'm fairly certain they are only valid for 6 months. Most were done in March and with having to wait at least 3 months - it's really cutting it close. 3. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If my numbers don't come down, does that mean surgery is out of the question? I appreciate the listening ears and any input or advice! Thank you and hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend.

usually 1-3 weeks - although I've heard of them lasting longer. If you follow your program to a "T", the weight loss will start up again. I'm guessing you're near the end of this stall.

Hello i had my surgery 3/2/2022 i was wondering if anybody can help . I started at 381 and 2 weeks after my surgery i went to my follow up and weighed 356 , i bought a scale finally and i weighed myself and it’s weighing 354 so i haven’t really lost anything . I know stalls are common but for how long ? My follow up was the 3/14/2022 and it’s now 4/16/2022 and i weigh the same . Can somebody please help ?

Thanks for the information I'm going to give myself until September to lose as much as I can and if not at the desired weight I want I will consider the revision. Happy Easter and best of luck to you in your weight loss journey.

I knew this would be an interesting thread when I read the title. And yes, she asked fellow weight loss surgery peers for their opinions and she got mixed replies. That's the nature of forums like these. And also the same thing happens on here when people ask about pre-op diets. Everyone's doctor has a different idea of what is best. I'm not going to give my opinion. My suggestion is to follow your plan or whatever guidelines that your surgeon gave you. You trusted them enough to perform your weight loss surgery, so follow their guidelines. They know what's best for you.

It’s annoying because I have already paid my deductible for the year and at this rate itll be next year before I finish the required 6 months the insurance requires of weight loss attempts before they approve me for surgery.

Could you get down from 390 to 200, or even lighter, and then keep it off? Yes, absolutely. Anyone can, with or without surgery. However, there's a difference between can and will. Obviously, I don't know your physiological intangibles such as your muscle profile, body type, genetics, ability to stick to goals, follow a bariatric diet, etc. BMI doesn't account for these things. Because of this, we can crunch some statistics, and assuming you're average when it comes to the intangibles, we can begin to get an idea of the odds for you. Based on the BMI chart, every pound over 154 pounds is excess for your height, which leaves you with 235 pounds of excess weight. Now with sleeve statistics, the average person loses between 60 and 70 percent of their excess weight. Obviously, some lose 100 percent or more of their excess weight, and some lose much less than the 60 to 70 percent average, but again, let's assume you have an average surgery experience and lose 60 to 70 percent (we can call it 65 percent as an even marker). 65 percent of 235 pounds of excess weight is 152.75 pounds. 390-152.75=237.25. So, by math alone, 237.25 would be your most likely outcome, which is obviously 37.25 pounds over your goal. To meet your goal, you would have to exceed statistical expectations when it comes to average amount of excess weight lost for sleeves. Instead of losing 65 percent of your excess weight, you would have to lose approximately 81 percent to hit 200. I'd certainly say this is doable, albeit not easy. Now the unfortunate thing about losing weight is that your body fights you on it, and it has various forms of ammunition. Cravings, plateaus, and different types of phantom hunger are all in its arsenal. Bariatric surgery depletes our bodies' weapon stock to an extent and limits the damage should we fall into one of its traps. It's something we can lean on. It won't do the job on its own, but we've essentially enlisted reinforcements that swing the odds of success in our favor. However, the one thing that bariatric surgery won't change as we get closer to our goal weights is adaptability, and this is probably why your weight loss has stalled in the past. Our bodies learn our tricks. They adapt to low carb and low calorie diets, and thus, the weight loss stalls until we give up. So what do we do? If a plateau occurs, we have to change our tactics (even slightly) to catch our bodies off guard again. Change the diet and eating patterns slightly. Try a little intermittent fasting, or maybe switch out your carbs for fat for a bit. Same thing with exercise. If you're exercising (let's say running for example), switch things up and go to HIIT training or swimming for a while. Once your body adjusts to that, then go back to running. It's a little weird to be "at war" with ourselves, but the reality is that we are. Got to be smart and merciless when it comes to confronting the weight monster.

Same dang thing happened to me at a size xl. Had to wait to waste money to restart the loss. I am scheduled for skin removal surgery now- I have a full, expensive closet at my current size. Im thinking I will likely not change much size after the surgery, but it would be on brand for me to have to buy my entire wardrobe yet again. Luckily I feel like with a tummy tuck that would most likely influence pants sizes and I don’t really wear pants so fingers crossed.

So I had a stall. An eight-week-long stall. And I'm pretty close to my goal weight, so I figured maybe this was it... they say N% of your excess body weight, and I'm way past that N%, so this must be it, right? I know it seems early (seven months out), but maybe my body's reached its new set point. Yay, no more meds, yay, normal sized clothing from the middle of the size range, not the top end and oh please God let it fit. So I bought a bunch of new clothes. I've been wearing hand-me-downs and Goodwill thrifting specials for months now, and I wanted some new clothes. I had some belts made, too. Finally I can start to look like an adult! Ha. Ha ha ha ha ha. My body decided, over the last week and a half, to lose NINE POUNDS. The clothes I bought are too big. Fortunately some of them still have the tags so I can exchange them. But I guess I needed to do this in order to get things moving again. LOL.

You have infinite patience imho. I’m trying to remain positive, and so far so good. My surgeon’s admin is waiting on one document…the CPAP machine receipt when I pick it up next week…and my packet is ready to be submitted. today I had a visit with my PCP to begin ‘documentation of weight Loss failure.’ I figure if I’m looking at mid June for surgery, I can use this time to jump through the only Cigna hoop that remains unaddressed. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@ vikingbeast......wow! Only 1 day clear fluids.....😲 amazing how differently things can be doctor to doctor. I have a high BMI and I was told I have to have 2 full weeks of clear liquids before surgery. Now I know thats to help shrink the liver (plus to aid in further weight loss) but shocked yours was only 1 day lol....Im jealous 😜

Don't do this. Don't try to set yourself up for metrics like that, because everybody is different, and most importantly, every BODY is different. I will say that my bariatric centre's nutritionist tried to shame me for eating 800 kcal a day and told me that's why my weight loss stalled. I fired her loudly and found a different nutrition coach, who increased my calories based on my activity level, and weight loss resumed. I currently eat 1500-2000 cal a day at seven months out and am still losing, though I am extremely active and also taller and heavier than you are. I do want to say one thing, because I'm a total control freak and had to weigh myself every day. Get out of that habit right now. And if you must weigh often, then keep a running average. Pick a day—let's say Wednesdays. Every Wednesday add up your total weights and divide by the number of weigh-ins. Then track that average. Why? Because your body has way more going on than just fat loss. If you eat salty, or if it's time for your courses, or if you've been doing a lot of weight lifting, or if you're constipated, etc., etc., your weight can fluctuate by as much as 3-5 lbs. over the course of just a couple of days. Does that mean you "gained weight" (as in fat)? No... you couldn't eat that much. So it's inflammation, or bloating, or muscle inflammation. Learning this saved me from the terrible things I would say to myself if I stepped on the scale and had an unexpectedly high weigh-in.

What I am about to say is a general rule. You are two weeks out from surgery. Within the next few weeks, you will hit a weight loss stall. It will last 2-3 weeks and will be very frustrating for you. Just keep doing what you know to do and you will break through the stall. After you come out of that stall will be the quickest weight loss of the entire process. You will lose the most weight between months 3 and 6. There will come a time anywhere between 8 and 18 months that the weight loss will begin to slow down. You will experience more stalls and you will not lose as quickly when you come out of the stalls. Then there will come a time when you stop losing weight and even gain some back. For example, a co-worker had the sleeve about 6-7 yrs ago. He told me that he bottomed out at 175 pounds, but now he is at 195-200 (down from 330, I believe). As other people have said, there is no good way to say, "I've lost 7.9%, but I am supposed to be at 9.8% by now." Everyone is different. But that is the general trajectory that you should expect.

I'm 6 months post op this week. Surgery day, I weighed 310 and this week I was 245 - so minus 65lbs in 6th months and it feels surreal! I'm also down 87lbs from my heighest weight last May (trying to push for an even 90 by the time my "Get serious about weight loss" anniversary rolls around). What an accomplishment in and of itself! But as many of y'all know, a lot of this goes beyond the scale, so I'm about to talk about labwork and measurements! Labwork/Blood Health I ran comprehensive pre-op, simple 3 month, and comprehensive 6 month labs. Here are those results! Pre-Op Vitamin D was a dismal 15. I've taken a daily 5,000 supplement since starting vitamins and I'm now close to 70. Normal Range. A1C went from 6.1% pre-op to 5.4% six months out. Normal Range. Pre-diabetes off the table. Fasting Glucose went from 121 pre-op to 103 at 3 months to 80. Normal Range Cholesterol (total) went from 265 to 226 to 221. From high to borderline, but vastly improved. LDL from 195 to 166 to 153. From high to borderline high. All other labs were normal range prior to and post op. Added blood health bonus: Taken off my Blood Pressure Medication completely. Measurements (in inches) Waist from 50 to 39.5 Right Thigh from 36.25 to 28.75 Left Thigh from 36.5 to 26.75 Hips from 69 to 52.5 Right Bicep from 18.5 to 14.5 Left Bicep from 18.25 to 14.25 Chest from 49.5 to 40 Neck from 15.25 to 13.5 Roughly a size 3x/4x, 22-26W to a about a 1x/2x, 14-16W Moving Forward I'm looking forward to what the future holds. I'm so happy with my progress so far! We often get hung up on the scale, but there is SO much more at play here. Be sure to track all your progress!

I'm not finished with weight loss yet, as I'm waiting for revision. So stay tuned... My photos aren't that great, especially my first pic. I forbade my photo to be taken so I literally have none of my fattest days and I still don't like taking photos. 😩 Sent from my SM-G991U1 using BariatricPal mobile app