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I started losing my hair 3 weeks out and it hasn't slowed a bit. I've lost about 50% of my hair and have some noticeable bald spots now. I want to dye my hair dark - will the hair dye affect anything? I figure it's totally unrelated since the Hair loss is hormonal and my hair isn't actually DAMAGED and shouldn't break. My hair looks thin and stringy. I am kind of thinking about shaving it totally off even though I would look ridiculous. I don't know what to do. Every day there are clumps in my shower drain I have to remove. Yes, I've tried all the supplements and special shampoos and blahblahblah. I've come to accept it's just going to happen and EVENTUALLY it will stop and everything will regrow... but it's been almost 6 months of this! Prior to surgery, I'd been trying to grow my hair out from a staggered forward bob and it's taken almost two years, so I'd rather not cut it... but when the new hair grows in, will it looks all patchy and uneven in length? Maybe this belongs in rants and raves. lol. Any thoughts on the hair dye?

Thank you so much! I actually use Parrot Pal app to track my calories and it gives me an average each week of my calories and protein! That’s the number it generates for me from all my tracking, which I do pretty religiously. I’ll try adding a little more cals it’s just hard because I can’t fit in a lot each day. Thank you again.

I set my goal weight at 155 lbs to reach a "healthy" BMI of 25, partially because I felt like it would be nice to experience going to the doctor and not having my weight come up as a red flag (although my doctor is really great about things like that), and partially because it was the weight I was when I graduated high school and I was curious to see if I could get back there. My "secret" goal would be to reach 151 lbs, which would mean I lost 100 lbs from my highest weight. I'm currently a week from my 1-year surgiversary and 8 lbs above my goal, so I'm pretty happy.

the kind of reactive hypoglycemia that some people get after bariatric surgery isn't necessarily related to diabetes. It can happen to non-diabetics, too (I'm not diabetic). I've also seen it referred to as "late dumping", because it tends to happen a couple of hours after you eat (as opposed to soon after, as is the case with regular dumping). I mentioned in my response above that my physician couldn't find anything wrong with me when she did the workup, but she told me to let her know the next time I had that experience. The next time was a couple of weeks later. I'd been at a retirement party and had a whole piece of cake (instead of a couple of forkfuls, like I used to have back in those days). A couple of hours later, there it was again - dizziness, etc. She said it was likely reactive hypoglycemia (AKA post-prandial hypoglycemia), and it may not have shown up at the workup because my glucose might have been normal the day I went in for that. Anyway, yes - it's not uncommon after WLS, . It often appears when you're a year or so out (although sometimes sooner...or later). They say to eat protein - or a something paired with a protein - every three hours or so to prevent it (I know it's orange juice or something similar for regular hypoglycemia - but she specifically said protein with this type - may be something to specific to the WLS-caused version)

We would come down like a ton of bricks on someone who was mean on here. Its a safe place. People come for advice and reassurance and because I was helped I am paying it forward. I might add that it keeps me on track too so I am not as selfless as I seem. This is wise, I told only my husband and son. It was my decision to do this and like you I didn't want to listen to any negativity. Yes you will, I do. But in the beginning few days its a scary struggle and I did panic at this stage but we all got there. I got to a size and weight where I was happy. You then up your calories, a little each week until you get to the point where you stop loosing weight. Its really simple but takes a little courage to let go a bit.

It happens to us all as our bodies adjust. We can be totally irrational about it, not giving ourselves the benefit of what we have achieved..... I had a 6 month check up with my surgeon on Wednesday and I was annoyed with myself as I was up (0.5kg) on previous weeks but that was just me being silly, he said my weight, 63kg, was "perfect" for me and my loss had been "incredible". I came away feeling much better BUT still want to get rid of that 0.5kg plus another 0.5/1kg

Hey everyone! My name is Kim and I'm headed to Costa Rica to have an RYGB done in two weeks. I'm mentally prepared. I think I've been getting ready for this in my soul for a LONG time. I'm just here to soak up all your wisdom!! A little bit about me: I'm a doula (semi-retired after 28 years), ESL teacher, seriously addicted crafter, travel agent, and singer in a yacht rock band. I'll be 58 this year and weight has been a struggle since I had my first son (1995) and got two depo shots 3 months apart. I went from 125 to 200 in six months and have struggled ever since. I got back down under 200 for a few months about 13 years ago, but I've been holding steady at about 275 for the last couple of years. My highest was over 300. I've tried dang near everything with adipex being the last effort. I love going to the gym and being active but I just can't DO what I want or need to do there. So this is where we are and this is the time.

I'm also really sick of wearing compression socks, but two more weeks to go.

I’m going to eat a little of everything. I am just going I pay for it for like a week because when I do carbs my body craves carbs. Just have to pay the price I guess.

Idk. I just feel like it’s almost not worth it for me to have been craving the processed carbs for a week. I think if I do have anything for Christmas I just need to get the leftovers out of the house so I can’t have them the following days.

First, remember that you're not on your own here -- it's your doctor's job to look at your test results and determine whether there's any cause for concern. It's also important to keep in mind that you are now a bariatric surgery patient as well as someone who is recovering from surgery. This means you have abnormal circumstances, so it is very common to have "abnormal" results for some tests. My surgery was almost 5 years ago, so I don't recall specifics, but I do know that I had some "abnormal" results after surgery that were expected because I was recovering from surgery. Another example is that my B12 levels are always sky high, but that's because I take a daily B12 supplement. I've found that ChatGPT can be helpful in explaining test results. You can upload a screenshot of your results and ask for an interpretation, and even give some background information (e.g., say that you had bariatric surgery 4 weeks ago) for more personalized results. It can also give you some questions to ask your doctor about your results. This should go without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway: obviously, ChatGPT is not a substitute for your actual surgeon, so you should only use it for information purposes, but it can still be really helpful to understand the implications of some tests and prepare you to discuss with your doctor.

Brachioplasty girls just wanna have fun! Week four of recovery. Perfect little side pillows we devised to elevate arms for sleeping.

Spartan Maker thanks for the feedback. I am doing my best to increase my physical activity every day. I am weight training with the a trainer 2x a week and I’ve been trying to get in 30-45 minutes of cardio 2-3 times a week to. I do agree I probably need to do my best to up the intensity. I think I’ll start couch to 5k and start jogging. Lately my protein has been variable. I always get 70-80 but I know I would like to get more like 150. On a good day I get 110. My calories have been anywhere from 900-1300 depending on the day and if I work long hours. My hunger is generally fair. I do get hunger cues and what not but it’s not terribly overwhelming. I have been feeling great overall. I would say as far as processed foods the main thing I eat processed is the shakes otherwise I have been trying to eat Whole Foods. I am a nurse and work 12 hour shifts and I do need To do better about getting a little additional physical activity after my shifts. This is a journey but have been blessed with feeling good and generally have good energy.

Yes its a very common symptom. Drink slow, tiny sips. Its a real chore until your internal suture line calms and water can trickle through better. Hot drinks thankfully worked better for me. Maybe a chat with your team might be beneficial. I was an outlier, I really struggled. It took me 3 months to get all my required water allowance in. You should hopefully feel a difference next week. Keep struggling through, its worth it. Once you can master this you will feel so much better.

It's going okay so far. I'm down 22 lbs. since my initial consult in late November, 5 lbs since I started pre-op diet on Jan 1st. They put me on a no-carb, protein-fruit-veggies-only diet to start with. I start my full liquid diet on the 13th, which I will be on for two weeks before I switch to clear liquids only. It'll be a challenge, but I think I'll do all right. Good luck with everything!

Your PCOS is probably your worst enemy when battling your weight. Hormones were certainly mine. From puberty I started gaining and I bounced between 60 & 75kgs most of my adult life using a multitude of diets & exercises programs to manage it. Generally I was a low calorie eater even regularly skipping meals to limit calorie intake. I went to a dietician once who told me I wasn’t eating enough. (Never lost a pound seeing her.) Perimenopause hit and I suddenly went from 60 to 80. Then menopause and I was 91. All gained seemingly overnight. Couldn't lose except a couple of kilos on a 500 calorie a day diet and it took weeks to lose that. Nothing worked until I had surgery. When hormones come into play how many calories you eat, how much you manage the quality of the food you eat, how much activity you do, you are fighting a battle with the odds against you. One of the benefit of the surgery is that it alters your hormones (gut, metabolic, reproductive and other hormones like cortisol) to varying degrees. This is why it may help you. A lot of others on the forum with PCOS have found success with the surgery & hopefully some will respond with their experiences. But as others have mentioned you have to be mentally & emotionally ready for surgery. It’s not easy with a lot of head work involved. It takes a lot of commitment. And it is a lifelong commitment but so worth it All the best, whatever you decide to do.

New here but usually trolling,I'm having such a hard time with food no matter what it is fish,chicken, lean meats etc. Some days or should I say most days just the thought and smell of food wanna make me gag,lately I have been passing days of not eating just supplementing with protein shakes. My situation is everytime I do eat something I'm spending the next whole day visiting the bathroom 8-10 times a day and feel terribly crabby and have no value of life as I cannot leave the house without having an accident os two. I am getting very frustrated and getting depressed of this situation. I'm 9 weeks out this coming Tuesday and have lost 55lbs and down 2 pants sizes but not very happy about this bathroom thing and my quality of life as I can barely leave the house unless I don't eat a couple of days,and I don't even get hungry or feel like I can eat anything right now food just disgust me. Any help I will appreciate.

I'm norwegian, and had my surgery in Norway at the best private hospital, so I'm in good hands. I just think the procedure is different here. You are supposed to be on luquid diet for one week, then one week on pureed/soft food, then after two weeks normal food, which means you can eat anything. The guideline is to chew my food very well and eat slowly, a meal should take 20 minutes. And also the drinking-rule. We are also put on Somac after the surgery, that we have to take uptill 3 months after surgery to help with reflux. And I am in contact with my team of doctors, I just wanted to see if anyone else have experienced this.

I had my gastric sleeve in Turkey on 1/10/24 couldn’t believe have smooth it went, 2.5 weeks post op and not loosing anything this week 😕

This! I am also feeling a little bit of hunger here at there - my stomach is still not rumbling at all, but I feel a slight pang of "hmm I need to eat" and then it seems to disappear 😂 I have lost a total of 1lbs since Friday last week, so I will take that as a win haha! So desperate to get into that 12 stone bracket!

That's a great suggestion! I'm actually starting to feel hungry again (5 weeks post op now) so I need to nip this behaviour in the bud now.

I didn’t get gas pain either. But my surgeon made up for it when he removed my gall 2 years later 😁. Out of curiosity, are you peri menopausal or menopausal? That was when my sleep became really bad & it is a known side effect. If you are, are you on HRT or have had your hormonal levels checked lately? Just a thought. About 4 weeks ago I bought a acupressure mat and since I began using it I’ve noticed I haven’t really had any issue with constipation or even the odd day I don’t/can’t go. Regular as clockwork every day now. I did look up acupressure points for constipation and the mat hits the ones lower on my lower centre back and upper butt checks & I think that may be what’s helping. Hope I haven’t jinxed myself now. 😁

I am so thrilled for your loss and the way you are feeling especially. Just try not to get too wrapped up in making a goal in two weeks. That’s a pretty short timeframe and just a one week stall could prevent you from reaching it. Even though we all know the way our bodies work, you may drop it all two days later. I like to try to predict my loss as well and I know that it has messed with my head a couple of times. Perhaps it’s just me but I get discouraged when I don’t need a goal even though it’s an imaginary one this morning. I was really expecting to drop that few pounds that I usually drop after stalling for a while and gaining a bit, well, I did not even drop one and I felt pretty bummed Until I realized it’s 6 AM and I jumped up the moment the alarm went off and got right into my walking because I was able to sleep at a reasonable hour to fall asleep easily and sleep all through the night waking up refreshed which I haven’t done in years because of all of the changes that have occurred In the last few months. That in itself is a huge win and I don’t want to lose sight of that as I try to achieve these other goals. I am looking forward to getting under 200, getting to overweight instead of obese, reaching my goal, eventually getting to a normal BMI if that’s in the cards for me, and finally reaching my secret goal. I am just really trying to figure out a way to wrap my head around the fact that even if I don’t reach my secret goal or get to a normal BMI, I am still 100 times healthier and happier than I was before. I really really really do not want to lose sight of that. I got so discouraged about 18 pounds with my sleeve that when I started gaining I think I gave up too easily. I still don’t think about the sleeve was the right surgery for me and what my body needed, but I probably could have kept some of the weight off a little longer. anyways, I am really glad that you decided to do what you thought was best for your body and that it is working for you it’s such a shame that these nutritionist are a little bit more helpful to giving more individualized plans. I am off to my surgeons office this morning, and the automated recording that called me said I was in to see the PA and not the NP that I have been seeing. I am really hoping that he gives me the same help with my food to make sure I am on track and my fitness as well. At the very least, I will find out what my labs looked like though I got an email that the results were ready four or five days ago but I decided not to even look. I figured it would only panic me trying to figure everything out on my own and with my anxiety I would’ve worked myself into something that’s not necessary. oh, and I found a local gym that has a lot of classes that look fun and when I added it up will actually be cheaper than what I’m doing now. It’s pretty tiny and when I popped in to the main gym part, it did not really seem my scene but I’m hoping that the classes are different. My friend told me that she would go to check out a class with me Saturday morning and if it seems promising, I’m going to check out a couple more this week. They have a day pass rate They don’t have yoga early in the mornings at this new place, so I probably will still take my yoga class, but even if I did both, it would still be a little less and I would have the added benefit that I could add more classes at the gym since those are unlimited. I really like to exercise every day for now. Eventually, I think I will probably give myself a free day or two, but until I feel like this is absolutely cemented in my brain as my new normal I want to just keep it up daily.

I am so thrilled for your loss and the way you are feeling especially. Just try not to get too wrapped up in making a goal in two weeks. That’s a pretty short timeframe and just a one week stall could prevent you from reaching it. Even though we all know the way our bodies work, you may drop it all two days later. I like to try to predict my loss as well and I know that it has messed with my head a couple of times. Perhaps it’s just me but I get discouraged when I don’t need a goal even though it’s an imaginary one this morning. I was really expecting to drop that few pounds that I usually drop after stalling for a while and gaining a bit, well, I did not even drop one and I felt pretty bummed Until I realized it’s 6 AM and I jumped up the moment the alarm went off and got right into my walking because I was able to sleep at a reasonable hour to fall asleep easily and sleep all through the night waking up refreshed which I haven’t done in years because of all of the changes that have occurred In the last few months. That in itself is a huge win and I don’t want to lose sight of that as I try to achieve these other goals. I am looking forward to getting under 200, getting to overweight instead of obese, reaching my goal, eventually getting to a normal BMI if that’s in the cards for me, and finally reaching my secret goal. I am just really trying to figure out a way to wrap my head around the fact that even if I don’t reach my secret goal or get to a normal BMI, I am still 100 times healthier and happier than I was before. I really really really do not want to lose sight of that. I got so discouraged about 18 pounds with my sleeve that when I started gaining I think I gave up too easily. I still don’t think about the sleeve was the right surgery for me and what my body needed, but I probably could have kept some of the weight off a little longer. anyways, I am really glad that you decided to do what you thought was best for your body and that it is working for you it’s such a shame that these nutritionist are a little bit more helpful to giving more individualized plans. I am off to my surgeons office this morning, and the automated recording that called me said I was in to see the PA and not the NP that I have been seeing. I am really hoping that he gives me the same help with my food to make sure I am on track and my fitness as well. At the very least, I will find out what my labs looked like though I got an email that the results were ready four or five days ago but I decided not to even look. I figured it would only panic me trying to figure everything out on my own and with my anxiety I would’ve worked myself into something that’s not necessary. oh, and I found a local gym that has a lot of classes that look fun and when I added it up will actually be cheaper than what I’m doing now. It’s pretty tiny and when I popped in to the main gym part, it did not really seem my scene but I’m hoping that the classes are different. My friend told me that she would go to check out a class with me Saturday morning and if it seems promising, I’m going to check out a couple more this week. They have a day pass rate They don’t have yoga early in the mornings at this new place, so I probably will still take my yoga class, but even if I did both, it would still be a little less and I would have the added benefit that I could add more classes at the gym since those are unlimited. I really like to exercise every day for now. Eventually, I think I will probably give myself a free day or two, but until I feel like this is absolutely cemented in my brain as my new normal I want to just keep it up daily.

Happy New Year 2025 everyone!!! 12 weeks out sleeping comfortably on both sides with arms under my pillow. No more aches or soreness waking up. Our December holiday getaway was a wonderful diversion feeling it aided greatly to next stage of healing. The surgeon mentioned colder temperatures might exasperate nerve pain, but I had no issues. We loved the crisper + snowy days. Invigorating! And, samplings of Penn State ice cream was the best medicine indeed.