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hair loss can be a side effect of any major surgery - and childbirth, for that matter. It can also be a side effect of rapid weight loss. So we've got the double whammy - triple, really, because in addition, we're also taking in very few calories those first few months. So I think we see the hair loss side effect more often with bariatric surgery than we do from other types of surgeries. mine lasted about three months - and that's fairly common. Not much you can do about other than keep on top of your supplements and make sure you're meeting your protein requirements, since that can keep it from getting any worse than it would otherwise. And know that it'll eventually stop and the hair will grow back again...

Here's the Weight Loss Magic Soup I've been making. It's delicious, filling, and has only 57 calories per cup: 32 oz chicken stock 3 cups V-8 juice (you can use low-sodium V8 or even tomato juice, homemade or store bought) 2 cans Italian diced tomatoes 1 small onion 2 cloves minced garlic 1 package sliced mushrooms 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 zucchini, diced 1 yellow squash, diced 2 cups fresh or frozen green beans 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 3-4 cups shredded cabbage 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning Salt and Pepper, to taste In a large frying pan sprayed with cooking spray, sauté garlic, onions, carrots, and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. In a large crockpot, combine sautéed garlic and vegetables with the remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until vegetables are cooked. (I have made this in a large stock pot on the stove instead of in a crock pot.) This makes a large batch of soup. If you would like to freeze portions of it to use later, undercook the vegetables just a little. Pour the soup into freezer Ziplock bags and let as much air out as you can. Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the soup is frozen flat, it is easy to layer in your freezer and won't take up much room. To thaw, place the bag in the fridge for 24 hours and then reheat. https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/weight-loss-magic-soup/

It's been almost 4 months since my surgery and I am down 35 pounds. I am trying not to get too discouraged with the loss of weight at this point and continue to be patient as I know it will come off, eventually. However, I'm feeling some type of way about my hair starting to fall out. I take all my vitamins every day and I eat enough protein on most days. How long will this phase last? Can anyone offer insight?

I'm wearing a locs style now (that I desperately need to refresh). I am hoping that the extra effort I'm putting in will help. I know at some point I may have to cut off the damage, though. For you, I would recommend something that is not too heavy on the hair (don't be risky like me, LOL). Something that will definitely not expose any hair, maybe a crochet locs style. I've never done those, but it might go a long way towards recovering if you take good care of your hair underneath (moisturise, seal with a hair oil, etc). I have a friend who regularly gets lacefronts with no adhesive and her own hair stays protected somehow.

First: Yes, we are all different. Second: looking solely (and comparing to others) at TOTAL weight loss at a certain point in time (i.e, at the 8th month mark), does not give the REAL picture of weight loss rate. It doesn't take into account a persons current weight, height, how close they are to goal, etc. Your 2lb weight loss in month eight could actually be statistically "better" than your 15lb weight loss in month 1, depending on what your current weight is, and how close you are to goal or baseline. *** I'm about to get into MATH MODE, so for those whose eyes glaze over at numbers and formulas, the gist is the following, and you can skip the rest, lol: To attain a more telling view of your rate of weight loss, look at weight loss as a percentage of excess weight lost during period x, instead of total weight lost. *** Now for those of you who stuck around to read my schpiel, here goes: Assumption: BMI 25 used as the baseline for goal and calculation of excess weight. I understand that using BMI as baseline is inherently flawed, as it doesn't take into account an individual's biological makeup like muscle mass, bone density, etc, etc., but its the best we can do at an elementary level. I mean, really, not all of us have calipers or full body scanners in our basements, lol. To calculate rate of excess weight lost (rLoss) for a specified period: total_weight_lost_during_time_period / excess_weight_at_start_of_time_period notated as.... rLoss = ( x0 - x1 ) / ( x0 - G ) Where: G = weight at BMI 25 for one's height. x0 = weight at start of monitoring period x1 = weight at end of monitoring period Using my own numbers as an example, at 5'2", my BMI 25 weight is 135. Month 1 (m1): 223 : weight at beginning of m1, 201 : weight at end of m1 25% : excess weight loss rate, calculated as: rLoss = ( 223 - 201 ) / ( 223 - 135 ) Month 6 (m6): 138 : weight at beginning of m6, 129 : weight at end of m6 300% : excess weight loss rate, calculated as: rLoss = ( 138 - 129 ) / ( 138 - 135 ) So really, in m6, although i lost less than 1/2 the total weight I lost in m1, i actually did much, much better (statistically) as I was much smaller in m6. Now fast forward to Month 8, the month you are specifically asking about. I was below BMI 25 by this point so this formula would not apply since my excess weight was zero (I was 119). Despite this, by the end of the 8th month, I lost 2 lbs. So yeah, the weight loss seems to have slowed down quite a bit if you only look at TOTAL weight lost (2 lbs vs the 22 in m1), but when you look at the lbs loss as compared to my actual body weight at the time, it was statistically a waaaaaaaay better rate. Ta-da! MATH, y'all. P.S. I was 116 this morning. P.P.S. Sorry this was so long.

What happened? I'm 4.5 months out and my hair is thinning out so bad. I read somewhere to put your hair in a protective style and wondered if i should get locs or if that is juts going to accelerate the thinning. Any thoughts you have would be so appreciated. Trying not to freak out over here!

+1 on the strategy of Delayed Gratification. I used this approach throughout weight loss phase, and even now at almost 3 years out. People often ask how I can stand to be around so much food goodness and not eat any of it (or much of it), and its really because I don’t really say “no”… I just say “not now”. Works for other things in life besides food; shopping for clothes, quitting smoking, delaying the urge to confront someone when they do something annoying, getting a tattoo. When an impulse or want comes, sit for a bit or do something else for a predetermined amount of time. If you still really want to do it after the time elapsed, go ahead. If unsure, wait another bit of time. If the burning desire is gone, congrats, you just managed an impulse! On the flip side, delayed gratification *may* have some unintended effects: i am also a huge procrastinator 😂

I never had a binder after my weight loss surgery, so not sure. I never had a problem with walking, though.

collagen peptide unflavored powder helps with nails, skin, and hair (hair loss is a huge issue with WLS patients) so many people take it to reduce hair loss. It also has 10g of protein! you can mix it into your protein shakes as it's flavorless! I recommend it! https://www.amazon.com/Collagen-Peptides-Grass-Fed-Certified-Friendly/dp/B00XQ2XGAA I use this one with my coffee, shakes, etc.

Actually you only need to continue with vitamin supplements with a sleeve if you personally need to i.e. blood work show you’re low in specific vitamins, etc. The sleeve only changes your tummy not other parts of your digestive system. The additional changes that occur with a bypass does increase the impact on your ability to absorb the necessary nutrients. I had sleeve surgery & haven’t taken a vitamin since month 8 when I was in maintenance. But digestive systems can work differently cause we have different physiologies so you may need to take vitamin supplements regardless of the surgery you have. Generally the post surgical diets for sleeve & bypass are pretty similar. The staged return to eating (liquids, then purées, then soft food & finally more solid foods) is to support your sensitive & healing digestive system. There also are certain foods you introduce more slowly into your diet because they’re just too harsh to begin. Both surgeries tend to focus on high protein, low carbs, low fat, low sugar, nutrient dense foods. This is a lifetime thing if you want to maintain your weight loss. In time you can eat most foods just depends on how your body tolerates them but this generally is an individual thing.

-It is not an unreasonable position for her to keep, as the bypass does indeed provide very similar weightloss and regain results to the sleeve but at a somewhat higher cost in potential problems, limitations in future medical care and increased fussiness on supplements. The bypass is overall a very good procedure that is mature technology - it has been around as a WLS for some 40+ years, and its basis dates back some 140 years, so it is a well known quantity, both good and bad. Her concern about ulcers is well founded, and that is something that one lives with, or at least the threat of them, with the bypass as it is intrinsic to it. One may never experience one, and most don't, but everyone is living to avoid them - it is the basis of the "no NSAID" policy that is common in the bariatric world as one needs to avoid any medications that promote stomach irritation and NSAIDs are the most common class of drugs that we encounter (but there are others that one may encounter through life.) Occasionally someone will come through with an ulcer problem that defies resolution, and their main course of action it to reverse the bypass. This is rare, but it happens. Marginal ulcers are to the bypass what GERD is to the sleeve - you can't fool mother nature and there will always be potential consequences to fooling around with her. One needs to balance what one gets from a treatment against what might possibly occur on downside. Iron infusions are also a fairly common need after bypass, as it malabsorbs minerals in particular, and while some can get away with simple oral iron supplements, many can't and need periodic infusions. This is rare with a sleeve as there is no particular malabsorption. Another factor that weighs on some is the "plan B" factor - what does one do if things don't work as expected - complications, inadequate weight loss or regain? While we don't like to think in terms of getting revisions, they are sometimes necessary, and the bypass is difficult to revise if it doesn't work right; as noted above in the case of intransigent ulcers, the usual is to reverse the bypass and put you back where you started from, and likely still needing help in weight control. The sleeve, on the other hand, can readily be revised to the bypass if needed - typically for intransigent GERD problems - or to a duodenal switch for continuing weight problems. Again, not something we like to think about, but the options are there. The bypass also presents some additional limitations in future medical treatment, as it leave one with a blind remnant stomach and upper intestine, which can't easily be scoped endoscopically as with the natural GI system or with a sleeve. Again, something that may never come up, but likely will sometime in your future life. A further note, your surgeon is in good company, as my doc rarely does bypasses as well, though his preference leans toward the duodenal switch as his primary, with VSG as a second choice. He does, however, do a fair amount of business revising problematic bypasses to the duodenal switch, and will do the odd bypass when it is specifically indicated for a patient, but that is fairly rare.

I am close to you in age- I am 49. I also think I look a lot better with clothing ON than OFF right now so pictures can be deceiving. There is much to be said for a good pair of leggings and a good bra! My stomach, butt, triceps and inner thighs are my current problem areas. They have some loose skin but I accept it is part of the process. I think my Biceps actually look the best , I think they respond well to working out. I am taking a collagen supplement daily - in hopes that it will help maintain some elasticity with my skin. I have noticed my complexion is a lot better since adding the collagen. Hard to say if it is helping with elasticity since I had to take a month off from the gym since my gall bladder surgery. As my weight loss slows down now, I am going to get back to the gym this weekend and really going to focus on workouts with the goal of tightening up/toning as much as possible. Starting to research body recomposition - building muscle and losing more fat. This will also help with increasing BMR for maintenance. I am going to continue to reassess things as time goes by. I always thought I would never want plastic surgery but I may change my mind and get the Mommy makeover in a year or 2. My boobs are flat and saggy now and they are the only part of my body I am unhappy with right now. My stomach has some loose skin but it still feels better than it did at 264 lbs. From what I understand genetics, age and prior weight all play into loose skin. I am working on giving myself grace and accepting my imperfections and working to continue to improve as much as I can. Advice Welcome....

I hear you loud and clear. My weight loss is already starting to slow down. I am hoping that I have a good foundation now for the continued journey. I would like to continue to lose more but it seems it is going to be slow and harder to do as I get closer to goal. Just going to take it day by day meal by meal. Any advice is always welcome!

@Prestonandme really Interesting 🧐 everyone’s body is different. Thank you so much for taking out of your time and sharing you experience and congratulations on your 105 pounds loss

Misconceptions abound. My often cited one is looking at a person who is poor and obese. People will say look at that person complaining about not having money but probably wasted their money on food. The misconception is, poor people have poor food choices. Their diet consists of cheap over processed carb based foods. Eating these on a consistent basis will eventually lead to obesity. These poor food choices are direct marketed, readily available, easy to consume and cheaply priced. I too was a victim of this until I started to eat better quality food to maintain my weight loss. I don't know how many times I had to explain this to people who have no clue about food nutrition. I can't blame them, until my WLS I didn't know as well.

Looking good. Now, in the coming months the most difficult part of the journey will be upon you. The maintenance of your weight loss and the continuance of your good health. Many before you have experienced the overwhelming joy and gratitude of such a rapid weight loss. It is such a great experience and due to surgery attainable. In time our bodies start to revert back to some sense of normalcy and the battle to keep the weight off will be a daily struggle. You're doing everything right and all is going to plan, best of luck on your life's battle with weight loss.

I grew as a chubby kid but once I entered school, I was kept in sports my whole life so being skinny was my normal life. It wasn't until I was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 22. I was at 150 pounds. A tad bit overweight but hey, I was a university kid who would party, drink and eat junk all the time. What was I expecting? it's what us, uni kids do... right? PCOS never tempered with my life so why care. It wasn't until I was 24 when the weight became my biggest nightmare. It was as if it came with vengeance, full force. This is when everything 'clicked' for me. I would always do crash diets, starve, Intermediate fasting, juicing... you name it, I've tried it. NOTHING WORKED. I would diet with no weight loss. AND TRUST ME... I CALORIE COUNTED EVERY GRAIN OF RICE OR OUNCE. I would go to the gym religiously for 2 hours at a time...I would weigh myself every morning in hopes I finally lost a pound. This developed an unhealthy addiction and I ended up with an eating disorder. I would give up on dieting and binge eat thousands of calories at a time. I would feel guilty, mentally, emotionally, and psychically. I would vomit and start over. I missed the "skinny" me desperately to the point I jeopardized my body, my mind and killed my metabolism due to my eating disorder. I was sitting at my heaviest at 210. For some, this weight isn't much but keep in mind- I didn't feel like myself anymore. I wasn't happy. I would drink myself to sleep. I would cry because I felt that I could have done better with taking care of my body, But Instead, I tortured my body thinking I was doing the "right thing." Scared and lost, I turned to my last resort and to fix my alcohol addiction and health around with the VSG. I am now 1 month post op and down to 169. I hope to get down to 110 like I used to be. But honestly, I just want to be happy again. This time. HEALTHY, regardless of the weight. People think that only thin people have eating disorders but, oh boy are they wrong. I am still learning how to deal with my new tummy. But What I keep in mind is, that this surgery is a tool. Not a 'miracle' surgery. I still need to eat healthy to get the results. And I aim to do so.

Unfortunately the glorious & heady weight loss of the pre & immediately post surgery days doesn’t last. Think of this time as the kickstart. Around month 3+/- when your weight loss starts to slow is when reality begins to set in again. You’re eating solid foods, there are more foods you can eat, your portions are getting larger & you’re consuming more calories. Just stay your course. It’s not a race. You’ll reach your goal in your time which is the right time for you. You can’t control factors like gender, age, metabolic rate, weight loss history, etc. which influence how much & the rate at which you’ll lose. Remember the axioms: the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose to begin & the closer to your goal the more slowly you’ll lose.

I found out today that I approved and my surgery date is Sept 15. It’s so surreal. I wanted it for years.But didn’t pursue it and when I finally did my insurance at the time didn’t cover any type of weight loss. It’s been 18 years of waiting. When I was 23 I had Kaiser but thought the 6 mos of classes was too long 🤦‍♀️🙄. I look at cute outfits that I never even glanced at before and think “wow I will be able to wear that” I’m in shock. I’m nervous about the actual surgery as well. Ahhh my emotions are all over the place.

Firstly, Congrats!!! 31 pounds is a great victory! It is very normal to experience a stall at that stage. Anywhere from week 2-week 6, most people experience their first stall. By re-evaluating, I wouldn't decrease your calories since I am sure you are eating less than 500-600 calories a day. Move around, up your protein and water. Stalls can last anywhere from a week to a month (from what I read.) but keep in mind, majority of us experience them and they are a pain in the ass to break. Don't feel discouraged as your body is still healing and trying to catch up to your rapid weight loss. Give this time to stay off the scale and focus on your intakes in terms of water and protein. I focus on 80g of protein (with collagen peptide powder and fiber powder) 64 ounces of water (I despise water with a passion ugh) and my calories are anywhere from 500-600 a day as recommended by my NUT. Good luck.

1. My program had me do liquids for 2 weeks pre-surgery and I think it was 10 days post surgery. I think I lost 7 lbs presurgically during liquid phase and 13 lbs in the liquid phase post surgically for a total of 20. That is going to be different for everyone depending on your starting weight etc. 2. A lot of weight is lost during the liquid phase but it is also done for proper preparation and healing of your stomach. I personally think the choices you make once you can begin eating solid food is the most important because this is where you are making the choices/changes that will hopefully change your habits for the long term lifestyle change. I also think the liquid phases are not real life- you have a list with very specific things you can/cannot eat. Once you are on solid food you have recommendations to follow and must choose to avoid the things that contribute to weight gain. I did however keep some of the tricks from the liquid phase (sugar free popsicles, sf jello, broth, protein drinks/shakes to fight hunger. Pre-op I lost 29 lbs from my first surgery consult until day of surgery. (27.3% of the weight lost) Post-op I lost 13 lbs during the liquid phase after surgery (12.3% of the weight lost) 64 of my 106 lbs has been lost during the soft/solid phase. (60.4% of the weight lost) 3. I personally had no brain fog or weakness/fatigue after surgery. I actually felt very enrgized after surgery. I made sure to get some carbohydrates as permitted by my program in my liquid phase (G2 instead of Gatorade zero to add some carbs). Some of the fatigue/fog can be related to anesthesia. Luckily I recover well from anesthesia, but not sure that is something that can be controlled. I had to take 4 weeks off work because I do heavy lifting at work. I really think that time off was beneficial because that is when I developed a new routine of walking 2 times daily and really had nothing else to distract me from making changes to my eating habits, searched for recipes, had time to shop for all the food I needed, and was able to have reduced stress for 4 weeks. I highly recommend if you can afford to take a few weeks off work to do so in order to get organized/develop new habits/heal properly. 't. 4. Advice- listen to your surgeon/program and follow the program. I know some people say that exercise is not important, but I really feel that my activity/exercise level is what has contributed greatly to my current weight loss. I also believe there is research indicating that those that exercise regularly have better long term success than those that don't. Exercise is a good way to get away from the kitchen when you are hungry as well as burning calories and improving overall health. I also learned to roast vegetables which has made a huge difference in my food choices. I used to rarely eat vegetables. I now usually roast green beans, zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions etc with my protein (chicken, pork, beef, fish). Learn to read food labels- it now takes me longer to shop because I read the food labels before buying something. Also have found a lot of things at Aldi's that are good choices for my new lifestyle. Keep seeking support via this group and/or other groups. This is also something that contributes to long term success. Good Luck on your journey!

Hi Everyone, how are things progressing? I'm more than half way to my goal. It's been a slow but steady loss.

Oh right yes it is this is the 8 month loss though so it’s slowing as I’m closer to goal. I was around 13-17lbs most months until the last month or two :)

Unbelievable. Cigna cannot determine whether weight loss surgery is covered or not under my insurance policy. On the phone, I have been told yes, it is covered only be told later that there is a a specific exclusion in my policy for weight loss surgery. I was ready to self pay. I saw the surgeon this week for an initial consult and tentatively scheduled surgery for the first week in November. BUT the bariatric coordinator just called - Cigna called her and said they thought WLS is covered under my policy. The bariatric coordinator let them know that Cigna said it is not covered when she verified my benefits. So the Cigna rep is "double checking" and will get back to her. I can't believe this! How difficult is it to determine whether I'm covered or not. Has anyone experienced this type of thing before? Also, if a miracle happens and I am covered, what kind of hoops will I have to jump through with Cigna? Any experiences with Cigna in this regard would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Are you walking? Getting all your protein? Drinking enough? Gotta be something that is not being done to explain the slow loss.