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Thank you all! @GreenTealael, that dress looks slamming on you! @BayougirlMrsS and @ms.sss apparently I do I have long legs...they were just lost in the fat🙄🙄🙄 I had no idea 🤷‍♀️ @ms.sss until I get my veins fixed I absolutely refuse to wear miniskirts all the time. After that, we will talk. Lol! Also, I don’t think I am quite ready for the full skankification until after plastics when the extra flabby skin goes bye and I have boobs again. I am hoping for creation of a waist, but I will be satisfied with loss of the spare tire of loose skin and creation of perky boobs. I may never wear a bra again. Just you wait...skankified Wish coming your way. 😂😂

I’m 4 years out and having so many issues recently . Nails completely disingrating almost just skin. Hair loss . Anxiety almost lost it this year. Seeing psychiatrist but so many issues and lost almost everyone I love over it . They thought I was taking drugs . Memory lose . The list goes on . I feel so alone . Going to work on my vitamins see if I can get this nail situation under control. Thanks for listening

It has been many years since I checked into Bariatricpal. My surgery on 9/1/2011 was at the INDIANA University Medical Center Bariatric Dept. The decision was made for weight loss and diabetic control. Over the years of owning two businesses, raising two sons, getting my husband through dental school then music school, while practicing my own career as an artist, my struggle with healthy eating and controlling diabetes was eventually too much. At the weight of 299 lbs and age of 71 yr and the consistently worsening sugar control, to the point that I was giving myself daily insulin shots, was a wake up call. It isn't an easy decision to jump into a serious surgery, like this if you don't have access to the specialist medical practice like the IU Medical campus. The Department offered lectures and programs to educate people about their obesity and ways to get help. I never felt pressured to sign up for the surgery but after a few appointments with the surgeon and nutritionist, several medical tests reassured me that my basic health was able to handle the surgery, I followed through with the required initial diet and weight loss. I lost 45 lbs in the first 4 months. It was rather easy to do by following the diet prescribed and I even thought about forgoing the surgery, except for the diabetes issue. Going ahead with the recommended RNY and strictly following the diet, I got down to 165 lbs. That was higher than I thought would be ideal but the sight of boney neck, face and arms seemed fine. For anyone who is older like me, I strongly encourage that you research your area for a surgery clinic that is recommended and consider your options. The following advantages that I received: 1. Loads of energy. 2. Longer life, (said my cardiologist) 3. Feeling younger. 4. More interest in going out for travel and exercising. Having recommended it I must say that I don't recommend it for young people who are doing it for vanity alone. Why? 1. You have to follow strict regiment on vitamins and follow up care. 2. You have to absolutely restrict your food intake. You have to be prepared for a complete change of food choices. 3. You have to be psychologically prepared to be successful over all temptations. ISSUES that I have encountered may be due to lack of nutrition. My current medical care is concentrated on low hemoglobin , anemia, kidney function. The good news is that my diabetes is under control and I haven't needed insulin or any medication since surgery. After years of sticking to the rules for eating, I cannot overeat. A couple of bites of protein, tiny veggies, a bite of fruit fills my stomach to the point that I can be in pain. This is one issue that I wonder about and if other long term RNY patients have experienced. You comments are welcome.

My surgeon was fine with me taking nsaids too but it was because I took them randomly: one or two tablets maybe once every couple of months for tension headaches. They are the only pain meds that worked. I have oozing discs in my lower back so I know that pain. Losing my weight certainly helped but honestly, if I stand for an hour the discomfort returns. It’s like the weight of my upper body puts pressure on & squeezes the discs. I try to get off my feet as quickly as possible which will ease it. Over the counter nsaids don’t help me though. Thankfully, the pain hasn’t been so great or prolonged that I’ve had to seek stronger anti inflammatories from my doctor since my surgery. Fingers crossed. Hope your weight loss eases a lot if your pain. But have a discussion about taking nsaids in the future with your surgeon. Your surgeon may have a different response than mine & @Creekimp13. Every case is different.

I also have chronic back pain and was on Mobic and muscle relaxers before surgery. I had to stop the Mobic (an NSAID) 2 weeks prior to surgery. I was terrified but at least I could still take Tylenol arthritis. I chose to get WLS because I still have to work another 20 years as a healthcare worker and I couldn't see my back holding out for that long. There were other reasons as well but that was a big motivator. I know my weight loss has already helped and it's only been since March 22nd. According to my doc I am never to take NSAIDS again. However, I did get a post-op Pneumonia and a pleural effusion which resulted in excruciating pleurisy pain. The ONLY thing that helped was when I added in Motrin. My doc allowed it for a few days. So, I think as long as you take a PPI (Omeprazole, Pantoprazole, etc..) while taking an NSAID, there will be times when NSAIDS will be ok. But of course ask your doc first.

The hair loss is a very common & temporary side effect from the shock of the surgery & weight loss. Your natural hair loss cycle has been accelerated. It will stop - usually after about 3 months but some take longer. The hair you’re losing is already dead and would have been shed anyway. It’s just falling out more quickly. Supplements won’t change that - fertiliser can’t save a dead plant. Your new hair is growing but it’s growing at it’s usual rate. Losing hair or losing weight? I’ll take losing the weight everyday. As you’re losing weight a lot of hormones that were stored in your fat are being released into your body. The increase in oestrogen causes a few issues for we women. Many experience heavier, more frequent or more painful periods. My menopausal symptoms disappeared. The pimply bumps on your shoulders could be from the oestrogen surge too. It is temporary & once you’ve stopped losing weight it stops. Oh & too much vitamin B7 - biotin - can cause skin irritations. 10 000 mcg is what B7 deficient people are prescribed. If you are concerned, check with your medical team. Good luck.

Did they check to see if you pinched a nerve in your back? When you lose a lot of weight your posture changes. I would look into the vitamin issue but it could be that you are now sitting or standing with more or less of a curve in your lower back. For those of us that had thick thighs pre weight loss lying on our side kept our hips and knees in alignment. As you lose weight and your thighs get thinner your knees comes together when lying on your side and could be rotating your lower spine. Back issues are not always doing a sudden activity and getting pain. A lot can be slower due to postural changes. Maybe ask your doctor for a referral to physical therapy.

Hello!!! I did not go with Dr. Blosser. During and after my consultation I was never able to get an answer on how many ESG procedures he has done. He kept giving me a lump number that combined the balloon and ESG. I decide to have it done with Dr. McGowan at True You Weight Loss in Cary, NC. He is amazing and has done over 600 of these procedures. He is extremely responsive. I would highly recommend him and his team (Tesha is absolutely the best). My husband and I drove down the night before. Had the procedure on Thursday and drove home Friday. I hope this helps.

1) you're in the infamous three-week stall that almost all of us go through. To get through this, you just have to stay on your plan and stay off the scale if you need to, and your weight loss WILL start up again. Usually takes 1-3 weeks, and it'll likely be the first stall of many 2) on top of that, you may be dehydrated

I had RNY in Nov. 2020. Not long after my shoulders started getting little bumps all over. Thought it was dry skin. It seemed to go away after a few weeks, but it’s back again only the bumps seem more like pimples , bigger now than the first time. And it’s all over my upper back. Anyone have trouble with that? I’m also losing ALOT of hair!!! I’m taking 10,000 units of Biotin, and understand that by the end of the year it should be growing back. But the pimply skin bugs me, is there anything I can do for it?

I had cancer 5 years ago. It's the kind of cancer that grows with hormones. I've done everything medically to reduce the amount of hormones in my body in order to prevent a recurrence -- except lose weight. My oncologist recommended weight loss surgery for me, and after resisting it over the last few years and yo-yo dieting with various "on my own" weight loss plans (weight watchers, medifast, nutrisystem, etc), I'm finally ready. I've spent the last 7 months preparing for this surgery. Tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of my life.

Well when I was In hospital I wished I’d had brought dry shampoo because I was supposed to stay two nights and my hair gets oily. I even sent my husband to get it, but then I was released the next day anyways. I still wasn’t allowed to shower that day but at least I was home alone at that point. I didn’t have a bunch of pain though. Doubt I would’ve cared if I was in horrible pain.

I am 68 and had the R&Y on Feb. 15. I came through surgery fine. Don't listen to your friends. If you haven't lost the weight by now, you probably never will, that was the conclusion I came to. In the end your health will improve. I'm less than 2 months from surgery and I've already dropped one and a half BP medications. The surgery isn't all roses. Foods you enjoyed before will likely become disgusting to you. This is a side effect that occurs in a very high percentage of patients of R&Y. It's usually not a longterm problem. My friend had it and his tastes returned in about 8 months. The good thing is, you're having this surgery to lose weight and if you have an aversion to most foods, that will only help you lose more. I pretty much live on smoked salmon, Starkist tuna packets, protein bars and Genepro protein powder. I mix the Genepro with diluted fruit juice. Trust me, the protein shakes you drink before surgery will not taste the same. I can't stand them now but the Genepro is tasteless. I'll eat a few crackers at times. I am at about where I'm supposed to be. I've lost 70 lbs so far. Be sure your surgeon prescribes medication to avoid gall stones. Rapid weight loss can cause them. Also, eat nuts sparingly while drinking lots of water. Lots of nuts and low water intake can cause kidney stones. You'll do fine. You're not old. I'm old!

are you afraid you won't lose all your weight if your rate of loss drops? That drop happens to everyone -- and a lot of us have lost a ton of weight. I lost 16 lbs the first month, then about 10 lbs a month from months 2-6, then maybe 5-8 lbs a month until around month 14, and then about 2-3 lbs a month after that. And I ended up losing over 200 lbs. No reason to be concerned if your rate of loss drops - it doesn't mean you won't lose the weight. Plus expecting to lose 20+ lbs a month is unrealistic, other than the first month or two. P.S. I should add that I lost my first 57 lbs via the six-month supervised diet that my insurance required and the two-week pre-op diet the surgeon required - so I was rolled into the OR the morning of surgery weighing 316 lbs

after the first month or two, weight loss rate drops off A LOT. You really get your biggest drop during the first month. I settled into about a 10 lb a month loss from about month 2 to month 6. That's actually pretty typical.

Thinking hard about getting bariatric surgery but I’m 67 years old and worried I’m too old. Had lap band unsuccessfully in 2008. Just wanna feel good about myself again. Has anyone had surgery over 65 years old.

I know this thread is super old. I am planning on taking some of their new product for protien and hair skin nails type of things. I am going to be documenting but surgeon doesn’t want me to take anything til a few weeks after surgery and I won’t be taking anything that has too much of the stimulants. I love the lifestyle mix, the protien shake, the protein bars and the hydration (the one without caffiene)

I have started hair loss at the three month mark . I have a ton of hair so it doesn’t bother me except for the fact I have to clean the shower drain daily lol

My surgery was (4) days after yours. Do you feel you have a strong support circle? We really need it with this! People who love us and want to help us be successful. That includes your PCP and surgical team. For me, it even includes these forums and reading people’s experiences. I like that you say you hold yourself accountable because that is you recognizing you can control this situation - that’s a great thing to self-acknowledge! Although the weight loss has slowed for me, coming up on (7) months, too, I’m still logging my food and always working on a better relationship with food (I currently hate it). I’ve become better at listening to my body, but I keep working on it. I disappoint myself but I just gotta get back up each time. I’m not letting “old” me win - she’s what got me here in the first place 😆. You have invested in a lot of tools that you think should be helping your journey. I’d say re-evaluate and stick to one thing for a time range, and eventually add more tools. “Track food for one day” can eventually go to one week, one month, etc. “Stare at elliptical for five minutes” can go to “stand on elliptical” to pressing ON, haha. Make the goals tiny and attainable!

This is pretty much what I do as well. I try to respond when I see a 5 lb gain, so I won't have to deal with re-losing larger amounts. I reduce processed foods, reduce carbs, forego off-plan treats, and focus on protein. In other words I go back to how I ate during the weight loss phase. So far, it works for me.

5 months! I doubt that many if any people are reading this, but I want to keep this as my first year record regardless. And if anyone is reading this, I’ll be checking in every month! Current weight- 217.8. I lost 12.6 lbs last month, and I’m fully back into my wedding ring set. I have for sure bought too many clothes. I am at least trying to get them second had, but still it’s impossible to think about actually being below an xl. I’m starting to buy a L in some styles like sweaters. I’ve sold pretty much my entire old wardrobe, but having to get all new bras, underwear, etc is quite expensive. I’ve been doing great with rowing, still being lazy with running. Exercise is clearly needed at this stage to keep the weight loss going. I still have 52 lbs to go to goal! Non scale victories this month- I was able to volunteer for an all day vaccine clinic where I was walking nonstop and my feet didn’t hurt and I wasn’t exhausted after. I can cross my legs when I sit down! My jawline is back, and I only have one chin. My legs feel muscular and I have biceps! People are commenting nonstop on my weight (and to be honest I’m kind of over it) and I have a ton of new clothes that I’m excited to wear. This next month, I’m looking forward to (hopefully!) losing another 12 lbs, which would get me within a handful of pounds of being OVERWEIGHT! I know I say it every month, but I gotta start running to get some cardio in as well. It’s crazy to think that 5 months ago I had checked into the hospital by now and was waiting for surgery. July 5 marks my one year of dieting- I won’t be at goal by then, but I’ll hopefully be close.

Since you already received the requisite comments about drinking above, I will just answer your specific question. I was sleeved, and was told no alcohol for the first month. Beyond that, was told to determine on my own what I can handle, but the general recommendation was to try to abstain. With that said, here is MY timeline: 3 weeks post op: 2-3 sips of red wine (felt weird, thought I could feel the warmth going down my intestines). Also I remember being affected by it. Not drunk or even tipsy...but something. 2-ish months post op: ~1 fl oz of soju-sake (got terribly sick within 15 or so minutes, spent the next few hours suffering : rapid heart rate/barf/diarrhea/lethargy/passed out...it was the sugar, dammit). 3-7 months post op: probably had 4-5 (partial) drinks of either red wine or vodka soda the entire time (got tipsy really fast, got sober equally fast). 8 months to present : drank more (mostly due to the fact that I was done with weight loss phase). Maybe 1-2 times a week at first (and sometimes none at all), then Covid came around, and since about may-june last year, I drink almost every day. I still get tipsy and sober pretty quickly....not as drastic as in the early months, but still. Generally, I can feel the effects by 1/2 the glass, and if I finish the whole thing, I will be completely normal again within 1-1.5 hours. So take this as validation, justification, or as a cautionary tale. You decide. P.S. note that the effects will be different for everyone...I am pretty small (5'2", 110 lbs), so this definitely influences how I am affected. @The Greater Fool's suggestion to try it out in a safe place first is a good one.

Starting from the bottom up. AGREE! It is not a person’s responsibility to control other’s reactions to the way they look. I HATE the “she was asking for it” thing by “dressing sexy” or drinking to much, and the “boys will be boys” attitude. I was annoyed with the post I believe you are referencing, but was just ignoring it, because that is what I was conditioned to do by the societal norms of my (our) generation. You are right to say something. Thank you! 😘 Lol...super funny about the height thing. I get a lot of comments about how tall I look now that I am no longer obese. Apparently my legs look longer now, too. Some pretty cool, unexpected stuff with the weight loss. 😊😊 I WANT a body con dress, but I am struggling to find one this year with all of the looser clothing styles. I WANT you to burst into green flames (lol 😂😂) when I post a picture of this mythical dress with some pretty cool heels I bought recently. I have a dress on order that “might” qualify. I will post when I find this apparent unicorn 🦄😂

OMG me too! I started a new job a week and a half ago and now work in an office (vs. at home). I swear I cam literally see the weight gain in my thighs and love handles. When I saw this topic my heart stopped for a sec. Not sure if it's anxiety eating (I am absolutely an anxiety eater), a lack of sugar free Popsicles because no freezer or change of environment. I'm also considering the fact that I'm alone in the office (everyone else works from home or lives in a different state) but I live alone with my puppy so not much different. I look forward to reading other responses because my one year is coming up July 9th and my loss has slowed considerably. Also, the "honeymoon" period is over and my metabolism is back to slow as molasses mode. Not to mention it's been that time of the month since January 25th. I had a polyp removed in my ovaries and I'm on a new birth control that makes you irregular for 2+ months. If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I needed to vent!