Search the Community

My hair was down to the middle of my back. It really looked terrible. Split ends, super dry and brittle, no shape, emphasized my scalp and the general thinning. After my surgery, I was nervous to go too short so I went to juuuuust below my shoulders. Looked good for about 6-8 weeks and then started to show the thinning and my scalp again. This time around, I cut my hair just ABOVE my shoulders and decided to stop straightening it. My natural waves came back in full force, which helped A LOT. And it's easier to maintain and doesn't look thin at all.

While loss of hunger is a benefit of the surgery, there are some who continue to feel hunger. Distinguishing whether you are experiencing real hunger or head hunger is most important to distinguish which you are experiencing. Craving a specific food, flavour or texture (like your desire to chew) is head hunger. If you used food to comfort or sooth yourself in the past during times of stress, anxiety, emotional upsets, hormonal variations, etc. you are likely experiencing head hunger simply because of the (conscious or sub conscious) physical & mental stress of the surgery. Having hunger pangs/pains is head hunger most of the time. You’re still producing the same amount of stomach acid as you did before surgery in your much smaller tummy which will cause the hunger pangs/pains. It’s why we’re usually prescribed a PPI to reduce the amount of acid for a period of time after surgery until it settles. A rumbling tummy also is not a sign of hunger in most cases - just your digestive system working. Many nerves are cut during surgery so signals and messages from your tummy to signal things like real hunger either aren’t getting through or are being distorted. Most of us discover our signals for real hunger are very different from the signals we used to recognise as hunger. I feel restless, like something is wrong & logically there is a real & legitimate reason for being hungry. All this takes time to recognise & understand & is part of the head work we all talk about you needing to do a long the way. Doesn’t help with your hunger though of course while you’re sorting through all this. In the meantime, look for a distraction. Try reading, contacting friends or family, crafting, go for a short walk, play a game, check social media, meditate, etc. Sipping a warm drink can be helpful too. All the best & congrats on your surgery.

I am looking at new hair cuts and go back to my hair lady in August. I am not her first bariatric client so she knows how to deal. Hoping I am not too fair gone where I have to go too short.

Thats encouraging, I am doing all the things I can to keep it up. I go back to my hairstylist in August which would be at about 6months so by then (fingers crossed) the shedding slows down and we can we figure out a hair style that looks good. I am just not coping with it well. I will get over it and embrace it. Just right now I cant lol

I am still basically stalled too. I fluctuate up and down the same pound over and over again but everyone keeps saying “you’ve lost more weight, haven’t you?” Ummm, no. It must just be shifting around. I know how discouraging it can be for the scale to not move especially after the quick initial weight loss right after surgery. I try to tell myself it’s a good thing because my skin seems to be bouncing right back and if I was losing too quickly it wouldn’t and then I would have the added problem of loose skin everywhere. I have about 25lbs left to lose so if we have a year to lose our weight I have 9 months to lose that weight. If you look at it that way it’s more bearable. Hang in there

I am 4months post off and I am going through the same. I work out hard, My weight is melting off, My hair is falling out which is devastating right now and I do get the occasional dizzy spells but other than that I feel really good! I am about 15lbs from my goal weight and I struggle to eat more than 1100 calories which I know I need to because I burn anywhere from 650 cal to 1000 calories a day (depending on the workouts) . I started much heavier than you but I am worried it wont stop and I will be a walking skeleton. I am meeting with my dietician and surgeon on the 13th and need to do bloodwork as well. 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT F, 35, 5'9, SW 297 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 31lbs 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 266lbs 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 236.6 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 205.2 I am at 4 months post op 185.8lbs 8. Type of Surgery (Sleeve, ByPass, etc...) Gastric sleeve

Hi lovelies, Hope you are all well. Need your thoughts please. Had my VSG 5.5 months ago and these were my stats: Weight: 198/90 KGs Height: 168/5'5-5'6? I started at a BMI of 33, which I understand was on the lower side. Since surgery I have lost weight quite rapidly and I suspect its due to always being at a BMI of 22 my entire adulthood, I ate well, worked out and remained fit even after two pregnancies. My weight issues started 5 years back and then followed by a very bad ankle injury that affected my mobility that I reached my highest weight of 198. I understand that that where my body feels most comfortable at and its decided to take the chance to lose the pounds and run with it. My original goal was 154, and I got there very quickly then I changed my goal many times and settled on 127 which I am currently very close to. My surgeon seems to be a little apprehensive and has told me to try to slow it down and as per him it is very rare that he sees such rapid weight loss on a lower BMI patient. His original comment at 2 months was that the weight I had lost in 2 months was supposed to be my target at 6 months. Last time I saw him he asked me to up my calories to 1500 (currently at almost 800 on weekdays give or take, 600 on weekends because I apparently don't have much of an appetite on weekends). He ordered some bloodwork which I still haven't gone in for. I feel like my health is good, other than hair fall and the customary dizziness when getting up I am in fantastic health, I workout hard, I make good food choices and I prioritize my Protein. I also look great if you ask me. My fear is I am losing too much too fast, and from what I hear and see, you don't quite stop losing until at least 12 months post op, which - according to my projections and calculations - will leave me at 110/50 KGs at 12 months out. That is way too low I fear and I do not want to look like a skeleton. Also I feel I have a huge restriction and I can't eat more than a few bites at a time, drinking Water has become an aversion, I have to drink BCAA and sugar free iced tea to hydrate and tiny sips of water every hour or so. Other than that I eat very well, except I can't eat enough to maintain due to restriction. I am a little worried of my what will happen as the days pass and where I will end up. I don't want to get sick or too frail to work out and lift weights. I want to look good and feel good and I am not sure where my weight loss is heading but I am quite worried at this point. I also get comments on how I have lost half my body weight from people which is quite inaccurate lol but it's a complete shock when I meet someone who I haven't seen in some time, even my colleagues seem to think I'm looking too skinny. Sorry for typing so much, I thought it would be better if you have the full picture so its easier to respond. For anybody who's experience this, any thoughts?

Losing weight. Feeling healthier & better in general. I didn’t have any comorbidities but being almost 54 at the time I knew it was only a matter of time. The surgery was fine. Didn’t experience anything other than what was possible (like the terrible diarrhoea I had one day). My back went into spasm but that was more me & my back than a side effect of the surgery. No complications. Pretty easy actually. I think because I really wanted the surgery & had no doubts I was ready for the changes. And really once through the weight loss phase the changes are minimal & what you choose to do like eating choices, activity choices, etc. I didn’t experience many issues with being unable to tolerate certain foods except for the temporary changes to my taste buds. After two months I was eating pretty much what I wanted (nutritionally appropriate of course). Five years post sleeve & I eat pretty much what I want. There are things I chose not to eat any more simply because I don’t want to go back to how I was before surgery. My food choices are more nutritionally dense & eat more low or no processed foods. Last year my tummy decided it didn’t like eggs any more. Been meaning to test to see if it still doesn’t like them. I’ve always had a quirky tummy that was sensitive to some foods so that’s not a change for me really. I do experience the foamies more often than most but I think that it’s related more to my quirky tummy. I vomited (though more like regurgitating than full out muscle spasming vomiting) a couple of times in the first month or so. Due to the multi vitamins causing nausea more than any thing else. Probably took me a little longer because my energy was low for a while & my blood pressure was pretty low all the time (still is most of the time). Again, I always had a tendency towards low blood pressure so not a big change or adjustment. After the first couple of months, yes, I had more energy. No. I didn’t have any mental health issues prior to surgery & none after. Would say I feel more confident & comfortable about myself in general though. Don’t regret it at all. Yes I would recommend it. However, as I mentioned above you have to be ready for the surgery & the changes you have to make around your eating. There is a lot of head work you have to do around your relationship with food, what may drive you to turn to food & your eating habits. It is a lifetime thing & you will always have to work at it. As we say, the surgery changes your body but it doesn’t change your head & thinking. All the best.

It happened to me with BOTH surgeries. Started around month 3 after my sleeve and my once really thick hair shed so much it thinned out to the point that I needed to cut my hair and change how I styled it so you couldn't see how much it thinned out. It finally stopped at 9 months, but then at 13 months out I had my revision, and it started again at 2 months out. Here I am 11 months out from the revision and it finally stopped. I got another hair cut and this time decided no more straightening my hair, and now the shorter length and the waves and curls really help hide the additional thinning. Honestly, biotin doesn't promote hair growth or prevent shedding. It just makes the existing hair soft, shiny, and somewhat healthier. The protein is what makes the biggest difference since hair needs it but can't produce it. There really isn't anything that will prevent or lessen the shedding. It just is what it is and has to run its course. I would use volumizing hair care products, have a shorter hair length, possibly style it differently, and just wait it out. That's really all you can do.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it will make no difference how much protein you eat in terms of how much hair you lose. It's like trying to water a rose in a vase and expecting it to start growing into a big rose bush. The hair follicles have already gone dormant. Now all you can do is wait for the hair to fall out so that the follicles can re-enter a growth phase. The hair strands that have stopped won't start again. This usually happens naturally in cycles so gradual and staggered that we never notice it. But surgery makes a bunch of hair stop at once (which it already did, months ago), and it is very noticeable until it all starts back up again. What protein and vitamins will do for you now is make your regrowth strong and healthy. So definitely still take them.

You will get loads of sympathy here OP - for a woman (usually more than a man I think?) our hair is often tied into our identity more generally, for better or worse. Massive weight loss causes our non-essential body functions like hair growth to stall completely. Body thinks - no calories - what can I ditch? I know - hair! Once we get through the biggest rate of loss and our body is regrouping then the stalled follicles get pushed out by new growth. I lost masses of hair in I think 3 distinct phases, about 3 months apart. It's truly properly shocking, that first hair fall. (And for me the second and third - I hope you don't get those too!) Please please be reassured that most of it grows back for most of us. It just takes a while and it's so worth it.

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The jumpstart to weight loss was obviously amazing, but I was surprised how quickly my usual body pain & aches stopped bothering me. My knee problems have basically vanished, and the lower back pain I had gotten so used to living with has gotten so much better. I can breath easier when doing things that used to have me out of breath -- going up 2 flights of stairs, for example. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The pre-OP shakes -- I'm lactose intolerant and have trouble with stevia, and there were no shakes my care team could find for me that didn't have one-or-both things, so I spent a good 8-9 days barely keeping anything down. The surgery itself went off without a problem, and the pain wasn't as bad as I thought -- other than the car ride home! If you get WLS, bring a pillow to clutch to you afterwards!! 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing during, nor after -- but I'm only 10wks post-OP tomorrow. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I too am on SSRIs for long-time depression & anxiety. Most days have been awesome and cheery. Even during the initial aches and pains of recovery, just knowing that things were going to start changing for the better improved my mental state. I still have bad moments / days but once I started seeing all the improvements to my life it makes it easier to push through. It certainly helps to have a good support system -- people in my life, but also honestly this forum. TBH I was in a #$%& mood all day and feeling lethargic, but logging in here I know that everyone here understands and it just makes me feel more settled. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? I am currently having a ton of problems with chicken breast. I hate 'dark meat' poultry, but tried chicken thighs recently and it's not too bad but still leaves me with a heavy feeling in my stomach -- still better than the stuck feeling in my chest that the white meat gave. I feel like no matter what I put on it or how I cook it, it's just clearly a No for now. That said, for the most part everything else has gone down well as long as I eat slowly, and make choices consistent with my care team's plan / schedule. Going from puree to soft foods was probably the hardest for me physically, because it felt so different in my stomach. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? It's early on for me, but the changes in my body's hormones seems to have stopped most of my cravings. When I'm having a rough time emotionally, I still have momentary yearnings for old 'comfort foods' but honestly just the thought of some of them will turn me off within a few minutes. (For some reason if I think about fatty oils too long, I just get nauseated). And many of my old comfort foods have just updated into healthier things I can eat. Instead of my mum's Dutch mashed potatoes, I have a smaller bowl of healthier mashed potatoes (or cauliflower, or heart of palm) with a scoop of bone broth powder to up the protein. Instead of spaghetti and meatballs, I have homemade meatballs and extra sauce -- or a ricotta bake instead of lasagna. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I've had one instance of dumping syndrome so far, and it was 100% my own fault. I knew what the culprit was immediately (white-flour leftover tortilla and more difficult chicken breast). I won't lie, I seriously wanted to die for probably an hour, and then slept the rest of the day away. It's horrid. I'm hoping that I've learned enough to take better care / caution and avoid any more instances. Other than that, recovery has been pretty smooth. All my incisions healed up without issue, the gas pain only lasted a few weeks and then there was just a strange tightness / mild soreness on one side of my body for the first 5-6 weeks. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I want to say 2-3 weeks. Around the time I started eating puree (week 3), my energy levels started bouncing back much more rapidly -- which let me walk more easily. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? 100% yes. NGL, sometimes I feel like skipping even though it's not suitable for someone my age, LOL. I feel like I've been more efficient at work post-OP just because of the energy improvement, and physically I notice the increased stamina every time I go on an errand or for a walk with my dog. (I tire her out now!) 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? For the better. Some of it is because the energy and the physical improvements make me feel better about myself in general, but part of it is kind of a trickle-down effect. I spend more time making good, healthy choices for myself, spend more time being mindful whether it's while I'm eating, or making a grocery list, cooking, etc. It's so much time spent on self-improvement and self-care. So I have less time to worry about what other people's secret thoughts or judgments might be and take people more at face value. I have less time to waste on people that bring toxicity to my life or can't respect my boundaries. It's like this microcosm of self-care made by investing my energy in my current journey has expanded it's hooks into the rest of my life. I feel like for the first time in my life, I am actually one of my top priorities. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I had moments of regret during dumping syndrome, for sure. But as soon as I recovered from that one bout, I was still happy I'd done the surgery. I think it definitely forces us to take ownership of our own health and making the best decisions we can towards that. I would recommend it to anyone who has struggled with weight loss and can honestly look at their life and see themselves living in this framework for the rest of their lives. By all accounts it seems to be incredibly important to keep it all up -- the vitamins and supplements, the healthy choices and portion sizes, etc. I would NOT recommend it for anyone looking for a magic pill. This takes work, will continue to take work.

I was warned too but I figured no way it would happen to me! I really keep up with the protein and supplements, alas here we are I wish I had the confidence to rock a short do, I am pretty sad just looking up styles for when I get my hair done again in August. I know I am dramatic and pretty vain butttttt ya know LOL

Yes the surgeon I met pre-op warned me at the time about hair loss but I was a bit dismissive as have (had!) such thick hair that I didn't think I would have as much fall out as I did. I am thankful for the thick hair as I think it is how I coped with it not being noticeable to others. My hair loss stopped after month six and the regrowth is strong and thick again not sure if that is luck or down to the fact that I added in the special bariatric hair vitamin, plus collagen on top of the other bariatric vitamins I take. I just don't know where the curl/kink is coming from now in the regrowth underneath. My hair is now long enough to tie back a bit but I will be getting it cut again next week to try and get closer to it all being one length at the back.

I don't think it made a difference to how much came out but it made my hair softer and kept it in good condition which meant I could go longer between washes. I was taking collagen every day as well, still do. The only vitamin I am no longer taking is the bariatric hair one as felt I did well with the three month supply.

My GP warned me that it'll happen to most patients, but won't be permanent -- just something we have to put up with for 6-12mo before it stops falling out and starts growing back properly. He kind of made me feel like keeping up on my multi-vitamins & supplements were the only thing that would have it eventually stabilize, and that most 'solutions' like biotin patches and special hair treatments were just going to be an expensive placebo for time & improved nutrition. It actually kind of depressed me, because I have thin straight hair to begin with -- I can't afford much hair loss. I ended up shaving half my head (undercut only) months prior to my WLS just to be sure I could handle losing that much volume. Would love to hear from anyone with a great personal experience with additional supplements / treatments that they feel worked? But if not, I'm happy to rock a short do for the next year or so.

I feel like most of us have mental health issues prior to WLS -- related to the weight gain in the first place, and the body dysmorphia that so easily comes along with life as a 'non-standard' size. I'm not surprised at all that many of us continue to struggle with both things during/after weight loss. People that haven't had a similar life might struggle to understand. Anyone who tells someone to "just get over it" or "just get passed it" in regards to any mental health issue is flat out not helping -- whether that's because they can't empathize with the struggle directly, or something else. I've been doing a lot of personal work on 'boundaries' lately. Just want to remind everyone that it's okay to remind someone that what they're saying is not very compassionate. It doesn't have to be a fight or an attack against them, even a simple "Yeah, that's really not a helpful thing to say but thanks for the effort, I guess?" might have them re-think their own words. They don't owe us support -- nobody owes anybody, really -- but we're all humans and deserve basic compassion rather than dismissal.

I thankfully have long thick hair too and it grows fairly fast so i am hoping I get the same results as you where there isn't bald patches just might have to rock a shorter hair cut for awhile (which I am dreading!) Did you notice that using a more moisturizing shampoo helped with how much came out? The oplalex doesn't make my hair soft it just keeps my blond looking blond. I am thinking of taking a prenatal and collagen just because, but I really thought I was a lucky one ;(

I don't think you are going bald, just going through what so many of us have had to cope with. I had long thick straight hair pre-op and thought I was doing really well when I got to month four with no hair loss and then it was like a horror movie for two months. Clumps would come out if I washed my hair, I would cry in the shower when I saw what was in the drain and my hand after just a light touch wash. I kept my hair tied back and washed just once a week during the two months but you could tell where I had been by following the trail of fallen hair, I seriously shed more than my cat! I was so self conscious about it as had bald patches but thankfully others couldn't tell it was mostly underneath. I ended up cutting my hair up to chin length so it was not as obvious. After six months the hair loss stopped and now it is about regrowth, it is nearly as annoying though not in anyway upsetting. I have been getting my hair cut every couple of months so that my existing hair is as close in length to the new hair (which is coming in with a curl) and I have to put mascara in my hair if I go out in public as there are baby hairs sticking up all over the place, looks like static hair. I took special bariatric vitamins for hair for three months, no idea if it helped but I was prepared to try anything. I also got a couple of wigs but ended up not needed them. For washing my hair I used a really soft shampoo made from oat milk. Basically I just want to let you know that what you are going through is normal after the surgery, you couldn't have prevented it, it just happens to most patients as the body is coping with the weight loss and it will get better.

I am 35 HW: 325 SW: 297 CW 189 Gastric Sleeve Surgery Date: 1/24 1. What was the best part of surgery for you? Having a ton of energy! Not feeling groggy, my knees don't hurt when I wake up, working out and staying motivated, playing with my kids after a long day and still having the energy to cook dinner and pick up the house and sex life has improved, 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The first week kinda sucked with how much gas pains and not being able to eat barely anything and I am dealing some hair loss right now. Other than that I had a really smooth surgery. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? I was lucky, mine has been smooth sailing 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Its different, I get more attention which is tough for me to get used to, I love exercising, I love shopping, I love getting ready everyday for work. I am the best version of myself, my boyfriend and kids deserve it and overall I deserve it! 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? I would say there are still things I don't want to eat but probably around 90day mark I felt good to eat just about anything within reason. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? Honestly I don't have the same desire to eat what I did. I will enjoy a couple of fries if I have an open faced burger or something but its not something that was a must like it was before. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? Recovery was great besides the gas pains. No vomiting or dumping syndrome. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I would say 2 weeks. I was walking 1-2miles after the first week. The first week I walked around the block to get the gas out. I also have a high pain tolerance so that might have helped. Like I had two c-sections and once the epidural wore off I was up walking my babies up and down the hall, the nurses had to tell me to rest but I am Type A so I am a little nutty. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? HELL YES!!! I wake up start life, workout for an hour plus walk on my lunch break 5 days a week, I work full time and am a college student. I have 3 children and my partner. I have energy for everything and I am not dog tired at the end of the day. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I struggle sometimes with the new body, how ppl treat me, and still see the 325lb woman in the mirror but I moreso I am in a better spot. I am not as anxious, stressed and I am able to take on tasks with a clearer mind (such as school) 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? My only regret is not getting it done sooner!

Let me preface by saying I wash my hair 1x a week, I do bleach my hair (have been for yearssss), I eat over 100g of protein per day, take all my vitamins daily even extra biotin which has helped ( I think if not my lashes are longer) lol I did change my shampoo to Oplalex 2months ago, which after I looked it up had a law suit from women saying the product caused hair loss? My hair does shed and has since surgery but nothing crazy. I had my surgery about 4 months ago, and yesterday a very alarming amount of hair come out yesterday! I had my hair up in a bun didn't brush it, pure laziness on my part, but when I took it down and brushed my hair a ton came out...figured okay probably because of not washing my hair yet and not brushing/ putting it in a bun. After I brushed my hair and braided it because I took the kids swimming. Came home and washed my hair and put a hair mask in my hair which I do every week. And HOLY ISH! So much more hair! I yelled for my boyfriend and he was even taken back with how much it was. I am not sure if I need to prepare for the worst or if THAT WAS THE WORST. I brushed my this morning and the normal amount came out. Am I going to go bald?!

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The best part is also the hardest to explain. The best way I can put it is that pre-surgery, I had a demon in my stomach. This demon demanded rich foods and thought that if one of something tasted good, then four of something would taste amazing (this made the demon a liar, but I had to obey these lies). The surgery removed the demon. I no longer feel controlled by cravings. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The 48 hours prior to the surgery were miserable. I could only have water, Gatorades and black coffee. Then I had to take strong laxatives prior to the surgery, so I was defecating so much that my body was expelling food I hadn't even eaten yet. And I couldn't go to sleep because any flatulence had the potential to be ... explosive. So it's 1 am, I am starving, dehydrated, sitting on the john and I need to be at the hospital at 5:30. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing major. I greatly underestimated how sore my stomach would be and how long it would take for the soreness to go away. I am a stomach sleeper and it was three months before I felt comfortable sleeping on my stomach. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I love the new life. I am able to exercise (bike, jog, lift weights) like I never have, I have great energy. I can shop at pretty much any clothing store. It has allowed me to become a better version of myself. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? It was probably 8 months to a year before I felt like I could try any food and not have to worry about my stomach having trouble. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? Can't eat, as in, I physically cannot handle it? Nothing. But there are plenty of things that I used to love that I am uninterested in. Like I have no desire to eat a donut. Just seems like pure sugar to me. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I did not have dumping syndrome (although some sugar alcohols hit my stomach hard). I did have some vomiting, but it was either due to eating too fast or eating a food that my stomach wasn't ready to handle yet (I had some stewed beef at like the 90 day mark and I wasn't as ready for it as I thought I was. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I would say 90-120 days before I felt physically normal (could sleep on my stomach, could handle most foods) 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? In the immediate aftermath of the surgery, no. This was my first (and so far, only) major surgery and I really underestimated how much it would sap my energy. I was walking gingerly for a while. But once I fully recovered, I have had way more energy. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, in mostly good ways. The pre-surgery success-failure cycle of yo-yo dieting impacted my psyche way more than I realized. So this state of long-term success helped greatly (and success, both great and small, is an excellent anti-depressant). Will it cure your depression? Absolutely not. To the extent that you think your problems in life are caused by your size ("I'm single because I'm overweight" or "My weight is why they won't give the promotion" or "my weight is why my mother is passive-aggressive toward me"), the surgery will not make those problems go away. I'm very lucky and very blessed to live an amazing life and the weight-loss has only further revealed what an amazing and blessed life I have. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I do not regret it. I make it a personal policy not to outright recommend it to anyone because everyone has their own journey. For many years, I saw bariatric surgery as a last resort, a kind of "pull in case of emergency" lever. I realized that I was 40+ yrs old with a wife and children and no diet had ever worked for me and I was only fooling myself if I thought the next one would do the trick. I had to either pull the lever or make peace with being morbidly obese for the rest of my life. I pulled the lever and I would pull it again without hesitation.

Medicaid typically requires 6 months of documented medically supervised weight loss attempts with your doctor, bmi of 40 or 35 with at least 2 comorbidities, pass an ekg, blood work, and pass a psych eval before they will approve the surgery. They may also require a referral to a bariatric surgeon from your primary doc. They will also require a letter from your primary doctor approving you to have the surgery. All of that gets submitted to Medicaid by the bariatric surgeon and then Medicaid decides if they will approve it or not. If they deny it, they'll usually tell you why and you can either do whatever else they need you to do or appeal it if you already have it done. That's all I can think of. I actually originally looked into bariatric surgery way back when I was on Medicaid, but ended up not doing it. Once I started my previous job and got BCBS, I looked into it again and ended up doing it. When I had my revision a year later, I was changing jobs and in between insurance and back on Medicaid (if the revision if for complications and not failed weight loss, they tend to approve the revision really fast - in my case, it was 72 hours, if it's for failed weight loss, you basically have to start everything all over again as if you're doing the surgery from scratch, and all the previous requirements are back in place). Now I'm at my current job (dream job) and have United Health Care. I hope this helps somewhat!

As @ms.sss said it’s a matter of time. In the meantime the body dysmorphia is real. Being unable to recognize yourself. Being unable to visualize your actual physical size. Seeing yourself as you were & not as you are. Being unable to equate your weight loss with the reduction of your physical size. And simply not believing you are smaller. Told these stories before but I remember seeing a reflection in a shop window of a woman wearing the same outfit as me. Wish I looked as good as her I thought then realised it was me. Was trying on some shoes & looking in those small, low mirrors they have in shoe shops. Oh, that lady has great legs & turned round to compliment her but there wasn’t another woman. It was me. And yes there are still the odd times I catch a side view in a mirror & there’s that little jolt when I realise it’s me. Oh that’s right, this is how I look now.

I took it prior to surgery while I was still considering options. It did absolutely nothing except made my hair fall out. After about 90days. I didn’t go bald but it was definitely noticeable and I did find out that was a weird side effect. max dose for weight-loss and I lost zero pounds. It gave me headaches the first 2-3 weeks but other than that it was not worth it