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Yep, Many of us here have had the 3 year mark gain. I have the sleeve. I can eat more. Getting my weight back down is slow but can be done. Maintaining for me is fighting 10 pounds up and down the scale. Some people do the pouch reset - Back on track program or going back to bariatric basics. (Logging, protein goal, hydration and exercise) I hope you find what works for you.

I still have personal trainer credits. This week I am going to restart with a personal trainer. I WILL NOT TELL HIM I HAD BARIATRIC SURGERY. I just watch reactions as I loose weight doing little exercises. Don't tell anyone you had surgery. You could make this an awesome joke. Sent from my XT1609 using BariatricPal mobile app

Well the German Kaiser died,lets all hope the California one didn't or at least the Bariatric Department before you get your surgery. Congratulations on completing all the steps. Now you sit and waiit and wait. I'm thinking you'll soon be giving us more good news.[emoji2][emoji2][emoji2] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey I’m having surgery at the Mexico Bariatric Center on April 25th the day after you! Congrats!! [emoji4]

I mine didn't start till about 4. 5 months. I took all my vitamins, got all my protein, and still lost hair for about 6 weeks. Here is a decent writeup on telogen effluvium. https://www.drdkim.net/ask-the-dietitian/understanding-hair-loss-after-bariatric-surgery/ Sent from my XT1254 using BariatricPal mobile app

I was good up until about 4 months, then started losing a lot. I had Bypass surgery Oct 10. I have steadily taken in a lot of protein with Unjury and Premier Protein, as well as lots of chicken, cheese, eggs, etc. I have lost a lot in two months. I also took Biotin from the beginning and two months ago started on another product that has horsetail product in it, etc. Still lost hair. I believe it is finally quitting and I am at six months from surgery today. My hairdresser said it is coming back in, but it is very thin and I have always had thick hair. From what I read there is not much you can do about it except take some supplements. I am very good at taking my bariatric vitamins and calcium 3x a day as well. I think it is just part of the surgery.

Update: 7 Weeks Post - 198.4lbs (-24lbs from SW of 222.4lbs--hey, that's 3.4lbs/wk--I'll take it!!!) Basic Macros for 6 Weeks: 450-550 cals; 60-65g protein; <25g fat; <20g carbs Food Volume: 1/2c by volume ALWAYS. I go by volume first. That's about 1.75-2oz protein; 1/2-1oz veggies (no more than 3.5oz by weight) Wow! Big things happened this week, not least of which were doctor appointments that resulted in changing up medications and also discontinuing a medication! Yippeee!!! The cardiologist took me off one of my big time BP drugs and started up a diuretic again -- a different one though. It seems to really help. My BP looks better than before and I'm slowly losing my cankles. Thank you sweet baby Jesus! And my pulmonologist said we should try to discontinue an asthma drug I've been on since about 2000. It's an inhaled steroid and there can be weight gain associated with it. So far, so good on both changes! And the happy miracle is that this week, I've lost about about 8lbs. Now, before everyone goes all sappy. Let me just remind you that most or all of that is fluid. Not real fat loss. But hey, carrying around 8lbs less fluid is grrrrrrEAT! Haha, see what I did there? I also had a NSV! I appropriated a pair of jeans from Mr. No-Hiney himself. They are too big in the waist, but I fill the hiney just fine. They make a great pair of boyfriend jeans. And that means, I can just borrow them and not have to buy anything. Yay me! It's the first time I can claim being more than 25lbs lighter than him since we met! In fact, I haven't been this weight since about 2000. Wowza! I still can't admit that I feel like I'm actually gonna make goal. I'm working on that one. I know it "will come" with time and continued success. But I look at the scale at 198 and think..."Gah! I can't wait until I'm 160lbs again." That was the weight I was when Mr. F. and I first met. And I felt sorta kinda like "all that and a bucket of fried chicken too." I thought I was Miss Thang! Cuz, you know, I was only 10lbs more than my high school weight. LOL. OMG. So weird. I'm still eating repetitiously of the same foods I know I can tolerate (which is a pretty broad food list!). At 6 weeks I'm still eating 1/2c by volume. And I try to limit the weight of any meal to about 3 to 3.5oz max by weight. I honestly don't know if my tummy is talking to my brain. Mainly cuz I think 1/2c volume stretches my tummy, but it doesn't stretch it to top/full capacity. So I'm just abiding by the set volume and knowing that I'm probably safe with that quantity and will do no harm. I'm not gonna test it to see if I can actually eat 3/4c of food by volume. You know? I'm getting about 60-65g of protein in each day and most of that is coming from foods. I look forward to the day (God I hope I don't regret this thought...) when I CAN eat 3/4c of food because I'd like to add in that 1/4c of low carb veggies. So far, I'm staying very low carb, less than 20g per day total carbs. I'm eating protein, a TINY bit of fat from spray EVOO, and eating about 1/2-1oz (weight) of veggies per meal. That leaves me with 1.75-2oz (weight) of protein per meal. It's right on target with the amounts my RD has in the BIG BOOK OF BARIATRICS. LOL. My calories still average between 450-550cals/day. I'm getting in all of my water each day with a minimum of 100fl oz and often going as much as 120fl oz. So all in all--a good and productive week. I'll be back next week to report more.

And less fleshy every day, glad your pix showed up on current page even tho you posted to Guys Room. I am so proud of you because I knew the just-before Mattymatt too.[emoji106]And I know you don't need this validation but,i think of you as my Bariatric Brother. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Thaks for reminding me, this morning I woke up with a little more hope in my[emoji173], maybe I'm too impatient, maybe I'm a slow loser like my Bariatric Friend Forever Fluffy Chix, hey saw one of her postings today and she's starting to get some GOOD results. So happy for her. Been about a month now, but in that month I've been battling the sinusitis from Hades. I am on my 4th different antibiotic, yesterday I had to go to my local hospital also known as the "band aid station" to the Columbus hospitals, one of which I'll have my future surgery at. Anyway I had to have sinus X-rays, something even they couldn't mess up too bad.Gosh they put my poor head in the weirdest contortions. One was my head back and my neck,hyperextented, I asked them,"Are you sure nobody's going to come in and put an endothracheal tube down my throat? Because that's roughly the same position they put someone in for surgery. Also told them to show a little mercy for my 72 year-old spine and body! They are not quite as flexible as they once were! I know I act younger, I call it suffering from Peter Pan Syndrome," I never grew up" in some of my emotional dealings. But I think it does give me a sunny bouncy attitude in life, except my sunny is having trouble showing with a perpetual Headache. Been closer to a month and a half now and perhaps my body is using my losing weight energy on that instead. Oh I am going to get there, I checked my current eating on My Fitness Pal and I'm averaging 900-1000 calorie, gave up breads and their evil cousins- pasteries, rice etc. About the only Cereal grain I'm eating is oats in my AM oatmeal, only potato family is sweet potatoes, gave up butter and brown sugar on them eons ago. Just nuke them in the microwave, split them open and eat them. And I've been stuck in this lull about as long as all this. When I see the surgeon maybe I can tell him "see I need surgery because it isn't going away on its own" Ohio doesn't seem to get on the Better Weather Train this month. If it gets up to 60-70, the next day it snows. I want spring and I want it abundantly and vibrantly WARM. [emoji106][emoji13] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Wish it was lower calories in , more calories out or burned, but alas in Bariatrics we live in a more complex world than that![emoji30] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Same here about the hubby. I had to watch a video last night, it was a Bariatric surgery class from the hospital I’ll be having it done at...the whole time we’re watching it, he was breathing heavy...rubbing his face...looking all worried lol...I’m hoping his nerves calm down a lot before then or it’ll make my anxiety higher. He wants what’s best for me and has been on board since it’s something that I want...but I wish he would see it has a ‘need’ not a ‘want’...I’ve been heavy most of my life. I have an almost 7 year old that I want to be able to do things with instead of sitting on the sidelines watching her dad do everything.

I have been doing some research/reading on this topic (here and on other forums/sites) & I have found that a lot of bariatric patients find it easier to tell outside people (friends, coworkers, strangers) rather than family. I dislike it so much that family can be the one to tear you down. 😞

They also could have been implying.....Wow, that's a terrific loss for someone who JUST had sleeve and not full bypass. For all you know, the previous patient could have been someone who had full bypass who wasn't losing as much as you are and they found it a bit surprising and impressive. So many, many possibilities. When in doubt...try to remember....doctors are typically too absorbed in the science of the cases.... to make a personal slight, or even imply one. There would be no benefit from them behaving this way, since they know patients (particularly bariatric patients) can be mood swinging and sensitive. It would cause headaches for them that they don't want and genuinely do try to avoid.

Welcome consuelo to Bariatric Pal. Yes it is exciting to be starting, it is a big life changing thing you have undertaken. Won't always be easy, you may end up with bends and curves on the journey. There may even be times when you feel ready to give up but you won't. The victories in your life outweigh anything bad. I'm a little bit farther along but haven't gotten my date as yet. If things smooth out for me I'm thinking May or June? Although I'm in rather a holding pattern I'm still eating,better and more,low calorie than my former diet. And I don't eat or even desire desserts of any kind anymore. I feel like I'm still in training for the Weight Loss Derby, just taking longer than I like. Ask any questions you may might have, if I don't have an answer someone else on Bariatric Pal will. You're in the middle of a world wide group of nice helpful people, and each new person is special in all our eyes.[emoji14] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I have Molina medi-cal what’s there process for bariatric surgery?

Okayestmom Hi there. I can sympathize with many of your trials. Oh the hoops we jump through, the tests we have, but you know the final result will be worth it. Will,you be a sleeve or a bypass? My bariatric hospital says they do more bypasses, can't prove it by me,seems like a lot more sleevers on BP. Maybe we Bypassers, cause that's going to be mine when time comes, are less vocal? Anyway we love each other, our innards may get arranged differently but we are all recruits in the Weight Loss Wars and we visit back and forth a lot.[emoji14] I have apnea, GERD, arthritis since 25, hiatal hernia, crankey level COPD, 2 knee replacements. strawberry Blonde hair, 5ft8in, 323lb that gives me a BMI of 47 and I'm 72 loud, proud years old. Yes a,little older than the average but I'm in it to win it as we all are. Located in Central Ohio and having my surgery in Columbus. When? Danged if I know, maybe May? In the meantime I'm the Welcome Wagon, self appointed, I love to met new friends here. Hang around with us a while, we are very nice folk[emoji14][emoji626][emoji13] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Weightwise.com is a bariatric clinic in Edmond OK. Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (LAGB)- $8,995 Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRnYGB) – $19,995 Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve (LGS) – $9,995 Single Anastamosis Duodenal Switch – $20,000 Revisional SADS – $13,000 ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon – $7,495 Those prices include the surgeon, asst surgeon, anesthesiologist, and an uncomplicated hospital stay. Pre op tests are not included in this price but insurance can be billed for some of that.

I don’t think I’m at risk of diluting my electrolytes like that...seems like it’s way more common in long distance running and other endurance athletics. I was definitely mindful of it when I ran a marathon last spring. The national academy of science came up with a recommendation of 3.7 and 2.7 liters of fluid daily for men and women - (food and water combined). But that’s if a person is not very active. The recommendation goes up if there’s lots of exercise. I just wonder if that need changes at all for bariatric patients. Sort of like how calorie needs change for us post surgery.

PLEASE CONTACT Rob Peterson in Bariatrics .... call any Kaiser number and pester them until they find him. He is either at Sunset or on Cadillac. I had Roux en y 13 years ago and ZERO problems ..... lost 160 lbs and kept it off all these years. I will forever be grateful to Kaiser and at that point they outsourced to Scripps in SA N Diego..... Dr Rumsfield is my hero and the kindest, most graceful Dr. I have ever met. He treated us as "normal" whether we were 500lbs or 120lbs. [emoji170][emoji170][emoji170][emoji170] Please mention me to Rob.... he knows me well and he will advocate for you. 🤗🤗🤗🤗 Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

And if anyone wants to know mine are High Weight 355, --current weight323 and stuck --surgical date: in the hands of the Bariatric Gods and my surgeon. I'm stuck at my "fat set point" until liquid diet days and surgery. But I'm still in it to win it! Been trying to track on My Fitness Pal, averaging 900-1000 calories so until I up my exercise level, walk more since I don't have a gym membership I'm stuck somewhere on an Andean desert plateau[emoji88] or something similar. I'm not giving up emotionally, still want to keep moving ahead[emoji590][emoji106] but my body says [emoji107]"Meh". And there I be, a perpetually Pre-Op![emoji30] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Take a deep breath before you go in. Still okay? That's good! Be positive, be up beat and cheerful, be yourself. They may ask why do you want bariatric surgery? Everybody has their reasons, for me and my own because I am 72 an untraditional age. Arthritis since 25, 2 knee replacements, GERD another name for reoccurant heartburn, multiple diet attempts, nothing kept it off even if I lost a little, sleep apnea(many overweight people do) but my bottom line was I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired and the thought of surgery scares me less than the thought of continuing as I am. The surgeon probably,will ask questions like Do you snack a lot? They may explain the pluses and minuses of each type of most surgeries, most popular are the vertical sleeve gastrectomy, RnY bypass, some do ESG which is done endoscopical with a tube down into your stomach then interior stitching to fold your stomach and reduce its size. A few will install an OberA balloon into your stomach, that they only leave that in 6 months, still costs nearly as much as the other surgeries and I would think of limited benefits. A very few surgeon's do Duodenal Switch, a more radical surgery, or Single Anastomosis bypass or some others I'm not as familiar with. Most surgeries are done laprascopicaly, with 5- 7 small slits in your tummy which is a lot easier on you than the Open variety once done. You'll heal quicker and have less pain with the small slit method. Your surgeon will probably make his or her suggestion on what they feel would be the best one. It is your choice and your body but do listen to their professional opinion, they have been in the business and truly can give a valuable opinion. Either they or your insurance may have multiple consultations for several different things, do them for they are of benefit to you and ensure you are in the best emotional and physical shape before surgery. And good luck, it is at once scary and thrilling to go through the different stages, but you will make it there and the rewards will be many![emoji14][emoji304][emoji13] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Seems like almost every premenopausal chick on here does that. Suspect it could be blood thinners, the shock of major surgery or hormones being released from your fat stores. One skosh older lady said it's like puberty, pregnancy and menopause rolled together, but you don't get a cute baby out of the deal. And prepare yourself for some mood swings because of those durn hormones releasing back out, most seem to get cranky and easily offended, but it will pass. Bad things usually do, your ride might her bumpy but the weight loss and clothing sizes,getting smaller, the renewed energy makes it all worth while. Smile, every stage you go through leads to victory[emoji14] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm 3 months post-op (sleeve) and losing hair like crazy. I have very thick hair to begin with, so I wasn't that worried at first but handfuls are coming out when I wash my hair, or run my hands through it, and it's starting to freak me out. I eat at least 80 grams of protein per day, take my bariatric multivitamins (with folic acid), extra iron supplements, and I've been taking Biotin for about a month now, but it doesn't seem to be slowing. I know from everything I've read that it will stop eventually but I'm still nervous about how much hair I'll lose between now and then. Has anyone had this problem and, if so, how long did it last? Did you try any of the hair growth shampoos like Nioxin (and did they work)?

Patty I’m so relieved for you! That’s great news to hear you’re on the way back to Weight Loss Town 😁. I went to my 4th barium swallow after fill removal on Dec 15 and was allowed to put back 1ml but no more at this stage and likely forever. I have 5mls now whereas I had 6.25mls before my esophagus crapped out. Restriction at the moment is average/ordinary but nothing that gives me security. I need more. My Bariatric GP says “no way”. She’s referred me back to my surgeon for a conversion to sleeve with a 4 month game plan. If my esophagus FULLY heals and can take a fill without reflux...the band will stay. If by August, I’m still refluxing under a barium swallow guided fill (?) then no more fills for me. If I’m not loosing by August on 5mls (?) Out with the band and chop-chop under the knife I go. im up 20lbs since being I filled which is sh*t but when this happened last time (a kink in the tubing-had to wait 3 months post surgery for a fill...) I had gained 70lbs. THE STRUGGLE IS REEEEEEEAL! 😂 ok. Thanks for posting; everybody! Your stories help. Keep us posted Patty and hang those leathers in full eye sight. Not long now!! Elle x (Australia)

And if you need another friend J Mkay, I'm almost always in reach of my smartphone. I know what it's like to be a BIG girl,at 1 year I Was 35 inches tall 36lbs and the last time I could pass for being normal sized or at least proportioned right I was 5ft7in and 110 lbs, sounds okay? Then consider the fact,i was just 11 years old. And that was 61 years ago, honey I feel like I wrote the book on "fluffy".Now I'm waiting for,my own bariatric surgery, the unhappy bearer of a 47 BMI. Currently I stand at 5ft8in, shrunk some down since menopause, in my prime I was 3 in taller. As your vertebra slide down together you get a backache and sciatica. There's pain# 1, I have had 2 knee replacements so pain#2 and 3, I have had degenerative arthritis since 25, major pain #5. swelling in both ankles and calves, and worst of all I am tired of dragging my big fat body around, all 323 lbs of me. I have a chance with weight loss surgery that no diet plan could give me. And I am reaching over the edge of the Life Merry go Round and reaching for the gold ring before it's too late. In all probability I will have RnY bypass surgery in May 2018. And I can hardly wait for that day to come. I jokingly call myself the Bariatric Godmother because I'm just about the oldest active on here. A good sense of humor, you have to laugh to keep from crying, a lot of life experiences under my belt, buried a son and husband 4 1/2 years apart, so a few bumps bruises and scars along the way but I'm still alive and planning to stay that way. If you need any answers or feel lonely and friendless, I'm here. If I don't have an answer someone on Bariatric Pal will. In the meantime, Welcome and we hope you'll visit us here for a good long time.[emoji14] PS I'm redheaded, spunky and stubborn and intend to spend my remaining days slimmer, trimmer and fitter, and if I can do it-you can too. Neither one of us will accept failure, you hear?[emoji106] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app