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Unfortunately newer GLP-1 agonists like for weightloss like Zepbound (counterpart to mounjaro) and Wegovy have limited availability in Europe. But I believe Saxenda is available in Italy. https://www.politico.eu/article/health-fake-weight-loss-drugs-ozempic-and-wegovy-surge-in-europe/#:~:text=In Europe%2C Wegovy and Ozempic,it's available in the U.S.

You are not a failure. Below are links to web articles on how even a little weight loss can lead to large benefits : https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-five-percent-weight-loss https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/benefits-of-losing-weight https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/benefits-moderate-weight-loss-people-obesity https://www.obesityaction.org/resources/benefits-of-5-10-percent-weight-loss/

So I am 8 months in and down a considerable amount of weight I was at 388 and am now at 267. It’s been a rough road. For several months I could only eat yogurt and drink protein shakes or I would throw up. Well that ended up being from the rapid weight loss causing my gallbladder to act up. I ended up getting my gallbladder out. I would like to say I don’t throw up anymore but that’s not the case. I still struggle with proteins. Poultry is the worst. I also can’t eat low carb high protein wraps or pasta. Before my gallbladder surgery they also checked to see if I needed my esophagus stretched but that was fine. For a long time i regretted the surgery. I’m definitely not at that place anymore but it’s definitely not been easy. I was just wondering if anyone else has the issue with poultry. Best of luck to everyone.

I have very fine hair as well..just start to love hats! Beanies, slouch, stocking, berets, BB caps etc! I just tell myself - this too will pass! Good luck.

Day and night 4. I'm getting better at getting in and out of bed. As long as I am taking my time and remembering to bring the foot of the bed back down, it's almost painless. I've started getting back in bed by doing the reverse and it does hurt. I haven't pooped since a couple days before my surgery, so I asked for stool softners twice. Morning of day 5 and still haven't, so will ask for more. Adjusting position on the bed is challenging. By using both feet and my elbows and being careful not to use my stomach, I can move up, down, left, or right without pain. I can't sit up more or even pull the hair out from behind me without hurting though. If I want to add a pillow so I can sit up straighter to eat, I have to get up. During the night the bra compression garment started cutting in painfully. I also have a couple spots that have begun to itch.

I started taking my bariatric vitamins back when I got my original surgery date, in October, I think. I take the Celebrate One 45 chewable bariatric vitamin and 3 Celebrate calcium chews (fruit flavored, delicious!) per days, as well as lutein and omega 3 supplements that were recommended by my eye doctor (not weight related), and half a biotin chew because it can't hurt, right? I started early strictly to get into the routine. My memory is shite and I wanted to have it be second nature by the time I truly needed it. I do also add a scoop of collagen powder to my tea in the morning and I use retinol body and face creams, but that's more an anti-aging thing as opposed to loose skin prevention. As everyone has said, the loose skin and hair shedding is kind of unavoidable. The supplements, at best, are hopefully to ensure the new hair growth is as healthy as can be. I wouldn't go with expensive "miracle" products because they probably won't live up to the hype or the cost, but if it's in the budget to get a few things that make you feel better, it also can't hurt. I mean, peppermint and rosemary just sounds lovely. Even if it doesn't do a lot, it smells like heaven!

Thank you for your comment You look great! And well done on such an amazing journey! I do fully expect hair loss & loose skin - I am prepared for that, I just wondered if anyone had any experiences with trying to help the body along the way! But it does seem that it isn't needed haha!

I agree with everyone else. Some hair loss and loss skin is pretty much part and parcel with weight loss surgery, especially if you have a lot to lose. Fortunately, for many of us, we're the only ones who really notice it. I had minimal hair loss so I'm sure no one besides me noticed it - and my loose skin was easy to hide in clothes. I eventually had it removed because it was driving me nuts, but here I am before I had it removed. I can assure you that I had a TON of loose skin, but no one knew It was there except me and my husband.

Weight-wise we started out about the same, and I'd lost 75 lbs by the six-month mark, so you are doing fine. And it's very normal to drop down to a 1-2 lb a week loss when you're six months out. Just continue to stick to your clinic's plan, and the weight WILL come off. It took me almost two years, but I got it all off (I've had about a 20 lb rebound gain since I hit my lowest weight, which is very common during year 3 - it's your body settling in to a weight it's comfortable at). as far as calories go, that varies so much for everyone that I can't really say if your input is too high or too low. I think I was eating around 800 calories a day at that point, and I used to fret about that because I'd see people on here eating 600-ish. But they could have been shorter, older, less muscular, and/or less active than me, too. As long as your weight is in a general downward trend, I wouldn't worry about it. Some surgeons want their patients eating more calories in general than other surgeons, so the amount you're taking in isn't anything unusual keep in mind that the closer you get to goal, the slower those pounds are going to come off. During year two, there were months I was only losing a pound or two the entire month. But I was persistent and they DID come off.

I had my surgery in the Uk. My package came with 2 years support. They told me to get a B12 injection every 3 months at my local doctors. I get dobbing big Calci- D tablets on prescription and take one a day. I also get full strength multivitamin Gummies from Amazon, my team said to take two a day. Every team has different recommendations. Once a year I have nutritional blood tests to see if my levels are ok, they have been. Like @Arabesque, I did not bother with any supplements for my skin or hair. At my age It just would have been a waste of money.

Oooh I see! That is so strange but it makes sense that ultimately, our bodies will do as they please haha! I am so worried about losing my hair given that it is already pretty fine! But it will be what it will be! Thank you for sharing your experiences

I was barely eating 900 calories at 6 months (almost a cup of food for a meal depending on what it was & one snack) & at my goal weight. But my stats are different from yours. I’m likely older, definitely shorter & I wasn’t & still aren’t overly active. (I eat about 1600 now to maintain my weight.) You have every right to ask for greater guidance around calories, portion sizes, macros, etc. from your nutritionalist if it makes you feel more confident about your choices & comfortable about what you’re doing. If they refuse you may have to find another one who is willing to support you. Yes, I know calorie counting is considered out, but for us it is an important consideration especially until we feel more secure in what we’re doing & helps us to lose/maintain & maintain our health. We need that guidance now as most of us didn’t know what the hell we were doing in regard to appropriate foods to eat, nutrients our bodies needed, appropriate portion sizes, etc. We’re new borns about a lot of this in the beginning. If we knew it all & could do it we wouldn’t have needed the surgery. Honestly, I wasn’t given calories goals or specific macro except protein 60g for me. Just portion size, and low carb, low fat, low sugar. I was okay with that though I would still randomly check for my own interest. I did a lot of my own reading, and was very careful with what I chose to eat & checked with my dietician at every fortnightly appointment. As I said, you have to feel comfortable & confident about what you’re doing. After those first heady weeks of large weekly weight drops &, regardless of our starting weight, our rate of loss slows. One to two pounds a weeks is okay especially as you are on the homeward path now. Remember that 1-2lbs a week is generally considered a healthy rate of lose for anyone losing weight. Wait until you’re almost there & you’re losing ounces not pounds a week. Believe me, the last few pounds to lose are a b*tch to lose.

Some things I’ve learnt. I am cynical so be warned. Save your money on any supplements or creams to save your hair or tone your skin or reduce skin laxity. Of course any general body care & self care is always a good thing. My cynical self says just don’t put your faith & heart into believing all the miracle cure alls. The hair you lose is hair that you would have shed anyway - your natural shedding cycle is just accelerated for a couple of months. It’s dead hair & you can’t save that no matter how many supplements you take. Those that say it helped don’t know how much hair they would have lost & they still lose for the same 3 or so months as those who didn’t take anything or use special shampoo. Remember too your new growth hair is still growing just at it’s a usual rate. You & your stylist are probably the only ones who’ll notice your loss & in a year or so it will be as it was. How much loose skin you end up with depends on many factors - age, how long you were at your highest weight, how long you carried weight, how much weight you lose, genetics. The loose skin is skin that has been stretched too far & can’t retract any more like elastic in old knickers or an old well used hair band. Only way to get rid of it is through surgery. I’ll be honest. I weakened & bowed to social media & bought that Maey’s B cream range: see results in a month. Well 6 months later & no change. My skin was softer but any cream would have done that. Still had sagging skin & cellulite. Should have saved the $200+. Also did collagen powder & silica for months too. Any change? Nope. Best thing I did for my facial laxity was micro needling/RF. Not a miracle cure but I can see improvement. Did 4 monthly sessions a year ago & two maintenance sessions for this year. (Lipstick bleeding almost gone, acne scarring more shallow, jowls tighter, more defined jawline in general, don’t have to distort my face to see my cheekbones, skin velvet soft, …) See there are things I believe in - LOL!!! As for general vitamins before surgery, have a blood test first & find out what nutrients you may be lacking in & supplement those so you are in a healthier place before surgery. No point taking vitamins you don’t need yet. Many of them you simply pee out what your body doesn’t need. The better, more nutrient dense, balanced diet, being generally healthier, probably did me the most good. My skin isn’t dry anymore (even my feet), don’t have those little bumps on my arms, my nails aren’t as ridged, sleep better, etc. All the best - exciting times ahead for you,

I am a little over 6 months post op, how many calories are you eating now? I am getting about 900-1000 calories, 80g of protein, 50g of carbs. Anyone else have a starting weight at 360ish at 5'9", how much did you lose at 6 months? My surgeon doesn't offer an aftercare support team and the nutritionist (had to get a referral from my primary) that I am seeing doesn't like giving numbers. I also don't feel I can ask him as he will just refer to the paperwork he gave me at the start, which just says under 1200 calories and 60-80g of protein. I am very happy with the weight that I have lost so far, 100lbs since surgery, but it has been very slow the last 2 months or so. I still feel that I should be losing at a faster rate than I am which is only about 1-2lbs a week. Is this just an average weight loss when I weigh 263lbs at 5' 9", haven't been down to this weight in over 15 years.

Bra sizing has been an irritating area for me. This is one of the main reasons PS (breast reduction) has been on my radar for a long time. Prior to becoming obese finding a bra in local stores was impossible because my ribcage size to cup size is not what makers/stores think is average. Stores rarely ever sold 30/32F. I had to settle for a larger band then alter the bra. Add in the weight gain and loss (empty breast are definitely real) I'm waiting to see where I end up. Definitely need a lift.

Happy New Year! And oh my goodness, yes the hair shedding has been crazy for me too. I am trying not to worry too much about it because I heard it is normal due to trauma of the surgery and the nutritional changes, and that it might come back in thicker than before. I also heard that some ended up with wavy hair who used to have straight hair before surgery. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some wavy hair, because mine wouldn't hold a curl for nothing! But at the end of the day as long as it slows down shedding and comes back a little fuller, I will be happy. I make sure to get my BCAAs/Collagen in at least once day, and of course my daily multivitamin. My 3 month blood labs looked good overall according to my surgeon's office, so I haven't added any extra biotin at this time. I do take a B-12 twice a week. Keep us posted how the hair shedding goes for you. Take Care, Maia03

In answer to one of your questions, I took bariatric vitamins before surgery thinking to put myself on the right track before surgery. My dietician was surprised to find out I was..but I thought I was supposed too..they gave me several months of samples before surgery... I started biotin, collagen etc., bioton shampoo/conditioner all months before surgery. Results: My hair is still shedding tons 5 months post op regardless a lot!, I don't know about my labs yet .. That's next month. Its not about what you do before since your body decides to divert its energy to surviving on reduced calories afterwards and growing hair is not on your bodies needed requirements. So, each body is different - hopefully yours will react better!

I just had a revision from the sleeve to a bypass a week ago today. I'm already 16 pounds down. I had horrible stomach acid... the thing is, lifelong taking medicines for stomach acid is bad for you. Increases cancer risks, dementia risks, and accelerates bone loss. I did not want to be taking these meds for decades to come when science has proven how dangerous that is. I've had no vomiting or nausea while healing. This time around, the vitamins don't even make me sick which is a huge relief. They used to.

It is very common and normal to feel regret in the early post-op days. This is probably the most difficult part of the WLS process because your diet is very limited, you're still adjusting physically and emotionally to your post-op life, but you're not seeing the benefits of the weight loss yet. In other words, this is the time when you have the most drawbacks and the fewest benefits, but as time goes by, it will become the opposite -- you'll be able to eat more normally and you'll experience many scale and non-scale victories. It's hard to see that now when you're in it, but when you look back on this time a year from now, it will seem like an insignificant blip on your journey.

I had a thick head of hair, thankfully, however I've been shedding like mad for the past 6 weeks. (Surgery was mid August). I've been taking all my vitamins and one for hair skin and nails but sure doesn't seem to be working. My dietitian suggested to start taking collagen, she also said my hair loss should stop around 8 months. Unflavored beef gelatin is all collagen so I came up with a recipe for jello cubes and just started that. I'm down 87 lbs. My face has been breaking out something awful and I'm nearly 67. Wondering if anyone else has had this issue. I wish everyone great success.

Significant. I'm just thankful its winter and I can wear stocking caps. I've been losing it for about two - three months now. There is nothing you can do. Biotin etc..work on growing hair, not keeping it. The hair falling out now is old hair. I've read it should start stopping around 6-8 months post op <crossing fingers>. I have heard it comes back thicker, although I think that's just because you're used to the thinner hair so it seems like it. I'm not losing as quick as others..only down 70. This month and last two months have slowed significantly. Happy New Year back at you!

Had SIPS/SADI 8/15/23. My hair started shedding noticeably around Thanksgiving and hasn’t let up. It’s disheartening, but part of the journey. I’m down 86 LBS and the last month has been a slow go but I have been slacking in the exercise dept. Happy New Year to all.

I’ve been undergoing revision on my 2004 gastric bypass. I’ve noticed that my hair looks and feels thinner. I hadn’t connected it to the revision. Thank you!

I am losing massive amounts of hair really picked up two weeks ago. Had some blood work done and was low on a few vitamins and minerals hoping getting those up helps considering cutting it all off to help hide the thinness