One month out.... comments much appreciated

My surgery was 28 days or 4 weeks ago. As of this morning, Ive lost 24.4 pounds. My weight has been static for all but 6 of those days, meaning it was steady with no loss or gain in weight. All of the 24 pounds Ive lost have come in those 6 days. Its strange. I will weight essentially the same for several weeks and then Ill lose 6 pounds one day, 3 pounds the next, and maybe 1 or 2 the next, and then Ill sit at that weight for 2 or 3 more weeks. Im losing an average of almost 9/10ths of a pound per day so I shouldnt complain but its just something Im not understanding... Im starting to have some strong cramps just below my stomach area. Its sort of like really bad gas pains or something but it doesnt move when I lay down or anything. Ive had them every evening from about 6PM to bedtime for about a week now. It happens whether Ive eaten or not. Any similar experiences? My habit has always been to eat until there is nothing left to eat. Of course with WLS Im reduced to grazing lightly for several hours at best now. Over the past few weeks Ive gotten less and less attached to that habit and now Im starting to really have to remind myself to eat. Overall, my general health has improved quite a bit, especially since the 2nd week after surgery. Those first 2 weeks were miserable. I still feel like Im a little weaker, but Im not sure if thats something to do with the surgery or simply because Ive lost a lot of weight so fast? My next appointment with my surgeon is Friday and Im going to get another B12 shot if at all possible. May I ask you how you handle the questions? Do you tell people youve had WLS or just keep them guessing?

Hi, It is very important that you eat. You don't want your body in starvation mode and then you will not lose at all. Plateaus are to be expected. Taking Citrical (spelling?) will help with the digestive issues. Make sure you drink the fluids and increase your salt, if you haven't been advised by a doctor to do otherwise. I am glad you have an appointment soon. Paula

Thank you for your reply. I am eating. Im just eating for nutrition it seems like. I make sure I get at least 50 grams of protein per day, as little fat as possible, and a moderate amount of carbs. This is a minimum. Some days it is all I eat however. I just forget to eat. Im taking potasium everyday specifically for dehydration issues. I got dehydrated just after surgery and it was pretty bad for a few days.

To tell or not to tell............. In the start of my journey, I only told my close friends and family, I did not want to hear all the horror storys of people like " MY sisters' friends neighbor's cousin had that surgery and grew a thrid arm" ETC.... or the storys of people having the old fashion staple the ol stomach and the staples coming out via the nose..... NOPE I only wanted to hear possitive stuff. Now after losing so much weight , when people say to me " HOW did you do it " I admit, I had gastic by pass and it has saved my life. So tell if you feel comfortable otherwise , it is your choice. Good luck. BTW----the belly gas feeling,,,, try more walking during the day .

Thank you for your reply. Im walking at the YMCA everyday. Im up to a little over 3 miles every morning. Most people have a negative view of this. I even made the mistake of mentioned to a few people that they might want to consider WLS. My best friends wife got very upset with me, insisting that she wasnt "fat enough" for it. In truth she is probably bigger than I was but seeing how mad it made her to even suggest it I didnt mention it around her again. Others Ive told have been so keen to tell others about me and my surgery Ive wondered if tellign them was a good idea. I hate being the subject of the gossip mill.

hi there, rm- ok, this is totally NOT what you asked but take heart.... there will come a time when you do get your appetite back and you'll bemoan those days when you forgot to eat! the only thing i have found to be a universal truth about wls is that everyone walks a wee bit different journey. if your nutritional concerns are bugging you, perhaps you might want to chat with your nutritionist; i'm sure they would be helpful. a month out was the time when i found myself really feeling a bit blue-- that too passed in a few weeks but i think it's pretty common from what i've heard others mention. the nc weather is getting so much nicer, perhaps some sunshine will improve your overall sense of well-being. re: what to say. personally, i NEVER tell people i don't know fairly well i've had weight loss surgery. it may be i'm brit and we tend to be a bit more private but i just don't think it's anyone's business what methodology i choose to improve my health. i wouldn't dream of telling a person with any other medical concern that more will power is the answer. anyway, back to what i tell people, i make the effort to smile, thank them for their spoken or implied compliment and say that i feel much healthier. i've had people ask me if i "did anything". i think i mentioned that i did... i took control of my health. i sort of think it's like asking about other personal questions. some people truly are concerned and others are just too intrusive. i understand your wishes for privacy- best wishes for you as you make such positive changes in your life! alex

I know so many people this surgery would help , but I say nothing. It is reall y such a huge comentment to make, I also have told folks that say " I don't weight enough" when I know they are well in the limits. I think keeping it to yourself until you are ready is a good thing, I would have never thought I would share my experence with others in the begining of my journey NOW, I want to tell everyone ( well not one horrible woman I work with ) LOL The reason I said walking was good for gas pains--- it was a problem I had in the first few months, and a short walk in the evening in addition to my mid day workout ,,, after my dinner really helped me relieve the gas pain. Tonight after your last meal , walk for about 10 mintues , see if it does not help .

Hello Alex K... funny you should say, being a Brit, my husband is British ( he has lived here in the states 3 years ) , and I still have not told my in laws that live in England. Like you said , people just don't tell their business.... I am so scared my mother in law will think I am a freak ( she already probaly wonders about me I am a West Virginia by birth , LOL ) ... So I told them on our fall visit , I was on a great diet...

well hello, missus- i think this is an official hijack of the thread! but how delicious to see another brit-- albeit by marriage- on the site! yes, your in-laws are likely curious but if they are anything like my family, they'll never ask. i always find real pleasure in having the power of knowing when i KNOW others are dieing of curiosity but will never ask! it's just one of the silly cultural difference. when we moved to nc last year, i told my husband i adored this area because it reminded me so much of uk. this area is really so gorgeous and these early "spring-ish" days are so welcome. it makes it much easier to get the daily exercise in when it's so lovely outside. anyway, just wanted to say how good it was to find a brit connection! take care, alex

Thank you all for your responses. I realize I am still so new at this and as far as how my new digestive system works I need all the help I can get. I will try to walk this evening and see what happens. I will set an appointment with my nutrtionist soon to discuss everything. Im finding that a lot of the foods I used to eat just totally do not agree with me. Some so called spicy foods are fine with me and have become and almost staple of my diet, mainly because they are small meals and have loads of protein. At the same time, other less spicy foods make me very sick. Just the thought of fried foods makes me sick right now. One of my favorite foods now is pinto beans, boiled for almost a full day to make them very soft. I also try to eat a banana everyday. The bananas for some reason take me quite a while to eat. So far I havent been depressed. I do find Im having a hard time deciding what to do with my life next. I think the person Ive always played in life is soon going to be gone, replaced by someone I dont know yet. Im trying to figure out who that person is as I go. My PCP once told me I have a very peculiar way of dealing with stress and depression. I tend to either try to hold it in or channel it into other aspects of my life. In the past I used some very devastating events in my life as motivation to "win" and succeeded. I do find that food was always a comfort for me in times of stress and now that I dont have that I am a little lost so to speak. Im trying to find new ways of dealing with stress or avoiding stress altogether. I am down 43 pounds since I started my preop diet and 24 since the surgery. Its about time to go rummaging through my old clothes to try to find some smaller pants. I have two pair of sweatpants and a pair of jeans and all are falling off of me right now. I have noticed a few women paying me a little more attention. My daughter, who is 13, has noticed also and she is very protective of me, telling me to stay away from those "ho's". I cant help but laugh a little when she does that.