weight loss and costipation

hello ; i had my gastric bypass on 9-7-07. i was in hospital for 5 days. when i got home and weighed i realized i had gained 10 lbs!!! since that time i've lost that weight plus 18lbs more. does anyone know what the average weight loss is the first month? also have a terrible problem with constipation- does anyone have any ideas for that. i hurt myself with straining! angelicangels

Hi - it's normal to gain weight in the hospital -- they pump you full of those IV fluids.  Don't worry about how much you're losing.  It's different for everyone and you'll have stalls along the way.  Especially if you get constipated (ask me how I know! ).  Ask you doctor about taking a couple of Colace each day to help things move through.  I think s/he would agree that is better for you than straining. Hang in there! Linda

thanks so much for your help! i have a bad habbit of weighing daily and i know i need to change that. had to watch it so closely to qualify for surgery that it became a habbit.i just get anxious. i take lactulose for my constipation and plan on talking to doc about it at post op appt.i just cant take my calcium or iron or it plugs me up tight!!!!!thankyou- angelicangels

Like Linda said, Colace is great... and my surgeon said more water, definitely go for more water, even if you are at your 64 oz. My nurse practitioner at the surgeon's office suggested taking 1000mg of chewable vitamin with your iron to help with the constipation when you start back on the iron. Even if you are not taking the iron, the colace and chewable vitamin C with more water definitely loosens things up, but only if your doc says ok lol. Oh, and regarding weighing daily, that's actually on the list of things that separate successful and not successful bariatric patients... those who weigh daily or close to tend to be more likely to catch slight weight gains and make adjustments.  Of course, there are always differing opinions on that, but a few studies seem to support that. Hope this is helpful, Michele

hi; thanks so much for your advice! i take lactoluse for my bowels but it hasnt been working very well so i'm trying the chewable vit c. its so hard to get all the liquids in as i get full. i did start eating a tablespoon of baby food strained fruit to see if that will help. i also walk daily! as for weighing i guess there is good and bad sides to weighing daily! i see the doc on the 15th so until then i am not taking my iron or calcium until i talk to him! i will just be glad when my stomach starts to feel normal again so i can get comfortable! i must admit things are going much easier then i expected. the only time i get sick is when i take my meds so i consider myself one of the lucky ones! thanks for your advice. angelicangels