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I am 24 months out and have several inches of hair regrowth. About two weeks ago it started coming out in clumps again. I am thrilled with the results of this surgery except for this. I went through the hair loss, experienced the joy of seeing it grow back now I can't describe the feeling of seeing it fall out again. Has anyone else had this happen? I've done some research and can't find anything about it. I take a multivitamin and hair, skin and nails. I use a biotin shampoo, I drink my protein shakes and eat mostly high protein meals. Nothing has changed!
I never drank protein shakes when I was preparing for surgery. They would leave me too hungry. Protein shakes are for the period after surgery when you are not able to eat real food. Some people did very well and never drank a protein shake.
I would think about replacing that protein shake with a meal of meat, fish, or chicken, and some leafy green vegetables. For convenience, try Healthy Choice Power Bowls. Or just have some meat and vegetables. Sometimes I buy small pieces of filet mignon, cook it to medium, slice it, and then put it on top of a large bowl of greens.
A salad with hard boiled eggs is another fairly easy meal.
What my doctor told me to do to prepare for surgery was to quit the Diet Coke and anything white. So no bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, or ice cream. Nothing starchy like corn, and nothing made with flour or sugar.
After I had the surgery, it was so much easier. I was never hungry and I could only eat a tiny amount when I was. One protein shake would last me all day. By six months, I was able to eat quite a bit more, but the hunger has never returned.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
Some doctors have different advise re meals - foods after WLS. Some are more strict that others. My center was very adamant about making sure I provided enough proteins for my body, even if I had to sip protein drinks during the day. (After first 60 days)
Some people who had surgery are going to be listening to their docs and centers. Or even eat and do what THEY feel is correct way. If I were you - I would stop stressing about your MIL. IMO, you are going just waste your energy. You need to focus on you and you only. You can provide her with information - but treat it as a gift to her. Gift without strings attached. So if she chose to ignore it - you would be ok with that. Trust me - I've been there. I saw my dear friend making mistakes after mistakes, getting seriously deficient in critical vitamins and minerals, yet she chose to ignore my advices. Because I was not a doc. I had to let it go. Person is going to do what they want. When I started treating the information I gave her as a gift, it helped out relationship for time being.
Take care of you, and just you. If anything else ,- let your life and your weight loss journey be an example to others.
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
If dieting without WLS was easy, so many of us wouldn't need WLS.
If I were you - I would check for carbs and artificial sweeteners in the food - drinks I was having. I know that it can stimulate my hunger and appetite. Simple one diet drink in a middle of the day or early in afternoon - may make me ravenously hungry a couple of hours later.
Some carbs can be worse for stimulating the insulin release or hunger hormones. There is food - snacks I can have late in a day because there is not much time for hunger.
Also - when I try to limit calories - volume if food even post op RNY - I may do better adding a little bit of fat and reducing carbs. I.e. instead of banana "I want -crave", I may have 1/4 or even 1/2 of avocado. Or add avocado or some fat to my shake.
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
Congrats on your upcoming surgery !! My advice would be to enjoy the ride and follow the rules. It does get harder the farther out you get because the restriction isn't as great. You still will have it but not like the first year to two years and need to have the good habits in place.
My surgeon gave me a copy of the surgical notes and he used a French bougie 34 and 60mm staples. I'm six months out and have full restriction. Not sure how long this will last but hopefully until I reach my goal.
Bougie size I believe is based on patient height, weight, and surgeon technique. Generally, the smaller the bougie, the smaller the new stomach size although the finished sleeve size is determined by how close the stapler gets to the guide and whether the surgeon oversews the staple line.
Periodically I come to this support page because I used to live on it prior to my VSG surgery in 2012 & I remember when someone came through and posted when post their surgery how grateful I was and made me feel I was not about to make a mistake & afterwards that I had not made a mistake. It?s been 7 years since my surgery and I will say the regrets are very very few. It wasn?t easy but at some point you will be able to eat more. The only times I?ve regretted was when I was eating something soo good but couldn?t have but a few bites but I always can have it an hour or 2 later so it?s really All Good! So hang in there. When you are able to wear those smaller clothes you will feel so much better. I remember how the juice from cabbage greens was so so good during that liquid period. Then was the soft foods period & finally progressing to regular food, only a bite or two initially. Still now if I eat a bite too much, everything I ate probably will come up. So just gauge or measure how much you know you can eat as time goes on & just don?t cross that line. I usually fix more than I?m going to eat that I can eat off of later because in my house it may be nothing left to eat from the next couple of hours. I keep water or crystal light for my water to drink through out the day no matter where I go & if I wake up during the night, I?ll just take a few sips & go on back to sleep. It will get better!!! Best of Luck!!!
**And please do not forget the Protein Shakes, since we can't eat enough to get all the nutrients our body needs daily, I have to take my multivitamin supplements & protein shakes are a must!!
Thanks for the link that was a good video. It's interesting that he has meats and dairy closer to the "bad" end of his food continuum, yet it seems that most people on this site (and my nutritionist) recommend high protein, which leaves little remaining room for fruit and vegetables.
And to the thread, I have no idea the size of my stomach!
I was told about this site and figured I would come and say hello, maybe hang out. I'm sure support is important in this process. I am to have a VSG on Oct. 9th. Feel like I am understanding what is to come, but advice is welcome.
-Erik
TY so much, I will try that n maybe do shakes for dinner. Im so excited but yet so nervous lol.
