Question:
will eating ice strech out my stomach.and i stp loseing weight at 8wks.

i love eating ice but i do't want to strech out my new pouch can that happen from eating ice? my weight has stopped dropping and i just had my gastric bypass done on june13,08.i dropped my protin down to 50grams but now i noticed my hair is sheding .i really want the weight to dropped off but i am limited in the exercises i can do.iwas in a wheel chair a few years ago.i broke my legs 3 times and have two metal rods in one and a fuse and rebuilt ankle. i am having a hard time getting my heart rate up to help me lose. has this surgery ever failed and people did not reach their gaol weight?    — alicey (posted on August 11, 2008)

August 11, 2008
Alice, first of all, welcome to the loser's bench! It is perfectly normal to stop losing from time to time. I like to think of plateau's as time for my skin to catch up. My plataeu's last the better part of 3 weeks. Don't stress over it! Ice is ok. It melts to a liquid and you have to have lots of water each day. My hair started falling out at 3 months and it was horrible! I increased my B complex vitamin, take B12, hair nail and skin vitamin 3 times daily, vitamin e, calcium, multivitamin, and zinc. B vitamins are excreted in your urine so you can't get too many. I asked my doctor before I started this regimen, and he said it was ok. The hair has stopped falling out. Remember, around 3 months hair is going to fall out. Take your vitamins, protein, and calcium and all will be ok. Any extra movement a day is helpful to your weightloss. Remember Richard Simmons? His target audience was so obese that they could only move their arms. Keep trying and keep up the good work!
   — mary_rn

August 11, 2008
Ice will not stretch out your pouch. Is this is new habit? This is an Iron Deficiency symptom...I was freezing all the time and had to have my ice chips...I've broken the habit and not anemic anymore either...So I guess it was symptomactic for me. Just something to think about...hair loss is not an anemia symptom...But I just went for labs myself last friday. I have hair loss and fear i might have slipped back into anemia and I get all my protein near 100 g a day...So...it's not that for me. Will be interesting to see where my vitamin levels are though.
   — .Anita R.

August 11, 2008
Alice - First off, ice is just water in solid form, so as long as you chew it before swallowing, it'll go right through you. It's nice to meet a fellow "cruncher", though ;) Although I've had to have 4 root canals this year, and eating ice is really not good for your teeth, so do it in moderation. Also, why did you drop your protein down to 50g? Did someone tell you to? The guideline that was drilled into my head from my dietitian was HALF you body weight in protein every day. So if you way 300 lbs., you should be taking in 150g of protein a day. I get mine via protein shakes, that I LOVE, even after all these years. I'll tell you something else: I am CONVINCED that calcium (taken in the CORRECT form, NOT Tums) is crucial to weight loss. So be certain that you're getting your B12, calcium, and plenty of protein. Lack of protein also causes hair loss, so when you up your protein, that should subside. But I also used the Nioxin product line for a year after surgery, and not only didn't I loose hair, I grew MORE (results not guaranteed, folks). Good luck :)
   — webgrrlie

August 11, 2008
Congratulations on getting the surgery! Welcome to the losing side. I too hit a plateau soon after surgery. This too shall pass. Are you sure you are eating enough? It seems that if I don't eat enough my body goes into starvation mode and I don't lose. It's weird we dont eat enough we dont lose, we eat too much we don't lose! Please be sure you eat enough protein my nutrionist told me that if we are getting enough protein hair will fall out, I also take 5000 mcg of Biotin to make sure I don't have hair loss. Hair loss was my biggest fear. Just exercise as much as you can and you will be fine. Trust me the weight loss will start back soon. My plateau's seem to last for about three weeks then I start losing again. Keep us the good work and stay positive!
   — karenyhb

August 12, 2008
Find a gym or pool that offers water aerobics classes... you can also "walk" or "run" laps in the pool. Wheelchairs are great for the mall or other large stores with slick floors... if you wheel hard enough, your heart rate will go up. Good luck.
   — mrsidknee

August 14, 2008
Ice won't stretch your pouch, but is this a habit or do you have PICA? I used to crunch ice chips all of the time, but it ruined my teeth and I had to have A LOT of expensive dental work because of it. As far as exercise goes, there is always something that you can do if you try hard enough to get in some exercise. My surgeon only requires 10 minutes per day of any exercise, anything over that is a bonus. The only excuse he will accept for not exercising is if you are on a ventilator in the ICU. Swim, recumbent bike, upper body exercises, something.... just do it. As far as the surgery failing, I think people's bad habits can cause them not to reach their goals as we have surgery on our stomachs, not our heads. The tool will work... follow orders and you will have success too. You are not getting enough protein at 50 gms per day... should be at least 80 per day. Dawn
   — DawnVic