checking in and Updatey Goodness

Hi hi hi!

I'm mostly a lurker these days, but I have had a great week, so I thought I'd share, comparing this summer to last summer.

• Down 123 pounds from last year, currently about 4.5 months post-op. Not at goal yet, but still coming off!
• Down from size 34W pants to 20W's that are too big, tho I'm still wearing them for another 10 lbs)
• Heart rhythm medicine quit one,  then for the other decrease, decrease, decrease... Now on the lowest possible dose, and probably off it next month entirely!
• Had Sleep study this week, without CPAP, slept thru the night without it for the first time in 12 years. Haven't gotten the official reading and visit with my Dr yet, but the next morning, the nurse said I had no apnea episodes, only two brief hypopnea(reduced but not fully obstructed) episodes with light snoring. She said she would be super surprised if the Dr didn't take me off the cpap! That's the last hurdle between my afib and an ablation, so I am really excited for that!

Basically, things are going great. I hit my daily goals, I feel great, my Dr is very happy with my loss.

One thing I'm not thrilled with is the hair loss. The great shedding is in full swing, and my baby fine hair is showing the loss. Luckily, autumn is coming and I can go thru the cold months with sloppy knit caps to cover that... Surgeon did tell me to aim for 80-100g protein rather than 60-80 since I am having loss, also adding 100mg zinc and 10k biotin(2x per day). He even said Rogaine would help if I was inclined to use it. I bought some but the declining heart medicines have been due to low blood pressure fainting, and as Rogaine was developed as a BP medicine, I don't plan to use it until I'm off the heart meds.

WOW!  OMG and congratulations!  What amazing results!  The hair loss does indeed suck...but meh, compared to EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS WONDERFUL, it's really just meh.  You will be OK!  Cute hats!  I am absolutely delighted for you.  Thanks for sharing!

These posts always helped me when I was pre-op, or when I was immediately post-op and life was sucking... (I had a really rough surgery and first 5 weeks post-op). So I want to return the favor to everyone else.

Unsolicited Helpful CPAP Advice: When the CPAP suddenly starts blowing your mouth open when you're asleep, it's time to have that pressure adjusted. :) When you get to the lowest setting on the machine?  Probably time for a sleep study!

Congrats and keep up the great work!

Thank you! And I hope you're doing well, it's still very early days for you. (I was sure I'd been accidentally sucked into hell at two weeks...)

I am doing well.  However, this must be the infamous 3 week stall because my weight has remained the same for 3 days straight, which is kinda aggravating considering how little I eat.  But that is one of the reason I love this forum because you all inspire me to keep going!

Stalls are actually good. I watched this in the middle of my stall(which lasted the entire second month), and he was right. And I felt better about the unmovable scale number.

Keep hanging in there, do what you can but don't beat yourself up. If you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, it'll start back up in a big way again.

I'm so happy to hear of your wonderful success.  123 pounds down is excellent  and oly 4.5 months post op - amazing. 

Yes, the hair loss is unpleasant but by one one post op, your hair should be filling in again, and almost back to normal. 

Congratulations on all your success.

Keep posting - its inspiring.

Carol

I haven't lost all that since my surgery. I've lost 59 since then, and the surgeon a month of that doesn't count because the horrid complications put me into a stall for. Weeks, and he's only counting me 3.5 months post-op rather than 4.5.

The 123 is since joining the program, my months of nutritionist visits and the 64 lbs I worked hard to lose :)

But I its all counting to me. If I include the weight I lost before joining the program, that puts the total loss to 153 :) Which is why my signature is so confusing, I never quite know when to start the count, because any way I look at it, I've lost a while person of weight... And I love that!

I keep my hair short so it should come back soon, it's just disheartening to use the blow dryer and then look at the sink and floor and see scads of hair. Burgers me more than I care to admit. I keep wearing hats, even when it's hot out(woo for garish rhinestone studded baseball caps!).

On the up side, the biotin is making my fingernails great!

I also lost a good chunk of weight before surgery,  And I think you should definitely count it all in the total.  However you slice it, you are doing great. 

Baseball caps are a great solution.  I considered getting a wig, but I was able to use a body-building mousse and that was enough to get me through.

Keep up the good work!

best wishes,

Carol