Curing Head Hunger, and Physical Ailments- Advice Needed

pashmina · 01-22-2008, 02:48 PM

I love my band- I would do it over again in an instant..in less than an instant, but I'm struggling with a few things and need to reach out to my LBT people.

You hear it in the support groups, etc...they put the band around your stomach, but nothing around the brain. Recently I have felt a relapse of head hunger that I thought was gone for good (silly me- this is lifelong addiction we're dealing with). What do you all do to combat phantom hunger pains (i.e. boredom, loneliness, depression- you know...all the emotional crap that makes you eat in the first place)? My credit cards can't tolerate too many more substitute compulsions at Banana Republic.

I'm six months out now, taking vitamins, and eating as much as I can without getting sick, but I'm clearly suffering from some side effects of malnutrition. My hair is still coming out too much (not noticeable to others, but to me), nails are brittle and peeling/breaking (I'm using protein nail polish), electrolytes seem very off-balance (frequently dizzy and bp hovers right around 90/60 daily), my lips are chronically chapped despite increased fluids and every brand of lip balm you can come up with, and just plain fatigued more than I should be.

I'm having the same problems with caloric intake that I did two months in. Has anyone else battled this and found resolution?

**Wheetsin** · 01-22-2008, 03:04 PM

How quickly are you currently losing weight, how many calories are you eating, and where are they coming from, what's your fluid intake, etc?

restricted · 01-22-2008, 03:23 PM

I think we all have trouble occasionally. We didn't get obese overnight, and won't lose our weight instantly either. Try to take it one day at a time. The good thing about a bad day, is a new one starts again in less than 24 hours!

pashmina · 01-22-2008, 03:26 PM

I've lost 10 lbs this month and 13 the month before...loss has been fairly steady save for a couple of plateaus here and there. I try to average anywhere between 1000 and 1300 calories daily, but am probably getting no more than 700. I drink at least 6 cups/water daily. I have one whey protein shake daily. I have a lot of food allergies, but based on discussions with my dietician I don't think the problem is quality. I think my body is just continuing to adjust to eating differently and less. I would just like the adjustment to be over.

trystelle · 01-22-2008, 05:08 PM

How about some protein shakes to up your protein and calories a bit?

sarahthree · 01-22-2008, 11:56 PM

700 isn't enough calories over a long period of time.... i would maybe argue that it's fine for maybe a couple of weeks, but keep in mind that, to get the nutrition you need, EVERY single one of those 700 calories is going to have to be high-quality, well-planned, etc. i don't know anyone who can successfully eat in that way. try upping your calories! you will still lose as long as you are burning more than you eat (so long as you haven't been eating only 700 calories a day for long enough to alter your metabolism, but i've heard that can take around 8-9 months). have you thought about maybe trying bodybugg? i just got one recently and find that it brings a lot of peace of mind as far as calculating how much i've burned and eaten each day, each week, each month, and i never end up eating too much or too little, or exercising too much or too little. maybe that could be helpful to you in resolving this...? it really sounds like you're suffering from how few calories you are taking in, and even with no appetite and really tight restriction, you should be able to find (healthy) ways to increase your calories on a daily basis. keep us posted; i hope you feel better soon!

sarah

FinallyFree · 01-23-2008, 12:07 AM

Pashmina, I had hair loss too, but remembered having to add 1tsp. of oil (cooking, butter) a day when I was on the Diet Center diet to prevent hair loss.

I added the 1 tsp. of oil a day and that helped.

The hair loss should stop around the 5th month.

Starting wgt. 225 1-07
Current wgt. 149 2-08

kellye · 01-23-2008, 12:21 AM

finally free, What does the cooking oil do?? What do you add it too? I have thin hair and if this will help I will surely try it!

Kellye

Ms.Toya · 01-23-2008, 12:44 AM

also there is a vitamin called "biotion" that prevents hairloss. That is what my dietician told me. Get the 500 mg pills (not the 5,000 mg capsulles I got by mistake the first time)

FinallyFree · 01-23-2008, 09:46 AM

K. The oil is FAT! You could add a tsp. of butter/margerine to you oatmeal, or vegtables. Don't get carried away though, I don't use it everyday.

Please don't take my word over your nutritionist. I found the tsp. worked for me. I need the tsp. but not more than that.

I like the idea of Biotion, I'm going to check it out.

**Kat817** · 01-23-2008, 09:59 AM

My hair loss lasted much longer than a month--and was severe, but it did quit right about a year out, and has been growing in ever since.

Fresh fruit and fresh vegetables will up your caloric intake in a healthy way. I have to eat fruit carefully to avoid a PB---I think it is the high water content in some fruits!

I also saute squash and things of that type in small amounts of real butter or olive oil, for basically the same reason Finally Free mentions, your body needs some fats. I found my skin was so flaky, the nutritionist suggested it for that.

Are you taking anything besides the multi vitamins? Just some general supplements? I take calcium chews---and I can always use the extra calcium, but they also help with my sweet cravings following dinner! I use the store brand of like Viactiv! They help with the head hunger telling me I want candy or ice cream! They are like little caramels, and I eat that, and feel like it is a treat!

Hope your hair loss is over soon, it is so traumatic, I know! The nails improve about the same time out. I used Aveeno for babies and it worked wonders with my skin, and helped the nails too---as far as the cuticles.

They are serious emotionally upsetting side effects, and unfortunately many of us experience them, the good news is----they DO pass!!!
Hang in there I survived it, and you will too!
Kat

**Wheetsin** · 01-23-2008, 10:24 AM

Biotin does not prevent hairloss. If it did, we wouldn't have any bald people, and expensive products like Rogaine, and Hair Clubs for Men, and wigs, and surgical treatments for hairloss, and...

Have you been tested to show a Biotin deficiency? If you have a biotin deficiency, you will lose hair. Period. Not just the hair on your head. Eyelashes, eyebrows, arm hair, etc. Taking biotin only increases the amount of biotin in your system, and that will only have a significant impact on hairloss (ALL hair) if you are counteracting a deficiency. As of about 4 months ago, there was never a single study ever that showed an improvement of hairloss by taking Biotin in people that did not have Biotin deficiences (I spent some time aiding a Band practice and did a TON of research on this for part of the information packet and SG presentations).

You've been banded about 6 months, and average about 700 calories. If your ticker is accurate, you still have a good supply of fat reserves. I don't see where your calorie count is going to be the issue, as long as you're getting healthy calories. *Many* people maintain 600 - 800 calories to achieve their weightloss, and only up it to maintain. For a good year or so, I averaged liberally below 800 calories. I believe Wasa averaged about 600 during the year she was in weightloss mode. Every doctor I spoke with, including my surgeon, PCP, three close personal friends who are doctors, etc. all felt this was fine as long as they calories I did eat weren't crap, and as long as the fat was there to breakdown and supplement. And as long as I promised to hit a minimum water intake of 64 oz + 8oz for every 10 lbs of excess fat (guideline that stems from old Atkins research), which I usually did, but not always.

Have you gone to your doctor and had her test you? Labs can show (common) deficiences. If you have a, or a few deficiences, you need to know exactly what they are and not just start popping supplements... that can be very bad for you. (People think they're harmless, so not true.)

If you search here and read through the hairloss threads (tons of them), the one thing you will find repeated by seasoned bandsters is that it's a waiting game. The hairloss starts, persists sometimes for 4-6+ months (about a year was the worst I remember), and then almost overnight it stops. There is no one product that consistently shows results. "Oh, I prayed to the great god Suave and didn't lose a single strand!" Umm... good, and maybe you're one of the lucky ones for whom surgery does not result in hairloss... doesn't have anything to do with the great god Suave.

By the way, IF you have a Biotin deficiency, which you probably don't, and IF taking Biotin helps with your all-over-the-body hairloss, it really is going to help all over the body. In other words, not only will your eyebrows, eyelashes, and arm hair grow, but so will ALL hair.

pashmina · 01-23-2008, 11:17 AM

Thanks everyone for all the tips, tricks, and supportive messages. I've been taking the chelated zinc for hair, and protein for nails, and I do still have my protein shakes at work, pure tea tree oil and retinol on my scars, read up on every site known to man re: hair loss and deficiencies, and different ways to get better quality calories. I'm more in touch with my body now than I have probably ever been.
I believe it will just be a waiting game for things to balance out again. As for bloodwork- my surgeon waits til 6 mos to do the 9 vial shuffle I had pre-op and see where my levels are at. I expect to see the order sheet at my next appointment in about a week. FUN!
All of the above was part of a conscious choice so I don't complain [well, anywhere other than LBT : ) ], I'm just frustrated. Hopefully things will improve soon.