The Guys’ Room

1,612 topics in this forum

Just hit 100 lbs post op. Still a steady loss. I wish I would have done this years ago.

Hey fellas, has anyone noticed a change in their facial hair since surgery? I've had several friends ask if I dyed my goatee, and I have to admit that it seems to have a hell of a lot less gray than three weeks ago... Anyone else see any changes? Thickness, ability to grow, etc.?

I have to wear a suit to work everyday. I am 80# down and now all my suits are falling off me. I don't really want to buy new suits as I still have 30 to 40 more pounds to go. Any tips on getting away with a Blazer. I don't usually like sport coats so not sure how to pull it off. Looking for some fashion advice. Thanks

Just curious how much weight people lost on the pre-op diet. I've lost 20 lbs. but I don't know how much my surgeon expects/wants. The nurse said not to worry, just lose as much as you can. I go in on Monday. Yikes! Am I really doing this? Looks like I am!

Ok It seems the that on here there are no taboo's when talking about weight loss Men discuss the possibility of becoming the next BIG thing in the porn industry and women discuss needing more support in the breast department and so on However I have noticed another NSV that seems to have been missed or not suffered by others on here!!!!! I can now wipe my bum without having to dislocate my shoulder to do it Wooooo Hooooo

I stopped at the library after work this afternoon to work on a paper that is due for a class I am taking. (working on my masters) An extremely attractive women in maybe her late 40's asked me if I would like to get a cup of coffee. I graciously declined and she handed me her number. Said she her company just transferred her to Dallas and she is way past the bar scene. Again, I declined (married for 17 years) but wow!!!! it did feel awesome to be noticed again.

Getting sleeved Feb 3th, I am starting to hear everyone and all I hear is dont do that your not that fat, your not gonna qualify, just put some time in at the gym, people die from this surgery. I hear all these comments, I understand that I am 260 pounds and 5'11 but I have other medical issued ( high b/p., back issues) that made me make this descion. I am also starting to get nervous due to being put to sleep. Just needed to vent a little Like i said starting to get nervous.

I am wondering if anyone has any advice in terms of their macro targets once you have transitioned to maintenance. I have been gradually upping my calorie target (now at about 1600 calories), but I'm still losing weight at that level. I'm ok with that for a bit longer, but I am struggling with how best to change my macro targets as I increase my calories. I'm kind of wary to increase my Protein intact above 100-120 g per day, but I am a bit fearful that upping carb intake too much will set the stage for me falling back to bad habits. Any advice on how you approached this? I'm grateful for any advice. The dietitian that I have consulted (my surgeon does not have an in-ho…

Hey guys, I had my vsg on 11/15/16 and am now cleared to start exercising. I am in the market for some new workout clothes. I was wondering what brands that you have noticed had sizes such as 4x or 5x? I notice Under Armour has some sizes up to 5x and Nike has some up to 4x. Any recommendations on brands, stores, particular garments would be great. Thanks in advance, Sam

Alright guys, just like the title suggests, I have finally been approved! Just waiting to hear from my surgeons office to see how much I have to fork over and be able to have a date set. I have to admit, this is pretty exciting. Just at arms length it feels like.

Hi Guys... Just wondering why so many chose the sleeve over a lap band? Lap band seems less evasive and can be reversed. Sleeve is permanent and obviously more can go wrong. I just trying a lap band first would be a better option. Just looking for some feedback as to why you chose what you chose. Thanks Guys.... Jim

Surgery date is all set for December 6th. On my pre-op diet--which doesn't seem nearly as restrictive as some I've read about. Dr. did give me the ok to enjoy Thanksgiving eating with family. In the fairness of full disclosure some of Thursday eating did spill over into Friday. So of course now I'm paranoid I ruined everything. My brain keeps telling me that one or even 2 days of not-so-good eating during a 2 week pre-op isn't going to kill things. But of course I read things like surgeries begins stopped midway through because of liver size not being reduced to a comfortable level. So I need someone to tell me I'm being stupid and slap me upside the head. Also,…

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy. What's changed from year 2-3? No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still b…

So I had my consult on January 4th and started all of the nutrition classes etc that was needed by AFTRA H&R. They submitted my paperwork in late July and after a denial (missing form) I have now been told that I have been approved. However, the insurance company has said that I have to have surgery no later than October 12th. I did not anticipate this but now, all of the sudden, I am scared SHITLESS!!! That is less than a month away and have 5 appointments between now and then. The appointments are going to make life difficult at home (my wife is having non-bariatric surgery this week) and at work. Part of me wants to bag it all and say that I will do it later…

I'm still pre-op and have my appointment with the surgeon on Friday. But so far I'm down about 30 pounds. And I'm starting to notice some of the benefits already. One in particular. I'm a bit reluctant to admit that as I've gained wait, my libido has become all but extinct. Maybe not my desire, but definitely my ability to act on it. I'm starting to notice lately something that hasn't happened for quite a while. The sudden and welcome reappearance of the spontaneous erection. All of a sudden I have to worry about embarrassing myself in a meeting. It's a welcome problem to have again.

Hey Gents, question for you all. I've noticed I hardly have to take a leak anymore. I used to go probably 6-8 times a day and I may do half of that now. I always had drank a lot of fluids and Water and I am pretty sure I am drinking nearly the same amount now. Good thing is I don't have to get up in the middle of the night once or twice to use the bathroom like before the sleeve. Now I may go 4 times a day, and there is not much volume at all, not like I'm measuring. Also, I use to be pretty clear and now it seems to be much more yellow and maybe a little stinky. Whats going on with me?!? I'm a few days shy of being 4 weeks post op. Thanks for your comments

http://www.barbellmedicine.com/nutrition/7-rules-to-optimize-protein-intake/ I am only posting this in The Guy's Room since we seem to be the ones most interested in strength gains and not "toning" (ugh). Adequate Protein intake is vital to this goal and this article sums up everything very nicely. I especially like how well the myth that you can only absorb so much protein at a time is addressed.

One unexpected side effect of getting smaller is the hair follicles are closer together on my back and arms. That really concentrated the back hair. For a blond guy, I can look like a dang gorilla if I don't watch it. I've tried: Laser removal (its supposed to be permanent, but apparently I have the wrong color hair for it to be effective). Waxing (painful as hell, and I have to use benadrill to keep from having welts) Nair (burns like heck, even when I follow the directions to the letter, and it stinks up the house) I'd shave it, but couldn't reach all the spots. Until now. This thing works: https://www.amazon.com/MANGROOMER-Yourself-Electric-Back-Shaver/dp/B000H…

Went to the gym like normal today and it felt like I was having an off day. I have my deadlift up to 195 lbs, but today I only managed 185 lbs. On squats, I was only able to do 115 lbs. I started thinking to myself, " How pathetic is this? I can't even squat the weight that I have lost so far!" And then a rare thing happened. Another inner voice told me to get real and gain some perspective. "Dude, you couldn't even lift your left leg and your back would spasm whenever the wind would change directions before the surgery. Now you are bitching because you can't stand up with more than a 100 lbs on your back?! STFU and appreciate where you are!" I literally humbled myse…

Hey Guys, below is my current workout plan. My goal is to develop Size and Strength. If you have any questions, please reply and I'll be happy to provide detailed answers. *Remember- Everyone's body and goals are different* What works for some may not work for others. This is what I do. Just a few keys that I follow for success and to avoid injury are: I always stretch! My form is very strict. No Progress is made when corners are cut! Seek the guidance of a professional before doing a new lift. Hell, watch a YouTube video at minimum. When I do my Big 3 Lifts (Bench Press, Squat, Deadlift) i always have a spotter. A friend/workout partner or fellow gym member won't…

I have a lot of questions and I am sorry if these questions have already been asked but I have been unable to find these answers anywhere on the forums as I have been reading them for the past month. I have done enough research on the forums and have determined that I would rather have VSG over the other types of WLS. My insurance will cover WLS as I have read through my insurance book, no referral is needed from by PCP thankfully. What should my first step be? What kind of specialty should I be looking up on my insurance website to see what doctor to go to as I have tried looking up “Bariatric” “Gastric” and a few others but have been unable to find any doctors as al…

I'm preparing for the surgery and attending a series of 4 Bariatric Lifestyles in preparation for surgery. Generally these classes have been enormously helpful and very motivating. Last nights class (the third one) was about managing relationships through the experience of prepping for the surgery, recovery and maintenance. The class focused exclusively on relationships with partners and children. I'm single, not seeing anyone and don't have any kids. I was frustrated for a while but then I decided to try to take what I could from the class and try to apply it to my other relationships with friends and people I work with. Fairly quickly though I began having anxiet…

On day 10 of 14, and I've felt weak the last couple days. Part of this is probably due to overexerting myself this weekend as I helped my father with logsplitting. Lots of bending up and down and heavy lifting Saturday. (I do notice feeling a bit lightheaded on the diet while getting up quickly.) Anyone else experience similar syndromes? My stools have often been loose the last few days too. My pre-op diet allows lean Proteins and veggies, with limited fruit and nonfat Greek yogurt. Targeting 800-1000 calories daily. On most days I hit at least 100 grams of Protein.

Saw the most idiotic guy on a date tonight. I just wanted to smack the young twit. He thought he was being thoughtful asking his date what she wanted, where to go. He was peppering her with questions, trying to be sensitive to her feelings. What an idiot, bless his heart. Always remember, women use both sides of their brains all the time. This means they are not only wondering what might taste good but how you feel about what she suggests and then she'll start thinking about how her friends will react on where they went yadayada. I'll slap you if you say that's dumb...it is just the way women are wired. That's why they can make everything beautiful when they a…

I'm curious to know if this is a common issue for people post op? I ask cause I've been noticing weird abdominal pains on my left side, feeling like I've always got to go the restroom, and slight discomfort when I do urinate. I've been recently diagnosed with having urethritis from my urologist, however I am wondering if my surgery and changed in diet may have played a role into this condition. I would say that for the last few weeks I haven't been consuming nearly as much Water as I should have been. I'm on antibiotics for the next two weeks and then I will have another follow up with the urologist. Also, there was an initial fear of a possible STI/STD, so I have all s…

So I have been reading I do have my surgery this Thursday and I just have a question... Do we really loose weight faster than a female??? What should I expect for my first weeks??? Thank you for your input....

Hello guys, I posted this here because I wanted a guys perspective. I am still in the losing phase of WLS. I started my journey at 688, and am currently at 396. I was wondering how far out before your goal weight (Pounds/months) did you start seeking/interviewing plastic surgeons? My goal when I am done is to be near 225 (after plastics). My WL surgeon estimates 60-70 pounds of total loose skin. What procedures did you have done? Costs? How was recovery? Anything you can pass along, I'd appreciate! Thanks Guys!!

Hey, I've read a bunch of posts on this forum over the past several weeks and decided, now that I'm only days away from my surgery, that I'd go ahead and join. The liquid pre-op diet has been the most brutal diet I've ever been on, I'm starving all day long and I never thought I'd miss chewing so much...but I haven't cracked. I've been doing everything by the numbers, so I can get the best outcome possible. My surgery date is September 23rd, and this diet has had the nice effect of making me welcome the surgery date, so that I hopefully won't have to feel this gnawing feeling in my stomach anymore, at least for a few months! I'm glad to find a men's forum, there just ar…

Hi All, Okay, so I'm about six weeks out - sleeved on May 9th this year. I was losing weight steadily and quickly for the first month (down 35 lbs since surgery). On surgery date I was 351 and a month out I was at 315. I was riding a bike at least three miles a day and walking quite a bit-nothing strenuous, just dog walking, etc. Then, two weeks ago, I badly re-injured my replaced knee. I ruptured a quad tendon and the "button" the surgeon attached to my kneecap at the time of my replacement surgery, detached from my kneecap. THe result is I have very poor use of my knee. Bike riding is out as are long walks. The upshot here is that I haven't lost an ounce in the last t…

Hi all-- I was looking at the calendar today and realized that today was the six month anniversary of beginning my pre-op diet. I had GSV on March 14, 2016 and, like many of you, can't think of a single regret, other than "I should have done it earlier." If you're on the fence or considering...just do it. Six months ago today, I was 304 pounds -- a little bit over 40.0 BMI -- and was wearing size 42 pants and right at the bad-edge of XXL shirts. A trip to buy clothes was about as depressing as anything could be. By the time by surgery took place two weeks later, I had dropped 20 lbs. to get to 284. Today, I'm at 201 pounds, actually pretty much right at where my doc…

I am in the market for a good pair of running shoes. I currently wear a 14 wide (down from 15 wide pre-surgery). Most stores around me only carry up to size 13 and wides are even harder to find so it looks like I will have to order online. Any other big footed guys out there have any recommendations?

So here's my story. I was sleeved on 12/31/12 - started at 302, dropped to 182... now knocking on four years out I bounce between 195 and 202 after that initial rebound. I wanted to hit 175, but that didn't happen. I'm now 36. I've never worked out in my life. Never lifted weights, no sports... nothing. I want to improve the way I look by the time I turn 40 - I've got 3.5 years to do it. I want to knock the weight down to 175, and add muscle in the process to just have a nice build by my deadline. I'm clueless where to start - the gym is intimidating and when I browse the net I get overloaded with so many different articles, and most of them are aimed at people who h…

Are we talking monthly or every other month or so? Did you have to endure the baggy sloppy look because the weight fell off so fast?

How would that work? Can you build muscle after the sleeve? I mean, isnt it impossible to gain muscle at a caloric deficit? I'd rather not be "skinny" (though would MUCH prefer skinny over fat), but I truely like lifting, and would like to gain some muscle after I get sleeved. Is this possible? Or is being fat, then sleeved, then muscular not in the cards? TIA

Hello, I recently was told that my esophagus would not tolerate the gastric sleeve and the bypass was my only option. I was wondering what other guys have experienced with the bypass surgery and what I can expect. I had the lap band a wile back and had good success until it prolapsed. Thanks for any input.

Hey Everyone, I am new to this forum and have been reading some post and thought I would reach out. I am 41 years old and currently weigh about 325 (last time I got on the scales was a few weeks ago and I was 318) and I am preparing for surgery on November 11th of this month. I have already scheduled my surgery so I am gonna do this! I really want to do this the right way and while I am not nervous about the actual surgery I am worried about my emotional state and how that plays a part with eating. I will be honest and say that I know that I have an addiction to food cause I live to eat (eat when I am not hungry and eat for comfort) along with other addiction vice…

Hello, I have just starting researching weight loss options the last few weeks. I have been greatly overweight for about the last 12-15 years. I am 38 years old 6' and weight 330 pounds. I have enjoyed reading post on this site and decided to join to ask some questions. It seems hard to find many forums for guys. I do not have any weight related medical conditions yet. I really want to try and get it under control as I am sure they are likely to come any time now. I guess what I am looking for is just any advice at all. Does anyone suggest a certain Dr in my area, what questions should I ask them? It's crazy because I know that I should just make an appointment but …

Jesus boys, I'm shattin pineapples. Okay, maybe not pineapple, but-no exaggeration, hand-grenades.Same size and same freaking texture. These dookies are so freaking hard and large my sphincter has absolutely no chance of pinching one off in a doable size. Okay, I know this is rough, but to give you all an idea how terrible this is, I had to go in and get a couple of these bad boys. Vaseline on the digit and operation remove the dook was on. Oh MY Freaking God! These things are like steel. Serious pain and blood... I'm only 9 days out and I'm not eating, what is going on! Don't you need food to form these bombers? Okay, not trying to brag. Trying to figure out what the…

Okay so I'm getting quite a bit of conflicting information here, even from my own nut. So I thought I'd pose it to guys who started at 350-400 LBS. How many calories were you getting at six weeks to two months post sleeve. I am on full solids, chewed thoroughly and eaten slowly and taking new items carefully. I log everything in MFP and am getting an average of 650 calories a day. I've ranged as high as 850 down to 550 recently. My excersize recently (due to knee injury) is modest but am certainly not sedentary. I get 64 oz of fluids and an average of 60 gms protein. My weight loss has slowed considerably after the first month. My nut said "maybe I should consider more ca…

Has anyone out there, 18 most or longer post-op, seen any weight gain. I was at 365, then 330 or so day of surgery, and got down to 226. Which my physician was about dead on with (my goal was 190, he laughed and said 225 was more realistic due to my bone density). I floated between 226 and 229 for about a year. Then as if like entering the next stage or something, I've begun gaining weight. 230, 235, 240, 245... So I begin a walking regiment. I do about 3-4 miles a time 5 times a week (3mph, 3.5 incline). I dropped to 241 within a couple weeks, but today I'm up to 244 again. I'll be honest, after 2.5 years post op, my biggest issue isn't that I feel hungry, it'…

I know there are tons of threads on this site dedicated to poop, bowel movements, diarrhea, constipation, and all things crap related. But I wanted a thread where we men can discuss it. You want to make a joke? Go for it. Want to talk serious, I'm all for it. If you are a woman that wants to chime in for a female point of view, sorry - I posted it in the Guy's Room on purpose. I'm really wanting to make the Guy Room more active and also more relevant to just us men. I have always had "issues" when it comes to #2. I was hoping that the surgery would somehow magically cure everything, but alas it has not. But I believe I may have actually discovered something that helps …

I was talking to my wife about my workout routine and she was complaining about not knowing how to do certain things properly. But our schedules differ most of the time so she jokingly said that I should take pictures. I thought it funny at first and especially vain, but the more that I thought about it the more it started sounding like a good idea. I admit that it will feel very arrogant and shallow to take pictures of me working out, but it might possibly be helpful. What say you guys? Do you think it is vain and egotistical or do you think it is a good idea?

just went in for a consultation and was told that once the insurance clear i will be getting a call...never got a time frame how long did it take for everyone else?

I have my VSG scheduled for November. I'm a little concerned about the post op-pain management. My dr. has already indicated that I will be in the hospital "2 days to keep me comfortable" I've had 4 knee surgeries, 2 of them were pretty extensive procedures that resulted in some pretty extensive pain after words. I'm just wondering if this pain is on par with something like that? or totally different? I know its a different area of the body but in all honesty I had such a rough go of it during my last knee surgery. The pain was horrible. I wasn't able to keep food or liquids down. So I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself to what is ahead. Any Feedback would be g…

Hello guys, I've got a puzzle that perhaps you can help me understand. I'm about 6 weeks post VSG surgery and on the whole I'm very pleased. I'm down about 34 pounds from surgery day. I hit the expected week 3 stall at about 4 weeks, and I'm not sure I'm through it. I say I'm not sure because I have lost about 3 pounds over two weeks but nothing consistent and I go up or down a little each day. I'm not panicking or anything -- I've always seen stalls on my diets before but usually no more than a week. I noticed something today that's puzzling me... I've got one of those fancy Withings scales that connects to the internet and charts my weight, total fat mass, etc.…

Has anyone found that lifting weights has reduced the effects of loose skin?

Morning Gents. 297! $%#@^&%*&^!YEAH!!! This is the first time there has been a "2" as the first number of my weight since 1993. All sorts of great numbers are happening in close proximity. 18# ago I hit 200 lost, 2# ago I broke into the 200's, in 2 more # I will have lost 2/3 of my extra weight, and in 4 more # I will break through to the 30's for BMI. All that yumminess from a guy who was 515 10 months ago. SO YES BOYS, GREAT THINGS DO HAPPEN...Now onto my next goal. YEEEEEeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa....(that's me driving off to the gym). Keep up all of your hard work 'cause I want to hear your success stories too.

So this weekend I decided that I needed to go buy new boxers. I have been wearing the same ones I wore since before surgery, which means that as soon as I take off my pants they immediately drop to the floor. LOL Now, I'm not spending money on designer underwear until I reach my goal size. So I just bought Hanes at Walmart. To my surprise I went from an XL to a M. Very good victory.

Guys, Does anyone here have full tattoo sleeves or tattoos in general? If so how do they look after wls? I do not have an incredible amount of fat in my arms. I work out quite a bit and just always had quite a bit of muscle under this mess. I am just curious how tattos cosmetically look after a dramatic weight loss

Starting at 518 lbs, it had been a good while since I had any actual exercise apart from walking to the freezer to grab some Ben & Jerry's. Fast forward to today, I'm doing brisk walking or hiking 3 days a week and 30 min on a rowing machine another 3 days a week. I'm supplementing that with some simple dumb bell lifting. My stamina is up and my joint pain is down. For those that are further along, how and when did you decide to upgrade your workouts to more strenuous activity? At some point down the road, I think that I would like to take a martial arts class, but I'm clueless in terms of deciding when that is likely to be feasible. Any advice?