Paul11011

Awesome! You have done a wonderful job of showing the best benefits to this whole process is not the number on the scale rather its the amount of life we're able to live. Enjoy!

I want to thank everyone that has taken the time to read my post and more importantly for replying to it. It is only through honest interactions that we can all grow and develop, both as a community and as individuals. I would never intend to say that I will always be right or my experience is encompassing of all WLS experiences. When I'm wrong, I expect to be confronted about it, hell it's the only way I can move beyond my own ignorance.

There are many paths to the end goal, but there are some paths that will only lead to setbacks, undue difficulties and failure as well. Those are the paths I will not encourage one to go down, nor would I want to be allowed to travel blindly down myself as I look to others for guidance.

Again thank you all for reading and for your responses.

All I know is..we need pictures of this hard ass..so we can judge for ourselves. It is all scientific..I swear!

LMAO... I wish it was worth taking a picture of, but I'm so afraid you'd just be disappointed.

Lol I thought this was another one of those posts about "when can we have sex?"

LMAO, gotta admit, I opened it for a similar reason.

Mine dropped right down to the center of my back, I look like a camel now! Mine went away entirely, nothing there now but vertebrae.

My BF is three weeks post op and he had half an omelet, grits and and English muffin for brunch. He did experience a bit of discomfort from being too full but the feeling soon passed. All you can do is try and see what happens! Your body will let you know if you're ready.

This is the perhaps the worst advise I have ever heard. Your BF, somehow, is able to eat more and the wrong kinds of foods at 3 weeks post op than most people can or should at 6 months out. In addition to that you actually tell someone to push the envelope and unless there are problems that develop, they are fine? Wow!

Do you think playing Russian Roulette is a good idea too? After all there is a 5 in 6 chance that everything will be just fine.

Where you seriously not given any instructions on what you SHOULD and should not be putting into the recently incised organ inside of you? Any conversation about food desires aside, you have to give the stomach time to heal and 5 days isn't enough.

Definitely not TMI. We're all adults here.....well for the most part and sex is a valid topic. Check out the powder Room Forum (Ladies) and The Man Room (Mens) for some other times this topic has come up. I personally am a big fan seeing it addressed here as well.

There are changes that do take place after WLS that do affect ones sex life. Some of the obvious changes are the physical differences but there are also emotional and psychological changes that take place too. Can't wait to see the response. My post WLS experience with this topic is that it has been a great time! Getting used to the "new equipment" (my wife's term) has been a welcome bye product of the process.

Oh and the other sex question that comes up is how long after do you have to wait? Me, I made sure that I was out of the recovery room first.

Paul, you look awesome! I had to look really hard at your pic because you look so different! I would have called bs if someone said that was you with out a good long look! Amazing JoB!

Thank you. I am still getting used to seeing the "new" me in the mirror. I still expect to see the other guy.

A little perspective. According to your profile you started at 225 lbs and your goal weight is 135lbs. That is a "goal expectation" of losing 90 lbs. As of the time of your original post, you had lost 17lbs. Sooooo you had lost 18.8% of the total amount of weight you have set to lose as your goal. Now with an additional 2lbs lost that brings your total to 19lbs which is 21.1% of the total weight you want to lose, not too shabby for 6 weeks out.

The extra weight did not come on overnight nor will it leave that way, even with the magic of the sleeve. As long as you're following your guidelines, just keep plugging away. You're over 1/5 of the way to accomplishing your goal.

I am 4'11- sw: 248 CW: 158 sleeved 11/13/12

Before

Current

I've gone from a 22 to a 10. 2x to a medium. I'm do happy with the way I look and the way I feel. I have 28 more pounds to goal!

Get your butt down from that tub, you're going to hurt yourself! You look (and I bet feel) terrific, great job!

Pic in blue shirt is highest known weight, 496lbs.

Paul!I see you just reached goal! Congratulations man, great job and long life to you! Please keep posting to the Vets section, your a big inspiration to us all!

Thanks. The ticker is a little misleading though. Not sure quite how to best change it. I actually have been at my current weight for over a year. I got lower and decided to gain back a few lbs. (I never would have ever thought that would come out of my mouth). Thanks again for the nice comment.

My BMI was almost 72. My insurance company said, "Get that dude under the knife!" Sorry carry on.

I hope to be one of those skinny beotches that gets cold when its 80 degrees instead of sweating like a roasting pig!

Mark those words. You will not believe the difference.

Sorry I digress, back to hatin' those beotches.

Hey y'all! I'm only 7 days post-op, but I'm making myself a food journal to have bound so that I can carry it with me everywhere. I also have MFP, but I love to write things down and see patters! I'm an OCD list maker!!!!

In my food log, which nutritional facts are the most important to track? Right now, I have listed: CALORES, CARBS, Proteins, FAT, & SUGARS. Are any of those not necessary or somewhat unimportant?

When I come to a stall, I want to be able to look back and see where the intake numbers have changed to help me get out of the stall. I just don't want to waste time counting sugars if its really not a necessity, you know?

All newbies please pay attention to this girl! She has just outlined a scientifically based approach to learning how to evaluate stalls, loss patterns and combined with regular weigh ins will have a great way to establish measurable goals. OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sugars are already accounted for in carbs, I personally would not track them separately. I use losit.com phone app. and website. If I were to start all over I think I would go to my fitness pal.

Can not wait to see you succeed!

Excellent job! Words of wisdom for the newer folks?

Yep, journal everything and stick to the guidelines given to you by your surgical center. Try to really understand that food is fuel, not entertainment, not a friend, not a hobby. Changing the mind is the toughest part and we need to start early while the restrictive benefits of the "tool" are most effective. Success is a marathon, not a sprint, persistence will pay off.

Thanks everyone!

Here ya go.

What's this DETROIT you guys are talking about? *Just SW of Grand Rapids.

I track every morsel that goes into my mouth and only eat when hungry. I'm getting, at minimum, 70 grams of Protein per day, 64oz Fluid and all of my Vitamins. I keep an eye on carbs/calories, but really only for observation purposes. I don't "try" to eat up to anything other than my requirements...just turns out that way! I have no clue how people are only getting a few hundred calories AND meeting requirements.

That's awesome that you're tracking everything! I still believe that is the foundation for everything. Trying to remember back to 4 weeks post op. I'm not at home or I would look it up. I was at mushies from weeks 2-6 and I'm pretty sure I still drank 2 Protein shakes a day. That would be how I got in as much Protein with lower calories. I was usually in the 80-100 grams a day and relatively certain I was around 700 calories. Yep, it's good that your goal is the protein and not the calories. I think you saw where I was going with that question, because it is two entirely different mindsets.

I had 800 cal today and im barely 3 weeks post op...smh Im on puree and ive had puree chilli , tuna, mashed potatoes, cream of wheat , yogurts, pudding sf, just to namw a few I feel like im eating to much im bk in the gym I worknout boyt a hour a day and Im bk at work as a conductor for septa I stand most of the day.....anyone have that many cal 3 weeks out im nervous about this

Heck, I'll be 4 weeks out tomorrow and I average 1,200 calories a day. My PA and NUT are just fine with that, as long as I meet my Protein and Fluid goals.

Do you try to eat up to those calorie limits or do you try and get in your Protein goals (assuming 60-80 min,) and if you end up that high in calories it's "ok"?

No, unless you blend it with Water into a puree.

Change it now. It's just the tool we use to measure by; that's it. We always tend to tie so much more to a damn number, our happiness, self confidence, etc. It just shows where we are now, not where we are headed. Change it now and in a month, you'll laugh about having given it a second thought.

Did you have an open or laparoscopic procedure? In either case I would definitely call and get your surgeons opinion on where you should be pain-wise rather than leaving your health up to an internet forum, even one as great as this I had a laparoscopic sleeve, was up walking around the hospital floor that day and went mall walking 2 days post op and never had any pain to speak of. So as you can see results vary greatly. Call your DR.