Rootman

ANY liquid counts as long as it's not caffeinated, caffeine is a diretic and dumps about as much liquid as you take it in.

This is an age old remedy and may have SOME basis. Give it a try but I doubt there would be as many bald people running around if it were true. Also, MOST black currants I've ever had fresh were absolutly terrible, strong and astingent in flavor. This is a quote from Ask.com: A lightly flowery fragrance matched up with an addictively pungent, almost musky flavour. Without sugar, they are so strong as to be horrible, making you wonder whoever first thought of diluting them and adding buckets of sugar Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_a_black_currant_taste_like#ixzz1kcKftlxW

I went alone to Almanza in Dec 2010 and while it sure would of been nice to have someone to support me it IS doable alone. While you are ther see if you can buddy up with someone else, either another single or another couple of poeple. The shared experience is enough for most people to start a quick friendship.

Just becasue it says BCBS doesn't mean it's the SAME insurance coverage. BCBS is a manager for MANY insurance plans for MANY companies. In my case my manufacturer COMPANY is the actual insurer and BCBS is the manager. WHAT they pay on a particular plan and HOW MUCH they pay is negotiated between the company and BCBS when they agree on a plan. My particular BCBS WOULD of paid if I would of taken the time - typically 6 to 9 months - to jump through their hoops. The cost to me out of pocket WOULD of been ABOUT the same on my high deductable plan, that is about $5000 so I elected to go right away and pay my own way in Mexico. So you'll have to check with YOUR plan provider.

Yeah, this and those goofy gowns at the doctors / hospitals. I thought I'd never fit !

Well I don't even KNOW you to say that I LIKE you or not :smile1: Oh, you mean "is anyone SIMILAR to me" ------------ Sorry couldn't resist. I would say that 100 pounds by september is completely doable if you have the surgery fairly soon. Remember the heavier you are the faster you lose initially as your cut in caloric intake means the body cannot support the massive amount of fat it put away and burns it up. I don't rmember when I hit the 100 pound mark but I thing is was around the 4 or 5 month mark. I started out at about 375 pounds and am about 6' tall. We all wish you well friend!

I just started taking 5-HTP which is also supposed to help with mood. I'll report how it works, it may take a few weeks to kick in, most natural suppliments work very slowly.

Do you know that beer commercial with the "Most interesting man in the world"? Well I'm his goofy cousin, "The most BORING man in the world". I am 51, been married to the same woman for 30 years, no kids - therefore no grandkids. We have no parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles. My siblings are all busy with their own lives, kids and grandkids so that leaves me pretty much all alone with her. It's not been great but it's not been bad either. The bad thing is that not having any real family I am sort of the odd man out in nearly every group. We don't fit in with people our agee as they are celebrating their grandkids and families, people younger than us are still rasing their kids. There seems to be no room in anyones life for a middle aged childles couple. Well enough of this boring stuff. I am 1+ year post-op and down about 170 pounds. I've started swimming about 10 months ago and it has really mad me a lot fitter than I have EVER been before in my life. We like to ride our motorcycle in warm weather but the wifes arthritic hips keeps us close to home on the bike. We horse back ride a few times a year at a stable near Eureka Springs Arkansas. Oncein a while we go to a stage production at our local arts center. We mostly watch TV and doodle on the internet at sites like this. Maybe a movie every couple months. Well that's me in a nutshell, sorry if I put you to sleep!

Yes, as pointed out the ketosis is the main cuplrit. After it eases up things taste wonderful! I had a conversation with a guy who had WLS who said it was just like right after he quit smoking years ago - food actually had taste. This is what he pinned on gaining all his weight from was stopping smolking. He agreed with me that our tastes have changed pretty drastically and we eat less becasue of the restriction and the rapid FULL sensation. But I enjoy a lot of things I never cared for before, for instance black pepper, I never liked it before but now it'soin everything.

Well besides the already stated "done it years ago" I think I would of charted and photographed my progress a little better. I was so afraid of failure that before I knew it I was 170 pounds down and prety much "there" with nary a pic to show the before - during - after. I had one pic someone posted on facebook from Dec-Jan of 2010/2011 snf that's about it. If you didn't know me personally you would not of known the difference.

Well SHOW ME THE MONEY, cause I sure ain't seen any of it. I was self pay but had insurance, I simply did not want to wait and jump through the hoops that the insurance carrier puts people through. I was also dead set to have a VSG and NOT a bypass which is what most of the local doctors around here want to do. I had the cash from my mothers estate and used it for a VSG. I honestly cannot endorse the Dr. and clinic I went to any more due to problems others have had with them this last year, so If I'm being paid by the Mx doctors I am slitting my own throat. I have no experience with any other Dr or clinic and therefore have no opinions about them. If you are pursuing this avenue then do your homework and come do your own conclusion. Even though I cannot recommend the place I went to it has worked out for me. It saved my life. I've lost about 170 pounds and am now physically fit. No blood sugar, blood pressure or sleep apnea problems. I feel and look good. I wish you well friend!

I have alkways avoided it as celery and coconut have a tremendous amount of tough Fiber in them that can ball up in your stomach and cause what's called a bezoar - a ball of undigetable matter trapped in the stomach. I don't know how liekely this is, especially if the stuff is cut up fairly small but I've never wanted to take the chance.

YES, you are exactly right, mea culpa. The proper term I should of used is SPOT REDUCING. You can improve the definition of many body areas and spot TONE but not necessarily lose fat in those specific areas - which is what the OP was asking about. The body adds fat and consumes fat as it was genetically destined to do and no amount of excersize can reduce fat in any given specific area. You can only improve the LOOKS of the area by firming up the muscles underneath. BTW: I have been swimming for like 10 months now and am absolutly AMAZED at how well my muscles look in areas like my calfs and biceps. I actually HAVE muscles there now! I used to be of course just round and flabby Years ago when I was thin I was just round and skinny. Now I have scoops and dips and definition. It's so cool!

I woke up from surgery cold and have been getting colder ever since! I now slide into bed beneath 2 comforters, another comforter doubled over just on me (the wife said enoughs enough! ) a blanket and sheet and over a heated mattress pad! I wear underpantsr, undershirt, socks, fleece bottoms and a henley tee. I STILL wake up cold at times. At work I wear a heavy sweater all the time whereas just over a year ago I had a freakin' FAN blowing on me all the time. We've discussed possible reasons elsewhere on the forum. Do a search and you'll get a lot of info.

While working out may help SOME please be ware that there is no such thing as spot toning ( here's one article: http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/tips/i/is_spot_toning_possible.aspx ) . Excersizing helps musclle definition but if you are predisposed to having big calfs than nothing will really reduce the size besides overall weight loss or some radical surgery. Some have it in the butt, some the gut, seems that you are stuck with it in the calf. I have it in the backs of my thighs. If you can't get the size down when you reach your weight loss goal then you'll either have to live with it or seek surgical assistance. Sorry

Yes, excesizing off the calories you eat will burn more fat and casue you to lose weight faster. There is no danger in doing this as long as you have plenty of fat to burn. If you keep it up and dip past a proper weight then THAT starts getting potentially dangerous. I would continue to do as you are doing. As you heal and approach 6 moths or more your appitite will pick up and you will generally eat more.and the issue will not longer be relevent. If you've already past that point then just watch your weight and adjust your caloric intake upwards if necessary to maintin a health weight.

Yep, and it is highly unusual to NOT have the fears and doubts. It's completely rational and normal. Once I got back to my hotel post -op I just collapsed and had a good long cry. The urge hit me a few times more after that, but soon the weight started coming off, I was healing and getting energy back. Now I wouldn't UNDO (if one could) it for the world!

I flew from the midwest to San Diego and back by myself. It's uncomfortable being heavy, just having an operation makes it somewhat worse but not impossible. An isle seat is always welcome being overweight and will make it easier to slide into your seat and not put pressure on your abdomen post op too. Getting up will be easier and having to go potty mid flight will be easier too. If there is any way you can upgrade to first class coming back it will make you much more comfortable too, isle seat or not. I did on my way back and was very thankful for the extra room in the seat and for my legs.

I too went to the SAME place and my wife took them out when we got home after 10 days, it's not hard at all but I understand the squimishness of taking out your own. I like the urgent care doc but this may run you quite a bit of cash as they often have a minimum fee of like $175. I suspect your PCP is avoiding liability but it is coming off as really being a d**k. I mean what if you cut your head while traveling and had to have the stiches out at home? Abdominal surgery is quite a bit different than a wound but he should be able to tell if there are any issues by looking. Think real hard about switching docs if you can.

I tried either Lunesta or Ambien (can't remember which) but these are designed to help you GET to sleep not MAKE you sleep. Once you've passed the two hour mark after going to bed they have little effect. I also take meletonin but I too get wild crazy dreams. I've tried Xanax too and it simply makes me feel drunk and I seem more at ease in bed but sleep doesn't come till typically the wee hours. I swim 1.7 miles 5 days a week, I am typically sleepy once I hit the hay and on the few nights I try I can't read for very long as my eyes feel heavy. It is also exacerbated by the fact I have to drink so much Water to avoid kidney stones, I have to get up to urninate 1, 2 or 3 times a night. Flow is strong and clear so I don't think it is due to any urilogical issues, just the amount of water I drink. I get real fidgity and get achy in pressure points in my hips and back even on a memory foam mattress - I've lost so much padding witt he weight loss. I HAD been geting cold and have piled on the blankets, added a heated mattress pad and started wearing PJ's and socks. This makes me MORE uncomfortable in bed as the PJ's and socks make me get balled up in the sheets and blankets. It's really becoming an issue and affecting my daytime performance.

I've been battling it for decades and have it BAD post-op. I got maybe 2 hours sleep last night. I don't know if it is stress, diet change or something made worse by the sleeve proceedure. It is really getting me down.

I've steered away from white bread - whch MAY ball up in the small confines of the sleeve and casue issues. Celery - the "strings" may ball up too and coconut becasue of the fibers potentially doing the same. There are things that I just DON'T eat anymore, candy, Cookies, cake second and third helpings of anything and etc. - OK well I eat SOME of them very, very little .

It was about 2 months for me, I was draggin' a$$ and then it just suddenly let up and I had SOME energy. I started to really exercise at about 4 months and my energy level just really soared. Now if I could just get to sleep at night

This too shall pass. I felt very similarly but (in my case, hope it's less for you) after 2 months I started to feel real good. I also started to excercise and that helped a lot too.

I'm 13 months out and in the same boat. I find a few saltine crackers mid morning and mid afternnon and a light snack at 9 PM keep me going, it does slow down the weight loss but if you're still losing or maintaining (in my case) it works.